'Koi Palms Luxury Cottage' Short Walk to Kailua Beach

Believe all the great reviews, this rental IS terrific! Our only regret is that we didn't have more time in Kailua, and at this terrific little cottage specifically.

The owners live on site (the cottage appears to be a converted portion of the main home but is totally separate with own entry, etc.) and while they strive to give you privacy, they also try to help out with suggestions for the area, etc.

A lot of thought obviously went into making this rental warm, comfortable and functional. The furnishings are top rate and not just the mis-matched discards many rental places are furnished with. In the main room, the chair/ottoman also folds flat into a single bed for relaxing there and is super comfy (in either configuration) wtih thick padding. We didn't fold out the futon, but as a couch, it was perfect. The King bed was super comfy with very nice linens provided. The bath is quite roomy with lots of counter space, lovely fixtures and surfaces, and plenty of places to store your stuff. The Kitchen area has a nice large fridge and also a washer/dryer which is great for getting ahead of laundry accumulated on the trip, or just bringing less with you and using it more often. If you are coutning on the AC, it is only in the main room, so has a bit of a challenge fully cooling the bedroom.

The commercial part of town is adorable and all the folks we encountered were super nice. They have a relatively new Whole Foods there where you can get a lot of high-quality supplies and preprared foods to make your own picnics or for a quick meal instead of another restaurant one (NOTE-as this is HI, all food seem to be pricier, and WF is often at the high end of the price range in general, but I do still think it is cheaper than a full restaurant meal cost.) The nearby beach is great and was not crowded. There are several rental outfitters that can help with kayak and other rentals or guided excursions, etc.

Also recommend driving up the east coast (North from Kailua) and taking in anything (they have many and varied programs and sights to see) at the Kualoa Ranch-it is WORTH it. The scenery alone is AMAZING and you can learn a lot about the island, film/TV making there, or just see amazing vistas.

We wish we didn't live so far away (East Coast) and that is was easier to get back to HI but, if we do come back, we will definitely return to Kailua and if possible to Koi Palms. Thanks Tricia for a great place to stay and making us feel so welcome!

Eric and Tricia are very relaxed in the way they operate their rental and this makes for a very peaceful and independent stay. The door was unlocked upon arrival and we were allowed to settle at our own pace and have a 'tour of discovery' at our tempo. The cottage is connected to the owners house but has it's own independent entry. It is furnished comfortably and has everything you could need for a vacation stay. The 'estate' that it is situated in is quite quiet and there is not much road traffic going past outside but the town center of Kailua is only a 10 minute walk away and is very flat. The beach is a 10 minute walk in the other direction and is simply stunning. The surf is quite strong and it does shelve quite steeply and so keep an eye on children as it is not guarded.
Whilst throughout the day it is very quiet we did find a certain level of noise when
the family got up and they are early risers (6am) which unfortunately meant we were early risers too but then it did us more of the day to enjoy so not too much of a problem to us but it may to you.
All in All we really enjoyed our stay here and I guess the test is would we use the property again if we were to revisit the area - without hesitation!

We already have plans to return to Koi Palms in 2013. We've stayed in other VRBO properties in Kailua and Koi Palms has been perfect for when its just the two of us. It is super clean, even better than the photos, in a very private neighborhood and Tricia and Eric are great hosts... there when you need them, but otherwise respect your privacy. The proximity to the beach is only a short walk and downtown Kailua Town is walkable too. This is the perfect getaway for a couple and we hope to have many more stays in the coming years.