an awesome time...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: April 8, 2013

We had an awesome time and really enjoyed the hot tub - because it was very chilly out but we also liked the pool on hot days.
The thing I like about this house is the views, it is Amazing! I cant help to look at the ocean! The outside shower is also amazing. I just love the nature in it!
I really dont wanna leave Hilo! Thanks for the wonderful stay :D MAHALO!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

We had a wonderful time...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: March 23, 2013

We had a wonderful time staying in your home. We loved the books and fantastic ocean views. The whales were jumping, tail slapping, and blowing air. The kids enjoyed building with blocks and legos.
We hope to get back to the Big Island. Thanks for a wonderful stay!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

The house was perfect...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: March 13, 2013

The house was perfect for our group of seniors (one married couple and four single ladies). We saw loads of whales from the backyard deck.
This would definitely be our first choice if we make it back to Hawaii in the future.
The house felt like a museum with all the glassware, furniture, etc. - Very interesting house! Very Nice!!!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Back for a second time...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: February 19, 2013

Back for a second time, we have found the house as welcoming as the first time - Good vibes.
Had a wonderful time enjoying the whale watching in the morning and the hot tub in the evening.
Many hearty meals together and good stories told. Hope to visit again. Mahalo and Aloha!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

We all enjoyed...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: January 13, 2013

We all enjoyed this lovely home! Great view! The shower is cool...
No complaints at all. A great place for our family gathering and celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. Wish we could of stayed longer - But on to Kona! Mahalo!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Thank you for sharing...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: January 7, 2013

Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us. Your home has so much personality! While here we have traveled the entire island, from Hilo to Kona NSE & W.
While sitting on the back porch, a ship came into view on the seventh traveling approximately seven hundred feet away, then into the harbor.
The only thing I missed having while we were here was my family being with us. Thanks again. Aloha!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

What a wonderful place...

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: November 28, 2012

What a wonderful place to spend Thanksgiving!!! We thoroughly enjoyed the use of your house ~ sitting and enjoying the view. The only bummer for us was three of us ended up sick by the end of our trip :(. Otherwise it was a pleasure. Thank you.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Thank you so much!

Review submitted: April 28, 2013   Date of arrival: September 29, 2012

Thank you so much for opening your wonderful home. Our trip was exactly what we hoped. Great family time, tons of exploring, and the perfect home base. With family on the island we will definitely be back and certainly stay here. Honoli'i beach was awesome and the kids caught their first waves. Tons of memories, sorry to leave. Mahalo!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

The title is very appropriate and telling of the house and property.

Tye (Victoria BC, Canada)
Review submitted: March 8, 2013   Date of arrival: March 3, 2013

Thanks very much Brian for letting us stay at your beautiful house. We were in Hilo for a language conference at the University. The only problem with our stay was that it was too short. The place had enough room for the seven of us. The pool and hot tub were great. Inside there are many activities to keep everyone occupied. The local surfing beach is just a few minute walk and is an excellent place to jump in for a morning dip after a run. The sunrises are simply amazing as were the whales jumping out to entertain us. Our short stay in your place was awesome. Thanks so very much!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Good vibes!

Review submitted: February 25, 2013   Date of arrival: February 1, 2013

Back for a second time we found the house is as welcoming as the first time.
Good vibes!
Had a wonderful time enjoying the whale watching in the morning and the hot tub in the evening.
Many hearty meals together and good stories told.
Mahalo! 2/1/13

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

We all enjoyed this lovely house!

Review submitted: February 25, 2013   Date of arrival: January 10, 2013

Crawford Ohana,
We all enjoyed this lovely house!
Great view! The shower is cool….no complaints at all.
A great place for our family gathering and celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.
Wish we could have stayed longer, but on to Kona!
Mahalo! 1/13/13

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Dad's Birthday

Trace (Michigan)
Review submitted: February 3, 2013   Date of arrival: January 13, 2013

We came to Hilo to celebrate my father's 87th birthday with our family of seven adult. The house was very comfortable and the view was breath taking. We did ask prior to our arrivial that the owner include some air mattresses because I thought the bed sizes would make it challenging for us, I'm really glad I did, it would have been very difficult for all of us to sleep comfortably if we didn't have the additional air mattresses. The house does need some updating but, we had lots of rrom for seating and the jacuzzi worked great and we used it all the time, The house had a guitar and musical instruments and my brother who plays really enjoyed that. All and all we really enjoyed our stay and had a lot of fun in the house. Outdoor shower an added plus.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Great Hilo Home!

