Hilo Hotels: Where to Stay in Hawaii

Hilo hotels cluster along Banyan Drive on Hilo Bay, with a few inns and hostels tucked inland. This guide covers the best hotels in Hilo, Hawaii, we could confirm from official sites and booking listings. You will find a full-service resort, a bayfront hotel with 286 rooms, two budget bayfront options, a rainforest inn near a waterfall, and two small stays in town. We also list the Banyan Drive hotels now closed so you do not book a ghost. We quote no rates because prices change daily.

Compare Hilo, Hawaii hotels on Expedia

Hotels in Hilo, Hawaii: Where to Stay in Hilo

Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo, a DoubleTree by Hilton

The Grand Naniloa is the closest Hilo comes to a full resort. The hotel stands at 93 Banyan Drive, Hilo, HI 96720. Call the hotel at 808-969-3333.

The official site lists guest rooms and suites with Hilo Bay views from private lanais. Guests can use a fitness center, a lobby bar, a pool and lounge area, and The Spa at Grand Naniloa. The hotel stages live hula performances on Wednesday through Sunday evenings, according to its website. The site also lists an 18-hole golf course and Hilton Honors membership.

A Travelocity listing shows check-in from 4:00 PM and check-out before 11:00 AM. The same listing mentions a daily resort fee and paid parking. We do not quote amounts, so confirm both costs before you book.

Pick the Naniloa if you want a pool, a spa, on-site dining, and the most amenities in Hilo.

Hilo Hawaiian Hotel

Older guides call this property the Castle Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Castle Resorts now lists the hotel as the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel at 71 Banyan Drive, Hilo, HI 96720. Some booking pages add the label Trademark Collection by Wyndham, and others keep the older name. Call the reservations line at 877-367-1912 to confirm the current operator.

The Castle Resorts site lists check-in at 3 PM and check-out at 11 AM. The hotel has 286 rooms and suites, including studios and one-bedroom units. Some rooms face the Banyan gardens and others face the bay. Lovebigisland.com also lists 286 bayfront rooms with private lanais.

Guests can use a freshwater pool, a sun deck, complimentary parking, free Wi-Fi in common areas, and a 24-hour front desk. The hotel also has a gift shop, a beauty salon, and laundry facilities. Bull Shed Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. Waioli Lounge serves small bites with live music.

Liliuokalani Gardens lies next door, according to the hotel. Hilo Bay is steps away. Choose this hotel if you want a large bayfront property with free parking and a restaurant on site.

Hilo Reeds Bay Hotel

Reeds Bay is a family-run budget hotel at 175 Banyan Drive. A travel listing gives the phone as 808-934-7277. Expedia places the hotel near Coconut Island Park and the Port of Hilo.

Expedia lists an outdoor pool with sun loungers, free Wi-Fi in public areas, laundry facilities, and daily housekeeping. Rooms have kitchenettes with a microwave and a refrigerator. Check-in runs from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Check-out is at 11:00 AM. The front desk staffs the hours from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and guests must be 21 to check in.

One travel listing says rooms have no air conditioning and the building has no elevator. We found this on a single source, so call the hotel to confirm. Guests with mobility needs should ask about ground-floor rooms. The same listing mentions noise from waves, coqui frogs, and the nearby airport.

Pick Reeds Bay if you want a bayfront location and a kitchenette at a low cost, and you can live without modern extras.

SCP Hilo Hotel

SCP Hilo sits on Banyan Drive. The hotel website gives the address as 126 Banyan Drive. Go Hawaii and Lovebigisland.com list 126 Banyan Way. The two sources also give different phone numbers, 808-935-9347 on the hotel site and 808-935-0821 on Go Hawaii. We print neither as final. Use the contact details on scphotel.com/hilo.

The hotel site says SCP Hilo sits off Highway 11 and about 3 miles from Hilo International Airport. Go Hawaii lists complimentary beach cruisers, paddleboards, fitness facilities, an on-site market, and rooms with pool access. The site describes a focus on local experiences such as farm tours, lei making, and coconut tastings.

An Expedia page for the hotel still carries the web address name Hilo Seaside Hotel, which hints at an earlier name. Old guides also called SCP family-run, with a koi pond and free breakfast. We found no source for those claims, so we dropped them. Ask about breakfast when you book.

Pick SCP Hilo if you want a mid-range base with bikes and boards for Hilo Bay.

The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls

This inn sits inland at 100 Kulaniapia Drive, Hilo, HI 96720. Travelsquire lists 808-935-6789 as the phone. The article carries no date, so confirm the number on waterfall.net.

The inn website lists four Asian-inspired buildings. The Residence has five rooms, including a large suite. Harmony House has six rooms with waterfall views. Jade Cottage stands apart with its own lanai. The Pagoda Guest House has a full kitchen. Guests receive a daily breakfast with Kona coffee and high-speed Wi-Fi. The property runs on hydroelectric power from the falls.

The inn has no air conditioning, according to its own site. Trails, bamboo gardens, and swimming areas surround the buildings. The inn also offers waterfall rappelling tours, and its site lists the price. We skip the amount here, so check the current rate with the inn.

