John C.
April 2024
It’s absolutely perfect.
John C.
March 2024
We loved it!! Feels like you’ve traveled through time and landed in old Hawaii 🏝️
Great location, great service, and we look forward to returning soon. Mahalo Nui Loa
Rebecca V.
March 2024
This properly was even better than expected! Great location, everything we could need was provided and it was quiet and clean. We will be back!
Don W.
October 2023
The house is a great place to stay and well-appointed. Bring your own BlueTooth speaker, though. The peninisula it's on is busy - lots of car noise and at night the coqui frogs. We never lost sleep due to either.
Lynn R.
July 2023
We had a nice stay at the house which is a lovely older traditional Hawaiian home. It was fun poking around the gardens and visiting with the friendly geckos and outside cat. The swimming across the street was great too.
May 2023
This property exceeded our expectations, it had such a Hawaiiana feel. Everything was wonderful and we wish we could have stayed longer. Every day I miss sitting outside with my morning coffee on the front lawn or across the street at the ocean, Swimming and snorkeling in the beautiful crystal clear ocean across the street, BBQing in the private tropical back yard. House was well equipped with all our needs and very comfortable. Great central location! We had the best time. Highly recommend this beautiful house!
Sara G.
April 2023
After staying in 5 star resorts all week, we wanted to have a low-key adventure in a less “touristy” area of Hawaii and this charming home delivered.
A well-appointed, historic home. Not perfect however, perfectly charming! What it lacked in terms of “luxury”, it made up for in location & authenticity. We were all very comfortable in this elegant home.
The magical gardens (front & back) were the perfect spot for afternoon cocktails (post swim) & bocce. We had a difficult time tearing ourselves away from the beach across the street to explore the area.
We have already booked our next visit!
Evan W.
April 2023
The house is very pretty and in a good location. It's very spacious. The property managers were very nice and responsive.
I’m completely baffled by all of the 5 star reviews for this house. All in, we paid about double the other houses we stayed in on the island per night for 2 nights for our family of four. Even with the location, this was way too much money.
We had to meet the property manager in person and were asked for a meeting time a week before our check-in date. As we were traveling from a different part of the island, this was a little off-putting to have to be at the house at a certain time. Why not just have a lockbox like every other house we’ve stayed at?
When we got to the house, luckily the manager met us early as we were both coincidentally there an hour early just waiting on the other party. The first thing we were told is to be careful locking/unlocking the front door (an old sliding glass door that many houses have on the back patio). If it broke, we’d potentially be locked out for hours waiting on it to be fixed. The door is old, rusting, and rotting, so I felt anxious every time we opened or closed it.
The house was very musty especially in the primary bedroom. Even with the comfortable bed and sheets, I felt dirty laying there breathing in the moldy air. The connected bathroom needs a serious update. The grout in the shower is discolored and the grout is missing in many spots. It felt gross to take a shower in that bathroom.
All of the bathrooms don’t have shades on the windows. No, they aren’t facing busy streets, but as someone who has never stayed there before and doesn’t know the neighbors, it’s extremely uncomfortable. Multiple towels we used had rust stains on them as well. And no locks on the bathroom doors.
When leaving the house, we were asked to strip the sheets and start a load of laundry. Again, with the price, this was a little annoying. When we stripped the sheets though, we saw the old yellow/brown mattress pads which again felt very gross after sleeping on them for a couple of days.
The house is in serious need of many updates. It is pretty rundown. It could be a beautiful house and worth the money we paid, but it needs a LOT of work.
William G.
March 2023
Beautiful setting in a quiet neighborhood that is lusciously landscaped. Close to the shoreline for walks and, although limited, the views the are great.
Keith W.
February 2023
My kids and I stayed here for 3 nights as a home base for exploring the island of Hawaii. It really was an adorable and unique place. My kids enjoyed how authentic and comfortable it was. We didn’t spend a ton of time at the house but the location was right across the street from the park and beach. We were a couple miles drive from our favorite diner (Ken’s), and we were an hour drive from Volcanoes National Park. I would stay here again if we return.
Carla M.
February 2023
We loved being able to walk down the driveway to snorkel and whale watch.
The house is lovely and private and quiet at night - except for a few dogs that seemed to want to bark for a short period @ 3:00am
We were impressed with all the little extras found in the house: sewing kit, small office incidentals, soaps and shampoos and fix it items - very well appointed!