Jeanne (United States)
Review submitted: January 19, 2013   Date of arrival: January 10, 2013

My family stayed at this lovely Hilo home for three nights and we hated to leave but we had other reservations on the Kona side of the Big Island. Our grandsons enjoyed the pool with the slide. The view from the master suite is amazing and we loved waking up to the sound of the ocean. We were able to go for a walk through a very tropical area to get to a great beach where we spent a fun morning watching the surfers! This unique home has so much character!

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, sight seeing

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Beautiful and Peaceful

Donna (Idaho)
Review submitted: October 23, 2012   Date of arrival: October 14, 2012

We just loved and enjoyed our visit to our beautiful and peaceful home. The view from the backyard/lanai was like a picture-postcard. We would sit out there for hours just enjoying the view and the tropical atmousphere. We had a wonderful family BBQ one evening and enjoyed the pool and spa. Probably due to the home building next door, we had some extra "critter" visitors; however, that was probably not the norm. Definitely want to take all showers in the outside shower--what a wonderfully, warm, and tropical experience. We never even used the indoor showers the entire 5 days we were there--just used the outside shower exclusively. Thanks again for sharing your home--it was the best part of our vacation on Hilo.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Needs some attention

Scott H. ()
Review submitted: October 22, 2012   Date of arrival: October 5, 2012

We stayed at this home from almost a week in October of 2012. The location is great for exploring the Hilo side of the island. We were able to visit the volcano, Akaka falls, Waipio Valley and the botanical gardens. We were also close enough to town to easily do some shopping or go out to dinner.

The views of the ocean are great. We had a nice view of the sun rising each day.

The property isn't without its problems though. We had a couple warm nights there which should be not be a problem except most of the windows don't have screens. On the first night we opened the windows and had a bug invasion after the sun went down so we had to close all the windows without screens which was most of the windows in the house. The home also had a mouse problem which got into some of our food and I saw some running across the kitchen floor.

The cover on the hot tub is falling apart leaving plastic floating around. It is acted up on us too taking it out of commission for a day. The property manager was responsive sending out their maintenance man though.

The pool and hot tub does have a fence around it but the gate does not have a lock. We have two young children (ages 3 and 4) which meant we had to come up with our own way to secure the gate.

I think this place has potential. If they could fix what should be some very easy to fix problems I would recommend this place.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 4 / 5

Local Treasure

Review submitted: September 29, 2012   Date of arrival: September 29, 2012

Thank you so much for opening your wonderful home. Our trip was exactly what we had hoped. Great family time, tons of exploring and the perfect home base.
With family on the island we will definitely be back and certainly stay here.
Honolii beach was awesome and the kids caught their first waves.
Tons of memories. Sorry to leave.
Mahalo!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Great Labor Day Weekend!

eschlapkohl (Kaneohe, HI)
Review submitted: September 6, 2012   Date of arrival: August 31, 2012

What a great holiday weekend spent on Hilo! Thank you for opening up your home to us, it was our family (wife, husband, son -6, daughter-4) and another family (husband, wife, daughter-9, son-4). The house had plenty of room for all 8 of us, and plenty of bathrooms too!! The outdoor shower was a hit with the kids as was the pool and hot tub!! We never did use the bikes but we were only there 3 days and did a lot of sight seeing. The neighborhood was either abandoned or just very quiet, and the view was priceless!! The curtains are see through but we just threw some blankets over them and they were fine, the only complaint was the frogs at night, but we got some ear plugs and problem solved! Some of the art work was not child friendly but again, some minor rearranging solved the problem. Great house, looking forward to renting again during the winter to hopefully see some whales because the view is AMAZING!!!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing, tourists without a car, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Updated Review of Property

