| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 27 positive, 0 negative]
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| 04/16/09 |
Positive
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Mahalo Bruce for sharing this beautiful property! Our whole family of 7 including our grandson loved the house...we didn't want to leave!
We all had our own "space" with a bedroom and bath. My husband and I had the luxury of that magnificent master suite upstairs...we still dream of the view, the breezes and the waves! OK, we enjoyed the experience of the outdoor shower too!
The central location made it easy for all of us to take off and go where we needed to either by car or on foot.
And last and most spectacular was the pool...what a view! We had many breakfasts and lunches on the lower patio and a BBQ in the evening.
Our grandson still talks about #27. It is one of the best vacation rentals we have stayed in. Don the property manager was very helpful and friendly. Hopefully we will be able to return one day soon! ~Aloha!
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P & D, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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| 06/30/08 |
Positive
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Aloha,
I could not think of a more fabulous place to have celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. The house was more than I had ever dreamed it would be. More importantly, Don is a very attentive caretaker for the property. He was very courteous, accommodating and a joy to get to know. From the moment we walked through the courtyard gate into the tropical gardens, we knew we were in Paradise. The beautiful design of the home with all of the doors opening to bring the outdoors inside is magnificent. One would never tire of cooking in that kitchen. Waking up each morning to the song of the birds and to fall into dreamy sleep listening to the crashing of the waves on the lava rock was so peaceful. I must say that the view from the master outdoor shower is incredible! We have some amazing pictures of the infinity pool blending into the horizon of the Pacific which everyone enjoyed. One morning the grandchildren were in the pool by 6:30 am! The location is absolutely perfect with so many conveniences nearby.
We went swimming with the dolphins (Sunlight on the Water), helicopter ride over the volcano and waterfalls (Blue Hawaii Helicopters), had a family portrait taken (David Baldwin, Hawaii Photoman) and the guys played golf three days. We packed a lot into one week but it didn’t seem like it because of the beauty, tranquility and peacefulness that awaited us each time we returned to Hale Kona A’kai.
We have rented vacation homes in many places and stayed at luxury hotels all over the world, but none can compare to the appointments and accompaniments of this home. It is the little things that make a house a home and this is truly a home. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Mahalo
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Charlsey and Jeff, Arlington, TX |
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| 03/11/08 |
Positive
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| Feb. 2008 was our second stay at this fabulous home inside of two years. We love it here and anticipate returning as often as life allows. We've stayed with and without the kids. Everyone always has a good time. It doesn't get more relaxing than this. Certainly, for the money a much better choice than any commercial hotel. What's better than BBQ'ing fresh Ahi purchased the same days just minutes away from fishermen who've just come off the boats? And, in February, the whales and dolphins swimming by are so abundant, we actually lost count this trip of how many we saw. The weather was perfect. We love that the house has everything we need upon arrival. We can pack light and do laundry and go home from a family vacation with a suitcase of clean clothes. This house is a dream come true! We could easily make every big vacation here and never see the rest of the world because we return home (reluctently) happy and relaxed. |
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Alfonso and Pamela, San Diego, CA USA
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| 01/31/08 |
Positive
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| We celebrated our 50th anniversary with our family at this marvelous vacation house in late January. There is little to add to the great descriptive comments of previous visitors, except the whale watching was a thing to behold. At one time we observed five whales about 500 yards from the rear patio leaping out of the water half their body length and then smashing down with great sound effects. The weather was perfect, i.e., lots of sun and no rain. From the beginning when We were welcomed with fresh flowers and Leis, to the end where we sadly had to take our leave it was a magical experience for our party of eight adults. |
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John & Lili Dillon, Saratoga, CA
(408) 354-7572 |
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| 06/27/07 |
Positive
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Thanks a lot Bruce, for sharing your house with our family. The house is incredible! It is certainly grand but warm and cozy and very private to all. The ocean view is fantastic! But what we remembered most is the sounds of the waves and the nightly rains, and the birds in the morning and the peaceful silence of that neighborhood; and the geckos too. There is a family of bright green and red geckos living underneath the dining table(Don't disturb them!). You can't get all that from a hotel. We loved your place! Don was very cool too. He represents your hospitality very well. The fresh flowers were a pleasant surprise too.
