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Hawaii Island Lodging | How to Choose Where to Stay
Accommodation on Hawaii Island was the most important part of our Hawaii Island itinerary. Accommodation in Hawaii is not cheap, and we want to go around the island. Although staying in the same place every day is not impossible, we don't want to waste too much time on transportation and we want to spend the most reasonable price to stay in the most suitable place, so which hotel we want to stay in on any given day is the biggest headache for us.
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 Accommodations in Kona | Holiday Inn Express
- Room Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location Convenience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Kona for a few days. We chose the Holiday Inn Express in Kona because of its location, because we were planning to stay in Kona for a few days of our trip and we didn't want to keep changing hotels. The driving distance to all the west side attractions is very acceptable. We went snorkeling everywhere, so it wouldn't be a waste of time for us to come back at noon to take a rest. Although there is nothing to say about the interior, we were not disappointed.



Holiday Inn Express reservations
Volcanoes National Park Accommodations | Hale 'Ohu Bed & Breakfast
- Room Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location Convenience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- 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.
It is hard to believe that there are only three rooms when you see the large green area around. The first house we saw after we parked the car was actually the office and the owner's residence, the room we stayed in was on the other side.
When we arrived, the weather was cloudy and rainy, and the B&B was shrouded in mist, giving it a psychedelic atmosphere. The next day, the sun shone and it was completely different.


The large gardens are free for residents to explore, we stayed and enjoyed the morning before we left and could feel the owner's dedication.















The best part was that there was a whole private rainforest beyond the garden, with a short walk. We felt like we didn't even need to go to Hilo's Rainforest Botanical Gardens after our walk.





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
Hilo Accommodation Recommendations | Dolphin Bay Hotel
- Room Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location Convenience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dolphin Bay Hotel is a hotel that we were very impressed with. When we booked a hotel in Hilo, we realized that there were not many hotels to choose from, and the price of Dolphin Bay Hotel was very cheap, and the photos were not attractive, so we came here with the idea that we could just sleep for one night. The hotel looks like it has a long history, and the owner is a Buddhist. However, after entering the room, we found that although the room was not designed, it was in fact fully equipped, with its own kitchen, dining table, and even three queen-sized beds for a room under $100, which made the beds quite comfortable, probably targeting long-stay travelers on a limited budget. Even though there is no air-conditioning, it seems that because of the location, it is very cool in the room.
The surprise was the free food which we didn't expect at all. This place doesn't specifically say they serve breakfast, but they do have coffee in the morning and free banana bread and mango to go along with the coffee. The fruits and banana bread were some of the best we've had in Hawaii. It looks very simple, but the owner has a knack for picking out the best food. All the other guests were left with a handful of banana bread, so this was a great value for money.







Dolphin Bay Reservations
Waikoloa Village Accommodations | Hilton Grand Vacations Club Kings' Land Waikoloa
- Room Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Location Convenience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- 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.
Don't rush to think that it's not fun because it's cheaper. In fact, Kings' Land itself has very good facilities, including swimming pool, court, bar, etc., and shuttle buses, which are very well-equipped and high-class. The most important thing is that the residents can enter the super pompous resort for free!Hilton Waikoloa VillageGo ahead and use the facilities there and enjoy the oceanfront views and the superb amenities on the next level. The reason I say free is because if non-residents want to drive in, they have to pay a high parking fee of $39. However, if you are staying at Kings' Land, you can get this fee waived with your key. We found out that Hilton Waikoloa Village is actually very big, but we had to take a car to get to their beach, and the car can't be driven to the front of the room, so we preferred to stay at Kings' Land, we don't have to drag our luggage far away, and we can go to the beach, which is a little farther away. It's still a good deal.






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. 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
Comparison of Accommodation in Different Areas of the Big Island
Looking for a price comparison for your stay in Kona?
Compare prices for Waikoloa village
Volcanoes National Park Accommodation Comparison
Looking for a price comparison for your 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
- Big Island - 2 days in Hilo
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park 2 Days Travel Guide
- Big Island Hotel Recommendations
- What to eat around Big Island? 18 Restaurants on the Big Island
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