5 Best Hotels in Hilo, Big Island

This landmark hotel has large bayfront rooms offering spectacular views of Maunakea and Coconut Island on Hilo Bay; street-side rooms overlook the golf course, and the hotel is within walking distance of Liliuokalani Gardens. Most accommodations have private lanai; kitchenettes are available in the Banyan and Ocean suites, and the custom-made furniture in every room evokes a feeling of Hawaiiana. More bay views are on tap from first-class WSW The Steakhouse, billed as Hilo's only authentic steak house. At the hotel's bar and lounge, you can get a grab-and-go lunch or enjoy cocktails and appetizers. Nearby parks, shops, and restaurants are easy walks.

Units in this circa-1950s motor lodge are modest but charming, as well as clean and inexpensive; a glowing lava-flow sign marks the office and testifies to owner John Alexander's passion for the volcano. Stunning lava pictures adorn the common area, and Alexander is a great source of information for visiting the national park and for exploring the back roads of Hilo. Coffee and fresh fruit are offered daily with banana bread. Four blocks from downtown Hilo, in a historic residential area called Puueo, the hotel borders a verdant two-acre Hawaiian garden with jungle trails and shady places to rest. Guests of the hotel return repeatedly, and it's ideal for families who seek a home base. Six additional units across the street are for long-term stays.

On a bluff above Honolii surfing beach, this modern, 5,400-square-foot home is 2 miles from downtown Hilo and features four rooms—each with patio, deluxe bedding, and grand ocean views within earshot of the surf. Fresh flowers and artful decor add a warm tropical touch. A continental breakfast is served every morning on an outdoor deck or in the kitchen's bay-window dining area. From their lanai, guests can watch spinner dolphins or migrating whales during the season. These are ideal accommodations for honeymooners and empty nesters.

Built in the 1930s by a Japanese doctor, this vintage home offers stunning views of downtown Hilo and the bay. The Zen garden on the grounds reveals three colossal stones weighing several tons each and installed by the home’s original owner. A total of four simply furnished rooms come with private baths, and two of the rooms offer panoramic bay views.

A charming old Craftsman home lovingly restored by a friendly and hospitable couple from North Carolina, the inn offers variety in guest room size and decor, though every room has a fridge. The Honu's Nest provides fantastic views of the sunrise from the comforts of a large bed. The larger Bali Hai Suite has a sitting room and a window seat that looks out on tree ferns, orchids, and anthuriums. Upstairs, the entire second floor is the Samurai Suite, furnished with traditional tatami mats and antiques imported from Japan. Breakfast is delicious and usually includes homemade baked goods.