Testimonials

“The two greatest discoveries I’ve had in Hawaii are finding Hanalei Bay and meeting Holly, Don and the rest of the family. I’ve owned a house in Kauai for 10 years now, and have been a KIV client since the day my house was built. In all that time I have never had a single day when I thought that anyone else could or would handle my house as professionally as Kauai Island Vacation. I’m continually impressed with the level of service our guest receive, the care that is put into maintaining my house, and the general thoughtfulness that Holly and Don use in all aspect of our relationship. I’ve been a professional real estate developer and investor for my entire career, and I can attest that the level of service I get from KIV on my vacation house rivals the service I get from our service providers on our commercial real estate portfolio.” — Alex Z...

Hale Ho'olapanai: The space is clean and well maintained. The locale is great if looking for privacy and away from the hustle and bustle. You are fairly removed from restaurants and food options, but the kitchen is great for cooking. Overall loved my stay and would stay again! — Gloria, November 2021

Umetsu Cottage was perfect! The oversized lanai was dreamy with gorgeous views of the mountains rains off to the side. We enjoyed every meal out there. Unfortunately for us, this turned into a working trip but the entire time we repeated to each other how glad we were to have such a peaceful and beautiful place to work from. The cottage had everything we needed. The shower was good, the bed was comfortable and the washer and dryer were very handy. From start to finish Holly was so accommodating and a pleasure to work with. We had made this reservation for Sept 2020 and due to our own business struggles we had to move our trip up a year. Thank you Holly for letting us move our dates out. We hope to return to this little quiet, private peace of paradise soon. — Sharon, September 2021

Kalihiwai Beach House: This home is absolutely wonderful! It was literally a dream vacation. In the middle of gorgeous nature with the ocean in your backyard, truly. The sounds of the ocean lulled me to sleep every single night. We were able to walk from the house to tunnels beach. And explore so much along the way. If you are an espresso person, there?s a little espresso place in a little art house that?s about a 10 minute walk from the property. A lovely activity every morning. And you don?t have to wait in the long lines in Hanalei. The home itself is decorated beautifully. And I was pleasantly surprised to see Serena and Lily sheets on the beds which are the ones I use at home. Honestly just couldn?t have been nicer. We were so comfortable and happy in this house. Not to mention the property managers are excellent. Very responsive, although we didn?t really need much help as everything was perfect. We were not ready to leave and hope to come back another time for sure. :-) — Allison, July 2021

Kalihiwai Beach House: Holly and Joanne were very accommodating during this whole Covid time as we had to reschedule our trip 3 times. The house was so worth the wait. Beautiful home, had everything we needed down to all the fun beach toys. It took all of about 90 seconds to walk down to the lagoon/beach with the ocean just beyond that. We were so spoiled by this house that we will never stay anywhere else when we return to Kauai. Thank you Ladies for everything you did for our family. — Dawn & Paul, July 2021

Holo Makani: In 2020, our Sydney, Australia and Texas divided family planned to meet halfway in Hawaii. Then?well. Throughout, Joanne worked with us to insure we could flip ahead one year. We just returned from our most fantastic holiday, even though we are all in Texas at this point! Thank you for the gracious assistance, flawless home, and the chance to celebrate coming out on the ?other side? of this pandemic. p.s. 2 year old Theo sends his regards to Peppa and George who live in the toy box. — Chris, June 2021

Hale Ylang Ylang: ALOHA! If you're reading this review you're probably considering the island of Kauai for your vacation! The island itself with its sheer, spectacular beauty and its culture of friendly people speak for itself, but what about lodging? To hotel or not to hotel is the question? It's one my family contemplated. We came across Kauai Island Vacations and after a few emails, I knew what my decision would be. The first thing I noticed was the extreme professionalism & lightning fast responses I would get. I would email Joanne Hanna with what seemed like 100's of questions. She had endless patience & quick reply's. Joanne has what I feel is the most important trait someone can have , especially in the lodging & hospitality field. She has a "character of care" - The info regarding our details for the rental house was quick , informative , efficient & easy to understand. She even went out of the way to let us know about potential travel delays with a mudslide that had happened months prior to our arrival. Check in date was super easy and the house was immaculate, (with Covid still upon us but eased travel restrictions we were still concerned). There was no need for that since the house was extremely clean and it was quite noticeable that measures were taking to ensure our levels of safety & comfort through cleanliness. I would highly recommend Kauai Island Vacations, we left feeling like we had a local friend on this beautiful island. — Mahalo & Thank you, James, May 2021