Cali2ak (Anchorage, Alaska)
Review submitted: August 31, 2012   Date of arrival: May 18, 2012

We stayed at this property last May and following our visit I wrote a review addressing several concerns we had faced including a broken hot tub and a general impression that the property had not been updated. The owner of the property bent over backward to fix these issues and based on the images I see online and the customer reviews, all of these issues have been addressed and the property has been improved tremendously. So please disregard the review entitled "Great View but No Spa Retreat."

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Beautiful Hilo home

Rosemary M. ()
Review submitted: July 5, 2012   Date of arrival: June 22, 2012

We really enjoyed our stay in this home. The house is perfect: four good bedrooms, comfortable beds, two bathrooms plus the outside shower, nice and clean, well stocked kitchen (even had a mini espresso maker), comfortable furniture (livingroom suite looked new), lots of space. The pool and jacuzzi are wonderful, they kept three teenagers happy despite some rainy days, and the ocean view is tremendous. A couple of points to note: there is no bath, only showers, and some steep drops would make it unsuitable for very young children. It's ideal for older children and adults.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Thanks!

Review submitted: June 16, 2012   Date of arrival: May 24, 2012

Good Morning! Just wanted to let you know that we enjoyed our stay at your beautiful home. . . we wrote in the guest book about all the fabulous things we enjoyed. However, I think in the future, esp if you have guests staying with you after we check out, just let them know that the hot tub is not working. We spent 45 minutes the first night trying to figure out how to turn it on and then had to call Melanie at 9:40 pm and found out that it was missing a part. I think a little note on the counter of updated issues might help so that Melanie doesn't get disturbed about known issues. We definitely were disappointed about not being able to use the hot tub after our adventures - one of the reasons I chose to rent your place but aside from that our stay was incredible. Mahalo!

Take care,
Anjali


On Wednesday, May 30, 2012, Brian Crawford wrote:
Thanks for sharing your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay. I agree with you completely about the hot tub and take full responsibility. When we discovered the problem just before your arrival I had the part ordered by our serviceman. I made a note to myself to send you an email and completely forgot. I am truly sorry. What do you think would be reasonable compensation for the oversight and unavailabity of the spa?

Aloha and mahalo!

Brian


On May 31, 2012, at 6:34, anjali wrote:
Aloha Brian! Thank you for replying so quickly. We really appreciate you wanting to compensate for the hot tub and believe that $100 would suffice as reasonable compensation for the time we spent at the home. Mahalo!

Take care,
Anjali

On Thursday, May 31, 2012, Brian Crawford wrote:
Anjali

That is fair and reasonable. I will have Melanie send your deposit and an additional $100. Thanks again for your understanding. What address should we use?

If you wouldn't mind writing a quick review I would be most appreciative. I'll send you a link.

Mahalo!

Brian

On June 2, 2012, at 6:34, anjali wrote:
Hi Brian,

Thank you for your generosity. . . our address is ****************************. We will definitely submit a review - send me the link when you get a chance. Thanks again!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Wonderful Stay

Review submitted: June 16, 2012   Date of arrival: May 6, 2012

Aloha,

We have had a wonderful stay this week. The house was perfect and so inviting for our arrival.
Thank you for the wonderful home. I am sorry we did not meet, Melanie but I hope we will be here again and will do so next time.
We snorkeled in Richardson Bay this morning and swam with turtles and angel fish and felt very fortunate indeed.

Thank you for giving us such a special base for our memorable and happy time here in Hilo (my very favorite place in the entire state).

Mahalo nui loa,

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 0

Not to be missed

Review submitted: June 16, 2012   Date of arrival: June 3, 2012

Hilo is a real gem and this house provides everything needed to enjoy it. The kitchen is well equipped and the facilities great. I was worried when I read about the difficulties a recent guest had but for our stay everything, including the spa and hot water, worked perfectly. Melanie was very helpful and the neighbors brought us fruit! We'll be back!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

What a spot!

