Sangeetha S.

Really, 3.5 stars. The good: the suite in itself is charming and comfortable. It's owned by a nice couple, Steve and Monica, who live right upstairs (you rarely see them, unless you specifically call upon them for something). The decor was lovely, with seashells scattered atop the many antique-y dressers and wicker tables in the bedroom, creating a quality of freshness and coziness I really liked. The small living room had a couch and a loveseat, coffee table, and an entertainment center complete with a TV and, if I remember correctly, a vintage VCR straight from 1995 (you even get some video cassettes to boot. Bonus!). The kitchen was great; all the drawers are stuffed with essentials like plates, knives, cutlery, pots, pans, cups, etc. Even the typical spices (pepper, salt) are available. Tip: bring your own ziploc bags, as they aren't provided in the repertoire of kitchen things that come with the suite (although saran wrap is available). Obviously, no food is provided (this ain't no hotel!) except for a modest gift basket of assorted snacks. The fridge comes stocked with some raw rice and sugar, as well as two fruit juices to greet you upon your arrival. Bedroom was airy and had a king size bed, which was firm and oh so comfy. The bed comes with, like, 1,347 unnecessary pillows, which I personally find ridiculously annoying, especially since there's really no good place to toss the excess, but perhaps that's just what's expected from a place that people would go to on their honeymoon.There were lots of windows that let in ample sunlight and lots of nice, comfy, plush chairs to sink in to. The bathroom was huge and had an enormous walk-in closet with some hangers and beach towels. The bad: geckos. OK, the fact that there were geckos at all doesn't warrant a reduction in stars. I realize that. This is Kauai, after all, and stuff like that is expected. What I DID dislike was Monica's attitude toward getting rid of them. In our little "Intro to the Seaview Suite" guidebook left on the coffee table, it was specifically stated that if we ran into any problems with "critters,' the owners would be happy to remove them. ...alright, so there's me in the shower, shampooing my hair. There are two geckos by the windows atop the shower, hanging out, being all gecko-y. My anxiety about this situation is high, since I'm thinking one of them is going to fall right down onto my shampooed head. My boyfriend thinks this is totally ridiculous and pooh-poohs this scenario. Two minutes later, I run screaming out of the shower because of of them DID fall in (not onto my head, but I'll tell you, it was thisclose). So we call Monica, who was actually *irritated* about getting rid of them! Here I am, maybe freaking out just a touch inordinately, thinking this charitable woman who promised to get rid of these things with cheer would come save me, only to find that she was downright put off by our request. She actually asked my boyfriend if they were "bothering us." Um, YES, when they almost fall on our heads while showering, I'd say they are. Steve eventually came and got rid of them, and he was considerably more well-mannered about it than Monica. Granted, it was late-ish (maybe 9:30PM), but if you say you'll get rid of 'em (with happiness, no less), that's what you should do. ALSO, stars off for advertising a washer and dryer and then denying access to us when we got there. Part of the reason my bf and I were excited about this place was because of the washer/dryer. We thought, cool, if we get our clothes all wet, muddy, sandy, and/or dirty, we can just do laundry right there and be done with it. This also provided an impetus for us to pack as light as we could. Once the need for laundry-doing came up, we called Monica and were informed that only she had access to the washer/dryer, and the only thing that could be washed were linens and beach towels, but not personal clothes. So beware: you will NOT get a washer/dryer while here, even though you are firmly lead to believe otherwise. Despite all this, the suite really was lovely, if a tad pricey, and I'd recommend staying here. Kalaheo is a beautiful, peaceful little town, and we found its location to be rather perfect for all our traveling needs.