{"id":1037,"date":"2016-07-06T04:50:16","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T14:50:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hilovacationhomes.com\/?post_type=flawles_hilo_east&p=1037"},"modified":"2022-05-16T17:30:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T03:30:10","slug":"where-to-stay-in-hilo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hilovacationhomes.com\/where-to-stay-in-hilo\/","title":{"rendered":"Hotels, Vacation Rentals or B&Bs in East Big Island"},"content":{"rendered":"
An overview<\/strong><\/p>\n One has three alternatives.\u00a0 The most obvious choice is a hotel.\u00a0 A very popular choice is renting a vacation home.\u00a0 Lastly, a much less popular choice is a bed and breakfast.\u00a0 The reasons for choosing each will be detailed below.<\/p>\n Hilo is small.\u00a0 I only takes 10 minutes to drive from one side to the other.\u00a0 Therefore, the location isn\u2019t important except if you are spending time at the facility enjoying the grounds and area around the facility.<\/p>\n Hilo is old.\u00a0 This is the charm of the town.\u00a0 If you are looking for a \u201cresort\u201d level of hotel, they don\u2019t exist.\u00a0 A common word in hotel reviews is \u201cdated.\u201d\u00a0 No hotel has anything more than a modest pool.<\/p>\n Hilo is wet and humid.\u00a0 This is what makes it so beautiful, but it is also what can make a room \u201cmusty\u201d smelling.\u00a0 Towels and bedding must be washed in bleach and thoroughly dried.\u00a0 If left unused too long the smell tends to come back.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t unhealthy, but most people are sensitive to even a small amount of moldy smell.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Choosing between a Hotel, House or B&B<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s funny how people are fine spending between $600 and $1,200 per person to fly to Hawaii, $400 for a rental car for a week and then try to save $50\/night getting the cheapest hotel\/house.\u00a0 You get what you pay for.\u00a0 You will forget about the additional $500 you paid, but you will always remember a magical location you want to come back to one day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hotel \u2013 Short stays. Small groups. Place to sleep only.\u00a0 Houses charge a cleaning fee regardless of how long you stay.\u00a0 It costs much more to clean a house than a hotel room.\u00a0 Cleaning fees range from $50 to $200.\u00a0 If the stay is only a day or two, a house gets expensive when that fee is averaged over a very short stay.\u00a0 A hotel is great for a party of 2.\u00a0 If you find a large hotel room with 2 queen beds, you can get 4, although there is no privacy.\u00a0 Hotels have A\/C, homes do not.\u00a0 This is because a hotel doesn\u2019t have enough windows to keep a room cool with just fresh air.\u00a0 Still, if your health requires A\/C a hotel is a plus.\u00a0 Hotels are fine for a couple of days, but not so fine for a week.\u00a0 Longer stays require laundry facilities and the desire to cook basic meals.\u00a0 Neither easily done at a hotel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n House \u2013 If you are more than a couple, you will appreciate the privacy of a house.\u00a0 You won\u2019t need to share a bedroom with 3 other family members.\u00a0 Staying a few days?\u00a0 Get groceries at Walmart or Safeway and BBQ outside near the water.\u00a0 Look for a house you want to relax at.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t cost much more to be on or near the ocean.\u00a0 If you go in the ocean and want to dry your clothes, you will have a dryer at hand.\u00a0 Get a house where the yard is cut back.\u00a0 Otherwise mosquitoes will be a big problem.\u00a0 Houses allow you to enjoy the waves of the ocean.\u00a0 Sounds odd, but Hotels are in the bay, behind the breaker wall.\u00a0 If you came to Hawaii to enjoy the ocean, the bay location doesn\u2019t offer that.\u00a0 VRBO is by far the largest booking site for homes.\u00a0 They are owned by Homeaway and the home listings are generally identical.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bed and Breakfast \u2013 The only reason to book a Bed & Breakfast is if you like to meet new people.\u00a0 They otherwise have the drawbacks of both of the above.\u00a0 There is little privacy, thin walls, shared bathrooms and no kitchen or laundry.\u00a0 With Hilo hotels and rental homes offered in great locations, Bed & Breakfasts are not popular.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n There are 5 \u201cmajor\u201d hotels and another few \u201cminor\u201d hotels.\u00a0 The difference being the size of the facility and number of rooms.\u00a0 Below is an overview in order of how nice they are.\u00a0 This is my opinion based on my visits, guests I have spoken with and online reviews.\u00a0 The major hotels are all located on or around Banyan Drive.\u00a0 This area is at the center of Hilo Bay, on the water.\u00a0 Nice area very close to Liliuokalani Park & Gardens and Coconut Island.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Major Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n Minor Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Vacation Home Rentals<\/strong><\/p>\n Why are vacation homes so popular in Hilo?\u00a0 Just scan over the poor quality of the hotels, above.\u00a0 An example of how popular homes are can be illustrated by how often Hawaiian residents book them.\u00a0 About 20% of our bookings come from Hawaiian residents.\u00a0 They are familiar with the hotels and avoid them.\u00a0 They also don\u2019t like staying right in town.