Review submitted: June 16, 2012   Date of arrival: May 13, 2012

Endless views and a real home feeling. Hot tub was awesome and the neighborhood felt like I was back in my childhood. It's definitely a beach home and has lots of art, books and games for a family to enjoy. Thanks for a special visit.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 0 / 1

Great view but no spa retreat

Cali2ak (Anchorage, Alaska)
Review submitted: May 30, 2012   Date of arrival: May 18, 2012

The property boasts breathtaking ocean views, a spa jacuzzi, swimming pool and more. The ocean views are absolutely breathtaking and do not disappoint. The sound of the coqui frogs outside can be deafening but we enjoyed hearing their singing at night. The house is huge and would easily accommodate a large family.

The house does have its share of problems, however. It feels under-maintained and neglected in some aspects. The outdoor shower provided heat for about 30 seconds and then the water went lukewarm. Talk about military showers! We never had hot water in the rest of the house. The shower in the bathroom had no hot water either. There were only two of us in the house and neither of us ever enjoyed a hot shower during the entire week. I can only imagine what a larger group would endure!

Now about the hut tub... We booked this house mainly because we wanted to spend our evenings in the hot tub but when we arrived we were disappointed to discover that the hot tub was broken. We contacted the owner and he sent a hot tub person several days later and not right away. When we mentioned to the hot tub man that the tub was broken, he said, "I know. I told the owner it was broken over a week ago." So this lead us to believe the the tub had been broken for a while and themowner knew this but did not tell us prior to our arrival. This left a bad taste in our mouths seeing how the hot tub is so prominently mentioned in the description of the property and was therefore one of biggest reasons why we selected this rental.

Having said that the marvelous views were worth it and it was great waking up and seeing the ocean without even having to get out of bed!

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 2

Hard to Leave!

Review submitted: March 30, 2012   Date of arrival: February 16, 2012

We are trying to adjust to being home. It was incredibly hard to leave your beautiful home in Hilo. Everyone loved it and wants to come back next year. Thank you so much!!!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Absolutely Loved!

Review submitted: March 30, 2012   Date of arrival: March 3, 2012

Brian,

We just got back to Minnesota yesterday. We absolutely loved your house and thank you for letting us stay there. It was roomy and terrifically decorated, compliments to you and your family. The other two couples staying with us also really enjoyed it. My wife and I really like to walk and doing a loop from your house to Kohoa Street down to Honoli’I Beach park was beautiful with the waterfalls and views.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Home away from home in Hilo

KonaPuppies (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Review submitted: March 23, 2012   Date of arrival: February 7, 2012

We had a great stay in our 'home away from home' in Hilo. The sprawling house provided lots of room for all of us. The ocean view with whales in the background was fabulous. The house was well equipped and stocked with kitchen supplies, movies, games, towels, etc. The beds were high quality with good mattresses, so we slept well. The pool and hot tub were a hit every night. The neighbourhood was very quiet and we felt totally secure. The outdoor shower was a real hit and we wished every place we stayed at had this feature. The tree frogs and geckos were adorable. Not so adorable were the large cockroaches in the area, and occasionally one found its way into the house - yuk. The host was helpful and answered all our questions before and after our trip, and our deposit was refunded promptly. We will be looking to stay there again on our next trip to the Big Island.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Backyard Paradise!!

Sheri S. ()
Review submitted: March 20, 2012   Date of arrival: March 9, 2012

Breathtaking view on ocean bluffs!Our family went to celebrate our parents 50th anniversary and they renewed their vows in the backyard.The house was large enough for all of us to have our own space.Kitchen fully equipped for cooking.The pool and jacuzzi were enjoyed every day of our stay.Close to downtown Farmers Market for fresh fruit and veggies.Zipline, volcanoes, Black Sand Beach and zoo are short drives from house.We went to Kona a few times (1 1/2 hrs.) but the scenery is beautiful.My grandfather spent his teen years down the road in Honoka'a so Hilo is a special place for my dad.It was fun for our generation to see and tour our family history.Thank you for making our trip so comfortable and enjoyable.Our parents vows included us all coming back for their 60th anniversary! I have a feeling it will be much sooner, we loved it so much!!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

Wonderful Family Home

Retired Innkeeper (Glenwood Springs, Colorado)
Review submitted: January 2, 2012   Date of arrival: December 15, 2011

We chose this home so that our extended family could all be together for the University of Hawaii-Hilo's Dec. graduation. This was a great choice !