We had a very comfortable stay.
Angela H.
January 2023
Great experience. Very helpful and responsive host! We appreciated how nicely appointed the home was, all the recommendations for dining and activities and the location. Walking across the street to swim with turtles at the black sand beach was pretty amazing! We would gladly stay here again!
Kathy N.
January 2023
Great house, great location, all around wonderful
Tracy H.
August 2022
This house is the epitome of old Hawaiian charm. The decor is lovely and comfortable with spacious bedrooms and gathering areas. The gardens are gorgeous and full of flowers. An old pig-trap sits in the yard as "garden art" and a Tahitian Lime tree in the front yard will add extra flavor to your cocktails. In this part of paradise, it only seems to rain at night and you'll be lulled to sleep by the sound of raindrops and frogs.
The neighborhood is distinctly local and you will be the only tourist around. That said, I found the neighbors and everyone I met in Hilo to be friendly, kind and welcoming. On the weekends, the entire area fills up with local families at the beach parks who spend the day playing in the ocean, socializing and cooking up bar-b-cue. Your next door neighbor sells fresh coconuts and nearby someone else sells banana bread. It's a very popular area of the island with the locals. So, it's busy on the weekend and during the week it's very quiet. The snorkeling right out of your front yard is amazing and sea turtles are regularly spotted on the rocks and swimming around.
Like all old homes, there are some quirky things. There are many nonsensical light switches and the dishwasher will confound you. (hint: the dishwasher is one of those super quiet types and it's on even when you think it's not. Follow the instructions and it will work just fine.) I was there with my 21 year old daughter and my elderly mother. Each of us had our own room and our own bathroom. I wish I had packed a hammock to string up between coconut trees at the beach. We rented two kayaks and better quality beach chairs for the week from Hilo Ocean Adventures. I would rent this house again and I highly recommend it. Aloha!
linda a.
August 2022
This beautiful home is far better than the pics can show. Right across from ocean parks with numerous spring-fed swimming pools and in the middle of a tropical paradise. The home is so well-appointed, you will not lack for anything. Beds are perfect with nice linens. Dishes, glassware, furnishings are quality. Lilikoi grow from vines. Tahitian limes! Heaven on earth. Book it.
John w.
July 2022
The property was spacious, immaculate, surrounded by lush gardens, frogs, birds, and the sea turtles across the street showed STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!
joe c.
July 2022
The pictures don't do the property justice ,great house and location you will love staying here
Greg V.
July 2022
Perfect location, perfect house, wonderful hosts. Just amazing!
Jeremy J.
May 2022
Lets start with the house. This is an older house and was built in a different time when people lived with and in the world so the house has tall ceilings, well designed windows and personality for days. The house was immaculately clean and well maintained. It is next to the ocean so there was some rust on some of the fittings but that is unavoidable and nothing you could possibly fault.
The location is fantastic right across from a park and the beach with easy access. The owner's warning of finding the driveway spooked me a bit but I found it easy to find (thank you Apple Maps voice). The grounds themselves are fascinating as well.
Now, the warning. It says it in the posting but be aware. This place does not have air conditioning so you may have to open the windows to cool things down. Hawaii has coqui frogs which I had never heard of but are astoundingly loud until they get tired. The owner's instructions do warn of this and there are earplugs in case you didn't bring your own. We travel a lot so we had earplugs and our own soundmachine but I am a light sleeper and by midnight I had begun to fantasize about the complete eradication of all frogs on the earth. If you are a light and early sleeper, make sure you are there at a time you won't need to leave the windows open. I know it is first world whining but a portable or window AC unit in the bedrooms would make this problem (and some others) go away completely.
Ok, that was the bad. The other good. We were met with a personal orientation which wasn't really complicated enough to need one. There were written instructions there that had all the info we needed. During the stay we communicated with the Owner, who checked in to make sure all was ok, and she was incredibly responsive and supportive. Literally could not ask for more.
If I found myself in Hilo again in a cooler time (or when Hawaii figures out something to do about the coqui apocalypse), I would definitely rent here again.
Jennifer B.
April 2022
You can see the ocean from the living room. Somehow, when I booked this, I did not realize this fact, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how much ocean can be seen from the house. The back porch is a very peaceful place from which to watch chickens, cats, and geckos while taking in the beautiful jungle. We loved it here. The house is beautiful.
