The following executive summary is based on a comprehensive and impartial AI analysis of guest reviews. Keep in mind that all units are individually owned, and review scores among units can vary considerably.
Guests overwhelmingly describe Wai‘ula‘ula as a serene, upscale home base with space to spread out and unwind. Condos and villas are spotless, beautifully furnished, and designed for indoor–outdoor living: wide lanais for sunsets, sliding walls that open to breezes, and many units with private plunge pools, hot tubs, and even outdoor showers. Kitchens are a standout theme—frequently called the best-equipped guests have seen—making cooking and entertaining easy. Layouts with multiple suites and ensuite baths are ideal for families, multi‑generational trips, or couples traveling together, and hosts/property managers earn consistent praise for fast, friendly communication. Many reviewers are repeat visitors.
Location is a quiet hillside above two of the island’s best beaches at Mauna Kea and Hapuna. Most guests recommend purchasing the optional resort amenity package for convenient parking, beach chairs and towels, pools, golf/tennis/pickleball, kids’ activities, and charging privileges at both hotels; others are happy with the community’s own infinity pool, hot tub, and gym and the ample beach gear provided. It’s an easy base for Kohala Coast beaches, golf, Waimea, and day trips, with frequent shout‑outs to whale watching in season, mountain breezes, grazing goats on the hills, and nightly postcard sunsets.
A few practical notes: you’ll need a car, as beaches and restaurants aren’t walkable and Kona town is a drive away; groceries are a short drive too. The resort pass is an added cost (policies sometimes require it for the full stay), but many feel it’s worth it for hassle‑free beach days—without it, public beach parking can fill early. Private pools tend to be smaller plunge pools (heating and spa controls vary and may carry extra fees), and a handful of homes closer to the highway report some daytime road noise. Occasional maintenance hiccups (AC, grills, spa controls, pool cleaning) do pop up, but are typically handled quickly by responsive managers. Overall sentiment is strongly positive, with guests frequently saying they’d return.
This summary is based on a comprehensive analysis of 613 reviews
Beautiful home. Perfect stay!
Jamie K.
September 2025
We are a family of 5 with older kids and this home was perfect for us! Well stocked kitchen, excellent communication from Michelle and Kailua, beautiful neighborhood and access to the resort is a plus. 5 stars all around!
Liz C.
September 2025
Beautiful house. Great view. Close to Hapuna Beach. Communication with Lorena was excellent. We even got to go drive and go see Kilauea erupt whilec we were there.
Tom M.
September 2025
This property was perfect for our 3 families to celebrate my fathers birthday from a neighboring island.
Elaine S.
September 2025
Property was lovely.
Lauren L.
August 2025
We had a wonderful time at this gorgeous home. Everything about the house has the comfort of guests in mind. We appreciated the access to the Mauna Kea Beach Resort. It was a quick trip over to Waimea for a fabulous dinner at Merriman's. We loved the convenience of having lunch at the beach.
Betsy G.
August 2025
Spacious, luxurious house, thoughtfully and tastefully decorated. The kitchen is the best-equipped and best-organized kitchen of any rental property I have visited. Lovely lanai with gorgeous views of the ocean and landscape of the Big Island. The Sonos sound system provided the perfect ambiance during our stay. Overall it was a wonderful, memorable visit to the Big Island for my family.
Jason L.
August 2025
A perfect family getaway!
Wesley M.
August 2025
Great property. 2nd time visiting!!
neil s.
August 2025
Very nice accommodations with beautiful views of sunsets. Only complaint: Had to get tv tech to see how TVs operate and one didn’t work at all. We were provided a loner
Richard N.
August 2025
Beautiful views! Roomie, well appointed open spaces….and every supply you could need to make a beach vacation the best. The elevated location was perfect for views but within 5 minutes of Hapuna beach and the Mauna Kea resort beach option was nice. It’s private and comfy and the VIEWS! THE VIEWS!
Mark F.
August 2025
Our family all agreed it was the best Hawaii vacation home we’ve stayed in! The house was well equipped with all the amenities we needed and communicating with Michelle and Kailua was the best.
Jasmine C.
August 2025
This is an outstanding property matching the description. The views from the lanai are amazing. Location offers easy access to the resort area north of Kona and nearby beaches. The property is set up for entertainment and relaxation. This is by far the best equipped kitchen in any rental home we have used. Donna is a world class property manager. Her communication and personal attention was excellent and highly valued. Special thanks for Donna’s assistance during check in process when our flights were delayed a day and we had trouble finding the property late at night. Our family highly recommends this property and would stay again if in the area.
Jerry M.
