After speaking with Ana in March 2016, I knew this was the place! Renting a house for vacation is a sound choice given some of the hotel prices in Honolulu. Ohana Paradise is a family home in Paradise. It is exactly as pictured, immaculately clean and well appointed with fine furniture and artwork from a local artist.
The kitchen is fully stocked and labeled to find things quickly. The laundry room has 2 dryers, beach and pool towels were provided. There is a separate heated jacuzzi we enjoyed as the pool was cool to swim in at night (Jan). The waterfall is relaxing, the grounds & pool are impeccable.
The bedrooms were quiet and comfortable. You can hear the sound of the ocean from the Master BR in the morning. The bedrooms with a double bed and twin are set off on the 2nd floor which provides some quiet space. There were plenty of tvs and a Sonos system. The internet and phone service worked well and even a printer.
The Kahala area provides the best of both worlds, it is accessible to Waikiki and just blocks from the beach and Diamond Head trail. The house is a short drive to a mall with quaint shops, a movie theater, Whole Foods and restaurants including, “The Counter” a custom Burger place. It was a quick drive to H1 to get to Pearl Harbor, the airport, North Shore and about 15 min drive to Costco. We had a 7 passenger car which served us well, but you can easily take an Uber or Lyft for a reasonable price around town.
Joann was very helpful upon our arrival and getting us familiarized with the house and surrounding area. She was readily available and addressed any concerns within an hour during our stay.
Ana was exceptional throughout the planning of our stay and ultimately our wedding in Hawaii. She provided us with many references, having an impressive Hawaiian family. Ana was informative and positive, like talking to a best friend.
Ana’s cousin, Mark Salondaka was our photographer. He was professional, thorough and as you could guess, sincere and caring. We had our photos uploaded overnight and he hand delivered USB sticks to us the next day.
Ana’s Aunt, Iwalani Tseu was our officiant. Words cannot express how grateful we were to have Iwalani preside over our ceremony. Her magnificent presence and addition of Hawaiian traditions made our day special, if not perfect! Ohana, as the name implies, a place where families come together. The Spirit of Aloha was with us and we felt blessed to celebrate a new life together there.