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Big Island | How to Choose Where to Stay
Accommodation was the most challenging aspect of planning our itinerary for the Big Island of Hawaii. Lodging in Hawaii is not cheap, and we wanted to explore the entire island. While staying in the same place every day was an option, we didn't want to waste too much time on transportation and still desired to find the most suitable accommodation at the most reasonable price. Therefore, deciding which hotel to stay in on each day became our biggest headache.
Before I start to share my experience, I would like to give a brief explanation. The whole island tourists live in Kona is the most people, one to the southwest side of the island has the most attractions, on the other hand, Kona compared to the northwest side of the Waikoloa price is easy to approach, so theKonaThere are also the most choices of accommodation. If you prefer to stay in a high class hotel, you can also stay in the northwestern part of the city.Waikoloa. Kona provides a wide range of lodging choices. If you prefer a luxurious hotel experience, you can opt to stay in Waikoloa on the northwest side. Some people even spend an entire week within the upscale resorts in this area. However, if you plan to explore the entire island or visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, it is generally recommended to spend at least two days on the eastern coast of the Big Island. Hilo accomodations are typically the most budget-friendly on the island, and it's a place many people appreciate. From a transportation perspective, if you intend to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, staying within the park itself is the most time-efficient option, as it minimizes commute times. This way, you can allocate half a day to a day for Hilo.
Recommended Kona Hotel | Holiday Inn Express
- Room: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Kona for several days. When choosing a hotel in Kona, our top priority was its location because we planned to stay in Kona for several days and didn't want to keep changing hotels. Although Holiday Inn Express is not right by the beach, it is centrally located. It's just a few steps to walk to the old town area, making dining convenient. The distance to all the attractions on the west side is manageable by car. Since we were out snorkeling most of the time, coming back to the hotel for a rest at noon didn't waste much time. Although there's nothing particularly noteworthy about the interior, it didn't disappoint us.
Holiday Inn Express reservations
Volcanoes National Park Accommodations | Hale 'Ohu Bed & Breakfast
- Room: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hale 'Ohu Bed & Breakfast is one of the best lodging in Volcanic National Park. Actually, there are not many choices of accommodations near the Volcanic National Park, we wanted to consider staying at the Volcanic house in the park, but we found out that Hale 'Ohu is only 5 minutes away from the entrance of the National Park, and the price is much more reasonable. We found that the B&B itself is very unique, and the overall design is very cozy and quiet.
Seeing the vast greenery around, it's hard to believe that there are only three rooms in total. The first building we saw after parking the car is actually the office and residence used by the owners of the bed and breakfast. Our accommodation room is located at the other end.
Upon arrival, the weather was overcast with light rain, and the bed and breakfast was shrouded in mist, creating a surreal atmosphere. The next day, the sun shone brightly, and the surroundings looked completely different, yet equally beautiful.
The extensive garden is open for guests to explore freely. Before leaving, we lingered there for a morning, enjoying the serene atmosphere and feeling the thoughtfulness of the hosts.
The most surprising part is that beyond the garden, there is an entire private tropical rainforest, complete with a short hiking trail. After exploring it, we felt like there was no need to visit the Tropical Botanical Garden in Hilo anymore.
The interior of the room was not particularly upscale, but overall the room was very comfortable. The breakfast was quite generous and healthy, with lots of tropical fruits and good flavors. The menu varies from day to day and is prepared the night before and put in the mini fridge for you to pick up in the morning. The food would be good anywhere else, let alone in Volcanoes National Park where there are no restaurants at all, so it was a treat to be able to have a well-prepared breakfast in my room with a view.
Hale 'Ohu Bed & Breakfast Reservations
Recommended Hilo Hotel | Dolphin Bay Hotel
- Room: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dolphin Bay Hotel is a remarkably impressive accommodation. When we were booking hotels in the Hilo area, we found that there weren't many options available. The Dolphin Bay's price was relatively cheap, and the photos didn't seem particularly appealing, so we arrived with the mindset of just needing a place to sleep for the night. The hotel has a noticeable historical charm, and the owner seems to adopt a laid-back approach to management. However, upon entering the room, we found that although the design was lacking, the amenities were comprehensive. There was a kitchen, dining table, and even in a room costing less than 100 dollars, there were three large beds that were surprisingly comfortable to sleep on. Perhaps their focus is on budget-conscious long-term guests. Despite the lack of air conditioning, the room was surprisingly cool, possibly due to its location.
The surprising element was the complimentary food that we didn't expect at all. Although the hotel didn't explicitly mention providing breakfast, there was coffee available in the morning, accompanied by complimentary banana bread and mangoes. The fruits and banana bread here were the best we've had in Hawaii. They appeared simple but were evidently carefully selected by the owner. Other guests were also loading up on banana bread, making this unexpected treat truly worthwhile.
Dolphin Bay Reservations
Recommended Waikoloa Village Hotel | Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings' Land Waikoloa
- Room: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$$
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Waikoloa Village is the most luxurious part of the island. There are many high class resorts here, and of course, you can imagine that the price of accommodation is very high. Although we wanted to experience the most expensive 5-star resorts, I don't know if it was because we were there on such a hot date, but when we saw the price of over $1000, we just couldn't go for it. In the end, we chose to stay one night at King's Land, a Hilton resort in the area, which was a little lower in class and much cheaper than the resorts by the sea.
Before jumping to conclusions that cheaper means less enjoyable, it's worth noting that Kings' Land itself has excellent facilities, including swimming pools, sports courts, bars, and more, typical of a five-star resort. They also provide shuttle services, making it very convenient, and the amenities are quite upscale. What's most important is that guests can actually access the extravagant facilities of the Hilton Waikoloa Village for free, where they can enjoy the beautiful seaside views and even more luxurious amenities. It's considered free because non-guests would have to pay a hefty parking fee of $39 if they were to drive in. However, this fee is waived for guests staying at Kings' Land, as they can use their room key for access. After visiting, we found that the Hilton Waikoloa Village is actually huge, and even guests staying there need to take a shuttle to get to their own beach. Additionally, cars are not allowed to drive directly to the rooms. Therefore, we actually preferred staying at Kings' Land because we didn't have to drag our luggage far, yet we could still enjoy going to the beach without any hassle. It's a bit further away, but it's still very worthwhile.
After checking in, we had to drive for a few minutes to get to our room because there were many buildings. The interior of the room was very high class, basically impeccable. The cheapest room we stayed in was a 1Bedroom layout, with a living room and a full dining room outside, a large bedroom inside the door, a TV inside and outside, and a comfortable balcony to sit on. The room has its own washing and drying machine, so you don't need to pay for it.
Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings' Land Waikoloa Reservations
More Accommodations by Areas of the Big Island
Find a stay in Kona:
Find a stay in Waikoloa village
Find a stay near Volcanoes National Park
Find a stay in Hilo?
Further reading
- From Volcanoes to Cuisine: 8 Days on Hawaii's Big Island
- Big Island - Kona Travel Guide
- Big Island - Kohala Coast Travel Guide | Waikoloa Village | Puukohola Heiau | Hapuna Beach | Lapakahi State Park
- What to Do in Hilo? A Two-Day Itinerary for Exploring the East Side of the Big Island
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 2 Days Travel Guide
- Big Island Hotel Recommendations | Budget-Friendly Accommodation Review
- 【Hawaii Big Island】Food Adventures on the Big Island | What to Eat Around the Island? | 18 Restaurants and Snack Bars on the Big Island
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