Hale Steward

We recently stayed at Hale Steward. It%26#39;s a beautiful property with an enchanting view but be warned that promises made by the proprietor may not be fulfilled. For example:

- Cable internet access did not work as promised.

- Washing machine / dryer did not function properly. Was forced to drive 30 minutes one way to wash clothes at a laundrymat.

- To date deposit has not been returned despite many, many, many contacts with proprietor.

If you can stomach these inconveniences and a blatant lack of honesty, you%26#39;ll have a beautiful place to stay.

Hale Steward

Shock

Lordy, that is terrible. I guess when folks rent from an owner instead of a management company, you can be at their mercy.

Good on ya, for posting your experience, especailly not returning your deposits after the problems.

Seems to me , they are just collecting the money and not improving even the small items to back up what they advertise. Kind of like TAIL LIGHTS OVER THE CURB....they have your money and wave good bye as you head to the airport to return home.

I also have witnessed first hand some of the same. Some dear mainalnd friends had rented a place in Moolaa beach. Unbelievalbe. First thing that greeted us when we drove up to visit them , was a carport/garage area floor to ceiling with old packed cardboard boxes and junk. I mean totally to over brimming.

They put up with that, and the things that did not work, since they like funky things,. which this place was....but, face to face encounters with large rats, and other beasties pretty much took care of staying there. They were able to get a small, single room cottage in the same area, on the beach, and were totally happy.

We have never had a problem, by using property management companies for our condo stays......and Erics%26#39;s sis and hubby, usually stay in very nice homes, I believe thru Grantham Resorts, and RE..... and I mean really fantastic places. Beautiful, on the north as well as the south shores.

We hope you return to the beautiful garden island, and your next visit will find you a comfy, clean, and wonderful residence .

Denny

I

Hale Steward

Denny:

Thank you for the reply.

As I originally said, it is a beautiful place with an enchanting view. We just wish honesty came along with the experience.

Funny thing . . . looking back, we originally tried renting a spot near the beach. The person who responded via email is the proprietor of Hale Steward. She talked us out of the beach with a convincing argument but we wonder if she was picking the pocket of the owners of the property we originally inquired about. In other words, we smell a rat. If we had time we%26#39;d look up the original property -- around Anini Beach, as I recall, and let the owner know.

No doubt we%26#39;ll return to Kauai. We%26#39;re looking at this coming winter for our next visit. It%26#39;s such an enchanting place filled with wonderful people and a vibe like no other. Hence the reason we keep returning.

Can you suggest other places to investigate for future visits?

Again, thank you, Denny.

Next time you correspond with them regarding your deposit (maybe after you get it back) - you might want to mention your ';review'; on this forum. Might change the way they do business.

That%26#39;s a very good idea. Thank you.

Just curious Shockdaddy

Did you ever get your deposit back ?......I am currently signing rental agreements with two separate places in Kauai and they each specify when your deposit will be returned.....one within 14 days and the other within 3 or 4 weeks after you leave......After reading of your misfortunes, I will definitely keep a copy of the agreements for myself, after I mail them in with the deposits.........

If you are still awaiting return of your deposit, you may wish to contact the better business bureau or chamber of commerce on the island.....I%26#39;m sure other landlords who have vacation rentals would be concerned about keeping their industry honest and above board.......

Just did a quick count in my head and we have rented at least 12 vacation rentals over the past 10 years (all from the owners) and have only had one who did not return the deposit quickly.....(turned out that one was in the midst of a divorce and we received the deposit from his lawyer%26#39;s office a couple months later).......

Hope this is your one in twelve and that it%26#39;s just delayed.......Let us know how it turns out.......

Mombear:

Thank you for the post. Your suggestions of who to share this experience with are smart ideas and we%26#39;ll soon be pursuing just such a course.

No, we have not yet received the deposit. The sum is insubstantial (a mere $100) but, to us, the principal is not.

The proprietor responded to an email last week saying that it slipped her mind repeatedly over the months as result of some health issues. We sincerely hope this is not the case. In light of the deception and blantant lies we were told prior to renting, and the lack of honesty since our trip, we%26#39;re inclined to take the story with a ten-pound salt lick.