We travel the world and always look for unique, relaxing, comfortable places to stay. I never -…read moreEVER - toss out 5 stars. This place would've earned six. Time of stay: 8-11 Mar 2014 Weather: Tropical low (think 1-2 in/hour rain for 22 of 24 hours for 3 days) Sierra (the homeowner) makes this house feel like home! Without such a grand house, I doubt that our solid-rain visit would have been as pleasant and successful as we'd hoped! By comparison, we visited the hotels on Hilo Bay and to a one, they were all rundown, shabby, and uninspiring. One master bedroom with a generous bathroom, one bedroom with a full hallway bath, and a double-bed futon in the family room, plus a full kitchen and screened, covered, walk around porch make this house fully functional for 6. Cable TV proves that 50+ Time-Warner channels provides nothing worth watching (grin), but it comes with WiFi. Bring a HDMI-HDMI cable to port your Netflix to the TV. There are games, books and magazines as well. The kitchen is stocked with all normal utensils and often condiments from prior visitors, but you'll want to do your own grocery shopping. Sierra will leave some items for you upon arrival - fruit, nuts, candies, etc. With the tea candles, it makes for a very lovely arrival after a long trip to Hilo. The view from the rear porch is nothing short of mesmerizing! You will be looking out over your own small waterfall and pond, safe for swimming, 20 feet below your deck. The trek to the pond is a bit challenging, but those without severe joint disease or a walking aid can make it. I recommend "beach shoes" for swimming. Wake up to brew some 100% Kona coffee, fry up some eggs and ham, and you'll be ready to take on a day of sight-seeing, knowing that your home-away-from-home is just 30 minutes away to wash and dry your clothes, have a nice meal (or drive 5-10 minutes to any of the good restaurants in town), and enjoy a great night's rest. Sierra also provided a rental vehicle - Honda CRV van. Plenty of room for 6 with luggage. The back-up camera is essential for backing into the 10%-grade (down) driveway, or you can park on a gravel lot at the top of the hill. You can't miss the coco frogs, as they make their presence known - very loudly - all night long. Combined with the falls - and our errant tropical storm - I was awakened just once. The majority of the time the sound was welcome "white noise." In fact, I cannot recall when I'd been so rested on a vacation! This was the nicest rental I can recall in 12+ years of travel in CONUS and abroad. (Note - Don't miss the air tours over the volcano, as you cannot see the lava from the ground, due to a recent change in lava flows. If helicopters aren't your thing, the locals have a Part 135 (airline level) service using 4 and 7-person Cessnas. As a GA pilot myself, I knew to look for these, and we much-preferred this tour to helicopter. It is also MUCH cheaper and you will see the same or more.)

We arrived late at night on our first night at Aloha Falls. It was so dark that we hardly could…read morepark our car and find our way into the house. Unfortunately, the owner had double booked the house by mistake... so we had to stay the first night in the ground-floor level of the house. So, when we walked into the house in pitch darkness to find unfinished basement-like place...We felt like we had made the biggest mistake of our lives. We were hoping it wouldn't end like a horror film with us murdered. When we woke up the next morning and went outside, we were blown away by the beautiful greenery, fruit trees, and waterfall. When we moved to the upstairs of the house, we found a beautiful spa-like home with everything you could want and more in a Hawaii getaway. Besides the slight hiccup on our first night there...the rest of the stay was wonderful. Next time we visit the Big Island, we will definitely make sure to stay at Aloha Falls again.

After a week in busy Waikiki this was the perfect relaxing end to our vacation. The lanai outside…read moreis great for early morning coffee and the sound of the waterfall. The frogs at night were enjoyable to me to fall asleep too. There are some downsides, the doors off the master bedroom have no screens, mismatched towels are aesthically unpleasing, and there are not enough plates and NO serving dishes. 4 stars is for location.

beautiful location, home needs some improvement, good management companyread more

Lotus Garden Hilo The Lotus Garden is a proper garden with…read morenative Hawaiian landscaping and natural plants growing everywhere, filling the space with life. It is a compound of different types of living quarters. My favorite place is a studio on th main street. It is a sexy room with a separate sitting area to sip coffee in the mornings. You can hear the energy of morning musings. The outdoor shower has a great water feature that lulls you into sleep like a lullaby. Peace and tranquility reign here. If you are looking for the big box, first-world amenities, don't stay here. There are birds chirping, Coqui frogs and even a few mosquitoes. If you want air condition and perfectly coiffed lawns, go stay somewhere else. But, If you want to "feel" like you are in Hawaii- stay here. Bring your walking shoes because you literally walk to everything you need. KTA is literally across the street. Close to the farmers' market and shopping at all the unique shops in Hilo. Meg and Jasper are a delight. No matter what I have asked of them, they do their best to accommodate. French pressed coffee in the morning, and a Kendrick's and tonic in the evening. If you are lucky, Jasper may play you a song and Meg will tell you of her adventures. Don't just stay one time- this place is always evolving just like a lotus flower, a symbol of rebirth.

