j379pa

So, I've got a business trip to Hawaii in October, and scheduled several nights on the big island to take in the volcano, etc.

The ticket is set, flying in & out of Hilo. I understand the best hotels are in Kona. I think I'll still do Hilo, but want to find something under $100 a night that is clean & roach-free. Any suggestions?

thanks!

JP

slippahs

j379-
Roach-free? In Hilo? Are you kidding me?
I'm just kidding. My dad lives in Hilo and we always tease him about the B-52 bomber-like roaches that swarm his house and the island...

This is an extremely helpful link that ranks the Hilo hotels based on popularity...
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g6...ii-Hotels.html

Whenever I go to visit my dad, I stay at the Hilo Seaside Hotel. I wouldn't really recommend it, but it was extremely cheap and clean; it is however close to the airport, so you do hear an occasional airplane (I think there's one Aloha jet that makes a nighttime delivery for cargo), the road noise, etc.

Another suggestion is the Volcano Inn. My girlfriend stays there everytime she visits the Hilo area with her family. She says it's very nice... it is far from Hilo-town however (roughly a half-an-hour drive), but it is right next to the Kilauea volcano. A very peaceful place. They have random specials.
http://www.volcanoinn.com/

Read the reviews of the trip advisor links... they are very accurate (mostly) and are helpful. Many visitors to Hilo do end up staying at the Hilo Hawaiian. I have stayed there and for a Hilo hotel it is pretty nice. As far as roaches go, however... most hotels don't have them... as far as I know
If you don't think about them... do they really exist?

Hope this helps and hope you find your Hilo trip enjoyable... but did you say you're doing business in Hilo? I didn't know they did business in Hilo.... It is of course what we locals like to argue as one of the sleepier towns of Hawai'i...

Aloha

Edited to add Volcano Inn content

[This message has been edited by slippahs (edited 05-22-2003).]

Lavarock7

were you in the U.S. Military? If so, try http://www.kmc-volcano.com

slawecki

Might look into B&B's. There are a number of them on Big Island. We stayed at one near Hilo: The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls, and one in Volcano: Kilauea Lodge

Seemed a much better experience than hotels.

[url="http://www.hawaii-bnb.com/"]http://www.bbonline.com/hi/region4.html

and

http://www.hawaii-bnb.com/

[This message has been edited by slawecki (edited 05-23-2003).]

j379pa

Thanks for the responses! I'll look into the links more this evening.

The meeting is on Kauai. I cashed in 5,000 NW miles (I only had 6,800) to work out the island hop to see the volcano, and saved the employer (non-profit) $60 to boot.

The b&b's might work. Would you recommend any that you stayed in? I really see the room as a place to crash and get some good sleep--I definitely want to be out & about the rest of the time.

JP

dhuey

I stayed at the Hilo Seaside a couple of months ago (about $70 via Hotwire). It is truly a one-star hotel. It's okay, but I'd suggest bidding on Priceline at the two star level to get the Hilo Hawaiian. My guess is that you could get that for under $100 on Priceline -- I suggest a starting bid of $65.

[This message has been edited by dhuey (edited 05-24-2003).]

Axi22

I've not stayed here, but there is a place in town right in the middle of things and you can get a room for $38.00. It's called the 'Hilo Bay hostel', but they have private rooms with loads of food places, cafes etc. nearby.

http://www.hawaiihostel.net/index.htm

slippahs

Now the problem with hostels on the Big Island, from what I heard is that during certain months of the year, can have roaches, as was one of the concerns by the original poster.

Sweet Willie

JP, stayed at the Hilo Seaside phone: 808.935.0821 located at 126 Banyan Drive in Hilo. Has a decent restaurant attached. Paid $69 a night AAA rate and that included a $10 credit towards breakfast. Room is nothing special but it was clean.

It was raining the night we stayed in Hilo (not uncommon) and it was the most peaceful sleep I've had in Hawaii, bar none. The rain falling on the broad leaves of the lush landscape and frogs calling in the night from the koi pond. http://www.sand-seaside.com/hilo_hotels.htm

We actually ended up staying here because I had thought I had booked a reservation for either Hale Kai Bjornen http://www.interpac.net/~halekai/ or the Shipman House http://www.stayhawaii.com/shipman/shipman.html and at the last minute realized I had booked neither.



------------------
Visit FlyerTalk Dining http://flyertalk.com/diningfr.shtml

dgmom

We will be spending a couple nights in Kona and a couple in Hilo. Where would you suggest we stay? We want somewhere very clean...we will probably be out and about most of the day and just return for a good place to sleep. I really want to see the volcano - any hints for the best viewing places or times of day? thanks for any suggestions.

slippahs

Hi dgmom:

Did you happen to have status with any hotels (e.g., Hilton HHonors Gold, etc.)? What price range are you looking at? This might help choose the right hotel for the Kohala Coast/Kona area for you. Here are also a few threads that have previously discussed possible lodging locations on the Big Island:

For Hilo lodging options and more general info about Hilo: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ght=hilo+hotel
A mini-thread looking at the Hilo Naniloa Hotel: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ght=hilo+hotel

If you do a search for "Hilo Hotel" or "Kona Hotel" or "Big Island Hotel" you will come across more suggestions regarding lodging in both Hilo and Kona.

You may also want to consider staying in the Volcano area (at the Kilauea Lodge or something similar) if one of the primary goals of this trip is to see Kilauea Volcano.

As for viewing the volcano, this thread will assist you in answering your question: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316667

Good luck!

aloha

dgmom

No, no hotel status.. I would like to pay under 150.$ a night. We usually stay in timeshare/condos so I'm more used to trading weeks than paying per night. thanks for the great links

slippahs

Would considering Priceline be a good option here? Using the Big Island board on the Biddingfortravel website (shudder... ) there have been some winning bids under $150 including at the Hilton Waikoloa Village for about $125. Might be something to look into.

Again, there have been some excellent suggestions regarding hotels in both Hilo and Kona on this board, which a search will pull up. Of course, I'm sure others will chime in here and provide their insight as well.

aloha

cblaisd

Re the Hilo side, there's a bit of a mini-review (along with some other topics) here of the Dolphin Bay Hotel in Hilo

A couple of weeks ago I spent a couple of nights at the Hilo Seaside.

A local-owned and run hotel. Decor funky and charming, straight from the '60's. Had a nice room (if small) overlooking the koi pond (who had trained the lanai lurkers well in throwing food to them). Met a few "characters" there. Rooms were very clean, if older. On the weekend, the location can be noisy, though.

LemonThrower

Hilo is convenient to the volcano. I would spend a whole day there, and make plans to get to the lava at the end of chain of craters road at dusk and to stay until dark.

about 30 mins the other way from Hilo (i.e. north road) is Akaka falls, and may an hour is hte Waipio overlook.

I would priceline the Kohala coast. HWV is a possibility.

Kona is another possibility but it seemed real busy and touristy, kind of like Daytona Beach or something. I stated at HWV with points and status and got ocean view. I liked it and would think it was a good value at 150 if you got a view.