Kauai Exclusive Management Property Reviews

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The rental location was fabulous, right on the beach with a beautiful open floor plan. However, the condition of the rental was so very disappointing for the price. First off, the old rugs in the bedrooms exuded a moldy smell that took 3 days of airing out before I could sleep or walk into the room without my eyes itching. This problem extended into the closet and drawers which also had to be cleaned out before use. The closet was cluttered with extra linens/vacuum, etc such that it could not be used until things were rearranged. Upon arrival, we connected to the wifi network but yet could not get internet. The hosts didn't have a clue and so we discovered that the tv modem was not programmed. Once we programmed the tv, it worked just fine. We loved the downstairs (tiled floors) altho one of the crank windows would not close after opening. The curtains and bedspreads were dusty/moldy smelling and should be washed more frequently due to the high humidity. The refrigerator was very noisy when the motor came on (which was only a problem for us at night) and the air condition unit downstairs didn’t cool adequately. The upstairs bedroom was furnished with old cheap furniture but had a fabulous view. I made a makeshift vanity with the desk and mirror provided because there was only a bureau in the bedroom.
This place could be a five star rental with the better furnishings, newer carpet and more frequent curtain/ linen washings. We would come back in a heart beat if corrected.

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David A.

The house is right on the ocean and to hear and watch the waves on a daily basis is a treat. But if you're looking for somewhat of a luxury stay this is not it - especially for the price point you're paying.

The beach house is more like a cottage feel. There is a mix of furniture and the rugs and carpeting is musty and dated. If you're looking for a place that will sleep more than 6 people - then maybe it's worth it. If you're a small family of 4 or less there are better to choose from.

As well, it's not close to anything. The nearest grocery store is 15 mins away in Kapaa or 35 mins in Hanalei. And no nearby restaurants or cafes. As well, the house is not properly stocked. There is very little shampoo tubes (2 - and these tubes were very small - maybe you could have 2 uses but we were a family of three of staying for a full week - not enough and the management didn't supply more when we asked for more). We also could not find certain cleaning supplies - no dishwasher detergent (we were told to buy our own and be reimbursed), we couldn't find cleaning supplies -broom but no dust bin, no windex, no extra paper towels but the one on the counter, no dryer sheet ie bounce dryer sheet). The dining room table is glass so it was hard to clean without windex and there was no cleaning cloth to wipe the counters etc.

The window drapes are white cotton and very nice but hard to move open and close because the curtain rods are wood so it would stick quite a bit. And because the main floor has a lot of windows it was a pain on a daily basis. Some light fixtures were missing lightbulbs.

I will say it is not on a resort and it is somewhat remote and if you're looking for more privacy than this might work for you.

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Dana F.

Lovely quite location. It was a mix of nice new flooring, nice countertop and then a half painted kitchen. It did not detract from the wonderful vacation but did strike me as odd.

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We had an absolutely fantastic experience at the beach house in Kauai! We will definitely go back again and highly recommend it to friends and family. Beautiful house right on the beach. Glorious sunrises every morning. Quiet street and neighbors. Easy access to all the sights on Kauai or just hang out and relax at the beach house. Beautiful deck and back yard for relaxing.

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Angel R.

Can’t say enough about this house...great location, beautiful view. The house was immaculate and well equipped with everything we needed and then some!!

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James B.

Great Ocean View! Secluded spot away from busy resorts.

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Paul S.

Our family loved the home, the air-conditioned bedrooms to sleep in and retreat to, and the off-the-beaten path location right on the beautiful ocean, where we enjoyed walks, swimming, and snorkelling.

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Rachael d.

Great place to stay! Being beachfront you get a lovely breeze all day long, doors and windows have screens so you can leave them open at night yo stay cool. Everything you need is here, washing machine and dryer etc, well equipped kitchen with coffee machine and a blender. You will need a car if staying here as the nearest town (to buy grocery items) is not within walking distance. The swimming off the front is ok, a little bit rocky. This was perfect for us as we were on holiday attending my brothers wedding, which was just down the road at "Sandcastles" which is one of the few places you can rent and host a wedding. There are a lot of holiday rentals close by for other family members which meant we could all get together for shared meals. If you want quite and relaxing this ticks the boxes.

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This slightly quirky little house is beautifully positioned for a relaxing stay. It was particularly ideal for one member of our party who is required by medications to avoid over-exposure to the sun. Being able to sit in the shade on the sofa, with the screen doors covering half the front wall letting in the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves, was perfection!
No easy way to get to beach from front of house, but can walk back down road a little bit to access beach. Grill in garage was ready to use and worked great. Nice to be able to get quick and friendly help from management company when we had a problem with a smoke alarm's low battery alert.

