1 Star -- WARNING: This property management company will take your money and put your family at risk. We booked a week at Mele Kai (March 11-18) for two families, including kids, one of whom was celebrating a birthday on the island. Nearly $8,000. On March 10, with a massive Kona storm bearing down on Kauai, we reached out to Garden Island Properties to discuss our options. Our VRBO messages went unanswered. Our phone call went unanswered. When we finally got a text response, they told us the rain is what gives Kauai its nickname "The Garden Island" and suggested we bring "a flexible plan and rain gear." We weren't being difficult. We wrote back and told them we weren't opposed to being rained on -- our concern was flooding, loss of power, or being stuck on the island. I asked them directly: "Will my family be safe during this massive storm in your place?" Their response? They told us, "I don't mean to downplay the news coverage, but this is fairly typical winter weather for Kauai." They assured us the rental was "not located in a flood zone." Fairly typical winter weather. Not in a flood zone. Here's what actually happened: The Governor declared a STATE OF EMERGENCY. Roads in Poipu -- the exact neighborhood of this house -- were closed due to flooding. Ho'one Road and Ku'ai Road, right by this property, were shut down. The islands were hit with up to 44 inches of rain and 135-mph winds. Schools and government offices closed. Over 120,000 customers lost power across the state. Beaches were closed under brown water advisories warning of sewage overflow and hazardous bacteria. The Red Cross and Salvation Army mobilized relief efforts. Residents were evacuated into emergency shelters. So much for "fairly typical winter weather." So much for "not in a flood zone." And here's what makes it worse: the forecast they themselves included in their own message showed 90-100% chance of rain with thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 50 mph for EVERY SINGLE DAY of our trip. Their own evidence showed this was not typical. They sent it to us and still told us to come. We never made it to Kauai. We couldn't. It would have been dangerous and irresponsible to bring our families -- our kids -- into that situation. Garden Island Properties refused any refund. VRBO has been contacted twice by phone, was promised a resolution email both times, and as of this writing we've received nothing. $8,000. Gone. For a house we never stepped foot in, on an island we never reached, during a declared state of emergency that the property manager called "fairly typical." This is not a review about the weather. Nobody controls the weather. This is a review about a property management company that had every piece of information -- including their own forecast -- telling them this was a dangerous, historic storm, and they still chose to encourage a family with children to fly into it rather than do the right thing. I asked them point blank if my family would be safe. They couldn't even answer the question. They chose profit over safety. Period. If you are considering booking with Garden Island Properties, understand this: when things go wrong -- and in Hawaii, weather can go very wrong -- this company will not have your back. They will take your money, send you a canned aloha, and wish you luck. read more

I never leave reviews, but once in a blue moon I do business with a company that's so exceptional, and whose staff is so above and beyond that I find myself looking for outlets to let others know of my experience. This is the case with the people at Garden Island Properties. A week prior to our departure, we sadly had to cancel our travel to Kauai Island because our daughter was hospitalized. I had already paid in full for our three week rental (60 days prior to our departure date) and I did not purchase insurance. This could have been the end of the story because everyone had already been paid. But, the people at Garden Island Properties worked tirelessly to find another renter so we could recover some of our money. The humanity they showed, and the effort they made on our behalf has made me a loyal customer, and I plan to use them to help me with future rental properties going forth. I will also purchase travel insurance! read more

Sue and Kanani at Garden Island Properties are excellent managers of my mom's ocean front condo. They are kind, reliable in their communication, responsible in keeping the condo beautiful and rented. Their prices are reasonable and my mom earns money each month. Mahalo Kindly, Nancy read more

We stayed at a GIP managed condo in Kapa'a, Kapa'a Shores #327 to be precise. It was a VRBO listing. (As a side note, the condo was a dream: clean, well stocked, beautifully decorated, top floor end unit closest to the pool and ocean.) Anyhoo--back to GIP! We actually had no direct contact with them--they did such a great job via email, there was no need!! All of our pre-stay contact was with Sarah. From the moment we reserved the condo, they were on the job. Fast contacts and responses. Professional. Organized. Efficient. Detail oriented. Friendly, pleasant. We felt the comfort of being well cared for: that if there were any issues or problems, (which there were none) they would be promptly addressed. The email contacts were clear, concise; just right. One can tell they've done the vacation rental thing countless times, and they know what questions will be asked and what information needs to be covered. After our stay we had some follow up contact with Sarah and other GIP peeps, I believe one was the business owner. I highly recommend using this small, local Kauai business. I believe they handle real estate purchases and sales as well as rentals and vacation rentals. If or when we return to Kaua'i for a stay, I will be contacting them directly for help in choosing our lodging. Yes, they are really that good! read more

