Puna Zen Botanical Garden Retreat

Beautiful! The singing frogs made my day for the rain forest.

Although the online photos accurately show this is a beautiful property, they do not reflect the overall rental experience. Unfortunately, the owner's extensive rules and monitoring made our stay feel more stressful than relaxing.We arrived on a very warm day to find the house hot and humid, with all the windows open and no clear instructions for operating the A/C. While searching for information, we found a lengthy house manual filled with strict requirements and additional fees that were not clearly communicated beforehand.One of the more concerning policies stated that if the A/C was left running while guests were away from the property, there would be a 30 per day “convenience fee,” and that A/C usage was being monitored. That felt uncomfortable and overly controlling for a vacation home.Additional rules:No shoes in the houseStrict composting and recycling requirements, including no food allowed in the trashInstructions to manage leftover compost, not only from ourselves, but also from previous guests.Specific instructions on where to place the pillows from the bed we were not using.No sleeping on top of the comforter.A 10 per load charge for use of the washer and dryer.Individually, some of these requests may not have been unreasonable, but together — and especially in the tone they were presented — they made us feel more like we were being supervised than welcomed guests on vacation. Future renters should be aware of the rules

Misleading description and disappointing experienceThe listing advertises “no hidden fees,” but there were additional charges not disclosed upfront. There is a 10 fee per load of laundry and a 30/day charge if air conditioning is used while you are out, with usage reportedly monitored. The kitchen is described as “fully equipped” and suitable to “cook up a feast,” but only one burner on the electric stove was functional. This issue should have been disclosed prior to arrival. The microwave is very small (unable to fit a standard dinner plate), there is no rice cooker, and one of the two TV trays was broken. Preparing meals required significantly more time and effort than expected.There were also cleanliness and maintenance concerns. There's mold in multiple areas of the living room, and bugs were present throughout the space. Also had a problem with pricing transparency. I booked for two guests, later added a third and let he owner know upon arrival, I was immediately told there would be an extra 15/day fee, totaling 90, I checked the booking platform, the price difference between two and three guests was significantly lower. When I asked if this fee could be reconsidered given the issues during the stay, the request was declined.

Property was very welcoming and decorated with lots of aloha! Property has everything you need to enjoy time in and on the water.

The house was difficult to find, GPS brings you next door so the neighbors helped us find the house. Phone went to voicemail when I called for help but messages was active. The house was nice, clean but my biggest issue was we booked the house for the AC (which was actually just 1 mini split in the living room) but it had not been turned on all day so the house was a stifling 78 degrees upon arrival. We turned the AC on it was locked out at 70. We like it very cold when we sleep and instead was sweating to death. I tried to explain to the host that he should have posted that AC was controlled with app and that there was a 30 charge to use during the day. There was 1 box fan and 2 bedrooms so 1 group did not get fan. I did not feel that I was respected by the host, I was told that the climate was good and most people don’t even use AC when I asked to drop it below 70. I’m not other people and I wanted to use the AC. Otherwise the house had lots of rules, I’m glad we just did a sleepover and most things did not apply to us but I’ll share the pics of the rules since the host did not. And last by not least this house is NOT near Volcano National park, it’s about 35/40 minutes away. If you love hearing nature and sweating while you sleep this is the place for you. If you like things convenient, quiet and cool this is not the place for you. Overall it’s a very cute house, I just feel the listing needs to be clarified.