Groceries in Kapa'a: very good natural foods store Hoku; plus mundane supplies from Big Save and Safeway.
Great coffee drinks in Kapa'a at Java Kai.
Fine dining in Kapa'a at Jo2 (better food than the St Regis!)
Also good in Kapa'a: Coconut's Fish Cafe; Nom Kauai.

Very pleased with helicopter tour from Blue Hawaiian.

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Highly recommend

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Alexandra (Sasha) C.

Superb location, amenities, cleanliness. House was gorgeous, spacious, we all LOVED it. AC in the bedrooms was great. Communication with company was very good, our front door keypad battery died and they sent a locksmith immediately, no issues.
Would definitely stay again, thank you !!!

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Armand H.

From the moment you open the door till you close the door for the last time you are staying in a truly magical place where time slips away at a pace ever so leisurely. Slightly off the beaten track the house provides all that is needed for your vacation. Should you need something at the house or have any questions you can reach the concierge desk via a phone app. It is provided after your booking is accepted. The folks at the concierge desk are quite knowledgeable and extraordinarily helpful.

The house provides stunning views of the ocean and surrounding beaches. Every morning offers a plethora of peace and tranquility accompanying the sunrise. The trade winds cool the house throughout the day.

The house located a mile off the road in a very quiet area. We found the location to be sufficiently close to everything we wanted to see or experience.

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Christy G.

Great location along east coast with easy access to north and south of island. Very nice layout to the house, very clean with all the necessary creature comforts.

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Sheri L.

Awesome views and very clean. The beds were comfortable. Only complaint which wasn’t a huge deal is there are no window treatments in the downstairs bedroom. Other than that our stay was one of the best we have had, and did not want to leave.

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Gary s G.

The house was as expected: right on the waterfront, clean, well furnished and maintained. The management company also earned kudos for handling two glitches quickly and satisfactorily: an error in the access code and misinformation about Wifi access code.

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absolutely loved this place for my family! we spent a week here and can't wait to come back. We were debating between a resort and this house and couldn't have been happier.

pros.
1) great house. great amenities
2) large size for lots of people
3) ocean front and u can hear the crashing waves
4) full kitchen so you can't eat make your own breakfast in the morning
5) came with a BBQ gas and we thru some steaks on the grill!

cons
1) it may be a bit away from everything, but i think thats' why you went to hawaii right? not to be 10 feet away from the next person
2) the beach in the backyard is definitely fun during low tide. During high tide the beach disappears , which is fine with us because the crashing waves and view was awesome

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Right on the water, with easy access to beach. Plenty of space with full kitchen.

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Wonderful, well equipped home. Boogie boards, beach chairs and some fins and snorkels and masks are provided. It was on the least windy beach on the North Shore. Great for families.

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The house is beautiful and has a well equipped kitchen. A perfect place location to relax and enjoy some family or friend time. Lots of beach accessories for water activities. No complaints whatsoever.

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We had a blast! The house was perfect for a laid back beach retreat. Immediately felt comfortable and relaxed here. Looking forward to our stay next year.

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Lea E.

Our family couldn’t have been more happy with our stay!! This rental fit all the needs of my family from toddlers to grandmas. Nobody wanted to leave the house once we settled in but there was no reason to leave! This home had everything. From a a beautiful home, large great area for visiting and eating, then about fifty feet or less you were on the most beautiful beach! This beach was a perfect for anyone. But, for a mother like myself, I wouldn’t have dreamt about how much I loved this beach. I would have never imagined myself allowing my toddler to swim and play with me inches away from him at all times. The water slowly (very slowly) got deeper, the water was so clear, no large waves from the natural reefs protection, able to snorkel and see all sorts of first and a sea turtle! We had no reason to leave the house with everything we love doing right in front of us. We were very content visiting with each other and enjoying the spectacular view of the beach and ocean while looking out one of the many large windows in the front of the house. This rental also provided many extra items you would need and then some. You never ran out of towels, fans, toilet paper, dishes,even toys and games! The list keeps going. Also, I want to mention the amazing service everyone provided us during then renting process and while we were there. This is the first home we’ve ever stayed in that we felt like the rental owner and company cared more about our happiness than anything else. Where other rentals we’ve stayed in, I have always felt we should be appreciative for being able to stay there. It feels like you are another transaction. Everyone I spoke to were so nice and treated you like you were a celebrity. I’m not kidding! I was worried about posting how wonderful this place was because I want to keep it for ourselves. I really hope people take care of this home so Joshua can keep it affordable so many people can experience it. We will be

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Mary R.

