Waimanalo Beach Cottages

The beach was gorgeous, and we chose the cottages because they were so close to it. The property itself didn’t match the website photos for us. We expected rustic, but the upkeep and cleaning fell short. We found insects crawling on the floors, and the management interactions were unprofessional. There aren’t many choices on this side of Oahu, but I wouldn’t recommend staying here. We overlooked a lot of problems: a grungy bathroom with a tiny retrofit shower, no smoke detector on one bedroom ceiling, greasy residue on the kitchen counter and cabinet doors, debris on the back of the worn couch, dirty windows and worn screens, and a worn blanket. The blinds were damaged, there was gross trash on the sidewalk by the stairs to cottage 11, and the exterior had rust and dry rot needing repairs. About 150 pigeons roosted and left droppings on the roofs and power lines by the entrance and parking area. What finally led us to leave a day early was the noise. We asked Jennifer at the onsite office to speak with the guests above us about keeping to quiet hours, since their young children were waking up and loudly starting their day before 6:00 AM. Jennifer said Tommy would talk to them that afternoon, but nothing changed that night. We checked the office several times the next day, but it was locked each time. After two more nights of interrupted sleep for all four of us and no follow-up, we cut our losses and left early. The office was still unstaffed, so we called the offsite management office. The response made things worse: they were extremely rude and insisted we hadn’t given them a chance to address the problems, though we’d raised them in person days earlier. They said our efforts didn’t count because we hadn’t called the emergency phone number. Carolyn Rose apologized by saying, “I’m sorry you were confused about how to contact us about the situation.”

I loved waking up to the sunrises and falling asleep to the sound of waves. It was the relaxing reset I needed, and the beach was so close I could walk there barefoot. The bungalow was charming and clean, with enough room for my things and to spread out. Having a little kitchen was great, and there’s a neighboring cafe/restaurant down the road where you can walk to get food. Carolyn was friendly, as were the staff members I met briefly. I’d happily stay again.

There are lots of natural attractions within a 20-30 minute drive, and Honolulu is about 20-30 minutes away by car through fantastic mountains. The cottages are somewhat dated, but very clean and fairly well equipped. It’s a quiet place with easy access to the beach, plus local restaurants and a nice market just a few minutes away by car. Watch out for Portuguese man o' war in the water.

The setting was magnificent, with mountains and trees around a natural beach that was peaceful and uncrowded. In July there were barely more than a few people on the beach. From the cottage it was easy to drive anywhere on the island, and the price felt like a good value for a place practically on the beach, with a full kitchen, small dining area, and clean open grass area. Tom And Caroline were great hosts. We had a couple of minor glitches on our part, and they sorted them out easily. The cottage was simple but elegant, with just what we needed. Each morning we walked down the sandy path for sunrise, yoga, and a dip in the amazing clear water. We often made meals to take to the beach or pack for later. I’d absolutely come back.