What a fantastic resort and location. The hotel grounds, facilities and rooms are quite nice and…read morethe staff is friendly, professional and knowledgeable. The Ka Lihikai bar was terrific and Aaron was our amazing server. My wife had the frozen Mo'o and I had the Famous Ka Lihikai Tia and both drinks were fantastic. We also had the mushroom appetizer which was yummy. Highly recommended

Well after years of me giving 5 star reviews here, recent management and structural changes here…read morehave soured the experience, and we likely wont be returning. #1 change is the forced $30/day Valet only parking. Up until recently they allowed self parking across the street in another lot. Sorry, $30/day plus tax plus multiple tips/day and the loss of valuable vacation time standing in line waiting for valets to get the car is a non-starter. They have PLENTY of available parking space here, this is just a money grab. They also changed up the breakfast offering. Hilton offers an $18/day/guest benefit to purchase food, instead of setting up a continental breakfast. This used to work well when they setup in the lounge area with grab and go offerings reasonably priced, like spam musubi, pastries, fruits. But no more; now the only offerings are the vastly overpriced Ka Lihikai restaurant, and you cannot get breakfast there for anywhere near $18. The lovely morning coffee service that they used to have in the open air lobby has moved to a claustrophobic little meeting room. Art - sad to report that they're removed the ultra-classy Kim Taylor Reece B&W Hawaiian culture photos and replaced them with ordinary tourist-grade photos. Pillows huge and firm (not good) hard as rocks. You do get a minifridge, but no microwave. Lovely views of the working Hilo Bay, pool, and Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa.

Very comfortable place. We visited Hilo from Kona and didn't want to drive back. So we found this…read moreplace. It didn't have AC but the fans kept us cool. The Mark was very hospitable and got us situated.

Just about everything I said about Wild Ginger Inn, also applies here. In fact, they are so close…read moreas to be within walking distance of each other. The bonus is that the man that runs the show here, John, is incredible! We were doing a backpacking trip at trailhead known for break-ins and John let us store our luggage here while we hiked and camped. When we came back, it was waiting for us in our rooms, I almost never receive service this good anywhere, let alone at a hotel this affordable! John is also one of those rare people you meet in the service industry that isn't just into making quaint small talk for the sake of it. He doesn't robotically recommend things everyone knows about. He really knows every nook and cranny of the island! Everyone else we told about our hiking trips on the island just met us with puzzled looks. John had done those hikes and had useful information to contribute about those hikes. Stuff you couldn't get with just a Google search. I LOVE competent and friendly people that know exactly what they are talking about! So many folks these days just run their mouths in a desperate attempt to make conversation, whether what they are saying is actually useful (or even true). John, if you read this, and ever come to Alaska, look us up, we'd be happy to do the same for you!

Fantastic hotel in Hilo! We stayed here for a couple of nights on our vacation and it was great…read more The lobby is spacious and modern looking with plenty of places for lounging. There is a pool to the side of the hotel and lots of parking available. The hotel also has a restaurant bar and a proper restaurant, a steakhouse that does buffets on the weekend. We didn't do the buffet as neither of us really enjoys eating at a buffet but we did have breakfast there and we went to the bar side for a couple of drinks, including a free cocktail upon check in. The room was clean and had everything we needed. We booked a room facing the water and the coconut island which was a lovely view. You can hear through the wall quite loudly but if turning on the fan constantly helped drown out the noise at night. I was a little annoyed that we were placed in a room next to a family with a bunch of kids, including a crying infant when the hotel didn't seem to be too busy during our stay. I went outside a couple of times to enjoy the view with some drinks but had to get back inside immediately due to the loud crying. We were also issued a $10 voucher to use at the restaurant. We used one for breakfast but could not use the other 2 vouchers. There are other restaurants nearby and even one that is a walking distance. Had there been an option to order from a menu at the steakhouse, I would have loved the chance to do so. Perhaps next time. Overall, the stay was good and would not hesitate to book this place again if ever in Hilo in the future.

I've never had the most horrible front desk service in my years coming to Hilo & staying at the…read moreHilo Hawaiian. if the front desk lady thought she could get away with her stink attitude she's sadly mistaken. Her disrespect towards me (and I'm LOCAL! BORN & RAISED! She spoke with no respect! No friendliness, NO ALOHA! Why would you employee someone like this! Im not sure if housekeeping was short staff, but we waited patiently for 4 hours for a room! it's sad that one rotten employee can act this way and get away with it! I hope she apologizes to us for the wait as a common courtesy...if not I will take this to the higher ups...Saturday 2/14/26 3:31pm HER NAME IS ALICIA...