We all were very comfortable with plenty of room for the grandchildren to play. They loved the pool and slide, blocks, musical instruments and chess board....lots of available activities. One grandson especially enjoyed the books in his bedroom. We loved the outdoor shower and the entire family used it exclusively. I was delighted with the view from my master bed ....watching the waves hit the rocks and the boats going by. Any issues we had were immediately corrected - great guest service. I only mention this because all homes, including your own, have issues but it's the ability and quickness to remedy any situation that is important. Melanie did just that !

This home is very convenient to Hilo, located just a bit north of downtown. I highly recommend this property for anyone desiring a real Hilo family home vs. a hotel room. We ate most of our meals at the house which was a great $$$ saver. Mahalo for everything.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Great Location and Spectacular View

Barb (Snohomish, Washington)
Review submitted: December 26, 2011   Date of arrival: October 13, 2011

The house is beautiful. There are sweeping views from the master bedroom, family room and lanai. The pictures in the ad were just what you see even in October. We were in Hilo for a wedding and chose to stay in this house, due to location and so our family of six adults would have enough space. This home was the perfect choice with its many rooms, large lanai and comfortable furniture. One indoor shower was not operational, however it didn't matter because the outdoor shower was fantastic As Brian stated, the outdoor shower gave us the true Hawaiian experience - we loved it. The only downside to our stay was that it took awhile to get our deposit back, but it was returned in full without incident. I would return to this house in a minute and recommend it to any family staying in Hilo.

Recommended for: families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Family vacation July 16 to July 23,2011

Maryanne (Mobile, Alabama)
Review submitted: August 4, 2011   Date of arrival: July 16, 2011

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful paradise home with our family. My husband and I met there in 1974, married and had our first child. This was our first trip back, and an amazing family reunion. There was amble room for the 8 of us. The house was lovely and the grounds were beautiful. We enjoyed the pool and spa every day. The view is breathtaking, and we never got tired of sitting on the porch overlooking the ocean. I loved the master bedroom with the french doors and the amazing view at sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed a variety of fruit every day fresh from the yard. It was great having a washer and dryer. Actually the house had everything we needed, and was close to shopping, airport, town and the great flea market where we found the best deals not only for fruit and vegetables, but terrific gifts to bring home. We had two rental cars and went off every day to different places. My son-in-law went surfing daily which was within walking distance. We ate at Ken's Pancakes twice and loved the choice of local foods. All in all we would love to come again, and would certainly recommend this Hawaiian paradise to anyone who is thinking of vacationing on the islands. Mahalo!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 5 / 5

Returning Guests for the Past TWO years and STILL excited for next year!

Hoku of 808 Athletics (Waimanalo, Hawaii)
Review submitted: June 17, 2011   Date of arrival: March 23, 2011

Likewise, in contrast to recent comments, our family and friends rented the property in March 2011, as we did the previous year in 2010. Yet, here I am again looking up the property for our planned vacation / trip in 2012! I cannot agree with the previous comments, as myself and my group are all in-state residents and absolutely LOVED the home! Being in this home, made us feel like we never left our own! We are from the country side in East Oahu and loved the welcoming open country feel of the home so familiar to the constant sound of the sea that we know. Neighbors were polite and very understanding of our young teammates that come and go through the property by day during the tournament and the kitchen, expansive property and setup of the house was very useful, entertaining and welcoming for our group!! We used the house as a base site for our club and ALL of our members (ages 1 - 60) who visited at various times, between games, during the week were delighted by its amenities and excited for our return again next year! Likewise, although our price was above the Half Price Recession price advertised, we still felt that the stay and ability to be close to the town and stores which added to the convenience was still fair for the price! NEver having to visit the long lines of restaurants and parking issues is a convenience.. now, Imagine having to host all of our club members in such a fashion in a hotel.. been there done that for the past 15 years.. this house is by far the best and a secret I wish I could keep to ourselves! Mahalo Brian and Melanie for such outstanding, quality accommodations that locals can truly appreciate :)