\u00a0 Because every house is different and there are so many, it is pointless to review them individually.\u00a0 Instead I will provide pointers in choosing one and describe areas they reside in.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Point 1.<\/strong>\u00a0 Ocean view vs. On ocean vs. Ocean access.\u00a0 Many homes offer some type of ocean view.\u00a0 A distant ocean view isn\u2019t worth much.\u00a0 It is important to know that less than 1% of this side of the island has ocean access<\/strong>.\u00a0 If it is isn\u2019t designated a \u201cPark\u201d it doesn\u2019t have ocean access.\u00a0 The areas around Hilo Bay at Banyan Drive have access, but it is a bay.\u00a0 It is more like a lake than an ocean.\u00a0 There are two parks on South Hilo with safe ocean access: Onekahakaha Beach Park and Richardson\u2019s Beach Park.\u00a0 That\u2019s it!\u00a0 Don\u2019t be mislead by pictures on web sites showing their own ocean access.\u00a0 These are WAY outside of Hilo (40 minutes without traffic).\u00a0 Of the two beach parks, Onekahakaha is great for very small children because it is sandy and protected from waves.\u00a0 Richardson\u2019s Beach Park is a must see destination and one of 6 stops on the Hop on Hop off bus.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Point 2.<\/strong>\u00a0 Location near Hilo.\u00a0 Ninety percent of the popular destinations are in Hilo or close to Hilo.\u00a0 All the nice restaurants and the major shopping is in Hilo.\u00a0 Downtown Hilo has a certain charm, as an older historic non-tourist town.\u00a0 It is where locals live and work.\u00a0 Vacation rentals in town are not popular.\u00a0 You will want a car for everything.\u00a0 It is not a walking town.\u00a0 Get a home a few minutes out of town in a location that allows you to enjoy beautiful Hawaii without getting in a car.\u00a0 They are popular and just a little more money.\u00a0 VRBO and other sites have a \u201clocation\u201d tab on their site.\u00a0 Use it!\u00a0 As mentioned in point 1 and again in point 3, it is easy to get mislead and book a house in the middle of nowhere \u2013 with a lagoon in front.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Point 3.<\/strong>\u00a0 Hilo, Puna, Kapoho locations.\u00a0 There are very few homes North of Hilo.\u00a0 For good reason.\u00a0 The cliffs are tall giving the homes only a distant ocean view and there is little to do there.\u00a0 The road to the Volcano (Highway 11) is on the South side of Hilo, along with many destinations.\u00a0 The advantages are staying in Hilo but outside of downtown are described above in Point 2.\u00a0 Just South of Hilo is an area called Puna. It is a local residential community.\u00a0 Although it looks very close to Hilo on a map it requires going Highway 11 for about 7 miles and across on Highway XXX about another 7 miles.\u00a0 It is about a 20 minute drive depending on the location of the house maybe 25 minutes if the house is on the water.\u00a0 It is a popular location for those wanting a private, quiet location but still Hilo close.\u00a0 Many homes are on the water.\u00a0 Great views of crashing waves in front of your homes.\u00a0 No water access.\u00a0 You will save money renting great homes just out of town here.\u00a0 Because highway 130 meets up with Highway 11, it is just as close to Volcano National Park and other destinations ( Zoo, Mauna Loa Nut factory) as Hilo.\u00a0 The next popular location are the homes in Kapoho.\u00a0 These homes are between 45 and 55 minutes from Hilo, further South on Highway 130.\u00a0 They are only recommended for the traveler who wants to spend quiet time rarely leaving the house.\u00a0 Their remote location makes them a very poor choice for those wanting to tour this side of the island.\u00a0 Stay near Hilo and take your car to Richardson\u2019s Beach Park for better snorkeling, public bathrooms and store conveniences.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Point 4.<\/strong>\u00a0 Money.\u00a0 For a party of 4 the Hilo Hawaiian will cost about $200\/day while my Paradise Park homes will cost $235\/day plus cleaning.\u00a0 My homes across from Richardson\u2019s Beach Park will cost $350\/$400 a day.\u00a0 The economics get better for houses with parties above 4 as more then one hotel room will be required.\u00a0 Renting a vacation house for a week brings the cost down to $225 and $315 plus cleaning.\u00a0 Not cheap, but there is no better location on this side of the Island.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bed and Breakfasts<\/strong><\/p>\n These can be found by using Google to search out a handful of sites that offer them.\u00a0 I will admit that I am biased against them.\u00a0 Hilo does not have grand, historic homes that have been converted.\u00a0 These are regular homes, cut up to make several rentals.\u00a0 Run by owners that take regular homes and convert them.\u00a0 The ownership is not driven by a love for historic buildings, just a bored homeowner with a way to make side income. \u00a0I only know of one rental personally.\u00a0 It is in a nice location, but managed by a very nutty owner.\u00a0 As mentioned above, there is no kitchen, laundry, A\/C, privacy or cost savings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An overview One has three alternatives.\u00a0 The most obvious choice is a hotel.\u00a0 A very popular choice is renting a vacation home.\u00a0 Lastly, a much less popular choice is a bed and breakfast.\u00a0 The reasons for choosing each will be detailed below. Hilo is small.\u00a0 I only takes 10 minutes to drive from one side […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[35],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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