Lisa F.
March 2022
We loved our stay in this beautiful home. Every amenity was provided. The views were stunning and we enjoyed the black sand beaches with great snorkeling across the street. We hope to come back again.
Heather M.
March 2022
The house is beautiful and spacious. It’s a SHORT walk to great beaches. It’s a short drive to Downtown Hilo.
I’ll be back’
Tom K.
March 2022
The house is wonderful and fully equipped with everything needed. We spent 2 days hiking at Volcano National Park; about 40 minutes away. We also visited some remote beaches but in the end really enjoyed ourselves on the small beaches within walking distance. Hopefully we will return one day.
Luchi G.
February 2022
Lovely historic property with lush grounds. It's a unique experience to stay in a house like this in an area like Richardson Beach. The house is very well outfitted and very clean, and everything is high quality. Loved it.
Lloyd T.
January 2022
The house is beautiful, clean, and very well equipped. It’l located across the street from one of Hilo’s most beautiful beach parks, with a view of the surf break and rocky shore. We saw turtles and whales from the property. The host was a prompt and excellent communicator. We’d stay here again in a heartbeat.
Markus J.
January 2022
This is a very cozy and well-kept house. It is very peaceful, except on weekend afternoons, when the beach area is rather busy.
Bethan J.
January 2022
This lovely home is perfectly situated for a family holiday. We stayed with my parents and my sister and brother-in-law. The three bedrooms and bathrooms were key to maintaining happy family dynamics, and the big living-dining area gave us plenty of space to eat and hang out together. Having the beach right across the street is amazing, and it was pretty magical to see sea turtles while standing on the shore!
The house is beautiful and has a real old Hawaii charm. All the plants and flowers in the garden add to the peaceful setting. As we were there over Christmas, we appreciated the holiday tablecloth and centerpiece on the dining room table as a nod to the occasion. At night, it is very quiet, except for the coqui frogs so if that will bother you, bring earplugs! I would stay here again in a heartbeat!
Samara S.
January 2022
The property was extremely comfortable for a family of 5. The owner’s description was accurate and she was very responsive and helpful in terms of making suggestions of where to explore and eat.
The house is directly across the street from the ocean where large turtles nest on the rocks - so this was a really nice bonus!
Margie S.
January 2022
We had a great experience from the moment we stepped in the door, check in was easy and the house was well equipped and perfectly located for all our activities. We can’t wait to come back!
Lezlie M.
January 2022
Very interesting historical house in an amazing location. The park right across the street was great for snorkeling and swimming. Excellent communication with the host and we had everything we needed for our stay at this beautiful house.
William C.
December 2021
Historic Hawaiiana house. Hear the waves and coquis
at night, birds in the morning. Surrounded by mossy rock work with a huge front yard. Private, very clean. Thoroughly enjoyed everything.
kahea r.
December 2021
We staycation frequently and this is one of the few beach rentals that charge less for two people, which adds up, and it worked out well since we had a huge storm which mostly kept us indoors. The beach parks were closed by the storm but when there were breaks in the downpour we could check out the high surf by walking across the street with the oceanside all to ourselves. When it was howling rain like it mostly was, we were cozy in this romantic historic home and it still felt like vacation. We made espresso in the morning, sipped wine in the afternoon, and enjoyed the ambiance. Owner was very good about communication making sure we were safe and house was okay for us in the storm. As always, will be back.
Vincent K.
November 2021
This classic house is really beautiful from the hardwood floor on up. It was well maintained, very clean, and it was a pleasure returning when we had to leave. The property has rock walls and rock features around it in the greenery. The property manager gave us some excellent tips on what was new since our last trip, including Hilo Friday Night Market and The Bottle Shop. We hope to return soon.
Amir F.
November 2021
The property is first rate. The house was very clean and everything high quality. The grounds have Hawaiian features and plantings we had not seen before. As we are not ocean swimmers, we appreciated the small black sand beaches, the rocky shoreline and the view of Mauna Kea as being more interesting to us than being on a beach. This was a convenient location for seeing the east side of the island and the volcano as well.
Gabriella S.
