I never leave reviews, but once in a blue moon I do business with a company that's so exceptional,…read moreand 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!

1 Star -- WARNING: This property management company will take your money and put your family at…read morerisk. 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.

The room was clean, comfortable, and had plenty of accommodations. The pool area was great and the…read morebeach was beautiful. We also loved the location of this resort on the island.

This is the beach to catch the most amazing sunrises!…read more The sounds of the waves plus the picturesque scenery makes the place ideal.

Everything about this cottage is so Aloha but honestly the bed and linens made me feel like a…read morequeen! It was incredibly comfy. Here's my morning around the cottage...

These cottages are adorable and so well maintained. The owners go to great lenghts to make sure…read moreyour stay is fabulous! The location is great, close to many good places to eat and the beach is very close (within walking distance). This is the place to stay and very reasonably priced. Much better then staying at a hotel. Very relaxing and private area. Two thumbs up!

Stayed her for 3 nights, though I wished I would have stayed here all 5 nights. This is a…read morebeautiful property and probably one of the nicest in Kapaa. Walking in to the lobby felt like we were at a premium resort and definitely put us in the right mood. There's a bar and Hukilau Lanai right in the lobby. You can make reservations through Open Table for the restaurant. There's no valet that I saw when we pulled up or a bellboy to help with your bags. Or at least, I didn't see one or ask for one. The check-in process was normal, but after checking in, you are directed to go see the Concierge. I waited a good 15 minutes just to find out that since I'm a member, he doesn't have access to my account and was asked to come back in the morning to talk to someone that does. I wish that all Shell properties would stop this practice altogether. It's already enough that we spent hours traveling to this beautiful property and want to get to our rooms to unwind and freshen up. We do not have time to sit through some kind of pitch. Because I didn't see the Concierge the next morning, they sent me a text and also placed a door tag on my door to remind me to come see them. First off, you're on vacation and do not want to spend an hour or two sitting through some kind of pitch or upsell. I don't know what the point of the wristbands was for, besides not having to carry the room key with you, it was pointless. So I would ignore going to the Concierge altogether. I don't know what was in the Welcome package and didn't want to fall in to that trap, so I just ignored having to go see the Concierge. The property grounds had 1 large pool, 2 smaller 1.5' deep pools and a jacuzzi. There were also a couple of grills and a bar by the pool, which was great. And I saw them being used throughout our stay. There's a nice walkway to other properties or to the beach. Unfortunately, there's no beach access right on the property. Parking was free and you didn't have to hang any parking permit on the car. One big drawback is that there are no elevators. So you'll have to lug all of your items up the stairs. We stayed on the 3rd floor and had our luggage and stuff we bought at Costco. I wished they would have turned on the A/C in the hallways to help with the heat. It was stuffy by the time we got to the top floor. Luckily, the A/C in our room was working well. Our suite was nice and big with all of the amenities needed for our stay. We even did some laundry on our last day and there were 2 packs of detergent provided. We had bath & pool towels in the room. WiFi was just ok, it wasn't the fastest being at 20mbps up and down. It's fine for 2 people, but could bog down with more devices. One of the best things about this location is it's right across the street from the Coconut Marketplace. You'll be able to find pretty much anything you need there. We stopped by here on our way out to Waimea Canyon and also picked up dinner at the store in the deli area. Was also able to grab some souvenirs and shopping on our last day. We've only stayed at Poipu our last 2 visits, but would definitely come back here again. If you decide to come here, ignore going to the Concierge please and don't believe that you need to get their wristbands. We were able to walk around the property and nobody stopped us.

Clean, comfortable rooms in a stunning setting on the Kaua'i coast. I've heard that resorts are no…read morelonger allowed to build so close to the coast, so this is a real gem, especially if you want to get right out on the beach for a beautiful sunrise. The pool area and all the landscaping is especially lovely. All the staff we interacted with were very nice, especially when I lost an item and the front desk gave us a call later for a status update. Parking is easy and convenient, and the Coconut Marketplace with ABC store within walking distance really made this location awesome with easy access to shops, grocery, and food. We really missed the convenience later in the trip at another resort. Downtown Kapaa is also a short drive or walk away. The lack of elevators is a major downside at this location, however. For our party, staying three floors up with no elevators was inconvenient but doable, but for others it could be impossible so please be aware and call ahead if this is an issue for you. I did hear that the resort will be undergoing a renovation soon, and I sincerely hope elevators are a priority.

Luxe cleaning fulfilled all my expectations! They responded quickly to a request for service and…read morethe owner herself came to the location to review and price the job requested. Used them back in March for a move out clean and to save some the time and energy of doing it on my own. The quality of work was appreciated and they also completed the work on a weekend and within the contacted 2 hours. Thank you Luxe Cleaning and staff!

Angel was lovely to work with! We used the cleaning service during our one week trip to Kauai while…read morewe were staying at an Airbnb. Before arriving, Angel was easy to coordinate with and discuss our needs. When we arrived, the cleaning was thorough and it was a great way for us to feel like we were staying at a hotel, all while enjoying the perks of staying in our private Airbnb! I would highly recommend using her cleaning service.

