Lindsey M.
November 2024
If you are looking for a disgusting uninhabitable condo with a dishonest and unresponsive host then this is your place!
We showed up at 6 pm and realized the toilet would not flush. A mechanism inside the tank was disconnected and the toilet did not function. Not to mention the fact that pictures do not at all match the state of the property. It is dirty, roach infested, rundown, and flat out disgusting. The AC advertised in the property description would not work either, so the condo is hot and stuffy. I went to school at the U of Hawaii and have also visited every single island but one, so I realize that roaches can be an issue, but I have never seen anything to this degree.
We contacted the host with no response for 13 hours. So had to get a last-minute hotel for $500. When she did finally respond, she said she would have someone go fix the toilet. We went over the next day, flushed the toilet twice, and then it would no longer function again. She also informed us that the AC is only for sleeping hours (beginning at 9 pm), but we tried the unit at 10:30 PM and it would still do nothing. After that, the host was extremely rude and dismissive and told us to contact VRBO. After hours on the phone and multiple phone calls we finally decided to check into a hotel for the remainder of our stay totaling an additional $2000.
The icing on the cake is that 6 days later, well after our checkout, someone went to fix the toilet and she charged me for the repairs!
Zero stars!!!
Andria P.
August 2024
Great location
Tiana N.
July 2024
Loved our stay at magic sands! We can't wait to go back.. thank you.
DENNIS R.
March 2024
Stayed Feb. 4-14- 2024. Many discrepancies in listing photos vs what we found upon arrival IE: Dining room table & chairs vs 3" square arborite covered table with 4 box type stools to sit on like in a kindergarten classroom very tacky & not comfortable!!!.Other things not as shown- paint colors, sofa,coffee table, wall decorations, spray painted fridge, blue on bottom & black on top!!! Mouse droppings on top of fridge & in cutlery drawer, had to wash it all before use, cutlery was old and showing signs of rust. Contacted owner after return with no reply. Condo definitely requires a complete makeover as does the property itself.
Lynda L.
March 2024
Nice stay . Cleaning person was not rude but we also did not see checkout time correctly. We took care of the place and kept it clean as we found it
keemahtron i.
December 2023
Two adults stayed for 3 nights during Christmas. Enjoyed the location, the overall quietness of the neighbors, the thoughtful amenities provided, & the host’s flexibility when we expressed concern about having a bug guy come before our checkout time (she kindly rescheduled that). The bumps were the bug guy thing and not having the bike lock combo for most of our stay, so only being able to use the bikes to ride, not when we wanted to go somewhere and be there for a while. We used the kitchen, the guidebooks, the snorkel gear and beach stuff; we never used the AC or the tv - and we were grateful for the curtain covering the tv up! Overall a fun time and a recommended host and property!
margie w.
November 2023
Bering dirty tv complex hard to get in unit needs upgrading
Michelle B.
July 2023
Any garden level in Hawaii will have issues with bugs and this was no exception. Great location and accurate listing, only the kitchen could use a good scour and some ant prevention. We were not able to fully utilize the kitchen because tiny ants got to our cereal as soon as we opened it. We had to clean out other people's open food that was left behind and attracting ants. There was a moldy pineapple in the fridge. Manager should have tenants dump their food before the next stay. We had to eat out because we couldn't keep anything outside the fridge and had to clean the kitchen of ants. Otherwise, beautiful location steps from the beach, great salt water pool!
Yulia B.
June 2023
Could not get in for the first night by following instructions for lock pad, and owner did not cooperate.
Oner did not turn my AC unit on till 5 days into my stay, even when I emailed her a few times complaining that AC is not working.
The location is great, right on the beach next to wonderful restaurant.
Yulia Bronipolskaya
Ashley W.
April 2023
The location was excellent right by Magic Sands (keep in mind that during certain times of the year there is no beach at Magics - usually winter and early spring) but we loved easy access to the beach, boogie boarding, snorkeling, the pool, restaurant and coffee shack! The room would be on the small side for more than two people. It was great having all the beach/snorkel gear we needed. The host was very kind and responsive!
Stephanie R.