Aloha,
Si and Mai Nguyen, from Lake Forest, CA |
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Si Nguyen, M.D., Lake Forest, CA
949-874-0827 |
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| 06/26/07 |
Positive
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Just a short note to tell you how much we enjoyed our memorable stay at your beautiful home. From the moment we walked thru the front gate into the tropical courtyard and then to the entry with the spectacular view of the infinity pool and blue pacific ocean beyound, all set the stage for our delightful Aloha vacation.
We throughly enjoyed the layout of the house and privacy all the family enjoyed, the kitchen was so well equiped that the ladies actually enjoyed cooking. We made great use of the the BBQ to cook steakes and watch the sunsets(waiting for the green flash)
Bruce, we have stayed in numerous luxuary homes on the various Islands and I can say without reservation your
home is more comfortable, relaxing and beautiful then any of the others. |
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Paul Dohrman, Murrieta CA
951 677-7753 |
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| 04/15/07 |
Positive
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| WOW....Were the first words out of our mouths when we entered this magnificent home. It just got even better as we walked outside to the breath taking views and lush tropical landscaping. Our 50th Birthday celebration we experienced was the one of a life time along with vacationing with our dearest friends. Thank you Bruce for sharing your exceptional home and making us feel at home. From the fine touches of the most comfortable and relaxing accommendations to top of the line kitchen equipment. We have rented many homes around the world and this one is at the top of our list. Looking forward to return again in the near future. |
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Paula Glovier, Odenton, MD |
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| 03/29/07 |
Positive
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| WE RELUCTANTLY LEFT KONA & THIS LOVELY PLACE, WE HAPPILY CALLED "HOME" FOR 2 WEEKS. IT WAS PERFECTLY SUITED TO OUR FAMILY'S LIFESTYLE & SIZE. 6 ADULTS ~ 2 CHILDREN.THE POOL WAS WELL USED( OUR 3 YEAR OLD GRANDSON LEARNED TO SWIM)THE NEARNESS OF THE KEIKEI BEACH FOR THE KIDS,THE BEAUTIFUL POOL (WITH LOTS OF TOYS~WE ADDED A FEW)THE GECKOS & THE BIRDS KEPT THE KIDS HAPPY.THE WELL PLANNED HOUSE, BEAUTY OF THE SUNSETS, & THE WAVES KEPT WE ADULTS,VERY HAPPY,& IN A CONSTANT STATE OF RELAXATION. THE FEELING OF PRIVACY, & YET THE CLOSENESS OF THE OFFERINGS OF KAILUA-KONA MAKE THE LOCATION IDEAL. THE BIG ISLAND HAS BEEN OUR FAVORITE FOR 25 YEARS & THIS WAS OUR BEST FAMILY VACATION. WE WILL RETURN. THANKYOU TO DON, THE CARETAKER, FOR LOOKING AFTER OUR NEEDS & MAKING US FEEL INSTANLY AT HOME. MAHALO! |
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SUSAN MEEKER, MISSION, B.C. |
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| 01/27/07 |
Positive
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| It's approaching the one year anniversary of our Feb 2006 stay in this wonderful home -- I was "homesick" for the house and just had to go online and look at it again. The memories our family created by staying together, grilling out against the sunset, drinking wine on the lava rocks, watching the kids splash around in the pool, and walking barefoot down to the keiki beach was incredible. This was the perfect family vacation, thanks to the gorgeous home and beachfront location. You will not be disappointed! |
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Kat Campbell, Minneapolis, MN
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| 12/26/06 |
Positive
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Superlative about sums it up for our stay at your splendid "jungle retreat" Bruce!