Kalihiwai Beach House: To sum it up, we had a wonderful time staying here while in Kauai and would highly recommend enjoying the North Shore of the island from this quiet, clean, spacious, modern, and tasteful designed home. The location is just out of the way of traffic and noise yet just a mile or two from both Princeville and Kilauea. There is a killer beach just across the street (waste deep river crossing to the beach makes it a bit more exciting to get there) and an incredibly beautiful river to paddle board or kayak (all the water gear you need is included) just steps from the home. The neighbors are all quiet and you feel like you are in your own little hidden corner of the island. The home was very clean, spacious, well designed, and had a beach style minimalism that felt refreshing. There is a huge nearly wrap around porch for eating meals outside or just chilling on lounge chairs. There are slider doors in every room, big windows, and you can see the beach from the living room and porch. The bedding was high quality and the beds were super comfortable. Kitchen has everything you need to enjoy your stay (we made fresh smoothies daily with tropical fruit). The house has a more open floor plan with the kitchen, living, and dining all in one space opening up onto the balcony. As already mentioned, the water gear was great to have, our kids snorkled, boogie boarded, and used the soft top surfboards daily. Plenty of lawn chairs and a few ice chests. We spent most of our days at the beach across the street or snorkling at Anini beach just 1/2 mile away. Overall, we highly enjoyed staying here and found it to be the perfect little getaway to enjoy all the rest of the North Shore from. — Jake, May 2021

In November 2020, my wife and I planned a wonderful month long vacation to Kauai. We secured a fabulous beach front home in Haena through the lovely folks at Kauai Island Vacations. We forwarded a hefty non refundable five figure deposit to secure our home for our March 2021 arrival. Through no fault of anyone, the Covid Pandemic became worse in mid November, and the Mayor of Kauai took the prudent steps to mandate tighter restrictions on vacationing on Kauai. We agreed with Holly and Joanne to re-visit the final payment in February thirty days prior to our arrival. My wife and I were worried, having never worked with Kauai Island Vacations, that our very hefty non-refundable deposit may be lost. Holly and Joanne were magnificent. When we informed them that because of age and medical issues we would not be able to commit to our prior rental agreement, they gladly sent us a full refund check "with warm Aloha's". Honesty, Integrity and Respect are words easily describing their organization. My wife and I look forward with great anticipation to working with them in the future when the Pandemic is in the rear view mirror. Thank you for everything Kauai Island Vacations. — Sincerely, Anthony M. 2/11/21

Hale Mo'olelo: This is an amazing place to stay for you and a few friends. Don't bother bringing beach towels or other gear, as the house has a lot of beach gear for you to use, since the beach is your back yard! The closest town (Hanalei) is about a 10-15 min drive away, where you can stock up - my party and I cooked breakfast every morning and dinner a few times as well, so the kitchen is great. Lots of seating, airy. There's 3 beds, but extra big couches and an air mattress can definitely work here. I was in contact with Joanne, who offered other services like getting groceries ready for our arrival, contact info for tours/activities (we didn't take advantage of this). It's 40 mins to 1 hour away from Lihue (Airport), and the complete opposite side away from Waimea Canyon. If you're looking to do more down there, I would say maybe some place else, but we didn't mind the drive for the couple of times we went to the South Shore. Amazing place, highly recommend. I'll definitely be back! — Caroline, February 2020

Holo Makani: My adult daughter and I came here to rest and heal and we couldn't be happier! We slept, cooked delicious meals in the glorious kitchen and went for leisurely strolls on the beach. We were totally supported by Joanne and her staff... oh my...I am already thinking about when and how I can return... Can't imagine staying any where else on the island. The views are spectacular and the entire experience profoundly peaceful and healing. — Jeannine, January 2020

Hale Ho'olapanai: The house was perfect for us! We had a lot of rain while in Kauai, and were very glad we chose the bungalow when we weren't able to go out hiking, etc. The beach was steps away, and the porch with hammock was great for being outside and watching the rain. The living space was spacious, the high ceilings and windows didn't make you feel like you were stuck inside. The property had everything we needed... AND, it was very clean and well-maintained. I could go on and on, but this review asks for summary of property. Bottom line, no complaints! — Hope, January 2020

Kalihiwai Beach House: This place is a gem! We visited after the Christmas holidays with our daughter and boyfriend. Nice large place, well appointed, with great places to hang out or find alone time, plus a fast walk to the fairly secluded beach and access to the back bay/river (having cayaks and paddleboards a real plus!). Kalihiwai Valley is off the main road so it's quiet and feels like you are "living like a local", and then also very close to Princeville and Hanalei for greats shops and restaurants - best of both. We go to Kauai every year and would definitely return. Thanks Holly and team. — Helen, December 2019