Travelsquire describes a second option called The Farm, with simple cabins and no electricity. The inn site does not mention the cabins, so ask whether they still exist. Pick Kulaniapia if you want a quiet stay near a waterfall and can accept a drive into town.

Budget Stays and Small Inns in Hilo

Not every visitor wants Banyan Drive. Two smaller stays serve travelers who want a simple room in town.

Hilo Town Inn

Hilo Town Inn stands at 132 Punahoa Street, Hilo, HI 96720. Call 808-938-7857. The inn website describes five bedrooms. Lovebigisland.com adds Wi-Fi, free parking, and some rooms with kitchens, and says the inn reopened in 2025 under new management. We found the reopening claim in one source only, so ask about the current owner and room types.

Arnott’s Lodge and Hiking Adventures

Arnott’s Lodge sits at 98 Apapane Road, Hilo, HI 96720. The lodge lists phone and text at 808-339-0921 and an alternate line at 808-969-7097. The lodge site lists private rooms in a six-bedroom house, one to three bedroom suites, shared apartments, and tropical camping. Suites have kitchenettes. All guests get free Wi-Fi and a TV room with cable.

The lodge organizes tours, including Mauna Kea summit trips for sunset and stargazing. Last check-in for camping is 5 PM. This stay suits solo travelers, backpackers, and groups, since the lodge says the property can host up to 70 guests.

Closed Banyan Drive Hotels to Skip

Several old guides still send readers to Banyan Drive properties with no guests today. Skip these.

Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel closed on 1 February 2016 after more than 50 years. The hotel had 150 rooms. The family cited lease uncertainty on the state-owned land. West Hawaii Today reported in 2025 a vacant lot now marks the site and the Hawaii Redevelopment Agency reached no consensus on its future.

The same report describes the Country Club Condo Hotel as shuttered and dilapidated. Do not book either property. If a booking site still lists one, treat the listing as stale.

The state is also weighing the future of the wider Banyan Drive district, according to the Hawaii Community Development Authority. Expect change along the bayfront. Confirm any property name before you pay.

Hotels Near Banyan Drive and Hilo Bay

Four of the stays above share Banyan Drive: the Grand Naniloa, the Hilo Hawaiian, Reeds Bay, and SCP Hilo. Staying here puts you on Hilo Bay with Liliuokalani Gardens close by. The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel site places the gardens next door.

Distances to the airport vary by source. The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel lists the airport at 2 miles. SCP lists about 3 miles. Use a map app for your exact route.

Guests who want a quieter setting should look at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls. Guests who want a cheap room in town can call Hilo Town Inn or Arnott’s Lodge.

Hotels Near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Hilo Attractions

Most Hilo hotels work as a base for day trips. The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel site lists Hawaii Volcanoes National Park at 45 minutes by car. SCP lists the park, Rainbow Falls, and Mauna Kea among nearby sights.

The National Park Service says a two-year project is repairing or removing damaged buildings and infrastructure at the summit. The work causes road closures and delays. Call the park at 808-985-6011 or read the park alerts before you go.

The Pacific Tsunami Museum stands at 130 Kamehameha Avenue, phone 808-935-0926. Its site lists weekend hours from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM during a museum revitalization. Confirm the schedule before you visit.

Plan to drive. We found no sourced details on local transit, so check with your hotel about shuttles and rideshare.

How to Choose a Hotel in Hilo

Resort seekers should start with the Grand Naniloa. The spa, pool, and hula evenings set the property apart.

Families and groups should compare the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and the Grand Naniloa. The Hilo Hawaiian has 286 rooms, free parking, and a freshwater pool.

Budget travelers should call Reeds Bay, Hilo Town Inn, and Arnott’s Lodge. Reeds Bay gives you a kitchenette on the bay. Arnott’s Lodge gives you shared and private options.

Nature lovers should look at the Inn at Kulaniapia Falls. Expect no air conditioning and a quiet setting.

Before you pay, confirm the property name, the total with taxes and fees, the parking charge, the resort fee, and the cancellation policy. Compare the total on two booking sites and by phone.

What We Checked and What We Could Not

We checked the Grand Naniloa against its official site and a Travelocity listing. We checked the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel against the Castle Resorts site and Lovebigisland.com. We checked Reeds Bay against Expedia and a second travel listing. We checked SCP Hilo against its own site and Go Hawaii. We checked Kulaniapia against its site and Travelsquire. We took the closures from Hotel Online and West Hawaii Today. We took park details from the National Park Service.

We could not confirm current rates, the SCP street name and phone, the Kulaniapia phone, or whether Hilo Town Inn recently reopened. We dropped older claims we could not source, including a cultural center at the Naniloa, Hawaiian entertainment at the Hilo Hawaiian, and free breakfast at Reeds Bay and SCP. Phone numbers and policies change. Confirm each detail with the property before you travel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Hilo has a short, honest lodging list. The Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo gives you the most amenities. The Hilo Hawaiian Hotel gives you scale and free parking. Reeds Bay, SCP Hilo, Hilo Town Inn, and Arnott’s Lodge cover budget and mid-range needs. The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls adds a rainforest stay. Uncle Billy’s stays closed. Call ahead, confirm the current property name and policies, and book early for your trip to Hilo.

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