The price felt fair overall, but I think many reviewers weighted the cleanliness and renovated…read morerustic aesthetic too heavily. Having stayed in 2-5 star hotels across the U.S., this property is a good example of how subjective hotel ratings can be. Hilo simply does not have the newer luxury resort inventory you find on the Kohala Coast, so don't assume another hotel is upscale because it has "Grand" in the name. I can understand the appeal of its boutique-style, active-traveler, eco-conscious, customer-friendly atmosphere, hence the skewed 5-star ratings. Our biggest disappointments were room size, cooling performance, and noise/poor acoustic privacy. I'd still give it a low 4 stars because of the location, cleanliness, Aloha atmosphere, and staff friendliness. The property offers very basic accommodations in what resembles an old Travelodge/Motel 6-type property but cleverly renovated. The owners clearly understood that with clean rooms, vinyl plank flooring, fresh paint, and updated furniture, and a hint of a Zen/Environmental/Aloha vibe, they could offer a strong alternative to Hilo's aging high-rise hotels. While there are wheelchair ramps, the property has three stories and no elevators which means you'll have to carry your luggage up the stairs for most the upper floors. Some rooms face the inlet/ocean across the street fronted by a very old looking fish pond, while most others look across to each other with a small garden areas between or the decent pool area (no hot tub.) There's free lobby coffee in a large pump dispenser since rooms lack coffee makers, plus complimentary bikes and paddleboards. A very small lagoon beach is directly across the street, with two decent restaurants within a stone's throw. Downtown Hilo is about a six-minute drive but probably not walkable for most people. Rooms are compact, and the bathrooms are tiny with no exhaust fan. The bed leaned softer than average, and the TV was smaller than most modern computer monitors. The A/C struggled with Hilo's humid climate but managed to keep the room barely cool enough for comfortable sleeping. Shower pressure and temperature were acceptable, though the showerhead sat around chin height for me at 5'11". The biggest drawback was noise and lack of sound privacy. The glass louver windows provide almost no sound insulation, so you hear everything outside your room -- kids running the halls, conversations, foot traffic, and nearby guests. Anyone outside your room could easily overhear conversations inside. There's also noticeable jet noise due to the airport proximity, though fortunately I don't recall hearing flights between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM. Rates are typically less than the nearby aging high-rise hotels with more upscale branding (and more uneven reviews). If SCP is at least 20% cheaper than those competitors, it's probably the best value in Hilo. If it fits your budget, I would opt for the ocean view rooms with the balconies at the SCP. The hotel appeared to be finishing renovations on its last older rooms during our stay, so many of the older 1-2 star reviews are probably no longer relevant

The staff is amazing! From the desk to cleaning crew, Trisha is so kind! Everyone always so…read moregracious and went above and beyond. Truly tried to do everything and anything possible for my Mom and I. thank you! Also loved the Koi pond we looked out over and the views. The room was clean and comfortable(mattress is amazing) but it is an older hotel and could use some updates. Faucets in the shower were sticky and hard to turn. No fan in the bathroom either. New mirror is great though! Construction on the first floor was very loud as well as traffic due to thin walls. Banyan drive felt very sketchy and unsafe at night and neither of us wanted to walk in that direction Coffee at the front was excellent and got our days started right! From check in to check out was so smooth and easy!

Lotus Garden Hilo The Lotus Garden is a proper garden with…read morenative Hawaiian landscaping and natural plants growing everywhere, filling the space with life. It is a compound of different types of living quarters. My favorite place is a studio on th main street. It is a sexy room with a separate sitting area to sip coffee in the mornings. You can hear the energy of morning musings. The outdoor shower has a great water feature that lulls you into sleep like a lullaby. Peace and tranquility reign here. If you are looking for the big box, first-world amenities, don't stay here. There are birds chirping, Coqui frogs and even a few mosquitoes. If you want air condition and perfectly coiffed lawns, go stay somewhere else. But, If you want to "feel" like you are in Hawaii- stay here. Bring your walking shoes because you literally walk to everything you need. KTA is literally across the street. Close to the farmers' market and shopping at all the unique shops in Hilo. Meg and Jasper are a delight. No matter what I have asked of them, they do their best to accommodate. French pressed coffee in the morning, and a Kendrick's and tonic in the evening. If you are lucky, Jasper may play you a song and Meg will tell you of her adventures. Don't just stay one time- this place is always evolving just like a lotus flower, a symbol of rebirth.

Rustic accommodations in a tropical paradise. This location is in the heart of Hilo, with close…read moreproximity to local fine dining, groceries, and the local farmer's market. This hidden gem provides cottages in a lush garden with a koi pond, serene statues and the sounds of nature in the evening. Access to local venues with live music and shaved ice around the corner. Easy free parking across the street. Cottages featuring nature's air conditioning, small kitchen, private living room, porch, and private bathroom. Stroll through the lush garden area and check out the koi pond.