October 2021
We stayed for three nights and loved it all. The wifi was solid for work when we had to work. The house has an amazing feel, so relaxing and like you're in a totally different place than anywhere else. Very private feel. Very clean and had plenty of everything. The little beaches and water access points were also totally different than anywhere else. We're Hilo fans now.
Meghan D.
September 2021
Beautiful, roomy, well maintained and clean. Really nice property. Non touristy beach neighborhood.
Maya L.
September 2021
This place is amazing. I feel lucky I was able to book it. The garden is beautiful, decor is outstanding, kitchen equipment is better than I have at home. Sary was very helpful with tips on Hilo. I was sorry I had to leave for work on the Kona side.
Trudi G.
September 2021
Kitchen is well equipped and interior furniture lovely.
Joe C.
September 2021
The house is beautiful, comfortably furnished, and located across the street from several fantastic beaches.
Here were the problems we encountered:
1. The house was not clean.
a) It looked like the master bathroom had not been cleaned at all (toilet, bathtub, floors, walls, mini blinds). We notified the property manager who promptly returned the next day, but she dropped-off a vacuum cleaner, rags and cleaning supplies for us. She did not clean anything we could identify. My wife spent two hours cleaning the floors and master bathroom while my aunt spent an hour cleaning the kitchen and her bathroom before they were acceptable.
b) We understand geckos poop, but almost every chair, bedspread, pillow, couch and rug in the house had at least one gecko poop stain.
c) The house had been nicely repainted inside in the last year or two, but there was white paint dripped on the floors, fixtures and counter tops throughout the house.
2. Because of its location near Hilo airport, I asked the manager in advance if the airplane noise was bad. She said, “Because of the flight patterns, we rarely hear the planes. Wind shifts make the difference and sometimes they go overhead, probably once every few days.” While generally correct, we heard loud planes several times a day.
3. The house includes two large tanks of gas with instructions to switch to the backup tank if one runs out. Both tanks ran out within three days. The owner was very responsive and replaced them the next morning, but we went without showers (after a long 7-mile hike) one evening. Fortunately, dinner had just finished cooking when the gas ran out. Someone should have noticed both tanks were nearly empty. [The owners kindly bought us a bottle of wine for the trouble.]
4. Three of the smoke alarms in the house are missing or disconnected. I believe this is illegal — especially for a rental house.
5. We were asked to bring the garbage cans to the curb. We barely generated one bag of trash during our 5-day stay, but the three garbage cans were already full! Sadly, the recycling can was full of regular trash (not recycling.)
Many of these issues would be understandable in a $200-300 per night rental. We understand this is the middle of a pandemic, but at $600 per night (incl. fees), this house should be as clean as a hotel room. The manager is clearly milking this beautiful property for maximum income with minimum work.
Scott M.
August 2021
Beautiful beaches from the front window in a clean and comfortable home just as seen in the photos.
Ben D.
August 2021
Excellent location, directly across from the beaches, many options for beach going. The house was luxurious for me and my friend, being very bright, clean and well organized, including the kitchen which had everything we possibly needed when cooking a nice meals, and the layout of the house and grounds giving privacy and also options for hanging out together. We loved sitting at the table on the front lawn for dinner. This is about 10 minutes out from the town area, Farmer's Market, etc. Highly recommend.
Sari M.
August 2021
Spacious home on great property with excellent access to beautiful beaches right across the street. Main areas were lovely, well lit and comfortable. Bedrooms are unnecessarily and inconveniently dark -- better light fixtures would fix the issue. Kitchen and bathrooms were serviceable but could all use an update and a deep cleaning.
Kelli W.
August 2021
This vintage house is so different than the usual rental. It was also clean and very thoughtfully equipped. The location is amazing. The beach area was fun and busy on Sunday with locals and on the weekdays we were able to explore the shoreline by ourselves. We appreciated being able to stay there and the hospitality of the property manager and owner.
LENA F.
August 2021
The house was very nice. My family loved the location. It was not very touristy, which is what we wanted. I wouldnstay again.
gail m.
July 2021
If you appreciate rustic elegance, you will love this property! We especially enjoyed the originality of the house. The rooms were comfortable and spacious. The kitchen was well stocked and the large dining table served as our daily gathering place. And the ocean is steps away from the front door. There was plenty of flora & fauna too! I would caution that those who don't like geckos for house guests (which we loved) and are looking for A/C - this might not be the house for you. But for those who want to more natural Hilo experience, I would highly recommend!
