Peaceful Refuge in Central Kona

Reviews

• Reviewer: Melissa

  Comments: My stay at Peaceful Refuge was far beyond my expectations!!! Carol was more than nice and accommodating. I could not have asked for a better host/place. She was so helpful, and sweet during my time stay that I felt right at home from the very beginning. Whether it was helping me find things to do, to how to get around town, to even helping me find the best deals locally and showing me some epic spots. Her place was everything she promised and so much more. Beautiful ocean views from deck, best part of waking up. Great secluded backyard. Plenty of parking. Completely at peace and so comfortable that the only hard part was actually parting with her place! So glad I found this spot, definitely coming back. Thank you so, so much Carol!

• Reviewer: Franck

  Comments: Oke I stayed nearly 3 weeks in Carols place! Nice cool place to be! You need a car to drive around but the place is fabulous! Be aware it is not big but it has everything to make your kona stay very pleasant!! I did the IRONMAN completion and it is a good training going up.. but think for not trained people a little to much! Pals I road will lead you straight into Kona centrum! That is about 5km! Your host Carol will tell you what is to do in kona and where to shop ! She even did some of my groceries during my stay when I was training! Thanks Carol I could not get a better place to stay during the Ironman event! Franck

• Reviewer: Yan

  Comments: Carol’s place is outstanding. She provided everything I need and I will back again and I will recommend Carol’s place to my friend who will visit big island.

• Reviewer: Mark

  Comments: Carol is very helpful when trying find the best of the island. She will definitely make you feel at home for your stay!

• Reviewer: Cara

  Comments: Carol's place was glorious! Great space and amenities. Beautiful deck, comfy furniture and very peaceful throughout. By far the best thing about it though is Carol. She is a fantastic host and is beyond thoughtful. Ex: One day I was lost trying to find a secluded beach. I texted a friend and then Carol by mistake. She called me & talked me through until I found the beach. Will be back soon! Mahalo for everything Carol!

• Reviewer: Amar

  Comments: Carol's place is excellent for someone who wants to be away from the herds of tourists. It is indeed a peaceful refuge as Carol calls it. The unit is very well ventilated and we slept very well here. Overall we enjoyed our stay and were able to explore the west side of Big Island from here. Carol had great recommendations for us for the beaches to go see. We were able to cook a quick meal and enjoy it on the upstairs patio with the beautiful view of the ocean from there. Thanks Carol for hosting us!!

• Reviewer: Nirmal

  Comments: Carol's place is beautiful, colorful and perfectly located for a holiday in Kona! The place has an artistic touch, decorated with hand paintings on colorful walls. Carol has stocked the place with more amenities than you can find in the average Airbnb. Carol was friendly, warm and responsive to our questions. There is a small private garden in the back where we hung out and Carol's deck is also a great spot to watch the sunset. Her place is located at an ideal distance from great snorkeling spots around Kona, world class beaches 20 minutes North, and the lively Ali'i Drive with farmers markets, restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

• Reviewer: Patricia

  Comments: A very relaxing stay at Carol’s place. Quiet neighborhood and very private. If you like walking for exercise your going to love the hills! I liked being adjacent to The family’s house for a feeling of safety yet with a private entrance. The bed was very comfortable. Carol is very friendly and helpful. I’ll be back!

• Reviewer: Keith

  Comments: Had a great visit. Everything we needed was provided. Clean and safe.

• Reviewer: Kim

  Comments: This was our very first Airbnb experience and it was lovely. Carol was a wonderful host - attentive, friendly, helpful. The space was perfect and had everything we needed (and more). Everything was clean and comfortable. It was nice being a part of the neighborhood for a few days. And the location was perfect for quick visits into town and very central for longer forays. Many thanks, Carol, for sharing your space with us.

• Reviewer: Kristyn

  Comments: We loved Carol's cute, homey, and airy guest house. The breeze at night was lovely. And Carol recommended to us the best local snorkeling location too! She was friendly and warm, and we highly recommend her and her home.

• Reviewer: Jessica

  Comments: If you're looking for a bright and happy centrally located slice of paradise, look no further. I was greeted by Carol who made sure the place was absolutely perfect and spotless for my arrival. Great vibe, private, and a straight shot into Kailua. As a former resident of Hawaii, I know Aloha when I see it, and that's what spending time here felt like. On a whim fresh cookies came out of the oven and I was offered some, and I was welcome to spend time on her lanai to see the ocean and relax. Perfect elevation and temperatures, slept like a baby.