This spot is simply perfect. Great staff, beautiful grounds, very comfortable beds, great breakfast…read moreoptions. This is a very special.

If you're going to book anything on the big island, let this be your top 1. We booked in the…read moremorning so it was cheaper. Our pass included 5 total hours with access to the private land, waterfall, and restaurant. It's definitely worth the price. The gal who showed us around is probably the sweetest person I've ever met. She's great at her job. We also booked their paddle boards for an hour as we are frequent paddle boarders and really wanted the photo-op of us on our boards in front of the waterfall. They have life jackets on site and I do recommend grabbing one cause after you're done paddle boarding, you can just float in the water. It's so refreshing!

Our four-day stay at the Hilo Honu Inn was special - not just in the context of our week-long visit…read moreto The Big Island last week - but when compared to all vacations our family has ever taken. We booked the Samurai Room - with its Japanese themed furnishings and an unobstructed view of Hilo Bay from the sitting room. Our girls loved having their own room and separate beds, and my wife and I enjoyed restful sleep in the king-size bed, coquí frog chirps notwithstanding! We had our private parking spot, and all major attractions were a few minutes to half an hour away. Breakfast was a bowl of fresh fruit - lichee, mango, papaya, kiwi, grapefruit, melon - along with juices, lemon-infused water, tea, and fresh-brewed coffee, followed by something more filling, like banana-macadamia pancakes, quiche, French toast, or scrambled eggs and bacon. But the best part of breakfast was the conversation - with our hosts Gay and Koa - who we had all to ourselves for three of our four mornings. We talked for 2+ hours every day about Hawaiian flora and fauna, music, arts, history, language, and culture. Gay danced the hula for us and Koa played his favorite Hawaiian songs for us. They showed us their workshop - where they teach how to make feather leis, woodwork, ceremonial masks adorned with coyote teeth, traditional weapons made with tiger shark teeth, and countless other Hawaiian artifacts. I can go on and on, but that still won't do justice to what our stay meant to our family, so I'll share photos of what our girls wrote in their guestbook. Thank you Gay, Koa, and Hilo Honu Inn for a lifetimes worth of special memories. We will be back to stay with you next time we visit Hawai'i.

This was the best place I've ever stayed at!!! Gay and Koa, our hosts, made not only this stay but…read morealso my and my cousin's entire trip very special and memorable. They went several extra miles to make our stay comfortable. They were the definition of hospitality and made us feel very special. We stayed for a total of four nights. Every morning, Gay and Koa would make breakfast for us, which always included a generous bowl of fresh-cut tropical fruits and a glass of passion orange juice. The first day, we had scrambled eggs and bacon. The third day, we had macadamia nut and banana pancakes with Gay's homemade lilikoi syrup. The fourth day, Gay and Koa made us banana French toast. The second day, my cousin and I skipped breakfast because we were waking up early to go to Volcano National Park. Without being asked, Gay gave us an insulated bag to keep our food cold, made sure we had enough water, and gave us her homemade banana bread as an extra snack (which proved to be much needed during our hikes). I really appreciated her kindness and sincerity. On the days we did have breakfast with Gay and Koa, we talked for 1+ hours. I have learned so much about Hawaiian culture from them and feel so inspired by their passion to conserve Hawaiian culture, traditions, and natural environment. They gave us a tour of their workshop where they would koa woodworking and feather lei-making. They taught us about the history of the Hawaiian people and the meaning behind each of their artistic pieces. They also regaled us with stories about their lives, which were so interesting and riveting. As someone who loves to learn about different cultures and to listen to stories, I wish there had been more time in the day to just talk to Gay and Koa. They are a wealth of knowledge. My cousin and I agreed that staying and talking with Gay and Koa was the best part of our vacation! They treated us as if we were family, and I will miss them dearly.

We really enjoyed the beautiful well kept down-to-earth stay. The property is both immaculate and…read morerelaxing. The morning breakfast is delightfully done and creates a nice community feeling. They are SO close to the surfing beach. A nice stroll with coffee to watch the locals was sweet.

