Glad you enjoyed our notes...Make Hawaii a Must one of these times!

Aloha Plantation is in the back of a home, (eccentric 2-3 barber chairs, etc.) and interesting decor on the enclosed porch leading from our room which had a collection of just too many things..The hot tub was not hot and the outdoor kitchen area that they advertise on the website http://www.alohaplantation.com was so filled with junk that you couldn't move around it and would hesitate to cook anything there...not that we planned on it anyway for a couple of nights...they do provide coffee for your making and anything you want to keep cold can be placed in the old fashioned ice chest on the porch. The owner explained that he was in the middle of (obvious) projects which by now may be resolved, altho it seems the place is really a work in progress.

Friends have stayed in better places a little further up in the Hanalei area, but we never got the names thereof; on the other hand, maybe for the reasonable (for the area)price (under $90) it's worth the experience; you'll have to be the judge of that.

As to beachfront properties, our compact studio was adorable and while not facing the beach, it was just a short walk thru the property's gardens down to the beach area...probably hard to beat the great price we paid, about $109 per night...and Unit #1 even had a garage with it and free laundry facilities. You will see on the internet that most beachfronts are waaaaaaaaaay much higher than that and the large hotels think nothing of $400-1500 per night ranges, so this is truly a bargain, http://www.suite-paradise.com It's part of the PoipuKai Resort.

Just checked some old notes and found a reference for a unit at the Poipu Kai Resort (of which Sugar Mill Cottages are part) thru http://www.VRBO.com (for rent by owner) instead of thru SuiteParadise.

The VRBO listing number is 10970...go to the site and plug that in...the owners Larry and Karen Jerdal quoted me $900 for the week (we only needed 5 nights so passed on it) and states that their condo is "1,000 sq feet and has one of the better OCEAN VIEWS at the resort"...so keep it in mind.. they referred me to 1-800-420-3033 and http://www.poipukairesort.com and http://www.westbaycottage.com

Have fun investigating...sure to stimulate your determination to head out there!!

Let us hear from you if and when you take the trip!

All the best, Lucille in CT