Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Hilo

NOW THIS PLACE WAS THE BEST. & I MEAN IT WAS OFF THE HOOK BABY. NOW THE PEOPLE WAS CRAZY. THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING & I MEAN ANYTHING U WANT. THE GRAPES WAS REALLY GOOD. THEY GAVE US FLOWERS. NOW THE WATER WAS GORGOUS. IT WAS CLEAR BLUE WATER. I MEAN IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. I AM NOT GOING TO LIE THAT WAS THA BEST PLACE EVA

I thought this hotel had a great view of the bay. The atmosphere was pleasant and the hotel staff were nice. It's the view that made it worth it all. I would recommend staying there just so you could get an ocean view.

We were just there from 6/26-6/28006. The first room they gave us was on the first floor near the end of a hallway. The first smell that hit me was that of DANK MOLD! It was awful. I told my husband that we could not sleep there especially with our daughter. It grossed me out just thinking of breathing in that fould odor. Looking up at the ceilings, my fears were confirmed. The room was indeed moldy! There were black stains on the ceiling and it smelled wet in there! Gross. The staff offered us another room down the hall. It wasn't as bad...but we asked to see another room anyways. The third choice was on the 8th floor (a better view actually), but it was not as clean or as decent smelling as the 2nd choice, which is what we ended up with. The price was okay for the hotel. The staff was very nice and accomodating, but I guess there is only so much they could do given the age of the hotel. They should really update that hotel row in Hilo. Those places are really old and tired and very Brady Bunch. Some positives: I liked the location to Coconut Island and to Hilo Bay. It was peaceful and quiet during our stay. We enjoyed walking along Banyan Drive and looking at all wildlife there; we even saw a mongoose! The hotel is just minutes away from the airport and close to Volcanoes National Park as well. We did not have any problems with parking and neither did my aunt and uncle (who live in nearby Kea'au). We all were able to find parking with relative ease. We didn't really eat there, going out instead to local spots instead of the hotel's facilities. Hilo is a really pretty city and we wished we could have stayed longer to see more of the sights. One thing that I do recommend is to go to the Hilo Market. We went on Wednesday and it was great souvenir shopping and eating the various snacks there.

On Banyan drive or better known as Hilo's Hotel row, there are four motels/hotels (Hilo Hawaiian, Naniloa, Hilo Seside & Hilo Bay. All were probably built in the late sixties or early seventies and all in need of a major renovaton. In my opinion, if a Days Inn or Holiday Inn would build a new building, it would be considered a luxury property. With that being said, don't get your expectations too high. Expect basic, clean accomodations in need of renovations. At the Hilo Hawaiian, considered the best of the four properties, the service is good with that home style feel. The room we had, #826, was basic with a great view of Hilo Bay and the park. Parking is adequate, so long there isn't a banquet going on, then you may have to park on the street. If you looking for a four star property and above, then you won't find it in Hilo Bay. You may want to consider the luxury Bed & Breakfast in the area or plan on staying along the Kohala Coast area, where the bevy of luxury properties are located.

smelled like dry mold,rooms where made in the 60's with no up grades. would not stay again. over priced for what you get. the facility needs a major upgrades. the grounds around the facility are nice with a nice view of the ocean but could use some work. having wiring uncovered and sticking out of the ground is not the safest. with a little work and some investment this could be a great place, but as for now forget it.

My wife is a native of Hilo and after my first visit there, The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel will be our hotel of choice for future visits. The hotel is clean and bright. The entire staff was friendly and professional. The rates were reasonable and I recommend a room with a view of the bay. Never had a problem with parking.

This hotel is a good value. Convenient to local shops and restaurants and has fantastic grounds (but then, this IS Hawaii). They have one PC for guests to use to access the internet. One pays by credit card for 15 or 30 minutes of online time. The computer is frequently in use.

Our experience was average; the room was almost at the end of the hall; the hallways smelled somewhat musty but that's acceptable given the age of the hotel. Our room had older furniture and furnishings, but was clean and all of the plumbing was in good condition; our second lock on the door didn't work but we didn't feel insecure at all. Our major complaint was similar to a previous reviewer; though we're not vegetarians, we just thought the lobby area (and sometimes the elevators too) smelled of fish. I described it to my husband as fishy cat food smell. Not very appealing if you're not into seafood of the smelly sort. Other than that, we had NO complaints. We were able to find parking no problem (unlike a previous reviewer) and the stay was just fine.