Planned it as a once in a lifetime vacation, however, after our wonderful experiences at your property, Marie and I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else on the Big Island ever again! It's truly a paradise with the best of both worlds, close to town (only a block or two) yet feels miles away from civilization. Sunsets were awesome, the pool clean, sparkling and refreshing and the lighting at night magical! I went on safari in the "jungle gardens" surrounding the house and found plenty of "subjects" from the lively and colorful gecko's to a variety of beautiful flowers and plants. Even spied a mongoose in the driveway! Marie loved lounging in and around the infinity pool and enjoyed proudly accepting the compliments of folks walking by. Everything you described about the place was right on! Waves crashing along the lava rock shoreline lulled us to sleep every night. The accomodations were first class and we truly loved the coconut canopy bed...a nice touch! We did our Open Water Dives to get PADI certified. Debbie and Dennis of Underwater Adventures Hawaii hosted our 2 days of private diving aboard their excellent vessel.
As per your recommendation Bruce, we hired Jason Verdun to Chef for us one night. What a fabulous time we had and Jason went all out with a perfectly planned and presented several course meal out on the "Island Pedestal" at sunset. Truly magical in every way!
Caretaker Don was very helpful with meeting us and introducing us to the property and providing local info of interest. Highlights for Marie and I were many on a daily basis and the memories will be with us for a lifetime! Thanks Bruce for everything. Marie and I are very much looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you aboard in Alaska next June! Happy Holidays! Rob and Marie from Ketchikan, Alaska and Fox Lake Illinois |
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Rob Scherer, Ketchikan, Alaska
1-907-225-0608 |
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| 09/08/06 |
Positive
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I can't say enough about this beautiful home. Like everyone else, from the moment we walked through the courtyard, until the sad day we packed up and left, we were literally in paradise.
My family and I rarely left the house...we couldn't drag ourselves away :) We headed for the volcano one day, stopped off at the black sand beach...then decided, "let's just go back home and bar-b-cue and swim".
Our rental car just sat there...oh well!
We will have to come back and actually do some Island exploring next time, but we will definately come back to this home next summer!
P.S. We met some of the wonderful estate guards and they could not have been more kind and helpful...particularly Petulia! |
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Eileen B, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
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| 08/27/06 |
Positive
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Totally, completely fantastic! Your home is incredibly lovely, and our entire family enjoyed so much the opportunity to stay at this island paradise.
Golf at both the Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea, swimming at night with the manta rays, riding horses at Parker Ranch, swimming with the dolphins - both in the ocean for the older people and at the Hilton for the youngsters, parasailing, taking surfing lessons, swimming at various beaches, a ride around the island and enjoying a fabulous luau at the Kona Village - we packed in so many activities but no one ever felt rushed as they could come back to the peace and tranquility of your gorgeous home. And - the best part was your pool - it seemed to always have a family member relaxing in it.
Mahala to you - and thanks for sharing the beauty!!!
Bobbitt Williams |
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Bobbitt Williams, Newport Coast, CA
949-6446799 |
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| 08/22/06 |
Positive
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| Pictures do not do this paradise justice. Our family stayed in August 2006 and enjoyed to the fullest this incredible property and home. From the moment you enter you are in awe of the home, the garden, the pool, the incredible ocean view and all designed to envelope you in the Aloha spirit. This is a short summary of what I could write in describing the only place we will stay when we come back to Hawaii. Forever in our memories "The Kona House". Mahalo Bruce. |
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Bob Maloney, Friendship, md
301 812-0060 |
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| 08/01/06 |
Positive
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WOW!! Your home was MORE than we expected! Lena was very patient waiting for us since we arrived later than expected. The beautiful fresh leis she encircled our necks with were just what we needed to begin our vacation in paradise. We were in "AH" to walk through the gate to find it, paradise. The tropical courtyard set the tone. We were "wowed" at the view of the ocean as you walk up to the main house. The all loved the walls that opened up to feel the outdoors, indoors. Your home upon arrive was very neat, clean and beautifully decorated. We love the kitchen where we prepared many meals. Since there were eight of us (ages 10 - 72), Costco was a great food savor. The pool is beyond words. It is how we began and ended our days. We took a 13 hour roadtrip around the island that was worth it all. The luau (minus the rain) was wonderful. We ALL had so much relaxing fun. We would return in a heartbeat!
