Ke Iki Beach Bungalows

"There's nothing like this anywhere on the island," says Greg Gerstenberger, manager of the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows, sitting in his small home office one morning. From your typical hotel manager, such a line would be an easy PR slogan. But Gerstenberger, who displays an appealing mix of friendliness and back-pain-induced grumpiness, is no typical hotel manager -- for one thing, he's not wearing a shirt -- and Ke Iki is not a typical hotel.The bungalows first opened in 1953, owned and operated by the late Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, who'd nabbed the beachfront property for $11,000 and, after their deaths, left it to their son and his children. Gerstenberger came on to manage the property in 2000 and lives on-site.Though the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows are sometimes classified as a bed-and-breakfast, don't expect Gerstenberger to cook you eggs in the morning. There's no restaurant or even a lobby for check-in. Rather, there's a sign affixed to a large oak tree just off the parking lot that instructs guests to ring a large bell, hanging off the same oak tree, for service. With any luck, that ring will summon Gerstenberger, or his wife, or one of their kids. They'll invite you up to the office on the second floor of their on-site home, quickly go through your paperwork, and then direct you to your bungalow, which is identified not by a number but rather the name of a tropical flower. The door to your bungalow will be open, and the key (a real one made from metal, not a plastic card) will be waiting inside. It's more like renting a house on the shore than getting a room at a resort.The property's location -- on Oahu's mellow North Shore between picturesque Waimea Bay and the legendary Banzai Pipeline surfing beach, and literally on the beach with which is shares a name -- is hard to beat, at least for those looking for a big, peaceful, and relatively deserted beach. Waikiki is an hour's drive, but its crowds and shopping malls seem a world away from Ke Iki's eleven oceanfront and garden bungalows. In lieu of upscale boutiques, the North Shore has roadside fruit stands; instead of chain restaurants, there are shrimp trucks and the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice in the quaint surf town of Haleiwa, a five- or 10-minute drive from the bungalows.The bungalows are large and utilitarian. There's no air conditioning and beds have sagging mattresses. But they do have well-equipped kitchens, ceiling fans, fast and free Wi-Fi, and small flat-screen TVs with both DVD players and cable channels aplenty. More importantly, you step outside your door, walk a few steps across your yard -- each is equipped with a table, chairs, and a grill -- and you're literally on the beach.The beach access is so good, in fact, that the hotel has to post "No Beach Access" signs to keep non-guests off the property. And the beach itself is a beauty -- long and wide, with the smooth, slightly coarse, pebble-like sand the North Beach is known for. It begs for barefoot walking. The water can be somewhat less soothing: In the winter, waves can reach over 30 feet and, according to local lore, kill a few people each year. In the summer, the surf is less ferocious but still strong, making the beach more popular for bonfires than for swimming. But if you can score one of the beachfront bungalows, which are well worth the extra cost, the sound of the waves is magnificent.Guests come from all over the world but share a laid-back attitude. They're looking for peaceful, naturally beautiful surroundings, and they don't seem to mind that rooms are cleaned only before arrival, not daily. I met one man from Oklahoma who had been coming to the bungalows since he was 12 years old; he now returns every summer for a few weeks with his wife and five young children, who looked to be having a blast running along the beach and all around the lush property. Another guest, an older woman, told me I'd have to come back in the winter sometime when the whales come up so close to the beach you can see their eyes. I'm not sure if that really happens, but I'd be happy to come back sometime and see for myself.

The service here is extremely limited. Those looking for a mellow, laid-back atmosphere may not mind -- but guests should expect service that's more akin to what you'd get renting a house, not staying in a hotel.- Manager lives on-site in a house at the entrance.

• No lobby; guests ring a large bell on a tree in the driveway to alert manager of their arrival.
• Bungalows are cleaned before guests arrive, but generally not at all after that; additional cleaning available for additional charge.
• Mandatory cleaning fee, depending on the length of the stay and the size of the unit, on top of their room rate.
• Guests can grab fresh towels from the laundry room at anytime.
• A book in each bungalow provides guests with a wealth of information, from takeout menus to ocean safety to local attractions and supermarkets.

On Oahu's famed North Shore, an area known for its world-class surfing and located about 45 minutes from the Honolulu Airport and an hour from Waikiki. The North Shore is relatively undeveloped and has few places for visitors to stay, so it feels far less touristy, and far more quaint, than Waikiki -- but it may be too quiet and mellow for some.- Directly on Ke Iki Beach, a long, wide, stunning strip of sand. In winter, waves top 30 feet on the beach, making it popular with surfers. In the summer, the waves are much smaller but still strong.

• Snorkeling on the beach in front of the hotel; Shark's Cove, one of the best snorkeling sites on the island, is just a couple blocks away.
• The North Shore's famous surfing beaches, including the Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, and Waimea Bay, are all within a five- to 10-minute drive.
• The colorful old surf town of Haleiwa is five to 10 minutes away.
• Haleiwa has restaurants, art galleries, stores, and surf shops, and the island's most famous place for shave ice, Matsumoto Shave Ice. But little nightlife.
• The Polynesian Cultural Center, home to one of the island's best luaus, is about a 20-minute drive.
• Parking is free; a rental car is highly recommended.
• Honolulu Airport is 32 miles away, about a 45-minute drive.