I cant take the credit for finding this jewel. My wife did a lot of research and finally settled on…read morethe Orchid B and B. They have two rooms here. One is detached from the house and is rhe smallest. The larger room is located at the entry to the house. It appears that it is a converted living room with a 3/4 bathroom. No tub. The room is decorated nicely in island style and sconce lighting. Nice large flat screen tv on the wall with a swivel. A/c in the room if needed, cieling fans, and a couple nice couches. There is a refrgerator in the room that has a small freezer. There is a microwave on the lanai and a barbeque that can be used also. The breakfasts are outstanding and consist of papayas, mango, bananas, apples, dates and kiwi. In addition Steve makes waffles, and brings in bagels and sweet rolls on alternate days. Theres also, Coffee, yogurt and three types of dry cereal. The grounds are lush and well maintained. You have full access to the pool and hot tub. Theres also a koi pond. The lanai is about 35' x 35' big and really nice with many chairs to lounge on and chill... The only negatives i can think of is the water pressure in the shower is really low and the towels are pretty thin....these things are not deal breakers. Steve and Su are great hosts and we definitley reccomend the Orchid.

This is a charming, tiny hotel located in the downtown area. You're only about 150 feet from the…read moreFarmer's Market and lots of stores and restaurants. Easy walking distance to almost everything. Our room had a nice view of a park and we could see the ocean/bay, too. My only (minor) complaint involves checking in. There's no front desk so figuring out the code to your door can be a little challenging. I recommend calling well in advance to get any similar questions answered. The room was very clean and attractive. The mini-fridge was also most welcome. Terrific location and reasonably priced.

I totally went off of Yelp reviews in choosing a place to stay while in Hilo…read more Okay, I also researched the place to make sure it was legit. As far as booking a room, its really easy. You do it online and you get to chose which room you want, granted it's available. You pay a one night deposit to hold your reservation. I emailed Neil to see if he could run the balance so that way the room was all paid up. No problem, he emailed me back letting me know that he could do it. After you've booked you receive an email with your confirmation number. DON'T DELETE THAT EMAIL!!! You'll need the last 4 digits to get into the main door AND your room door. There is no front desk and no one there to check you in or out ... or so we thought .. read on ... When we arrived in Hilo it was well past 6pm. What I didn't expect was for Neil to be there waiting for us. But there he was! He helped us get in and told us where we could find restaurants for dinner and told us about Pauls Place (which is directly below). He's really a nice guy! I was not prepared for how awesome the room would be. Honestly, if you can forgo all of the luxuries of a resort .. you will love it here. It is in downtown Hilo, a block from Hilo's Farmers Market, and close to literally everything. Our room that we had was room 5, which consisted of 2 queen size beds, private bathroom, a huge closet, flat screen tv, ceiling fan, a small fridge, a coffee maker, small dining table and a lounger chair .. oh did I mention we had an AC in there as well. Which, really wasn't needed since Hilo is always cool in weather at night. There's also free wifi if you need it. The room was clean and it was definitely quiet at night. I read a few reviews where they stated that the bathroom shower would leak out water when showering. Although our shower was huge and the ledge thingy on the bottom wasn't 'tall', we didn't get any water splashed outside ... maybe we were more careful? Idk, but if your not having some huge water fest in the shower there shouldn't be any water flooding your bathroom floor. The beds were comfortable and I honestly didn't want to get out of bed every morning. We never had any issues with noise in the morning. Pauls Cafe downstairs wasn't too loud. But, you know it's morning and all the noises start in the AM just like at home .. plus we were already out and about by 7am. Go figure ... Check out is at 10am, but if you need to extend the time just call Neil! I would most definitely stay here time and time again. It was really great to not stay in a big hotel and I felt very comfortable there. Recommend them? Heck yes!! Side note: We weren't able to try Paul's food while there :( So we plan to on our next trip there! 10/100 Challenge 2018

Nothing good to say about this place…read more We couldn't stay because it was bad from the moment we got there. Hot water would take 15-20 minutes to get to the shower. No ice machine, no internet, no TV, no place to set your luggage except the floor. The pictures must be old because when we got there it was more rundown. Stairs were sketchy and the place really needs some work all around. Unsure why anyone would give this place a 5 star review when I am giving it one star because you have to give something. Do not make a reservation unless you want to give your money away because they have it posted that if you have a complaint about this place built in 1911, it will not suffice to get a refund of your first day if you don't cancel 24 hours prior. I highly recommend asking to see your room and tour the property before choosing to stay there so you know what you are getting yourself in to.

if I could give it minus stars I would. I urge you not to stay here. Everything is rundown what…read morethey call a superior room is a dump. They will tell you your room will have a king bed, but they give you a queen there are no phones, TV or alarm clock in the room & the toilet wobbles. There are holes everywhere. Someone tried to enter my room, and suddenly the manager claims it was a room check. I don't understand it and she didn't seem to care about my safety or the fact that I got an anxiety and had to sleep with when I open I didn't even feel safe to leave the room with my belongings to go into town to get something to eat. It was a nightmare. I didn't trust to leave my belongings for fear that someone would enter my room to steal them by the way, the manager says her family sleeps at the hotel. It's more like a motel dump.