Mahalo,
Draegers, Mpls., MN |
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Anonymous |
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| 03/30/06 |
Positive
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Just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the stay at this fabulous home from March 11-18. We spent our first day planning all our Big Island adventures and activities for the week, and spent the rest of the week rationalizing our decision to just hang out at the house much of the time. Kudos to all who had a hand in its design. The one amenity you might have included was a robot (or some sort of handling device) to get frozen margaritas from the freezer and deliver them to the pool area every 60 minutes or so. This constant up and down wore me out and I needed a nap every couple of hours.
Lena was lovely and helpful and a joy to have as someone to look to when we had questions, and even pointed us in the direction of the best luau.
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Terry Leese, Fort Worth, TX
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| 12/05/05 |
Positive
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WOW! WOW! WOW!...We spent the ENTIRE summer at this home from May-August and had the most INCREDIBLE summer ever! This house and its surroundings are amazing! From the minute you walk in through the "tropic rainforest" until you get to the beach this is the most beautiful home we have ever been in. We brought our 3 boys (3,6,&8) and had the best "family" summer ever! The location of this home is perfect from the park located behind it, to the keiki beach, to the pool, everything you need right there. Staying here this summer made us seriously contemplate moving to the Big Island. We would recommend this amazing house to anyone! Hope to return for another "magical" summer. Thanks to the staff also for all they did.
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Anonymous, Lees Summit, MO
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| 11/21/05 |
Positive
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| We came with 4 couples for my husbands 50th and had the most relaxing and amazing time. We only ate out 3 nights because the setting is so beautiful and we wanted to enjoy every minute, from the sunrise to the sunset. We also celebrated a 25th wedding Anniversary with one of the couples. We hope to be back soon. Thank you for a great place to stay. Your staff was great and helpful with info. regarding the island. |
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Worgulls, Dublin, Ca.
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| 01/31/05 |
Positive
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| Thank you again for allowing us a stay in Paradise we won't forget. We can't remember a vacation where we were so relaxed and your home was the reason. It is truly a remarkable house with all the amenities plus. Your staff and the estates' locals were friendly, courteous and obliging. Our only regret is that we only stayed one week. We hope to return soon. Thank you again. |
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J. Miller, Columbia, SC
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| 01/23/05 |
Positive
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What a memorable holiday we experienced during our 2 week stay at the fantastic 27 Kona Bay Estates. From the moment you enter the home through the security gate and walk through a mini rain forest in the courtyard, to entering the open style home with a spectactular view of the blue Pacific, you are surrounded with beauty. The architecture of the home and the landscaping of the yard and the beautiful infinity pool will leave you in awe. The ultimate beauty is to be able to wake up in the upstairs main bedroom, with the sunrise, and through
open floor to ceiling doors, be able to see the blue skies and see and hear the blue waters of the Pacific. Truly awesome. |
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Anonymous |
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| 12/31/04 |
Positive
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i can't say enough about our experience at this incredible home. from the minute you walk through the gate, you are in paradise. it was so amazing that we found it difficult to leave and tour the island. this estate makes for a dream vacation and i can only hope to return someday.
laurie |
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laurie bossart, vail, co
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| 12/17/04 |
Positive
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| What a spectacular place to have a wedding! The main house and guest quarters allow enough room for everyone to mingle freely and enjoy the great pool, with the ocean as a back-drop! The beautiful setting of this gorgeous home will make for a memorable wedding that will stay in everyone's memories for a lifetime. Thank you for allowing us to enjoy this most unique and wonderful vacation spot. |
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Tom and Marlane McInnis, Scappoose, Ore.