The beach access is so good that the hotel has to post "No Beach Access" signs to keep non-guests off the property. Sand is literally just a few steps from the doors of the beachfront bungalows (worth the extra cost over the garden-view bungalows). And what a beach it is: Ke Iki Beach is long, wide, and uncrowded -- the sandy antithesis of beaches in Waikiki. It's bordered by volcanic rocks and has views of lush green mountains. This is what many people imagine a Hawaiian beach to be. In winter, the waves top 30 feet on the beach, making it popular with surfers. (The hotel's information book even includes an account of a monstrous wave, supposedly 100 feet high, that hit in 1986 and destroyed some of the bungalows.) In the summer, the waves are quite small but still strong. There is some opportunity for snorkeling on the beach in front of the hotel, but Shark's Cove, one of the best snorkeling sites on the island, is just a couple blocks away.- No lifeguard stand on Ke Iki, though lifeguards sometimes patrol the beach on ATVs; guests are cautioned about the dangers of the ocean and provided with basic ocean safety tips.

• Neighboring North Shore beaches include famed surfing meccas like the Banzai Pipeline, and Waimea Bay.
• Guest-only hammocks strung between palm trees.
• Locals have the occassional bonfire on the beach, and there's some cheery, pleasant grafitti on a retaining wall, but the beach is quite clean and free of ash and debris.

At the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows you're paying for location, not luxury, but the eleven units were renovated in the fall of 2009 (shortly after my visit). But step outside, and you're standing on a magnificant, undeveloped beach -- at least if you're staying in one of the five beachfront bungalows, which cost about $50 more a night but are well worth it. (The six garden view units aren't bad either: The lawns are lush, and they're just a few more steps from the sand.) The bungalows may be modest, but they're not without a few modern amenities, including well-equipped kitchens, small flatscreen TVs with built-in DVD players, phones, and free and fast Wi-Fi, plus a great selection of basic cable channels through Time Warner.- Bathrooms are small but serviceable; mine had a simple standup acrylic shower with a vinyl curtain.

• Toiletries consist of just a couple of bars of ProTerra milk and honey soap, but towels are white and fluffy.
• Spacious kitchens have a full-size fridge, coffeemaker, blender, microwave, Farberware knives, toaster, pots, pans, a colander, the all-important wine opener, and even a rice cooker.
• Some bungalows have quirky layouts: One-bedroom Gardenia bungalow has a window in the wall separating the separate bedroom from the living area; in the two-bedroom Bird of Paradise bungalow, you have to walk through one bedroom to reach the other.

No pool, business center, or fitness center. If you're looking for amenities, and still want to be on the North Shore, try the Turtle Bay Resort. This place is all about Ke Iki Beach: Simply walk out the door and down a few steps and you're on sand. There are also a number of hammocks reserved for hotel guests.- The hotel literature provides information, and outside vendor contact numbers, on everything from surfing lessons to pilates instruction to gliders to oceanside massage (a good deal at $60 per hour).

• Coin-operated washer and dryer available for guests to use

As long as you don't expect the usual amenities of a hotel, this is a solid family choice with big bungalows with kitchens and yards right on a magnificent (if somewhat dangerous) beach. When I stayed there, a family with five young children looked to be having a blast running around the lush, casual grounds and along beach day and night. The father had been coming to the bungalows since he was 12, and he now brought his own kids for several weeks every summer.- Bungalows range in size from approximately 325 to 1,200 square feet.

• All have full kitchens and front yards with plenty of space for kids to romp.
• All but the Pikake studio are one- and two-bedroom units. Most can comfortably sleep at least four guests, and the largest unit, the Antherium bungalow, can sleep as many as eight. The beachfront Lilikoi bungalow is also a good family pick; it has a queen bed in each of its two bedrooms, and a twin bed in the living room.
• Cribs available at no extra cost.
• Bungalows do not have daily maid service: They're cleaned only prior to arrival, unless you pay an additional fee.

Bungalows are cleaned prior to arrival -- but after that, guests are on their own. Those staying over a week can pay extra to have their place cleaned during their stay. For the most part, my bungalow appeared thoroughly clean, though there was a leftover plastic fork in the refrigerator and crumbly remnants of a former guest's pizza in the oven. Sheets and towels were bright and clean. The general vibe is beachy and laid back, and that extends to the upkeep: Even with ongoing renovations, the bungalows feel slightly shabby.- Beach accessories scattered around the grounds: a stack of boogie boards here, a pair of flippers there; none of it bothered me -- but it would no doubt bother others.

• The woman who had cleaned my room had also spilt some water on the carpet, something I was warned of at check-in.

Bungalow kitchens come well equipped with everything from plates and glasses to toasters, coffeemakers, rice cookers, microwaves, and blenders. Kitchens are not supplied with any "getting started items" (like coffee and tea) save for paper towels and a fresh sponge. My kitchen, however, had some leftover coffee filters in one of the cabinets, and the management says they will typically leave clean, useful things like coffee filters or condiments for future guests.- Each bungalow has its own Weber barbecue, but guests must supply their own charcoal and lighter fluid.

• For stocking the kitchen, there's a Foodland grocery store a couple blocks away, and for bulk needs, Sam's Club and Costco are 30 to 45 minutes away.
• The town of Haleiwa, a five- to 10-minute drive, has several tasty, local restaurants, like the Kua Aina Sandwich Shop and Haleiwa Joe's, and some of their menus are supplied in the bungalow information books. Make sure to save room for some shave ice.
• The island's best known shave-ice joint, Matsumoto Shave Ice, is located in Haleiwa (though I think its lesser-known competitor next door, Aoki's, is better).
• The famous Ted's Bakery in Sunset Beach is just a three-minute drive. Don't miss their legendary chocolate haupia pie.
• Bungalow information books also have info for North Shore Delivery, a service that provides delivery from multiple area restaurants.