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 6 / 6

Great Place to Relax! We're coming back for two weeks in October!

DaFlyinHawaiian (Portland)
Review submitted: June 10, 2011   Date of arrival: June 2, 2011

In total contrast to the recent comments below, we had an OUTSTANDING time at this home. It's just as described and both owner and manager were very responsive. I smell sour grapes from others. And even at slightly more than the recession special price that we paid, it was a great deal. The pool was sparkling and spa just fine. Melanie said they had changed pool servicing companies so that there would be no more issues. The art and furnishings are all authentic and interesting. Some could be updated, but hey, this is a home not a hotel. Can't recommend highly enough.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 7 / 7

Wanted to rave about this place

Aly (Honoulu, Hawaii)
Review submitted: June 2, 2011   Date of arrival: March 9, 2011

This is a beautiful home and the view is spectacular. It is decorated nicely and felt very cozy and comfortable. We enjoyed whale watching from the back deck. Drinking our morning coffee while watching the sun rise and feeling the fresh ocean breeze was also wonderful. The outdoor shower is awesome! We had fun in the pool and hot tub (although the reviewer below is right about the pool being in questionable condition - it was very green). The ping pong/air hockey table is a miniature one for young children so we didn't use it.

Overall, I was looking forward to writing a great review and cherishing fond memories of our stay. However, we had two negative experiences that really affected my feelings about this property.

# 1: The advertised price lists the house as sleeping eight. When we booked our stay for five nights (two nights with five adults and a toddler; three nights with six adults and a toddler), we were told that for a party of our size the price would be 40% more than the advertised price. That left a bad taste in my mouth because it seemed like false advertising. The house is advertised as sleeping eight adults but a group of five or six is considered especially large?

# 2: We paid a security deposit and were told by the owner that it would be refunded 30-45 days after we left. We left the house in the exact same condition that we found it. It has been 79 days and we are still waiting for the deposit to be returned. It is very difficult to get in touch with the owner. We've been told that he travels extensively overseas and rarely has internet access. Despite repeated attempts to contact him, we have not heard a word in about six weeks ago. At this point we're not sure if we're ever going to see our deposit.

For these reasons, I would be very hesitant to recommend this property to a friend or relative.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 9 / 11

Lovely location, but a very "tired" property.

ccc (manhattan beach)
Review submitted: May 16, 2011   Date of arrival: May 8, 2011

We stayed at property #116922 for 6 days. General property maintenance seemed to be lacking. The "aging" pool and spa area is not particularly inviting and the murky pool water and the stench from the spa were appalling. After a call to Melanie (the local manager), the pool man did appear and throw chlorine into both pool and hot tub. The water clarity in both became better but the chlorine level was a bit toxic for the rest of our stay. When we left the murky pool water and spa stench were back. I don't know if the chipping green paint in the pool is an issue. Years of neglect in the pool area were evident, in fact, the slide collapsed with a young lady on it, exposing the compromised state of the slide equipment.

Pictures on VRBO are a bit misleading. We used only two of four bedrooms and bedroom #4 is now purple, and had dolls in boxes on the dresser which my children described as "disturbing."

The very inviting room in picture #2 is now furnished with a small old floral couch and two old wingback chairs with fabric pieces covering the frayed arms. This would have been an absolutely wonderful room to enjoy except for the fact that there was no comfortable place to relax.

There is an outdoor shower, which is a great place for a warm shower, but there is no tub. Probably just an innocent error by the owner.