503-543-2848 |
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| 12/14/04 |
Positive
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| Your Kona home is awesome! We have visited your home twice. Each time we have made plans to see the sights, but have been unable to pry ourselves away from this oceanside oasis.The subtle warm breeze that flows through the house, along with the soft sound of the ocean lull me into relaxtion within minutes. We cannot wait for our next visit! |
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Steve Blaha, Portland, Oregon
(503) 312-0048 |
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| 12/12/04 |
Positive
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We made this house our home twice. After traveling the world and staying in many luxury homes, this has got to be the most comfortable and beautiful. You really do feel as though it's your own. It's very private and yet has immediate access to town, shopping, restaurants and the best children's beach on the island (Keiki Beach) where our children learned to swim. The pool is beautiful and views from the lanai/garden, where we spent each evening BBQing was fantastic. The attention to detail is amazing, you have absolutey everything you want in the house!
We love this house and gave up buying a home on the island in favor of just renting this dream home each summer! You will never have as nice a holiday! Our children went to the park behind the home every afternoon and our teenage nephew was even able to 'pick up' many soccer games with the local children at the fields behind the house. Our 2 year old son took private swimming lessons with the Kona Swim instructer who coaches at the pool behind the house. What more can you ask for? It is by far the best home we have ever rented. |
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Francesca Amery, Hong Kong
85228126930 |
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| 10/20/04 |
N/A |
Guest Comment Entered By Homeowner:
Thank you for sharing your wonderful home with us!!! We had a fantastic trip and it has been difficult adjusting to being back in Wisconsin. We really fell in love with Kona and soon realized that your home is the best place to be on the island.
My Dad performed very well in the Ironman, finishing 10th out of 45 competitors in his age group. Your home is in the perfect location for the race and the awards ceremony and the pool and the beach are perfect for the kids!!! We could not have had a more ideal situation!!!
Thanks again!!!
Mahalo and Aloha!!!
Sandy and Tim
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Tim & Sandy
Wisconsin
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| 02/22/04 |
Positive
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| We've stayed at this property three times and we're planning our fourth! What a magical place - just as beautiful as the pictures and thensome.It's our "home away from home in paradise"! |
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L. Kozlak, Edina, MN |
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| 02/16/04 |
Positive
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We had a wonderful time at your Hawaiian house and wanted to thank you for all of the extra amenities that made the trip especially memorable. First and foremost, Robert and Lina (the caretakers at the house) went above and beyond the call of duty during our trip. Of course, Robert met us at the house when we arrived with fresh leis and took us on the grand tour. He also helped us get New Year’s reservations to a luau and even went so far as to ensure that we had a rental car when we were told there were none available on the island (he saved us several hundred dollars on the price as well). Robert also took us grocery shopping and picked up our dinner on the first night since we were unexpectedly without a car. Needless to say, he was everyone’s hero by the time we left.
As you may remember, I was traveling with my mother-in-law, and cleanliness and neatness is almost an obsession with her (She holds the title of Queen of Clean). She thought your house was perfect, and this is like Jimmy Hendrix saying that you can play the guitar. It is high praise and a very rare compliment. Both my mother-in-law and father-in-law loved the attention to detail, especially the flowers in the bedrooms and the crisp sheets. My wife and I enjoyed the bathrobes and the unbelievable kitchen. We stayed in several nights, either cooking on the outside grill or baking fresh fish in the oven. The blender got plenty of use too as we served pina coladas by the pool every day. It was better than first class and we sincerely appreciate the care that went into making our stay special.
This was my young daughter’s (5 months) first big vacation and the pictures that we were able to take in and around the property were priceless. The courtyard and ocean views are breathtaking and a perfect setting for a family vacation. We have already shared the pictures with many of our family and friends, and to a one, they have all commented that your house is one of the most beautiful houses that they have ever seen.
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Christopher B. Parkerson, Birmingham, AL
205-327-5700 |
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| 01/27/04 |
Positive
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| A truly magical setting on the Big Island. Can't wait to get back! |
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J. Lopez, Chicago, Illinois
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