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.

The most magical vacation home we have ever stayed at! The online photos, while beautiful cannot do…read moreit justice!

It has been a few months since our stay but it feels just like yesterday. Perhaps one of the most…read moreamazing vacation rentals ever. This vacation home is a tropical paradise with all the creature comforts of home. Everywhere you look there is a view. The view of the waterfall alone will leave you breathless, but each of the bedrooms are completely isolated from the rest of the house and the kitchen/dining area is about 25 yards from the rest of the rooms with an amazing 260 degree view of the river and waterfall. At night the sounds of the Hawaiian Hilo jungle will lull you to sleep. The frogs are so loud at night you will swear you are the last people on earth. Hilo is a short walk and you can avoid seeing anyone for days if that's your thing. We loved our time on the Big Island, but loved our stay at The Falls at Reeds Island even better.

Wow! What an incredible visit we had at this amazing retreat. The drive in was breathtaking. The…read moregrounds are so beautiful and well taken care of and the ocean view from the property is very serene and calming. We stayed in the Rainbow cottage and couldn't have asked for a more perfect atmosphere. Everything was super clean and welcoming, with all the standard amentities. They have a booklet with tons of information about the area and recommendations for food, sights, etc. After a long day traveling, the hot tubs were heaven sent. We soaked while listening to the birds and frogs at a perfect temperature. There are two tubs and both were exceptionally clean and fresh. They are private from each other and we used them almost every morning. I highly recommend walking along the steam vent trail. It's so peaceful and relaxing. There are tons of fruit trees that you can pick from on the grounds too. I just fell in love with this place and we are already planning a visit back to this gem of a retreat.

This place is absolutely amazing. For a truly unique experience of a post volcanic eruption in the…read moremost heavenly paradise with the most kind and gracious hosts, spend a couple days here. The steam vent trail is fascinating as are their steam heated soaking tubs. Fruit bearing trees of all types are ripe for the picking. The nearby town Pahoa is a rare delight on this island - more like Hanalei in Kauai or Paia in Maui or the North Shore of Oahu. The ocean front drive to Pohoiki is other worldly through mango tree covered roads and past the massive destruction of the 2018 volcanic eruption (very safe now). This place will rejuvenate your soul and a must see on any trip to the big Island.

This place is amazing! I mean look at the view from the window, blue sky, blue ocean and trees…read moreeverywhere. It was my second time staying with them. This time I stayed there only for the weekend to relax and recharge batteries. My unit was very clean and had updated kitchen and bathroom. The host left for me fresh fruit and flowers, so sweet of her. She was easily to reach to answer any questions or recommend attractions. She also showed me her coca trees and orchard so hopefully next time I'll be able to taste her homemade chocolate. I will definitely stay there next time I'm in Hilo. Btw it's only 20 min drive to dt of Hilo. Mahalo for the great weekend!

From the owner: The OLA Kai Hawaii Vacation Rentals are three separate units located along the lush, East coast of…read morethe Big Island of Hawaii. We aim to provide highest standard services to our guests. With a dedicated team who pays attention to detail, comfort and cleanliness our guests are well cared for. For larger groups of friends or families we recommend the OLA Kai Views property. 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms of very high quality standard. Additionally you have access to a shared large games studio with hot tub. For smaller families the OLA Kai Cottage is ideal. 2 1/2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Fun, modern and very cosy. Enjoy the games studio as well as the luxury of a large fruit yard. For private couples who like a serene environment and retreat for the soul we recommend the King's suite. This is a custom made 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms suite with separate kitchens situated at the lower floor of the owners property. Swimming pool in on the way!

Very misleading reviews! This place has NO air conditioning and trust me, it gets hot and humid in…read morethis part of the island. I'm from Florida and went in April 2018 and let me tell you we were miserable! Couldn't wait to get out of there! House is FULL of ants and smells like mildew and rotten wood! Look I have stayed in other places on the big island and been pleased ... they at least had AC in the bedrooms! You can find much better places to stay; I would NEVER recommend this place! To the owner: shame on you!

We stayed here in September of 2014 and can't wait to come back again. The house is so clean,…read morespacious and comfortable, but it's the ocean views that take your breath away. It's right smack on the ocean, but there are also great hiking trails that start right there. The owners were very helpful and provided everything we needed and stuff we never thought of like free kayaks and bikes. Sunrises are amazing and we saw a lot of turtles. The patio is huge with all kinds of seating. We will never forget this quiet special place of beauty. You will love it.

5 stars just isn't enough for this beautiful paradise. We wanted something special, quiet, non…read moretouristy and this place was exactly what we had hoped for. The views and sounds are nothing short of spectacular. The house has everything you need to be comfortable. It's very private. It's the PERFECT hideaway. Kristan is a lovely host and we hope to be able to come back again someday.

