Visitors, hosts clash over vacation rental cancellations on Kauai following Hurricane Lowell
HONOLULU (Hawaiʻi News Now) — Conflicts are brewing over canceled Kauaʻi vacations in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell, pitting disappointed visitors seeking refunds against vacation rental operators worried about severe economic fallout.
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After watching news coverage showing parts of Kauaʻi battered by the hurricane, Pete Kokemueller, a visitor from Jacksonville, Florida, decided to cancel his Kauaʻi trip three days before check-in and remain on Oʻahu instead.
“We saw the devastation there,” Kokemueller said. “I saw the roads washed off, and I saw a lot of debris everywhere.”
Kokemueller said he did not purchase travel insurance. While the activity operators he booked with on Kauaʻi canceled and refunded his money, the Kapaʻa vacation rental he booked through Airbnb refused to issue a $2,500 refund.
“I just thought it was a little self-centered, that they were only thinking about themselves,” Kokemueller said.
“I didn’t think it was going to be a good vacation,” he added.
East side properties remain open
The owner and manager of the unit at Islander on the Beach in Kapaʻa spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing concerns over online backlash. She sent Kokemueller photos showing the property, swimming pool, restaurant, and nearby beaches intact, maintaining that because the accommodations were undamaged, he is not entitled to a refund.
“Because our property was not affected by the storm on the east side of Kapaʻa, that we are fully functional — internet, water, power — had a few leaves we cleaned out the next day,” the property manager said. “And so because of that, he does not qualify for a refund, because it is available to him, so he’s choosing not to.”
The operator added that 50% of her bookings have been canceled for the remainder of the year.
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“That’s really going to hurt the island and the people there, the locals,” she said.
The disagreement escalated over messaging. In one communication to Kokemueller, the host wrote in part: “As you have threatened lawsuits today, from now on I consider this conversation to be harassing and will be sending you to Airbnb.”
Kokemueller disputed that characterization. “I didn’t ever threaten a lawsuit,” he told Hawaii News Now. “I said, this is probably going to end up in a class-action lawsuit.”
Storm damage varies across Kauaʻi
Shari, a manager of separate Kauaʻi vacation rentals, produced a video for her clients highlighting properties that survived the storm without significant disruption.
“I just wanted to show that the damage to the island of Kauaʻi is not universal. It’s not the same,” Shari said. “Different parts of the island have been impacted to a different severity. So on the east side, like around the Coconut Grove area, we didn’t really have a lot of damage.”
Airbnb backs host’s strict policy
Hawaiʻi News Now reached out to Airbnb for comment and is awaiting a response.
However, customer support messages provided by Kokemueller show Airbnb upheld the host’s decision under its extenuating circumstances guidelines:
“I want you to know that I advocated strongly on your behalf, doing everything I could to secure an exception for you. Unfortunately, because the property and the surrounding area fall outside the parameters of our policy for major disruptive events, and because the host is strictly upholding her cancellation policy, I am unable to override her decision or force a refund.”
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