As far as other amenities offered... because of the busy highway there is not really a spot to use the bikes unless you have the ability to transport them somewhere else. The availability of a pool table, hockey table, and ping pong table is a bit misleading. We purchased one of these "convertible" tables when our childen were 7, 5, and 3.

The kitchen is fine, but needed a GOOD cleaning. The drawers, shelves, and cupboards show a lengthy period of neglect. I will never be remembered by ANYONE as a great housecleaner, but I have never been in a rental with a kitchen in this state.

We rented the house to enjoy with the pool and spa as a great enticement. Unfortunately one of the neighbors asked that all outdoor activity cease at 6:00 p.m. The neighbor on the other side said we had been very respectful and everything had been quiet by 10:00p.m. I had to contact the Hilo Police Department regarding what I should do about the harassing neighbor and they were incredibly nice.

I do not recommend this property for anyone wanting to use it for anything other than a nice base to explore the area.

Recommended for: sight seeing

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 5 / 8

A great find in Hilo

Dennis and family (McLean, VA)
Review submitted: May 5, 2011   Date of arrival: April 15, 2011

My wife and I come to Hilo regularly to visit my aged father and have in the past stayed at one of Hilo's better B&Bs. This time we brought our son, daughter-in-law, and, most critically, our 5-year-old grand daughter, so we needed something kid friendly with room to roam. The Crawford house fit the bill perfectly. It's worth mentioning that when we first arrived, we were a little hesitant. The view is spectacular, but the house very Hilo, which is shorthand for slightly worn around the edges. After a couple of hours of settling in we began to get a sense of the house's real character. By the end of our stay, we were looking for ways to extend and now cannot wait to return. The house is wonderfully comfortable and accommodating with views to kill for out of most windows, including the master bedroom. The kitchen is great, the pool just right for kids, and the jacuzzi hard to get out of once in. A couple of niggles just to keep this review balanced. The fourth bedroom is marginal (we did not use it). Small and a bit musty. There is some highway noise but mostly drowned out by the waves. Bottom line: we are already planning our return!

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Lucky Find for a Family!!

Carleen (Eau Claire, WI)
Review submitted: May 1, 2011   Date of arrival: March 28, 2011

Hi Brian. Just wanted to send a note (finally) to say thank-you for the

opportunity to rent your home. It was truly wonderful to be someplace

so beautiful and relaxing and feel so at home! We also enjoyed the

collection of beautiful items/art from around the world (I think we

recognized some Delft's Blau pieces, Indonesian/Thai pieces and

African?). I assume you and your family have lived in a number of very

interesting and exotic places. Must also say what a HUGE hit the

pool/slide and trampoline were. Thank-you again for making this

experience possible and inspiring us to really want to come back some

day. Aloha to you and your family and stay well.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, romantic getaway

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1

The Real Hawaii - Adventure, excitement and hospitality

Brad L. (Boca Raton, FL)
Review submitted: June 28, 2010   Date of arrival: June 5, 2010

We loved our trip seeing and doing things no tourist would do. Hiking up a river to multiple waterfalls, jumping off bridges, swing from a rope-swings into the ocean. I could go on, but you would have to experience it for yourself. And we this all with our 7 year old daughter and 6 year old son. Rent a Jeep as well - you will need it.

The home is directly looking over Pacific with a perfect view and constant ocean breeze. The home is older but decorated nicely and would be appropriately considered a "beach house", but not luxurious. They have an outside shower, just outside the garage - which at first might seem odd. However, after your first shower with the only thing between you and the 2000 miles of pacific are 3 palm trees - you quickly appreciate how lucky you are.

We had dinner with the owners and spent time with their family, not because we are long time friends (we just met on this trip), but because they were so nice and hospitable. The home is perfect for a family who wants to experience the island and is comfortable with a beach feel. Enjoy.

