We loved our stay at Hale Kona Kai. It's a small property that never felt crowded. The only noise was the sound of the ocean. The location couldn't be better. It's a short walk to our favorite restaurants (and coffee shop) in Kailua. It's also literally, right on the ocean. The ocean below was full of colorful fish, the view was expansive and the sunsets were incredible. The pool was newly refurbished and wonderful. It's not huge, but it was never crowded and offered a good amount of shade. It was sparkling clean and the perfect temperature.
The less-than-ideal things were that there was no in-room laundry. Each floor has a laundry room, it costs $4 to wash and dry a load. The other was that the office is mostly unattended (open a few hours a day on weekdays) and they can be hard to reach by phone. It didn't cause problems for us, but it might for some. They did give us a very thoughtful gift/momento as an anniversary present which we very much appreciated.
All in all, we loved our stay and would stay there again. The location, view, and pool were perfect.