Garden Island Properties - A view from our lanai - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Kapaa, Hawaii

We have used Garden Island Properties since purchasing our condo in 2012 until we sold it in 2024. They were also our Real Estate Agents when selling and found a buyer before it was even listed. As off island owners, GIP took care of everything for us. They take excellent care of their owners plus their clients renting the units. GIP has a lot of return clients each year. Sue and Kanani were always there for us and supporting us with any problems that had occurred. Sue is tenacious when it comes to ensuring problems are taken care of even when it's outside of her control. Sue and Kanani are great communicators, proactive in ensuring their units are in tip top shape and fully stocked. They do not hesitate to speak up if something needs replacing. Garden Island Properties is a Kauai family-owned business. We loved working with Sue and Kanani. They treated us as family. We will miss them. read more

Great Property managers. Took great care of my unit and kept it booked using many different platforms to market it. When my unit isnt available they have been able to find me a super nice unit to stay in. They have been around for many years so have many, many returning guest to help keep units booked. Kanani and Sue and there team are super nice and serve up a lot of Aloha. Highly recommend... A Hui Hou read more

We needed a place to stay while visiting Kauai, so we contacted Garden Island Properties and Vacation Rentals. They set us up with one of the properties they manage, unit #F71 at The Banyan Harbor Resort. The Banyan Harbor Resort is in a prime location, being approximately 2.2 miles from the Lihue Airport, walking distance to the Nawiliwili coast line, and minutes away from popular eatery such as Dukes Kauai. The two bedroom, one and half bath unit is spacious. Amenities include washer, dryer, and a full kitchen. The customer service from Kanani/Sarah was great. Detailed instructions emails were sent before and during our arrivals to make sure we checked in with ease. Garden Island Properties is very organized and efficient. They're very professional in handling our questions. The unit was cleaned, Garden Island Properties checked in with us via email to make sure we have everything we needed such as bathing towels, beach towels, detergents, kitchen soaps and coffee, they also gave us recommendation to the local attractions during our stay. Loved their welcome message, a box of Macadamia chocolate and Kauai coffee, this was pleasing after a hectic flight. read more

I lhave been a client of Garden Island Properties (GIP) for 21 years. In 1999 I rented a condo on Kauai through GIP. I was so satisfied with this transaction that I used GIP to represent me, as my realtor, in the purchase of a vacation rental property on Kauai. For the past 20 years Sue Strickland of GIP has been the manager of my vacation rental property on Kauai. The rental of my condo on Kauai has been a very successful business venture thanks to Sue Strickland and Kanani Strickland of GIP. GIP has kept my Kauai condo occupied with revenue vacation rentals 87% to 91% of the time for the past 10 years. This year, 2020, when it was time to sell my condo, I once again, utilized GiP to represent me äs my realtor. Känani and Sue Strickland häd 2 offers for my consideration within 24 hours of the listing being active. 30 days later the sale successfully closed. BIG thanks to Sue and Kànani Strickland of Garden Island Properties, Kapaa, Kauai! I give Sue, Kanani and Greg Strickland of Garden Island Properties my highest recommendation for real estate services, property management, and vacation rentals on Kauai!!! Craig Dunn, Mission Viejo, CA read more

Garden Isle properties worked with me from the minute I booked til we checked out. I didn't see the total cost on my booking.com reservation and when I realized it was much higher than advertised, I called them and they were able to resolve the problem and give me the lower rate. Their apartment at the Banyan Harbor was updated with granite countertops and sparkling clean. There were clear check-in and check-out instructions. There were two beach towels on each bed and the kitchen was well stocked with all that was needed to eat in and cook. There was a fire two doors down during the stay, but Sue was there after hours to help with any arrangements to make sure we had a place to sleep for the night. Thankfully, the fire department gave the all clear to go back to the apartment. We got a late check out for the next day due to the interruption. I highly recommend this business for your next vacation on Kauai. read more

Kanani is the absolute best realtor we could have hoped for--navigating our seller's complications with knowledge, grace, and patience, advising us of potential property issues after countless showings, and going out of her way to ensure our complicated purchase went through smoothly. We are so thankful that we had her to guide us through the process. read more