Rich S.
July 2021
Loved the feel of this property and house. Beautiful view, subtle old time island feel. Property manager was professional and responsive, very considerate and had cold sparkling water waiting for us. Hired a private yoga session on the front lawn. Will be back.
Alex G.
July 2021
We were two family groups with 2 teens on a first-time trip to Hilo and the Big Island and found this home to be a fun tropical experience. The house was comfortable for all of us, the grounds are lush green with lots of vegetation and flowers and the ocean is just in front across the road. We knew the house does not have A/C but did not expect we would need it. However, it turns out that the Ohana (guest house) was very hot and we had to move the mattress to the floor in the main house for our two kids to sleep. The main house was fine with the fans but the master suite was hot with just a slow speed on the ceiling fan. When we explained the heat situation to the owner she basically brushed it away. We would have expected something like ... 'I will look into it'. Otherwise, a good place to stay.
Maile W.
June 2021
Amazing location with snorkeling and swimming in the fresh water springs in the ocean a minute away. The back yard felt like a jungle and the area was just exotic and lush to us. The house was stocked with coconut shampoo and the property manager gave us a local coffee welcome gift because we asked about coffee farms. We were surprised by how loud the coquies are and how many geckos but it goes with the rainforest feeling. It was a terrific little getaway.
Sienna B.
June 2021
Stately house with tropical feel in a terrific location. It was spacious, very clean and organized, and just lovely. Sary the property manager welcomed me at the house and gave helpful ideas of Hilo and Makuu Farmers Market. I appreciated that I could rent for a lower price for just two of us instead of paying for a group like most houses in the area. We snorkeled twice on Saturday at the nearby beach park and my advice is to go early in the day before it gets busy. When booking I was charged by VRBO for a trip cancellation policy which I did not order, but they promptly refunded it.
Dan F.
May 2021
We really loved this house. It’s even nicer than the pictures indicate, and had very thoughtful touches throughout. We enjoyed playing bocce ball on the front yard and walking across to the beach. A great spot for accessing this side of the island, and we’d stay here again without question.
Chris P.
April 2021
The location is beautiful and unique in my experience. Right across from small beaches and rocky shoreline to explore. We walked straight into the water across the street. As others have said, it's close to attractions but feels far away. The beautiful house is surrounded by gardens, tropical plants and rock walls and stairs. Sary opened the house and showed us around. She is extremely responsive and informative. Highly recommend.
BRYAN A.
April 2021
Charming home near the ocean - a throwback to old Hilo town when travel was a luxury. Owner/Manager doing a great job in restoring this soon to be histori home.
kahea r.
March 2021
This is probably my third or fourth time here. This time it was just me and it was paradise. The beach parks and road in front on a holiday were very busy so be aware of that factor, and I wouldn't stay along the beach by myself again on a holiday for the noise factor but would stay if I had someone to talk to rather than just listen to other people. The rest of the weekend was fine and weekdays were uncrowded and generally deserted before noon. The house is amazing, robes, nice soap and shampoo, nice wine glasses, espresso machine, nice kitchen stuff including nice dishes, privacy from the street, ocean view, table to eat outside on the lawn, lounge chairs for the back yard, beautiful gardens. And the location is unbeatable. Sary and the owner have good communication and the house is very clean.
Jessie D.
March 2021
We LOVED the property. Walk down the driveway to black sand beaches. The entryway was very functional and included fresh flowers inside. No AC but not needed. We even had to shut the windows bc it got too cool in March. The frogs sang us to sleep each night. The interior of the home was open spacious. We loved the hardwood floors and newer appliances. Just across the street was a nice ocean park where we dove from the shore. There were tons of fish and nice corals. Restaurants were close buy and the property manager met us on site when we checked in to help us get in and answer any questions. Was a great experience.
Britt B.
March 2021
Wonderful. This lovely house feels very private. I ate at the table on the lawn in the beautiful front yard or at the table inside to enjoy some ocean view. The house was very clean, the kitchen was very nicely equipped, the furnishings including the bed high quality. The location is unbeatable, at the edge of Hilo and with swimming at the black sand beach across the street. The beach parks along the street are popular with local families on the weekends. Highly recommend.
Use the "Visit Owner's Website" link to read more reviews from the reservation site, including the latest reviews submitted by recent guests.