It’s all about the location ….

We just came back from a 5 night stay at the cottage – our first post-vaccination foray. I’ll start out by saying that the location is wonderful – you can walk right out across the lawn to gorgeous, mile-long Hanalei Beach, and the cute town of Hanalei is also within walking distance. We were pleased to see that a good proportion – though not all, by any means – of restaurants and little shops had opened up. The owners were exceptionally responsive and easy to work with – alway a bonus with a rental house! So I know that Hawaii is wickedly expensive, but I paid up thinking the cottage would be way more upscale than it was. Yes, it was very clean and tidy and very well equipped, but everything from the construction to the furnishings looked cheap. I walked in and my heart sank a little. The paint on the outside dining set is peeling off all over the place, and the house had several broken outlets, old faded bedding, paint chipped on walls, old aluminum louvered windows, everything made of plywood, rusty bathroom light, etc. etc. It was all perfectly serviceable, but just way more “rustic” than I expected, especially for the price. We had a comfortable and enjoyable stay on Hanalei but I’d probably choose a different option for accommodations if we return to Kauai again.