Hale Ho'olapanai: This is my fourth time to Kauai and this has been my favorite stay by far. This house was phenomenal! It was very spacious, clean, and had old Hawaiian charm in a premium location close to the beach on the north shore in Haena. Though it was right off Kuhio hwy, it was quiet and felt secluded. The location gave a more local experience away from the resorts and shops. The rental company was quick to respond to any needs and the house was stocked with anything needed. It was such an amazing spot with outstanding views of my favorite part of the island. I can't wait to stay here again!!! — Trissa, November 2019

Holo Makani: Everything about our stay was beyond perfect, from the home itself (a truly gorgeous, wonderfully comfortable and welcoming place), to the location?beachfront but still so private, to the beaches and views, to the stars at night. We only hope we might one day visit again. — Laura, October 2019

Kalihiwai Beach House: Quiet, secluded ocean front piece of paradise, yes it does exist, i know i stayed there. This year I treated myself to a vacation in Kauai. I really did not want to go to a resort and hassle with the crowds. so I searched and found this amazing home to rent. WOW. That?s all I can say. the home was steps from the sand. It was located in hidden quiet cove, tucked away from the fast paced world around. When I pulled up to the house it automatically made me smile. It has a huge lush green lawn and plenty of wild chickens running around. The homes exterior is perfectly kept. Inside was a gorgeous well equipped home that could easily sleep six. The master bedroom was amazing and serene, with beautiful white linens and very very comfortable bed. The kitchen was well equipped with pots and pans and a great coffee maker. When i decided to head to the beach I brought a stand up Paddle board and a beach chair that was in the homes garage, it was perfect. I will for sure be returning to this home year after year. I highly recommend this home for families. Its got all the bells and whistles you could want for Hawaii. — Vicky, July 2019

Holo Makani is perfect. From start to finish, our stay was amazing. The house was sparkling clean when we arrived, not a thing out of place, and tons of amenities: extremely well stocked kitchen (large enough to cook together), beach towels, very good hotel quality linens and toiletries, comfy beds, a/c in two of the bedrooms, . The location is lovely, a short drive to Hanalei where there is a small (by big city standards) grocery store that had everything we needed and plenty of shopping and dining and activity. A short walk straight out the back porch, maybe ten steps, and you are on the beach. Less than a mile walk along the beach and you are snorkeling at the Tunnels. Beautifully decorated. And the management team is absolutely wonderful. Nice people, and the communication was clear and concise from booking through our stay, including local suggestions and information. There was a regatta in Hanalei which changed the traffic patterns one of the days we were there and we received an email detailing the event in plenty of time to incorporate that information into our plans. Most management teams are just not that proactive, but this one is. A super great experience. Location is ideal for lots of beaches, kayak rental in Hanalei, the helicopter tours out of Princeville and the Princeville Ranch ATV/Horseback riding experiences. Highly recommend. — Charelle, July 2019

Hale Ylang Ylang: This is our 3rd time staying in Hanalei and this is our most favorite vacation rental! Here are my favorite details: - The second-floor ocean view was amazing even on rainy days. Loved reading books on the daybed to my daughter while watching the ocean. - A garage! Stay dry when unloading the car and kids on a rainy day. If you're a parent, you'll understand. - Location is perfect! 5 mins one way and you have shaved ice and markets. 5 mins in the other way and you're at one of the worlds most beautiful beaches. Organized and quality kitchen. I love to cook, so the sharp knives, quality pans, and well stock spices are important to me. - Air conditioning in the bedrooms. My toddler slept so comfortably. Thank you. - Labeled light switches. This may sound silly, but nobody likes the annoying trial and error that you go through in vacation rentals to figure it all out. This is just one of many examples of the attention to detail for the guest experience. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing home! — Joven, April 2019

We had a truly magical time at Ohana Anini. The location couldn't be more perfect for families -- you just walk across a one-lane street into the ocean. The water is warm and the beach is one of the most beautiful I've even seen. If you and your guests just love being at the beach and relaxing at home, this house can't be beat. The home is perfectly situated to look out at the water, and it's on a quiet and less frequently traveled strip of this very long (and almost always calm) beach. As a house it's comfortable and well-appointed. The bedrooms were a great size, the porch was an outdoor room unto itself, and the kitchen was nicely stocked with the equipment a family would want if they planned to cook a lot at the house. We were a group of 7 people but the house could have easily slept 9 or 10 very comfortably if children are part of the mix. It's a great house in a truly spectacular location. I recommend it highly. — Karyn April 2019

Umetsu Cottage is such a lovely spot. We enjoyed our stay very much. The location, the house, the yard, the daybed on the deck, beach access... all so nice. Hanalei and Kauai are just the best. The views of the Na Pali Coast from a helicopter are simply unreal. The meals at Bar Acuda were our favorites. Too many enjoyable experiences to list. Much thanks for all the hospitality from Holly and her team. — Taylor, March 2019

