Hilo Honu Inn — Hotel in Hawaii

I stayed for two nights and really enjoyed it. I booked the Samurai room inside of which there is a vintage and authentic Japanese tea room, where I could view the Hilo town and the bay from the bottom of the hill. I enjoyed the relaxing time laying on the couch with the view after a day's hike. ||The experience I had here was memorable. Breakfasts with the hosts were delightful. Fresh fruits and nice conversations through which I learned about the history of the house, the bio diversity of the island, and things I never knew. In the dining room, the photo of the original family who built the house lays there, telling the story of a century old heritage. The hosts also showed me some Hawaiian crafting techniques, something they are working hard to revive and preserve. I really appreciate it. ||When we travel to Hawaii we often forget that this place is so much more than just beaches and resorts. It's rich in culture as well. And now I'm curious and want to know more about it. Experiences like this made the trip a valuable one.||I hope more B&B places like this would exist. I am grateful of the hospitality from the hosts and would come visit again...

Unique bed and breakfast near the Hilo airport. We wanted to stay where we would have a cultural experience. Gay kept in communication with us until we arrived in the evening. Beautiful wood floors in the entrance dining room area. A welcoming home with traditional theme throughout. We stayed in the one-bedroom room. It was a warm night so the window air conditioning unit was used and appreciated. Fell asleep to the sound of coqui frogs. |Wonderful breakfast with authentic tropical fruits, juice, syrups, and french toast. Nice conversation with the hostess/host. Gay is in a hula group and was kind enough to hula at our request. Very knowledgeable about authentic Hawaiian artifacts and also the Merrie Monarch Festival. Is an artist and showed us some of her beautiful work in feather leis and weaving. Wonderful knowledge of Hawaiian music. Koa is also a talented artist and answered our questions about being a local and native of Hawaii. Would like to spend more time with these two to learn more about the plants, trees, culture, and more...

We stayed overnight after attending a concert at the Palace theater. The Inn is walking distance to the town if a slight uphill is not a problem. |We stayed in the Samurai Suite. Wow, so very cool! There is a Ceremonial Tea Room ‘inserted’ in the suite that was constructed without nails by a (flown in) Japanese carpenter. |The king bed in the tea room is suoer comfortable and there are two twin beds in a separate room. There is also a sitting/tv area with great views down to Hilo Bay.|All this was far beyond our expectations, but not even the highlight. |Our hosts, Gay snd Koa were so welcoming and shared the story of there home - dating back to the 30’s. But even more interesting was the opportunity to see and hear about the incredible Hawaiian crafts that they are masters at. |Their ‘craft room’ is basically an Hawaiian cultural exhibit !!|If you are looking to spend a coupe days in Hilo, skip the hotels by the bay and stay at the Hilo Honu. You will feel...