• Reviewer: Carlee

  Comments: Carols place was perfect for our last few days of our stay. Her place was very clean and open feeling. She went above and beyond to help us out and kept checking in on us to make sure we had everything we needed. We were really happy with the place and the hospitality.

• Reviewer: Cole

  Comments: The host canceled this reservation 18 days before arrival. This is an automated posting.

• Reviewer: Alicia

  Comments: Carol’s place is wonderful. A great way for us to kick off our island visit. Bright, sunny, clean. Great space.

• Reviewer: Ed

  Comments: Nice place. Great host.

• Reviewer: Bonnie

  Comments: This is a very clean and pretty place that has everything you need. It does not have a stove but has microwave and toaster oven. It is very convenient to town as well as the airport.

• Reviewer: Elizabeth

  Comments: Carol is a kind, caring and generous hostess. Her home is charming, comfortable and convenient. We would definitely recommend and consider staying with Carol again if we are fortunate to return to Kona. We were able to enjoy and explore all that Kona has to offer (which is a lot) and avoid the touristy congestion of downtown when resting (which was much needed).

• Reviewer: Scott

  Comments: Great place. Loved the location. Carol was great. Loved going to sleep with the sounds of the jungle around me!

• Reviewer: Michael

  Comments: I really enjoyed my stay at Carols place. Everything was perfect. It’s a great place to stay for 1 person or a couple. It’s far enough up the mountain to stay cool at night, but only a short 5 minute drive to town and the beaches.

• Reviewer: Ryan

  Comments: A great home base for exploring the west side, Carol was a great host and the apartment is stylish, cozy, and relaxing. We'll definitely come back!

• Reviewer: Martina

  Comments: Es war sehr liebevoll mit kleinen Details eingerichtet Sie hat sich viel Zeit für Fragen genommen und war super hilfsbereit. Selbst in der Küche war Obst vorbereitet-super !

• Reviewer: Marylene

  Comments: Appartement bien situe tres joliment decore Hotesse tres arrangeante Seul petit bemol les chiens du voisin !

• Reviewer: Chelena

  Comments: My stay here was outstanding, I can speak for me and my boyfriend when I say this. We slept like babies with all windows open feeling the natural breeze in our bright jungle room. The drive into the town of kona was perfect the location was truly prime. The island is wonderful and if your stay is here with Carol it will be better. Forever will be dreaming of this place.. until next time!

• Reviewer: Curtis

  Comments: Next time we are on the big island, we will definitely come beach to Carol's place! Carol was a great host. She had good local tips and hike suggestions for us. She was quick to answer any questions we had. We used the grill and ate on the lovely shared patio. The washer and dryer are in the garage. If you need to use them it's easy and nice. She takes great care of the place, and it is warm and inviting. The unit is detached from the house and is private and charming. The house is three blocks from a road that turns into a main thoroughfare, which makes getting to other parts of the island easier too. Overall this was an A+ experience.

• Reviewer: Mercedes

  Comments: I had a great experience staying at Carol's place. She and her son are very warm and welcoming and provided me with many details of local knowledge to help me in my move here to the big island. The place was very comfortable, up high away from the heat on ali'i drive, and centrally located to all the places I needed to go. Thank you Carol!!

• Reviewer: Leslie

  Comments: Carol’s place is a lovely one from which to explore the greater Kona area. There is a great sunset view from her deck, and she has provided most everything you need. This place is a couple of miles out of Kona town proper so a car is helpful. Thank you, Carol for a perfect launching-pad for the rest of my magical Hawaiian week! Aloha

• Reviewer: Daphnie

  Comments: Thank you for hosting my doctor. She found the place very cute, clean, and colorful.

• Reviewer: Kushal

  Comments: We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We stayed for four nights and found it to be clean, comfortable and well equipped. This place has everything that is necessary. The view from the deck is amazing. The location is perfect and is about 5-7 minutes drive to all restaurants and groceries stores. Carol couldn’t have been friendlier and most welcoming she is an amazing host which was more than appreciated when being so far from home. Would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone.

• Reviewer: Dewi

  Comments: I love staying at Carol’s place because of the location which is higher up on the hill, allowing cooler nights with melodious nature sound. I slept very well and the shower had good water pressure. The decor in the room makes you feel happy and bright. Carol’s attention to details make me feel I was staying at a home away from home. The street parking was easy and the guesthouse is easily acessible by few steps.