This was our second stay at the Dolphin cottages. Great location to walk to town. Loved the fresh fish and sushi at the Dolphin restaurant. Rustic but very clean. Only real issue was the poor WIFI but that could be because of the remote location. And the shower drain was very slow but that’s not a deal breaker. Be sure and make reservations to see Haena beach park and Ke’e beach. Much much improved experience there. We also booked the chocolate tour at the Princeville botanical garden that was fabulous. Do the zip and dip at Princeville ranch too.

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Robert f.

Great place to while a way a vacation. Great house which was really clean and everything we could need to cook and just exist. Right on the Hanalei river so we would see the outriggers busting up and down it each day. Beast fish market on the island 60 steps (I counted them!) away from the house plus an excellent restaurant as well nearby. Short walk to downtown Hanalei and not much longer to the Hanalei Bay, a beautiful place to boogie board or just layout. Booking wass easy and managed well and the manager is right next door if there's any problems. There are three other houses on this property but they are nicely enough spaced that there is little problem with other folks. We are already booking this for next year. The Dolphin wins! Taa Daa!!!

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This was a wonderful property. It could have more 7 better quality kitchen items. Like. A rice steamer We loved this property though. Very comfortable. Loved being right n Hanalei. Will stay again.

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Great location and perfect space for two couples.

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Josh H.

Nothing to complain about.

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Kate B.

Our stay at Dolphin Cottage #2 was amazing! The cottage was cool and comfortable and had everything we needed. We loved being on the river. Several evenings we sat out back, grilled up some dinner and watched folks kayak by. Dolphin Cottage #2 was walking distance to everything in Hanalei, but also tucked away off the street so you felt like you were in your own private oasis. We can't wait to return to magical Hanalei and stay at Dolphin Cottage #2.

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Pam P.

We had a fabulous time in this rental! It was a peaceful location within easy walking distance to Hanalei and Hanalei Beach. It was super clean and comfortable - every amenity we needed was in the cottage already. When we had trouble with the TV, they sent someone over the next morning to fix it. This is a very well maintained and special property. I highly recommend it!!

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chester a.

The Dolphin Cottages are perfect in every way...from sitting outside by the river and watching the kayakers paddle by to sleeping on the porch with the sea breeze wafting through, it is paradise here - private, quiet and very restorative.

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We had a great time at the Dolphin Cottage #2. The location cannot be beat and the cottage is fully stocked with towels and kitchen supplies.

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Jessica V.

We had a great stay. It was very accessible to the very sweet town of Hanalei.

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Victor A.

A nice and convenient place to stay. Close to Hanalei town. We were able to pretty much walk everywhere. Nice evenings by the river.

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Karl T.

We had a great stay at the Dolphin Cottage. Easy check-in, and found the house clean and a great location for our family. Centrally located to all the shops, food, and Hanalei bay. We were able to put our paddle boards in the river and go into the bay almost everyday. We had a great time and have already told family about the place. Thanks, Karl

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Corey P.

My wife and I returned to Kauai for our 3rd trip in January 2018 and we stayed at the Dolphin Cottage #2 for a week. I cannot say enough positive things about this cottage. Good space, airy, sort of rustic with the wooden window slats but to me that adds to the charm of the cottage. It is so peaceful having coffee out front in the morning and looking at the mountains or sitting by the river in the afternoon and watching the paddlers go by. We loved every moment here and I know we will be back in the future.

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Meagan W.

My mother and I came to Kauai for some relaxing quality time and that is exactly what we got at the Dolphin Cottage. It was perfect. Beautiful location centrally located within walking distance to all Hanalei has to offer. The beach was a super short drive but definitely within walking distance as well, as long as you didn't have too much loot or heavy ice chests. The cottage had everything we needed at our disposal. It was clean and I must say had the most comfortable sheets I've ever slept in. The bed overlooking the river was spectacular, rain or moon shine. The only very small detail that was just shy of a 10 rating was the lack of water pressure in the shower and the noise from the restaurant in the somewhat early morning (which can't be helped and we weren't looking to sleep the day away anyway). We are definitely planning on bringing the whole family back as soon as we can!! Super great place to stay!!!

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Jennifer P.

Such a relaxed holiday in Hanalei. The location is excellent for paddlers. I was able to safely leave my paddleboard on the grassy area near the river for the week. The only suggestion I would make is that proper sun blocking blinds or curtains would make the bedrooms cooler.

