Reviews

We had an amazing stay at Tom and Samara Mitchell’s estate. The house was gorgeous and fully stocked. The swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna were clean, relaxing, and a joy to use. 

The property was beautiful and the surrounding nature scape is stunning. We enjoyed a short pasture walk to view beautiful sunsets and take in the islands of Kaho’olawe, Lana’i, and Maui in the distance. 

Tom was an exceptional host and was responsive and accommodating to all of our needs. We highly recommend this rental for anyone looking for an authentic, luxurious, and beautiful Hawaiian experience.

May 2021

Aloha! We spent over 2 months at Tom and Samara’s home on the Big Island and we enjoyed every minute!  

We loved their place, plain and simple, and appreciated it more and more each day. We also appreciated their quick attention to the minor issues that came up during the first few weeks. The home surpassed my expectations and lived up to everything they promised, from the pool, kitchen, WiFi, and the peace and tranquillity of the location. Just superb!

We also appreciated their attention to periodic maintenance (pool/grounds), handled in such a non-intrusive way during our stay. We also valued their suggestions and recommendations for things to do, see and visit on the island.

Our daughter really enjoyed her horseback riding lessons at HPA, and with a few other nearby independent instructors. We even went fishing on a charter boat at the nearby marina and landed a 15lb Ono! What a wonderful memory! I enjoyed working remotely from the house and hitting CrossFit Allstar in Waimea. My wife set up her jewelry workstation in Tom's Ohana and she enjoyed the setting and view of the pool and Maui!

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and can't believe 2 months have passed so quickly!

Thanks again for everything,

John, Lucie and Sarah

August 2021

This home is always a pleasure to visit as I have had the pleasure of staying more than once! It is warm, welcoming and blend of traditional and contemporary design that merge into a most cozy home. 
The living room, kitchen, dining area is the heart of the home. I have spent many evenings there there to cook, eat, entertain, dine and relax all in one comfortable generous space. 

Just steps just outside the  side door for you can go for a swim in the environmentally friendly magnificent lap pool, or simply enjoy stunning views of Maui and the Pacific Ocean, perhaps catch the setting sun over the horizon. 

Set securely and privately behind a simply operated electric gate, you will feel immediately very much at ease when you pull up to the properties circular driveway entrance.

February 2021

This house completely lived up to our expectations and more. We spent the entire month of September at the Hawi house and enjoyed every minute of it. 

We were there with 3 adult children and a good family friend and used it as a base for exploring as much of the Big Island as possible. We went to Kilauea, over to Hilo, a fair amount of time in Kona and surroundings, Waipio Valley, and into the cloud forest on the sides of the volcanoes. We explored every beach and cove we could reach and snorkeled in several different places, with our favorite being Mahukona, which is only 8 minutes from the house. 

The house itself is extremely comfortable with plenty of room for people to either gather or have some alone time. Although it was quite warm while were there, we were never even tempted to turn on the air conditioning as the combination of open doors, windows (all screened) and fans kept everything cool and pleasant. 

The kitchen is a marvel, where virtually anything is possible. Be grilled, baked, fried and boiled. I made lime marmalade and candied lime peel from the limes on the trees in the backyard. 

The house’s orchard is also great, with mangos, avocados, coconuts, oranges, and limes. The pool was the icing on the cake. We all took one or more swims a day and lazed in the hot tub to relax or watch the stars at night. Paradise.

September 2021

Beautiful home in a stunning location. I almost don’t want to write a review lest too many people discover this gem! If you’re lucky enough to stay here, please take great care: the house deserves respect, from the vaulted wooden ceiling down to its cork floors, it was clearly built with love as a family home, and we felt honoured to have its use.

There’s so many positive things to say about this place, I don’t know where to start! The ocean view where whales & Maui can be spotted? The incredible pool where we swam laps daily? The super comfortable sofas? The fresh fruit we enjoyed from the private orchard? The master bed that feels like sleeping on a cloud? The air conditioning?! Air con was a priority for us, and it is hard to find in rentals… harder still to find a system that isn’t limited to a predetermined, too-hot temperature; this house supplies it in 3 of the 5 bedrooms and the main kitchen/living room. We used it daily for my husband’s office, set up in the master bedroom, and it was so effective I had to wear a sweater to go in there! We needed it in the main room only a few times, otherwise the ceiling fans and near-constant cooling winds in this spot made it unnecessary. Those winds, and the weather in general, are one of the things which make this location unbeatable: nestled in my favourite little corner of the island, with views of graceful windmills and lush farmland. It is remote, but the adorable nearby towns of Hawi and Kapaau offer restaurants & shops, and great snorkelling spots are 5 minutes down the road. One of Hawaii’s oldest sacred temples (Moʻokini Heiau) can be accessed via a gorgeous coastal walk right nearby.

The house is extraordinarily well stocked with everything you might need, from beach chairs to band aids, and if there’s anything missing the hosts can likely provide it. The kitchen, too, is a dream: proper burr coffee grinder, a full espresso machine (I made iced macadamia nut milk lattes daily) plus filter coffee machine, gas stovetop, complete cooking and baking equipment, even a pizza stone! We celebrated several birthdays over our visit and were able to make delicious home baked cakes for each one, as well as daily fresh salsa with the Ninja blender. Children would be in heaven here, with the full game/puzzle closet, adorable playhouse, and beautifully landscaped acres to roam.

Hosts Tom and Samara truly wanted us to have our dream stay and they were endlessly accommodating to make that happen: they brought us extra yoga mats (on top of the closet full of yoga gear including blocks & straps!), free weights & kettlebells, even external computer monitors for remote work! Little maintenance issues were dealt with swiftly and without intrusion. The book they’ve compiled for the home is incredible, a tailor-made guide to the island with recommendations we used throughout our stay. We are grateful for all they did, both in the careful preparation of their home and during our visit, and we cannot wait to return.

May 2022

Incredible home in paradise. Tom went above and beyond in making us feel welcome. The house has everything you need for a long-term stay. The kitchen was fully stocked with top-of-the-line equipment, and were able to work remotely without any issues.
We loved being in the country with cows roaming the pastures and ripe fruit ready for picking in the orchard. The town of Hawi is less than two miles away and has cute shops, cafes, and groceries.
Our young kids loved having their own clubhouse and having so much space on the property to roam safely. The home is also stocked with beach chairs, toys, boogie boards, snorkeling equipment, and kids’ life vests. We can’t wait to come back!January 2022