Recommended for: adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, pet-friendly, sight seeing, tourists without a car

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 3 / 3

VRBORORG287709 (Boston, MA)
Review submitted: March 20, 2010   Date of arrival: March 20, 2010

Amazing house. Really loved our stay here and loved Hilo. Felt like we were house guests, there is so much in the house to enjoy- art, books, well stocked kitchen, pool, hot tub, toys for kids. My kids were in heaven. close to town (2 mi) in a nice neighborhood near surfing beach and old highway. rent this house, you won't regret it. Mahalo!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Review submitted: October 16, 2009   Date of arrival: October 16, 2009

Enjoyed the great views and sounds of Honolii Place. You have a wonderful spot to appreciate the beauty of the Big Island and the Ocean. What a blessing it is to see the sunrise or moonrise from this clif each day. Mahalo!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: October 16, 2009   Date of arrival: October 16, 2009

Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful and comfortable home with us for our vacation. The house enabled us to enjoy our time on your magnificent island so much more fully. We so enjoyed your kitchen- especially the powerful barbeque and potted herbs. The outdoor dinning was a delight, even sharing a few droppings with the cute geckos. We relished closing each evening with a dip in the hot tub while enjoying a sky full of bright stars. The entertainment system provided many hours of enjoyable viewing. At least two of us delighted in the outdoor shower with nature while the other opted for the more conventional showers. Lastly, your fine library offered many selections to peruse and share. Our time spent in Hawaii was so enhanced because of your beautiful view!!
Thank you!!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: March 18, 2009   Date of arrival: March 18, 2009

You've got sych a beautiful home, we love the unique art work and amazing views. Every decoration in this hous eis amazing and authentic! We escpecially admired your signed Andy Warhol painting and the all of the sculptures. It feels like we're locals. It was an amazing and a sanctuary. Thanks so much!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: December 31, 2008   Date of arrival: December 31, 2008

We loved the views! This was the perfect location to start all of our activities. Enjoying the ocean was a constant pleasure.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: December 21, 2008   Date of arrival: December 21, 2008

Boy, talk about a refuge from the rat race! Even though the majority of the trip was hampered by rain, the house was still an enjoyable sanctuary. You have such a lovely family, we wish we could have met you! Thanks 4 everything.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: June 8, 2008   Date of arrival: June 8, 2008

Wow! Not only is your home beautiful with a magnificent view- we loved that we NEVER locked the door, every dish we needed was available, and it was so clear that it was the home of a loving and trusting family. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality via cyberspace. We had just the right amount of rain and sun! We had a lovely family reunion. Diana, Robin, Willie, Dennis, Lyes, Steve, Kaoru Ray, Lucy, Christuna, Scott and Willie.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: February 8, 2008   Date of arrival: February 8, 2008

Enjoyed our stay in your beautiful home in spite of the "gosh awful" weather we experienced pretty much the entire stay! What rotten luck!! What a great location and view from your home. The sound of the surf was just so spectacular!!! Outdoor shower with plenty of hot water was a big hit with everyone!! Hot tub was also nice!

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Ross Hutcherson (-)
Review submitted: August 10, 2007   Date of arrival: August 10, 2007

This is an absolute gem of a property. My wife and I spent five glorious weeks in this charming home. The views of the surf beach and cruise ships entering Hilo Harbor are breathtaking, and some of the most memorable we have of any holiday in recent years. An extremely comfortable and practical house, and a great base from which to explore probably the most interesting of Hawaii's islands.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Review submitted: January 10, 2005   Date of arrival: January 10, 2005

Thanks for renting us this great house. I second all the J&J have written and add that I appreciate all that you've left for us to enjoy including the great library. I could spend a lot of time her perusing all your interesting books. Also, fine fine furniture and especially the outdoor shower! Jan and I were the only two who dared! It is GREAT! I wish we could have an outdoor shower at home. The weather was rainy but did not spoil our good time. We spent lots of time exploring and doing Volcano related activities. I swear, it only rained when we were indoors or in the car. The hot tub was great. Enjoyed it nightly. I'm going to have one installed at home. Thanks again for entrusting us with your nice home and its contents. Happy New Year to you all.

Do you find this review helpful?   Yes   No

Helpful votes: 1 / 1