August 2025
Our family had a wonderful time. The home was beautiful, clean and had almost everything we need! The pool was also very convenient for our children and we cooked almost every day. The concierge and owner were very prompt in responding to our needs and requests. We will definitely be back!! Thank you!
Kai P.
August 2025
Had a wonderful time. Everything was as expected. Gorgeous views including the roving goats!Tried to eat all of our meals out on the fantastic lanai to enjoy the view and the breezes. Kitchen was very well stocked. Easy drive to both resort hotels. We all spent hours enjoying the ambiance there. Suggestions for a few improvements: nightlights for the bathrooms, a few additional pots in kitchen, check the hot water in the master bath shower (could be fiddly).
Matt K.
August 2025
We were extremely satisfied with everything, especially Donna. She was incredibly helpful and thorough. The condo was beautiful, clean, and well stocked with everything you would need.
Beatrice M.
August 2025
Easygoing and chill location.
Marc S.
July 2025
Home was in excellent condition. Very clean. Very well stocked. Everything by was perfect.
Michael F.
July 2025
![Wai'ula'ula Rental]()
Overall we were thoroughly impressed with the property. It had nearly everything we needed. Management group was quick to communicate, friendly and helpful. When we had an issue with a night stand light, the local manager had it switched out immediately. The view was priceless!! I enjoyed many afternoons lounging on the hammock. Obtaining the key cards and info for the Mauna Kea Amenity package was challenging. The property rental management group is different than the Mauna Kea group that owns/manages the amenity package. While this is fine if there aren’t issues, when we DID run into problems we found it difficult to get answers from anyone. Many people indeed tried to help but nothing could be done until the next day. Would advise anyone doing the package to pickup your package at the Westin before they close at 6 pm and to confirm they have everything they need 48 hours in advance. While we did have difficulties obtaining our package at the start of the trip, we did believe it was worth the money for easy access to beach, chairs, towels and pools. Overall, we loved the rental property and would definitely stay again. Many thanks!!!
Ciara O.
July 2025
Oh my goodness what an amazing property. The home itself was worthy, and then adding in the clubhouse and especially resort access to both Mauna Key and Hapuna resorts was the cherry. Fortunate to spend July 4th here and seeing the local fireworks from the beach. Super well furnished and appointed. Beyond comfortable. Our host went above and beyond to support us on this trip. 100% recommend.
Paul D.
July 2025
As advertised—beautiful home and communication and responsiveness was very good.
Gabe C.
July 2025
Great property. Great location. No issues with the house.
John O.
July 2025
Wonderful! Close 10 min drive to Hapuna and Mauna Kea resorts/beaches!Appreciate portable cooler for outingsWell stocked kitchenRecommend daily resort access/pass
Tara M.
July 2025
Our family had a wonderful relaxing vacation staying at this Hapuna Beach Villa residence in Kona. The house is perfect and even more beautiful than the pictures. We especially enjoyed adding on the Mauna Kea Club Membership for access to the two hotels during our stay. We enjoyed the beaches, pool, golf and had many meals at the hotels. Karen and Steve were very prompt in all communications as well as the on site property manager. We wish we could have stayed longer!
Christina F.
July 2025
Amazing property and views!
Danielle D.
July 2025
Beautiful home and quiet location, yet close to resorts and beaches. Amazing view of the ocean from condo.
Jennifer S.
July 2025
Very nice and well-maintained unit with incredible location. Easy check-in process and quick to respond to questions.
John H.
July 2025
We love this place. It is clean, spacious and Lorena is very responsive.
Chris H.
June 2025
We came here for a family trip to celebrate some birthdays. Donna was wonderful and very responsive. The property was beautiful and had a great range of beach accessories in the garage. The view was stunning and we did not want to leave! Everything was in great working order and well stocked. We opted for resort access to Westin and Mauna Kea which was well worth it.
Krista J.
June 2025
We love staying at this condo. It gives our family plenty of space and has everything we need. After spending a day at the beach we love coming back to the condo to relax and get some rest. Thank you for another great stay and we look forward to coming back!
Angela H.
June 2025
Beautiful place, great for families. Kitchen well stocked, only shortcoming was no sheet pans. Lots of oils and spices. More than enough TP, paper towels and laundry detergent. Amazing sunsets. You can stay here and pay for resort access for around the same price as a room at the Hapuna and cheaper than Mauna Kea. Management was very responsive.
Joseph P K.
June 2025
We absolutely love Wai’ula’ula. This unit is perfect for our family of 8 with plenty of room for all. Well stocked with everything we need. Easy seamless and timely communication with the owner was greatly appreciated. We hope to return soon!
