Hilo Honu Inn Review

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Hilo Honu Inn

  • Price range: $-$$
  • Location: Hilo
Write a review | Avg. member rating: 4.2/5

Fodor's Review:

A charming old Craftsman home lovingly restored by a friendly and hospitable couple from North Carolina, the Hilo Honu offers quite a bit of variety. Its three rooms range from the small and reasonably priced Honu's Nest to the large and luxurious Samurai Suite. The Honu's Nest provides fantastic views of the sunrise over Hilo Bay from the comforts of a large, comfy bed. The larger Bali Hai Suite has a sitting room and a window seat that looks out on tree ferns, orchids, and anthuriums. Upstairs, the entire second floor is the Samurai Suite, furnished with traditional tatami mats and beautiful antiques imported from Japan. The suite also includes a large stone soaking tub for two and a beautiful sun porch that looks out over all of Hilo and the bay beyond. Breakfast is delicious and usually includes a variety of homemade baked goods. Pros: beautifully restored home, spectacular Hilo Bay views, delicious breakfast. Cons: only three rooms, not walking distance to downtown Hilo.

  • Hotel Details: 3 rooms
  • In-room: refrigerator, DVD, Wi-Fi.
  • In-hotel: no kids under 6.
  • Credit Cards: AE, MC, V
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Member Reviews and Ratings

Reviewed by rscoffin from San Francisco, CA on 9/26/09
My wife and I just stayed at the Hilo Honu for 3 nights and really enjoyed our beautiful room. The Samurai Suite is the entire top floor and has wonderful views towards Hilo Bay and an incredibly confortable bed, as well as beautiful and authentic Japanese decor and construction. It also has a fridge, great shower, and soaking tub (which we have not used). I only give it 3 stars for value as it's pricey in this economy and for Hilo. It would be better value for a family or other multiple travellers as the second room has two beds which we didn't use.

Despite the Fodor's 'con' list, you CAN easily walk downtown on nice sidewalks in about 10-15 minutes, and we have walked to dinner every night, as well as early morning strolls around Hilo. Gay and Billy have everything you need for any outing (coolers, towels, boogie boards, etc.) and have a wealth of knowledge about the area and Hawaiin culture. Enjoy the old vibe of Hilo, but just take an umbrella out the door every time!

Member Rating: 4.2
Ratings details: Room: 5.0 Atmosphere: 4.0 Service: 4.0 Value: 3.0
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