Kalihiwai Beach House: This three bedroom two and a half bath home is a lovely, lovely place to reconnect with family and yourself. It?s located in a very QUIET, peace-filled neighborhood. Many people must work during the weekdays, so we took care to follow their lead and blend in. :) Plenty of room for our party of five; everyone had their own space if needed. Master bedroom has a nice little sitting area with a lounge, so you can go read a book and/or let the ocean waves lull into a nap. The other two bedrooms both have access to the deck/lanai. The adjoining half-bath between the two masters has an amazing two person jet tub with a rain shower above. Large open living style kitchen, dining and living room made it fun for meal prep and dining. Kitchen is well equipped with lots of countertop and storage. And we all enjoyed the large wrap-around deck/lanai complete with chairs and patio furniture. There is a nice large laundry area located near bedrooms, which I found convenient. There are ceiling fans in every room and all windows open up to let the breeze and ocean sounds in. The ocean is literally steps away from the home, and we walked there every day. Anini Beach is only a short drive away. For me, this home was perfect for my family. I can?t say enough good about it. Joanne at Kauai Island Vacation, Inc. made making arrangements easy. And, I could call her or the office anytime. Can?t wait to rent this home again.” — Stormy, February 2019

“We really felt at home in the Umetsu cottage. The house had everything we needed. Having two bathrooms was a plus. And the lanai was great. Walking the Hanalei beach at sunrise and sunset was so nice. Loved being right there close to beach and town. I would stay here again” — Carol, February 2019

“We had a wonderful stay at Ohana Anini and it was the perfect vacation for our family! It was truly the best Hawaii vacation we have ever taken. The property was spacious and just had a very good flow and feel to it. The beach was awesome and Kauai Island Vacations was very helpful leading up to our stay and provided top notch service. I would highly recommend them and this property.” — Mike, January 2019

“We had such an amazing stay at the Palaka cottage. The location was AMAZING and the cottage was perfect for our little family. Loved cooking in the well stocked kitchen and eating out on the porch. We also loved the outdoor shower! We highly recommend this cottage and will be back!” — Susanna, November 2018

“What a magical setting to celebrate our 40th B-Days! The Banana Beach House was a perfect place to learn to hula on the lawn with the sunset and dinner with Dani Felix as our personal chef was mouth watering! Holly, thank you for all of your assistance in planning our week. Thank you!”

“Our third visit to Banana Beach House and it is a confirmed love affair. What a perfect place to unwind and enjoy life. We adored the sunsets, the sound of the rain on the palms, and the spectacular views and life generally. We hope to return to your home again. Mahalo...” — Pam & Mike S of Virginia • Karen V & Joanie F of Maryland • July 2011

“Not to be missed! Banana Beach House is the best! Everything just perfect! Every time we turned around we found another beautiful piece of art , furniture, and convenience. The island, coast, water, and people of Kauai are perfect! PS. Johnny Depp missed out! He should have stayed at Banana Beach House instead of Princeville!” — Marion, Nance, Leya, and Sonya • June 2011

“The only bad thing I can say about the Banana Beach House is that we never wanted to leave! This was our second time here, and we enjoyed it even more than the first time. Mahalo...” — Marcie S • Paradise Valley, AZ • July 2011

Banana Beach House: Our first contact with Joanne at Kauai Island Vacations was a hint as to how incredible our family Christmas vacation would be! She recommended the luau at Mediterranean Gourmet as being less "touristy" and kid friendly...it was an amazing evening! We had planned this trip as a wonderful Christmas getaway and coming together time for our kids and grandkids. It was all and more! The house is exactly as pictured and is our new standard for vacation getaways (or maybe retirement home!!!!) Everyone loved it and now we are talking about how soon we can go back... will be calling Holly! — Maria & Tom D.

“Perfect Getaway at Hale Maluhia Palms. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation rental home, it's clean, spacious, light, beautiful hardwood floors, breezy bedrooms, open floor plan and the perfect blend of comfortable and classy. A block away from the beach, the pier and a few blocks from town. We had an amazing trip and will definitely be coming back every year.”

“The Banana Beach House was perfect for our family! The view is wonderful and the house was complete with all the right amenities. Casual elegance says it all! We'd love to come back here with more family, so this is just bye-bye for now! Aloha & Mahalo,” — Richard W • California • August 2011

“The Banana Beach House was absolutely beautiful. The view spectacular. Great for families with little children. The grass area was just the place for them to play. Close to great water activities. Loved every minute of our stay. We would come back in a minute.” — Donna C • May 2012

“Hi Joanne, We loved the house. Can't wait to come back. Seriously, the best couples vacation we've ever had, and much of that was because of Banana Beach House. We were impressed with everything. And special thanks to you for all your help!” — Best, Michael H • May 2013