• Reviewer: Christina

  Comments: I've stayed at many AirBnB's across the US and abroad and this was the worst experience I've ever had. When I arrived, the room was over 90 degrees and I found more than a dozen strands of hair in the shower and dozens of ants in the kitchen. When I told the host, she said this surprised her because the previous guest was very clean. Not sure why that would matter if hosts are supposed to clean up after each guest. I took photos of it all and said I wasn't comfortable staying there because of the condition of the room. This was the first time I've ever asked to cancel a reservation upon arriving. She wouldn't give a refund because she said it was too late for her to find someone else. Ultimately she seemed more concerned with making money than just human decency and cleanliness. This place also did not have a lock outside the room and it was clear someone went inside while I was gone (and without my consent). If I'm spending hard earned money on a vacation, I'd rather put it towards a business that values customer service. Throughout the ordeal, I found the host unpleasant to deal with and this was not how anyone should start their first trip to Hawaii. I would never stay here again knowing what I know now about the owner and how concerns are handled.

• Reviewer: Angela

  Comments: Pure loveliness. Cleanliness. Bathroom amenities. Snacks and drinks. A beautiful view of the ocean.

• Reviewer: Robin

  Comments: My stay at Carol's place was even better than expected. I needed a relaxing, quiet, and reasonably priced location close to town for a week before my Ironman race, and her place was perfect. Carol greeted me when I arrived and made sure I had everything that I needed, including suggestions of how to get around and what to do. She even offered me some sparkling water while I sat and worked on my computer up on the patio one morning. The inside space was light, airy and pleasant, with plenty of room to unpack and settle in for a week. I had a rental car, which was perfect for the short run up and down the hill to town, and parking was easy right in front of her house. The neighborhood was quiet and safe, the neighbors friendly and pleasant, and the sunset view beautiful. I would definitely stay here again when I come back to Kona!

• Reviewer: Kathleen

  Comments: This place was wonderfully located to everything we wanted to see. The kitchen was adequately supplied with frige, microwave, oversized toaster oven and a two-burner hot plate. We loved the coqui serenade every night. Even though it was fairly warm (almost hot) down on Ali'i drive, it was nice and cool at this home away from home. The lanai was a lovely spot to relax and look out at the ocean. We loved talking to the other tenants. Paul had a great many suggestions on activities and restaurants. Thank you again for providing us a place to have a magical week.

• Reviewer: Carl

  Comments: Bring your Sherpa. First the good: Carol is a wonderful host, it's a great neighborhood, the place is bright, clean and centrally located - it's easy to get to town. The bad: It's painful to lock-up when going out. There are two entrances, a sliding door in the front and a side door in the back. Only the side door is lockable form the outside. To lock up, you need to exit the side door, walk down some steps around the back of the unit across the back yard, then around the other side and up a short but rather steep slope. There are what mayby were at some point steps. It's a rocky, narrow path around the side of the unit and up the slope. There is no handrail or a wall or anything to hold on to. Getting up was not an issue for me but getting down was a challenge (I'm not so young anymore). I expressed my concern to Carol and she told me It was safe to leave the sliding door unlocked when leaving and that no one had ever entered and taken anything. It is a very private space and no doubt very safe. But I was not comfortable leaving the unit unlocked. I travel with a fairly expensive laptop, if it were to be stolen, I don't want to tell the police "no, officer I didn't lock the door". I locked up every time i left.

• Reviewer: Dana

  Comments: Loved this beautiful home! Simple, sweet, and close by to the heart of Kona. Felt right at home when we arrived and were able to take advantage of the snorkel/beach gear during our stay!

• Reviewer: Tess

  Comments: Fabulous host! It is always the "little details" that tell the most. The "details" were attended to -- extra towels, shampoo, sunscreen, beach towels and chairs, snorkel equipment; also the fresh vases of flowers in each room, coffee and creamer along with fresh fruit and nuts! The location is wonderful -- 15 minutes to airport, 10 minutes to downtown Kona, 10 minutes to Costco, no matter what part of the island you are exploring it is easy to get on the road that you need to be on from this location. The guesthouse is in a neighborhood, therefore "neighborhood sounds". If you are a light sleeper wear earplugs (I found the coqui sounds put me to sleep!). You can see the night sky from the windows and look at the stars from bed. The homeowners are quiet, kind and willing to provide suggestions on places to go and things to do. When you stay at this wonderful guesthouse, say hi to my green friend; he came around each day to check on me! Carol is a wonderful host, kind and gracious; quick to respond. Aloha and Mahalo!