I am writing from the perspective of someone who used Garden Island as an owner and am recommending them as property managers. I cannot say too strongly how wonderful they are! First and foremost, they are a family run organization - which of course can go in one way or another, but in this case resulted in all the services you would expect from competent property managers PLUS a very personal and responsive way of operating. It often felt like they looked at my unit as if it were their own home, emailing me with questions such as "Would you like us to find some colorful throw pillows? We think the couch could use a pop of color." They also would do all the other things you would hope for - kept everything stocked as needed, extremely clean, and they responded quickly to any guest needs. They came highly recommended to me, and I would definitely pass this recommendation on. read more

We have worked with Sue and now Kanani for about 20 years. They have been wonderful helping with our property. They always have great advice and tips when we need something. They are the best on the island. read more

We just finished a family holiday to the friendly Garden Island of Kauai a few weeks ago. Our family stayed at the Kaha Lani Resort in Lihue. It's a short drive from the airport, our unit was very clean and spacious and looks out over the water front It was an amazing holiday. The people of Kauai are very down to earth and incredibly friendly. We had the honor of visiting the local farmers market in Kapaa on a wednesday where we were able to fill our kitchen with local produce that is unequalled anywhere that i've experienced, amazing papaya's, avocado's, mango's, lychees... I need to get back there!!! The staff and tennants at the Kaha Lani resort were incredible. Great for kids, we had our 3 kids running around the big grassy property and swimming in the pool all day. Thankyou Garden Island properties for such a warm welcome to your island and for recommending that we check out the Haena State Park Wet and Dry caves, they were incredible. And as a personal recommendation, go takes some lovely photos at the lookout just before Hanalei bay in princeville and the famous pier down in Hanalei bay, really breathtaking. See you again soon Kauai, Prahlad McIvor read more

I've been using Garden Island Properties for over six years now. I first met Sue, the owner, when I purchased a condo on Kauai and was looking for a property manager. She came highly recommended by several people I met. It has been such a pleasant and positive experience working with Sue and the team at GIP. I am always informed of everything, big or small that pertains to my condo. Whether it be severe weather warnings, or new state tax laws that may effect my situation, I always feel in the loop due to their excellent communication. Repairs are always handled immediately and at a very fair price. Large item repairs or replacement items are always ran by me first to get my authorization. It felt a little nerve wracking at first to own a vacation rental nearly 3,000 miles away! Garden Island Properties has made this so smooth. On the rare occurrence something comes up that requires an immediate hands on remedy, Sue is right there. Also, when I've had family and friends stay either in my condo, or on Kauai in general, they have utilized Garden Island Properties and have all commented on how professional they are and what excellent customer service they provide. I can't recommend GIP enough. Vacations should be one hundred percent stress free. Sue, and her whole team will see to it that your stay in paradise is perfect. read more

If you need a place to stay while visiting Kauai, Garden Island Properties and Vacation Rentals are the ones to contact. The properties they manage are extremely nice. The customer service from Sue and her ohana exceeds all expectations. read more

I have rented a beautiful ocean front home, Hale Hololani, from Garden Island Properties for the past 6 years. They are a dream to work with and the properties I have seen are as described and a great value if you prefer not staying in a hotel. Sue and Greg, the owners, are easy to work with responsive and just really lovely people! Enjoy the aloha spirit with Garden Island Properties! read more

We (my partner and I and a friend) stayed in Kapa'a shores resort #318 this past week for 6 nights. The condo was amazing. After reading the other review of Garden island Properties and seeing her complain about paying $170/night, even calling it expensive, I would have to say that the reviewer seems very naive about accommodation prices these days. I think we paid somewhere around the same and I found that to be a good deal, especially for a place with an ocean view! The condo had everything we could possibly need and very easy to check in and out. I would deal with Garden island properties again for sure! read more

UPDATE: After receiving our closing statement we found that we were overcharged for everything including services that were not performed amounting to an overcharge in excess of $1000.00. There are also linens and towels that we had purchased missing amounting to another $500.00 If you own a vacation rental please be careful not to hire this company, they are only out for themselves and not the homeowner. They receive their 5 star ratings from guests at the full expense of the owner. read more

I had the pleasure of working in this great company. Very professional bosses with whom I have learned a lot. In the human aspect they are very close people and from the first day they made me feel like one more their family. Highly recommended in every way. Thanks. read more

If you want the best customer service experience then this is your place. They go above and beyond and treat you like family. Not to mention they also have a great selection of properties with jaw-dropping ocean views! read more

Great people. I have been working with them for 10 years and they do what they say. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended. There are many rental agents on Kauai but I highly suggest using Garden Island. Ask for Sue She is awesome read more