Beautiful View, but that wasn't enough.
Review Submitted: December 18, 2007
Date of Stay: September 2007
After researching numerous locations to spend my honeymoon in Kauai I finally settled on 100 Shades of Green because of it's excellent price and beautiful views. My wife and I and I spent our first 2 weeks as a married couple toughing out some unexpected situations.
First, the good stuff. This property is located in a beautiful area just north of Hanalei where the view is absolutely spectacular. Sitting on either of the 2 lanais offers you a picturesque view of mountains and waterfalls. The home is well furnished with the entire 2nd floor being dedicated to the master bed/bath. Two additional bedrooms are located on the ground floor, one with a queen bed, the other with 2 twin beds. The home is also equipped with high-speed wireless internet which worked flawlessly for the duration of our stay. There is a deck with a hot tub that is surrounded by coconut trees. The screened in lanai on the lower floor is perfect for relaxing with a hammock, 4 comfortable deck chairs, foosball table, and dining table that will seat up to 8 people. There is also a separate laundry room and an outdoor shower.
Now onto the bad...
Finding this location was difficult as it sits just on the inside of a blind turn with no indication that the driveway is located there, let alone a home. My wife and I were both thankful that we arrived during the day as it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible to find at night.
The very first thing I noticed upon entering the home was how warm it was inside (warmer than outside where the temps were around 85). I walked around to see if I could find the A/C controls, but none were to be found. In all my research, every property that I found that didn't have A/C mentioned that fact specifically in their ad, but this location made no mention of it. I figured I'd just open some windows and things would cool off....not even close. Things cooled down a bit once the sun went down, but the temperature in the master bedroom never dropped below 80 for the duration of our stay. I would be covered in sweat less than 5 minutes after taking a cool shower. The downstairs temperature during the day with all the windows and doors opened would get up to 95 degrees during the day. If you're thinking of firing up the gas range in the kitchen (which is part of the living room), you'd best wait until sundown unless you enjoy a sauna with a couch and television
Now, the heat alone made it difficult to sleep, but that's not all. Every morning around 4am-6am the neighbors dogs would begin barking. Not just one or 2 dogs, but it sounded like this person was running a dog kennel next door. Shutting the windows to block the noise was not an option for obvious reasons. So, each night it took me quite awhile to fall asleep with the heat and then I would be awoken a couple hours later, laying in sweat-soaked sheets, listening to a pack of dogs beg for their breakfast. Not my idea of a relaxing honeymoon.
All in all, we enjoyed our stay in Kauai, but we felt that the owner of this location should have been more up front about the lack of A/C. Had that information been listed on his website, I never would have given this property a second look I can't fault him for not mentioning the dogs or construction as they are out of his control, but they deserve a mention as well since it really took away from the ambiance of an otherwise beautiful area.
We wanted to spend our honeymoon in a secluded location, sleeping in late, and relaxing. While the location is visually secluded, we were surrounded not by sounds of the jungle, but by constant construction work, barking dogs, and loud vehicles. Oh yeah, cell phones do not work there and the phone service at the home didn't work for the duration of our stay, thankfully there were no emergencies. The owner did attempt to fix this problem, but communication was difficult due to the time difference and lack of telephone...thankfully I had my laptop.
Owner's Response: I was somewhat floored by this review, having rented my house for over 6 years for usually over 30 weeks each year with hardly a negative feedback. As a matter of fact most people tell me they have had the time of their life and 100 Shades of Green was a big part of that experience. Indeed, I was even more surprised by this comment since my feedback from this party was - "everything else (other than the phone problem) has been going well and we've really enjoyed this time away from all the stress back home, just being able to relax without a care in the world".
But to respond - of course I will review the directions and make them even better, but this is a rural area and that's just what it is. I have not before received feedback about difficulty in finding the house.
As to A/C I was not aware that I should mention it's lack since, in my experience, the fans in every room and the cross breezes make the house very comfortable. Yes, if the house has been closed up all day, it may take a little time to cool down, but it is quite fine. August and September are the two months of the year on Kauai where tradewinds die down and it can be a bit more sultry. But never ever, even in those moths, do I lie there in sweat or discomfort. If that were the case, believe me I would have installed A/C long ago.
Finally the dogs and construction. Construction I can't help and presumably is shortlived. I can't help the dogs either tho they only bark for short periods of time and not usually early in the morning and are far less bothersome than roosters e.g. which are potentially a problem anywhere on the island (tho recently don't seem to be in residence near my house). Wherever one travels there are different sounds that go with that location - birds, roosters, frogs, all sorts of animals and insects, and even dogs. Sometimes these sounds are romantic or romanticized but they are a part of the experience. I cannot say that the barking of the dogs is romantic, but honestly it just is a small annoyance (and perhaps not even notable after a few days) in the context of an otherwise fabulous experience.
In short 100 Shades of Green has been very happily rented by probably over 100 different families since 2001 and I am extremely proud of it and the unique Hawaiian experience to be had there. It is not (nor do I pretend it to be) a air conditioned condo in Princeville or the like. It is life in the jungle in a real Hawaiian neighborhood with lush old growth, awesome views and beauty, flowers, orchids and great comfort and amenities in an artist-decorated home. I am sorry for and surprised at this tenant's experience, but can truthfully say it is not reflective of most of my tenants.
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