April 2023
When we arrived on a Tuesday afternoon in March, the first thing we noticed was rodent droppings on the kitchen counters and floor throughout the condo. Over the next hour, we found more droppings in the shower and on the toilet seat. We then discovered the rodent, a RAT, in the toilet, still alive! Within minutes we reached out to the owner about the rat in the toilet and did not receive an immediate response. We contacted the building manager and she also tried to contact the owner with no response. The condo was completely uninhabitable and we quickly had to make other lodging arrangements. The owner did not respond to the situation for 13 hours! At that point we were not going back. We are still in the process of trying to secure a refund and filed a claim with VRBO documenting our experience with pictures and complete transparency of the communication between us and the owner.
If you can look past the rodent, be prepared the condo is not accurately represented in the posting. The furniture, décor, and kitchen are not as well kept as the pictures show. The bed linens were torn, with the bed skirt barely hanging on at the corners. The condo and furniture need repair and updating.
The owner will respond that we have been difficult, evasive, and uncooperative. In fact, we have been clear, direct, and never personally attacking her character as she did with us.
James I.
March 2023
My family and I enjoyed our stay at the Kona Magic Sands. The beach was steps away from our unit, with beautiful soft sand and awesome boogie boarding waves as well as great snorkeling. The pool and courtyard was an awesome place to sit and enjoy the sun and have a nice swim if the beach was too busy or the waves got too big. The room was not too big and not too small and had lots of toys for the guests to use. Thanks to Susan for the helpful travel tips and the hassle free check-in and check-out. Hope to see you again soon!
Devyn W.
February 2023
My husband, my 2 kids (ages 4 and 2) and I really loved this condo. We didn’t get to the condo until after 10pm and even in the dark we had an easy time finding it and getting into our unit. We really liked the decor, it felt homey and had a cute Hawaiian bungalow vibe. The condo had everything we needed. Space for all 4 of us to sleep and lots of kitchen essentials that made cooking meals easy. Though it’s small, we had plenty of space for our family. There is a full dining table and living room area. We loved the giant windows and doors facing the ocean, we watched the sunset and took naps listening to the ocean every day. We were so grateful for all of the extras in the unit. There was snorkeling equipment, bikes, floaties, boogie boards, chairs and coolers which made our beach trips so much fun. We also really enjoyed the pool just a few steps away.
The building has a grill and a snack shack connected that serves coffee. It made this unit even more convenient. The pool area is fenced in with a lawn that was great for our kids to play in. It truly is magical with the ocean right outside your door, a beautiful beach steps away with amazing waves and a sunset view right out your back door.
Mahalo Susan! 🌺🌞
We will definitely recommend this unit to our family and friends.
Paul E.
February 2023
Property was as described! Lots of little extras which was greatly appreciated! Would definitely stay there again.
Steve H.
February 2023
Loved this place and would be back again. Little mix up on check in but Susan was responsive and made it right. Can’t beat the price for oceanfront condo. If you hate the sound of the ocean crashing all night long you may not like.
Anne G.
February 2023
Cozy studio (about the size of a hotel room) with a kitchenette, in an older building right next to the water with a neat waterfront/beachfront restaurant attached.
We loved falling asleep with the patio door open and hearing the ocean all night. We saw dolphins and humpbacks off the shore during the day. The pool was too cold for us to swim during our trip, but there were lots of residents and guests enjoying the pool area.
Super convenient to be next to Magic Sands beach with some sandy seating areas and rocky shoreline. It was very fun watching people body surf and snorkel. It’s very popular and there was a ton of people on the beach and at the restaurants every day.
We spent a lot of time going downtown and sightseeing. It was great to having parking spot, but we quickly learned driving downtown was slow going - was better to Uber and avoid the parking mess. A trip downtown was about $10-15 each way. Shopping/grocery was about 20-25 minutes away, so suggest buying basic supplies (K-Cups, creamer, food, bottled water, etc.) on your way in.
Host was communicative and made sure we had all access info and checkout list for the unit.
John G.
January 2023
Seamless.
Christina B.
