Enjoyed a nice long weekend here in Bungalow #5, a private detached studio with a queen bed. The bungalow is well appointed with everything you'll need, even a fully equipped kitchen. The surroundings were quiet and peaceful and I could park right in front of the unit making it easy to come and go. For the price this was one of the best kept secrets around, and supporting a local business is a bonus. The owners seem to put a lot of attention to detail in every aspect of their business and they're readily available to address any concerns. A better experience for me than a normal hotel situation. I will definitely be back next time I travel to Hilo to visit family and friends. Photo of view and parking out the front door.
We stayed at Aaron’s Cottage for three nights in room 8. This room shares walls on both sides. The walls don’t block out much noise, but he other guests were quiet enough so it wasn’t a big problem. The room was clean except for the floor. I did not want to walk around barefoot. It was not hot during our stay, but the room was exceptionally humid all the time. Everything in the room was wet continuously. It didn’t matter whether the windows were open or closed and the ceiling fan was always on. I couldn’t wait to go home to dry out. A dehumidifier would have been a tremendous help. I probably won’t stay here again for that one reason. Humid outdoors is one thing, but indoors should be comfortably dry. ||The location of Aaron’s Cottage worked out well for us. It is very close to a tiny hidden beach and close enough to the rest of Hilo, but you’ll need a car. The drive to Volcanoes National Park is less than an hour. ||The backyard was nice with lots of trees and places to sit. The shared kitchen could be helpful, but we didn’t use it. There’s a coffee maker in the room with some coffee, which is appreciated. There’s also a mini fridge in the room. ||Communication was great! Check-in was simple and the door code was sent via text. WiFi is very weak and drops often.
Great location beautiful little spot in Hawaiian homelands near the beaches. The rooms are not cottages. They’re like motel rooms and they are tiny. There’s no service of the rooms while you stay there and there’s no washcloths which is annoying. It’s nice to have the shared kitchen because it saves money to make a meal or coffee. It’s decently clean. I was staying in the room number 10 which is on the kitchen and that is a source of noise. When I booked the room, they didn’t tell me it was on the kitchen, which they should have so I tried to ask to change my reservation or move my room, but the owner was not responsive and was annoyed. Oh well. But it’s affordable and it’s a Great Location and you get what you pay for.
The weather was bad,but the rooms were clean. Outdoor covered seating,and grills were available. The rooms had coffee pots, which I love. Food is available down the block.Beds were great. Would go back.
I am not sure how this got highly rated. I will start with the good stuff- The helper on the property was prompt to help and replied.
Here is where it gets tricky - I saw a ton of roaches on the property and a lot more in the shared kitchen area. There was one in the fridge! Gross. The sheets and towels weren't clean and felt old. After complaining, the helper offered to give us another room that's "deep cleaned"; we were too tired so declined the offer.
Overall very disappointed.
We were very happy with the location. Close to swimming lagoon with locals picnicking made us feel like we were in the real Hawaii. the family cottage had lots of room, a state of the art kitchen, washing machine and dryer, comfortable beds and good linen. You need a car but this adds to the experience. So much nicer to be in a house on its own green block than a resort.Aircon and fans made the temperature great for sleeping. Good base to explore the volcanic area.
We loved our stay at Aaron's Cottage. We rented directly from the property owner over the phone and were able to get a discount for getting 3 places. We rented the beach house, the bungalow, and one of the cottages The price is great! The owner, Robert, is easy to get hold of, and helped with several things before we even arrived in Hawaii. ||First of all, let's talk about the location and basic property information. It's about a 10 minute drive from downtown Hilo. You do drive through an industrial area to get there, but then you are in more of a residential looking area after that. We were just a short walk from a fairly private beach and a 5 minute drive from several other beaches with good snorkeling. The property looked well kept up and screamed Hawaii. We could eat fruit off any of the fruit trees on the property. Each room/house had a locked door with a code to get in. Felt like you were in a safe area. Quiet at night. 5 stars on location.||The beach house: It was cute. Had a lanai, but could have used nicer chairs for sitting on it. Master bathroom is updated, but needs a better way for cleaning up water after the open shower. A dangerous step in the middle of the night into the bathroom. Beds were comfortable enough. Kitchen had basic appliances and a full size refrigerator with an ice maker. Could have used towels and better knives. There was a TV and air conditioning in each bedroom. Should be noted that the third bedroom, the one with 2 twin beds has a separate entrance, meaning that if you needed the bathroom in the night, you had to leave your room and go into the main house. If my kids had been younger, I would have not liked finding this out when I arrived. But my teenager had no problem with this. There is a working washer and dryer with soap provided. Overall rating: 4 stars||The bungalow: So cute! It's a separate little home. Has a queen bed, small table, small kitchen with a full size refrigerator, its own bathroom. Kitchen had no towels. My parents stayed here and enjoyed it. Only complaint was the step getting into the bungalow was a little awkward. Overall rating: 4 stars. ||Cottage: Has 1 queen bed, private bathroom. back screen door stuck a little. Depending on what cottage you are in you will have 1 or 2 shared walls. Behind the cottages is a shared kitchen. Did not use, so can't review. Overall rating: 4 stars.
A stone's throw from a little quiet beach. Quiet, has AC if you need it. Cool nights with lots of frogs singing. Birds singing all day. Feels remote but close to things. Rent a car. I recommend this place.