I stayed two nights here with my wife on our honeymoon. This place is awesome. A spectacular view…read more A beautiful garden. It's also tucked away and oh so private. All the widows in the front of the house overlook the ocean and the valley. It has a wonderful jacuzzi tub that is almost outside just a screen separating you from the great outdoors. The only thing I could ask for was another night here.

The best!!!!!! If I can give 10 stars I will, truly amazing. Randy was the best, hospitality is…read morebeyond expectation. The place is very serene, very clean and just magical . Thank you ! Will surely come back!

Randy and Allison have created one of the most inviting, relaxing, and comfortable specialty inns…read moreimaginable, and for an incredible reasonable price compared to a mainstream hotel. Mahana House is an off-the-beaten path tropical lodge (four rooms, one of which is a suite) that welcomes visitors to its South Pacific-themed oasis just outside of Hilo. We were here for three nights and about 95% of our time here in January there was a constant downpour. My husband and I both came to the conclusion that we were incredibly fortunate that we unknowingly chose to stay at an beautifully manicured inn that made staying indoors and watching the rain actually very enjoyable. We were roomed in the main suite, which was perfectly decorated and furnished, had a semi-full kitchen (including a microwave, fridge, bowls/cups/silverware/etc, along with tea and coffee), spacious bathroom, and a veranda that looked out over the coast and a gorgeous field of grass and trees, complete with comfortable outdoor furniture and tables. Tranquility abounds on this property thanks not only to the surrounding gorgeous countryside but all the small homey touches that Randy and Allison have created to make this an unparalleled vacation house. Not only was our room a welcoming and pleasant place to be, but so was the main common area, an immaculately and luxuriously furnished living room, with a massive kitchen stocked with the basics, and ample seating area both indoors and outdoors. Other perks: an incredibly comfortable king-sized Sleep Number bed, free laundry, a substantial stock of beach supplies, earplugs for the noisy little coqui frogs, coolers/ice packs for day trips, a vast collection of books in the main common area, a thoughtful guide (compiled by Randy and Allison) in each room about exploring the island, and nearby hosts who offer pretty much any help that is needed. Google Maps provides accurate directions to the house, but there are also a few signs pointing you the right way once you are off the main highway. Highly recommend, and would undoubtedly return next time we are in the Hilo area!

I struggled with this review. There are many positive things about this place and just as many…read morenegative things. So, let's start with what we liked about the place. The home was once a beautiful home. The entry way is impressive. We stayed in Unit 4 and it could comfortably accommodate a family or two couples. Even though there were other people staying in the home, we rarely saw or heard them. The grounds were once beautiful. The view is spectacular. Our television channel selection was good and the internet worked fine. The bed was surprisingly comfortable. Sounds pretty good, right? Well, the home is not being maintained. It needs painting on the outside, cracks filled, etc. The first day we were there, I opened the slider screen door and it fell off, bounced back and struck me in the forehead. It was rusted on the bottom. One of the beautiful doors in one of the bedrooms had the glass missing from the door and they had covered it with plastic it. So, the plastic constantly flapped when there was a slight breeze. Additionally, there are spaces in the plastic and the door jamb allowing for wasps to come in. We killed 8 very large wasps. This is a problem since I am allergic to wasps and I had forgotten my Epi-pen. We ended up closing the bedroom door and sealing the room to prevent the wasps from coming into the common areas. This was not disclosed to us prior to us arriving. There is mold along the edge of the bathroom and the floor. We had housekeeping services two of the seven days we stayed there. We walked down to the cliff's edge and ran into numerous spider webs, all containing spiders. The driveway is pretty but terribly impractical. There are large rock pavers with ground covering growing in between. This makes for a muddy mess when it rains and you are trying to drag your luggage through it. The spot light does not stay on long enough to be able to see you from the car to the front door. The nearest restaurant, etc is about 8 miles away. While this house has so much potential, we would not stay there again nor would we recommend it to anyone.

This place is beautiful and at such a good price. Previous…read morereviews are ridiculous and rude, If you want a high end hotel then go pay for one! Yes there was no a/c and trust me I am an a/c kind of person, but the weather was nice and there were ceiling fans and at night the sound of the rain was soothing. The place does look like it's aged a little more then the pictures from years ago, but that's given with the rainy weather and being right by the beach. There are very few bugs I seen one, but your in Hawaii... what did you expect! My only complaint is I wish there were more pillows. But for $100 a night it came with a very large room, bathroom, and sectioned off dining area. Plus they don't tack on large surprise fees like hotels do. There is also a bbq area in the very large yard if you'd like to use. This place is a great deal and only about 15min drive from Hilo town and across the street from zip lining and botanical garden. It's beautiful and private.