December 2022
We arrived late due to flight delays and were so grateful to have a luxury King bed and even emergency breakfast items for the morning. When the sun rose and we saw that the ocean was just a football toss away, it took pur breath away. This place is the closest of any unit to the pool, grill, patio, and sunset pictures standing at the little nook over the ocean by the pool. All the communication prior to our trip was personable and helpful for planning. The adorable condo has special touches, such as an accent walll with stenciled palm fronds, wood lights with dimmers, tiki framed window/screen, and all the beach toys we could need.
Michelle S.
December 2022
I was booked to stay at this property from 11/24/22 until 11/27/22. When we arrived and got to the entrance of the apartment, we attempted to use the code that was given to us multiple times and could not unlock the door. Then property was dark and while we were making our continued tries there was a frightening physical fight happening next door at Magic Sands beach. We did not feel safe at all.
We then called and messaged the owner on the VRBO site and there was no reponse for an hour.
We reached VRBO customer service and after also attempting to reach the owner, VRBO stated that they would reimburse us for a stay at a local hotel.
I took us at least an hour to find a hotel, finally we did.
Horrible stressful way to start our vacation. We never were able to get into the property and had to stay at an expensive hotel for three nights.
The owner did reimburse us for our stay a few days later, with a short "Sorry" message. No explantation.
Michelle L.
September 2022
We enjoyed the location, beautiful view, easy keyless access to the beach, accessible parking, and jungle shower after the beach. We were able to see dolphins on our last day from the condo and sea turtles while snorkeling nearby. Unfortunately, we didn't fully enjoy our time here. In our excitement in booking this place we missed the bits that you pay for a cleaning fee, but you still need to clean up when you leave (pull the linens, sweep, take out trash, wipe tables). We booked the vrbo for the bikes and beach gear, but we didn't really enjoy all the fun stuff because we didn't want to spend time cleaning them on our last day. We thought we could manage with the AC being off until 9pm, but it would be nice to have bigger fans during the day. We wanted to love the place, but some other nuances such as no body soap when we arrived and bedside lights stopped working the 1st night by the bed, just made it a little more cumbersome. Doing chores was definitely not on the agenda for a Hawaiian vacation.
Therese H.
August 2022
The condo was in a perfect location. They only had one beach chair and the beach towels should be updated. Overall a nice property!
Carrie H.
August 2022
Great location and cute place to stay.
Emily K.
August 2022
This is a great little spot. Wonderful views, and ocean sounds. Comfortable bed. Convenient location for a variety of experiences and activities on the Western/Kona side of the Big Island.
Dana N.
June 2022
Great experience! The location is wonderful, it is very clean, and the bed is comfortable. The restaurant next door is delicious and closes early, so noise is not a concern. Watching the boogie boarders is really fun!
AC is scheduled from 9pm-6am, in case that is important to you - we were fine with doors open until those hours!
Anett Silke L.
May 2022
We went on trips every day. We went to Mainau Kea, black sand beach, volcano park, manta ray night snorkeling and so on. We particularly liked the good equipment and the very good bed in your apartment. We felt comfortable and slept very well.
Karl H.
March 2022
Property was ok at best. Listed as A/C in unit. Problem was A/C was on timer and only ran from 9pm till 5am. In January that is not the time needed. 4-5 pm with Sun beating in unit was quite warm.
Most of the storage in the unit was locked and we had to use our luggage for clothing storage while there.
Although we knew the unit had no dishwasher there wasn’t even a rack to put the dishes on after washing.
Wouldn’t rent this unit again.
Sara A.
February 2022
Beautiful and convenient location with very nice beaches on either side. My kids loved the ocean side pool. Was a good size for me and my three kids.
Yasmina p.
October 2021
Enjoyed our stay at Magic Sands. Susan is very responsive and had helpful suggestions for activities during our stay.
Chris L.
August 2021
Property owner did not disclose that the water heater and air conditioner did not work. For our 8 day stay we had to take cold showers every day and had no air conditioning. The property owner threatened to call the police if we did not leave early (9:30am) on our last day instead of at regular check out time (11am) so that she could have a plumber fix the water heater. The property owner also remotely locked us out of our condo by changing the key code. Kona is a beautiful place, we just had a miserable experience with the property owner. My children are very upset about the situation.
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