Had the most amazing stay at Fern Grotto Inn. It's a very cozy property with different sized guest…read morehouses and cottages. I stayed in CANAL A (Perfect for one person or 2 max). I was welcomed / greeted with a beautiful tropical floral arrangement. There were hibiscus flowers all over the room. The provided me a fresh lei on one of the towel arrangements, that I got to wear around my 1st day there. The place was so immaculate and clean! It was cleaner than my own house! It made me feel so good! Housekeeping prepared a welcome card and note with phone #'s for calls and txts. There was a kauai guidebook on the coffee table. They also had a binder with alot of tips, local recommendations and guides. The mattress is nice and firm, pillows are of a good quality. You will get wonderful sleep there. The plumbing worked well. The hot hot showers were amazing. It is on a removable shower head (just like I have at home) that is so convenient. You do have to take out your own trash, but they provide the trash liners under the bathroom sink. Paul and housekeeping happened to be on site when I arrived. They greeted me so warmly. I was having pain in my knees, and needed help with my luggage. Paul was so kind and helped me out. Cottage A was a charming studio. With a queen sized bed. There is absolutely everything you could need. Paul even prepared 2 beers, 2 water bottles and a box of chocolate in the fridge. It has both a fan and A/C wall unit that works very well! The kitchenette is stocked with everything you could need in terms of appliances, cookware, utensils, houswares, and even tupperware and ziploc bags. The cottage was well stocked with towels, bug spray, sunblock, extra blankets, etc. It was so thoughtful. Oh and the property has free laundry for the guests. They even provide laundry soap. It was outstanding. Such a huge blessing. They even have equipment: kayaking, SUP, ice boxes, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, water shoes, snorkeling equipment, etc. The freezer even has an ice tray and blue ice things to use for your daily picnics on the beach! I property has gorgeous flowers that bloom every day. You will be greeted daily with new orchids, ginger plants, ti leaves, etc. There is even a star fruit tree. Paul showed me how to pick when it's ripe (yellow color). I didn't have to buy fruit, I had so much organic star fruit, it was great! I had an amazing 7 night, 8 day stay. It was so quiet and serene. It's right on the river. Other guests were very nice to me. Every one is pretty quiet and keeps to themselves. It is well located 12 min from the airport. It is on the east side of the island, so you are pretty central to the north and south portions of the island. Nearby is a nice beach within 2 minutes - Lydgate Park. There are chickens everywhere on Kauai. But Paul thought of it all, the room comes with ear plugs. I enjoyed the roosters - it was a pleasant change from city life. I would like to return and stay at the larger cottage - the Ohana house next time! I would recommend this place to anybody looking for a safe, quiet, serene place to enjoy Kauai.

Best place to stay if you want to be centrally located. They provide a home away from home for you…read morewith everything you need. You can even kayak or paddle board right from your backyard on the Wailua River. They have a special personalized touch with all the fine details specific to your stay. Very clean, efficient, and warm home feeling.

As the host manages multiple properties in the Kauai Kailani complex and others around the island…read morethis review is specifically for unit KKA 108A. Other units I researched for this host have patios thus they may or may not have the issues that I have brought up. I booked this unit through Airbnb deciding that I want to support local businesses rather than my usual business trips at large hotel chains e.g Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt etc. That was a big mistake as right when you enter the room the stuck door is the first sign the place won't meet your expectations. First the unit was stiflingly hot. My wife and I had to endure for four days here in Jan 2023 and was the worst part of Kauai. Don't let the host fool you as he stated that I didn't follow the instructions he provided however, regardless if you follow the 'instructions' he provides the room retains heat and it does all day. I contacted Airbnb the first day as it was not safe staying in the unit as my wife felt sick after the first night as it was unbearably hot. We were told that we would have to get approval from the host which is another story. This is not a unit that is facing the ocean thus receiving an ocean breeze, rather it is a unit facing the sun during the day and the parking lot. The room does not have AC thus to cool it off you have to keep the one window open 24/7 and have the four fans running the whole time. This does little to cool the room rather you are just moving hot air around. Second the unit itself was not very clean. We had stopped off at Walmart before arriving thus I put the drinks in the fridge. The fridge had a smell and was not cleaned properly in addition we found a used towel hung up as new which was disgusting. I have attached some photos so you can see the condition of this so called romantic room as the host describes in his description. I had a conversation with the host on day 2 and he was not helpful at all. I gave him the opportunity to address all of my concerns but he disregarded them. He made it more about the cleanliness of the condo rather than addressing the heat trapped in the room. The host stated he could have a cleaner address the fridge which I had already taken care on day 1 but the other things more pressing to me like the heat was not addressed at all. To be clear the condo has 4 fans and a ceiling fan that barely turns on. If the unit was so comfortable why would you need to equip your condo with so many fans to cool it down. He admitted on the phone that an AC will be installed in the near future but his response is it is Jan so how hot can it be? Also Kauai a tropical island so there's humidity. I lived and vacationed in far more tropical places that Kauai so thanks for the tip. I requested after the first night for a refund with Airbnb due to the unbearable heat in the room, lack of cleanliness (fridge smell, used towel, dust, stains). The host response was that I was only interested in getting a refund. I thought that was interesting as it would cost me more in the long run to find a new place for my wife and I to stay. I would not recommend this company/host for future bookings in Kauai. My hope is that the host spends less time writing responses to defend what's right with the unit he manages and instead ensures that the feedback by his guests are addressed.

It is the best place to stay on Kauai. Lazy Pool river is awesome.Kitchen has everything you need…read morefor cooking.Comfortable beds including the sleeper sofas in living room. Stayed in two units both provides top notch accommodations.

From the owner: Vacation rentalsread more