Can someone recommend a location to stay in Hawaii that offers great beaches, beautiful scenery...?

I'm not sure you are going to find what you are looking for at an affordable price. There are a lot of vacation rentals - many are condos, but some are private homes. I would recommend looking on trip advisor's vacation rentals, since you get to see the ratings and comments from previous guests: http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-3894326-10775740?URL=...

Personally I like resort condos since they are more spacious, usually have better soundproofing and are typically more private than a hotel, but have most, if not all, of the amenities that come with a hotel.

Kona Village on the big island has cute little thatched hut cottages, but it is billed as a family vacation destination with kiddies galore.

In Hawaii will energizes you the fresh, floral air energizes you. The warm, tranquil waters will refresh you and the breathtaking, natural beauty renews you so now is about the time to know this amazing place, starting from with hotelbye because look around! There’s no place on earth like Hawaii. In Hawaii, the six unique islands offer distinct experiences that will entice any traveller. In Hawaii you will discover your ideal travel experience. Waikiki is one of the Hawaii islands and is the Hawaii's biggest tourist attraction. A suburb of Honolulu, Waikiki is easy to reach and offers all the amenities and entertainment of a modern city. At the end of the crescent shaped beach is the extinct volcano known as Diamond Head Crater, adding a spectacular backdrop to the incredible sun drenched beach.

Getting everything you want and keeping it affordable is going to be the tough part -- you're not exactly the only person who'd like such a thing, you know. And if there's one out there and someone broadcasts it to you on the internet, well, at the least it's likely to be booked when you want to go.

Anyway, you might try seeing what rentals are legally available on Oahu's North Shore -- there's a problem with many technically being illegal for short-term vacation rentals though. Alternatively you might try looking on the outer islands, especially if you want the seclusion part. But getting all that including the "Hawaiian experience" and keeping it affordable is likely not happening. You're going to have to make tradeoffs - you don't get it all.

Try tripadvisor.com. Sounds like an advertisement, but I use this site exclusively for all my travel info. And when I have found a likely place, then I read the reviews of people who have stayed there to find out what it really is like--- hotel sites never tell the truth. lots of good places though; first you need to read up on each of the islands and see which one you want to visit- or might want to visit more than one. You can sort the lodging type on tripadvisor too so you can screen out condos for example. I have stayed in Maui, but the place we stayed converted ironically to condos after we left but it had a picture postcard perfect beach. Stayed also on the Big Island but not at any of the oceanside resorts as my family goes and we do prefer condos for the space. But have visited some nice resorts' beaches west of Kona on the Big Island, all of them looked great. We prefer the Big Island but we really like going to the Volcanoes National Park so we end up spending a lot of our time there. Haven't been to Oahu however.

You may try the ONOMEA BAY CLIFFSIDE COTTAGE located at Papaikou, Big Island. It has an outside shower with bamboo privacy screens located on the bedroom lanai. And the ocean views from lving room and bath room are great. That's fantastic!