Rustic accommodations in a tropical paradise. This location is in the heart of Hilo, with close…read moreproximity to local fine dining, groceries, and the local farmer's market. This hidden gem provides cottages in a lush garden with a koi pond, serene statues and the sounds of nature in the evening. Access to local venues with live music and shaved ice around the corner. Easy free parking across the street. Cottages featuring nature's air conditioning, small kitchen, private living room, porch, and private bathroom. Stroll through the lush garden area and check out the koi pond.

Never buy property from this company. They lie right to your face. Say they will have rubbish…read moreremoved and house cleaned and agree to everything you point out during final walk through. Then after closing told me my clean is different than theirs. Took 15k to clean what they said would be cleaned. Very bad business and the lying was unreal. Totally not professional. And I paid full asking price. Also their seller took items from property like microwave and washer and they gave us $50 to replace them. I guess the cost of things is different in their minds than reality also. Ten thumbs down to Greg!!

Renter beware. They put us up in a spot with DEAFENINGLY LOUD JACKHAMMERING CONSTRUCTION taking…read moreplace directly outside the master bedroom window from early morning and continuing all day. I spoke to the construction company and they said that the construction had been ongoing for some months and that they have this conversation with a new tenant "about every three days". So loud it literally shakes the house. SWRE moved us to a smaller, less nice place and then ghosted when we asked them to refund the difference in price between the two places.

If you're staying in Hilo, I would highly recommend this place! There are so many good things that…read moreI can go on and on about. The location is quiet and peaceful with lots of plants and trees. Each guest has a designated parking spot marked with specific colors which makes it very nice and organized. The kitchen is shared by multiple guests and the cabinets are color coordinated so stick to your color so you don't accidentally eat your neighbors pineapple! They even provide a list of things you can do (generally on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) for their guests. You must check out Uncle Roberts night market (I think it's on Wednesday and Saturday night, but please double check). Also, shoutout to the sweetest girl Dakota for making fresh bread daily! You've inspired me to bake bread at home. I can't believe how easy it is! We cannot wait to stay here again the next time we visit the big island!

From the owner: We at Greenwillmind aim to encourage individual and societal mindfulness by offering space to…read morelike-minded travelers who value the core principles of truth, beauty, patience, kindness and love as well as have a deep respect for community and the natural environment. May you find space, rest, peace, joy & harmony at one of our vacation properties of on the Big Island of Hawai'i and spread the Aloha where ever you may go.

Just moved in. Affordable. Especially for an ocean view. Can hear traffic but I dont mind because…read morewhen the bedroom door is closed you cant hear anything (well i cant anyway). I also feel the temperature is really good for hilo. I didnt wake up sweating! Rent includes water and trash. We pay for electric and internet. Staff seems chill. They promptly replaced the broken stove in our unit which was nice. Our particular unit doesnt have updated flooring but it is easy to clean so thats good. The doors all are really well hung. But it makes them slam easy. The closet doors however are rather rickety in our unity. One doesnt stay on its track. The kitchen sink doesnt have the filter so the water kinda splashes everywhere. Bathroom sink is fine though and water pressure is nice. You can have service animals but most people seem to have their own pets anyway. No mess or barking and i think you should be fine. PARKING. this is really annoying. There is only one space per unit. Even though we have a two bedroom. Theyre not labelled either so it was frustrating finding the correct one even with the office's instructions. Theres a crazy lady who yells if you park in her spot and reported my room mates friend. THERE IS NO GUEST PARKING, you have to park on the road! For me right now everything works out but the parking really ticks me off because theres three people in our unit and get togethers will be annoying for friends to park.

From the owner: Located just outside Hilotown, Hilo Val Hala Apartments is the perfect place to call "na hale."…read moreWith nearby shopping, cafes and the Hilo Farmer's Market, you will find everything you need to truly embrace the spirit of Aloha.