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Great location- so nice to be able to walk to the beach and restaurants. Great to be able to cook, bbq, shower outside, do laundry etc. Being on the river is very peaceful. Not all the houses have boggie boards... would be nice to have lounge chairs besides the dining table and chairs outside. Otherwise very pleasant clean place to stay- I highly recommend it!

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Monique D.

We had a wonderful vacation joining family from around the globe and renting a couple cottages. Loved how close it is to the village and it is fun to people watch as they float by on kayak and SUP. Place was very functional and convenient in every way. We will be back again for sure.

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The dolphin was a great place to stay. Walking distance to town. Plenty of space and amenities

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Jennifer T.

My husband and I enjoyed our stay at the Dolphin Cottage. The accommodations were perfectly located with a fun view of the Hanalei River. We loved watching the kayakers and the paddleboarders going
going down the river. We enjoyed walking into Hanalei to enjoy the shops and restaurants. The gorgeous Hanalei Bay was a 10 minute walk . Our stay was in July and temps were hot, so without central airconditionimg the cottage did get very hot and stuffy. We would stay again but probably in cooler
months.

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We all enjoyed our stay at the Dolphin Cottage # 2 over the July 4th holiday. Michael was very helpful, he was able to place our groceries in the refrigerator prior to the check in time as we were coming from an earlier stay in Lihue.

I noticed the fan that was in the porch/dining area was no longer there and asked about it. Michael said that he had to move it to another unit whose fan had failed prior to our arrival and that he would give us one to use until the new ones on order arrived. It did arrive the next day and was much appreciated. It's too muggy otherwise to sit out there at the dining table.

A couple of things that would improve the stay: we only had one dishtowel and it would be helpful to have at least 2 or maybe even three. While it says that we can have 4 guests there, there are only 3 knifes in the silverware drawer. It needs to have more silverware. Some type of plastic bowl for the ice cubes would be helpful for the freezer and some small storage bowls would be good, too. The kitchen really is under supplied and could use more general use items, but the toaster and blender and cutting board are helpful.

Finally, the fabric on the couch and chairs is faded and tired and one chair is also stained. Maybe it's time for a revamp.

Overall, the location and beauty of this place is fantastic and we very much enjoyed our stay. Thank YOU for asking and I do look forward to another stay in the future.

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Susannah P.

We loved, loved, loved this cottage. Truly a dream come true to stay right in the lovely town of Hanalei in this cottage, with a river right outside the house. So peaceful and beautiful! The cottage was perfect. Plenty of room for our family of three with everything we needed, comfortably furnished and adorable. The property manager, Michael, was super helpful as well. We hope to come back to this wonderful place and had the most wonderful time there.

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Our stay at the Dolphin Cottages was magical. Everything we needed, very comfortable, and lots of aloha spirit. We couldn't have asked for more except maybe another week! Mahalo Hanalei!

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Peter B.

Our first week on the Island of Kauai was spectacular and our accommodations were the perfect fit!

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leanne b.

Simply beautiful. Such an amazing holiday spot and everything you could possibly want is on hand or very close by.

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The delightful cottage is located just on the edge of town so you get the best of both worlds! A charming retro feel that suits the local environment.

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John A.

I have stayed there before and will probably stay there again. This time though I wish there wasn't all the construction noise from the cottages next door, especially the music from the workers.

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Jacqueline M.

We really enjoyed staying at Dolphin Cottage - it was great to be able to walk into town, and the setting is lovely and relaxing. Downsides were the noise from construction at Cottage #4 and the noise of restaurant staff leaving when they finished their shift but overall, I would thoroughly recommend it!

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Brendan H.

We stayed here for 8 days for our Honeymoon. I was very homey and had everything we needed during our week's excursions. The washer/dryer and the hose came in clutch after long hiking trips (very muddy trails). It has a grill which we took advantage of. The outdoor shower was perfect after a day at the beach. It had big windows, we looked out over the river and watched the kayakers go by. It was clean and had plenty of towels (bath and beach).

Mike G. was the attendant at the property. He was sweet, welcoming, and very knowledgeable about the island. He gave us great suggestions when it came to beach locations and dinner options.

Hanalei Bay is a great location to stay. We could walk to dinner from our cottage. Staying here at the cottage was by far a much better choice than any hotel/resort for a true Kauai experience.

We highly recommend Dolphin Cottages. We will be returning in the future!
--The Halligans

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Maxine D.

Had a great time on the river.