Julie H.
June 2025
![Waiulaula Gated Community]()
We very much enjoyed our stay at this property. The home was equipped with everything you could want. The kitchen is incredible with top of the line appliances and every gadget imaginable. There was plenty of room inside and outside for our party of up to 7 to enjoy meals together or apart. All of the rooms are very spacious and comfortable. We spent a lot of time on the lanai enjoying the lovely breezes, ocean views, and occasional visit from a goat grazing on the hill. The pool is a little small but was enough for our needs, particularly since there is a large community pool steps away with workout and common areas. We purchased the resort package which included many amenities at Mauna Kea and Westin Hapuna and made great use of all of them. You do need a car and there are not a lot of restaurants near the property other than at the two resorts but that wasn't a problem. The air conditioning came in handy a few times - there are two controls which we didn't realize until later in our stay. The property manager and owner were very responsive and any questions or issues were addressed immediately. I would recommend this property if you want plenty of room and home away from home on the Big Island.
Deon A.
June 2025
What a wonderful holiday my family and I enjoyed in this fantastic house! Every room is well appointed with comfortable high quality furnishings and the kitchen was great for several cooks!We all enjoyed lounging on the Lanai, looking out over the ocean watching the sunset. It was so quiet and serene. Thank you to Donna for such a carefree time and your attention to any of my questions!May we come back!!?!!!!!
Lisa L.
June 2025
Perfection! This was our first time staying at this house and it was amazing! Extremely clean, well stocked, great views and very comfortable! Donna was very easy to communicate with and we had the best week on the Big Island. Can’t wait to come back!
Kristen M.
June 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay during our time on the Big Island. The home was absolutely amazing. The two bedroom suites made our stay very comfortable and the home is stocked with almost everything you could possibly need. The home was also very clean. The neighborhood is quiet and the ability to go to the resort on the property to spend time on the beach was an added bonus. Would definitely stay here again. It doesn’t disappoint.
June 2025
This property was absolutely beautiful and very well maintained. The home was well appointed and had beautiful furnishings. Everything was clean and the beds were very comfortable. The pool and outdoor area offered a great view to the ocean and we really enjoyed the outdoor feel of the home in beautiful Hawaii. We purchased the amenities package and it was well worth it! Access to the both hotels was great for my family. Fantastic home we would definitely choose to stay at again.
Colleen R.
May 2025
Great location and wonderful accommodations
Christopher P.
May 2025
Couldn't ask for more! The condo had all we needed and more! Beautiful view in a relaxing environment!! Donna was an outstanding host!
Catherine S.
May 2025
The house was fantastic as we're the resorts. The kids had a great time in the pool. Good house for family.
Priscilla S.
May 2025
We stayed at the property for a week during Spring Break. Had a fabulous week
Scott T.
April 2025
We will be coming back
Anoop V.
April 2025
Everything from the communication through the stay was just wonderful! We look forward to coming back.
Alex E.
April 2025
Our family (grandparents, parents, and kids) loved this house and it made our whole trip so comfortable. This is easily the most well appointed and well supplied rental we’ve ever stayed in. It truly feels like a house that is meant to be lived in, rather than one that has been furnished and stocked for short term rentals. The kitchen is beautiful and has everything you could need (even a knife sharpener!). The pool, hot tub, and pool deck were so comfortable and relaxing. And the outdoor nature shower….i never want to be without it. I cannot recommend this property more highly.
Dan H.
April 2025
We really enjoyed our time and will be back! Thank you!
Kendra D.
April 2025
We just returned home from our fourth stay at Waiululua 343. When we arrived and walked in the front door, my youngest grandson declared "We're home," a declaration shared by all of us. The home is in a great location, is super comfortable, and has what is probably the best kitchen I've ever found in a vacation rental. I've already booked our stay for next year.
Laurie W.
April 2025
This is the second time we have stayed here. Barbara and her team are the best. Very proactive communication. And this place… the view is unbeatable. The house is clean and well equipped for cooking (which we do a lot here). And access to the Mauna Kea is fantastic but you go home to lots of space.
azgalli
April 2025
Great home, quiet community, responsive host / property manager
Craig
April 2025
We had the best time at the home - it’s very well appointed with amazing views and an awesome location. We opted for the amenities package which gave us access to the hotel pools and beaches. It truly was a spectacular stay and house.
Melissa H.
April 2025
Being able to stay at this gorgeous condo in the middle of a beautiful property with amazing views, while also having access two incredible resorts made this a vacation to remember! We would definitely stay here again!
Patty D.
April 2025