Nothing good to say about this place. We couldn't stay because it was bad from the moment we got there. Hot water would take 15-20 minutes to get to the shower. No ice machine, no internet, no TV, no place to set your luggage except the floor. The pictures must be old because when we got there it was more rundown. Stairs were sketchy and the place really needs some work all around. Unsure why anyone would give this place a 5 star review when I am giving it one star because you have to give something. Do not make a reservation unless you want to give your money away because they have it posted that if you have a complaint about this place built in 1911, it will not suffice to get a refund of your first day if you don't cancel 24 hours prior. I highly recommend asking to see your room and tour the property before choosing to stay there so you know what you are getting yourself in to. read more

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if I could give it minus stars I would. I urge you not to stay here. Everything is rundown what they call a superior room is a dump. They will tell you your room will have a king bed, but they give you a queen there are no phones, TV or alarm clock in the room & the toilet wobbles. There are holes everywhere. Someone tried to enter my room, and suddenly the manager claims it was a room check. I don't understand it and she didn't seem to care about my safety or the fact that I got an anxiety and had to sleep with when I open I didn't even feel safe to leave the room with my belongings to go into town to get something to eat. It was a nightmare. I didn't trust to leave my belongings for fear that someone would enter my room to steal them by the way, the manager says her family sleeps at the hotel. It's more like a motel dump. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Wild Ginger Inn. It's location is very convenient - you can even walk the 3 blocks to Downtown Hilo. It is an older property but that did not bother us - it is full of charm. If you're looking for a 5-star resort with all the amenities like air-conditioning and an exercise room, this is not it. But if you are seeking clean, comfortable lodging with Aloha spirit at a great rate - then you'll be glad you booked this Inn. From the Hawaiian music playing (quietly) in the lobby area to the decor to the plants throughout the property. Our room was comfortable and clean (daily housekeeping) and the included continental breakfast allowed us to get about our day. The owner was so friendly and welcoming, and provides tips on things to do and see. Lastly - take the time to admire the woodcarvings and Tiki in the common areas (we had the pleasure of talking with the artist - the proprietor's husband). read more

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This is the type of hotel that is sadly dying throughout most of the Hawaii islands. The formula is something like: - great prices - great location - smaller rooms - minimal amenities It seems like every hotel in HI these days is trying to be an all-inclusive hand-holding resort you never leave, with prices starting at $370/night. This place is, happily, NOT one of them. You can walk to all the great food and drink in Hilo. The rooms are as nice as the staff. The prices are right. And, speaking of amenities, this place does come from breakfast that is pretty damn respectable! Staying here is a no-brainier if you're on this side of the island! read more

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Very poor customer service. Do not recommended. Does not answer phone for questions or emails. read more

Do not stay. Better if you will sleep in your car. Place is extremely filthy. Plus thin walls are that tiny so you will hear everything from neighbours of your entire floor and the floor above you. The place needs a lot of renovations read more

Horrible experience at this hotel! We were greeted with so many bugs coming in through broken screens. (There's was no air conditioning so the windows were open).They were all over the beds, windows, in the shower. The bathroom was not clean. Stains on the bedspreads. The pictures online was not the room we were booked in. The property was extremely run down. When we spoke to the manager she refused a refund and we were given an email for the owners. The email was an automated response. When we asked her if she would sleep with bugs she did not respond. Do not waste your money and this dump. read more

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Please don't spend your money here. Look at my pictures and captions. In addition to all of that, the windows are rusted permanently open, the sheets look like someone already slept in them, I mean the sheet - NO top sheet, just a musty comforter. Their add says "old Hawaiian", but this is just plain hamagang, buss up, should I just sleep in my car, nasty! read more

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The website is very misleading! The room we were assigned was shabby with an inoperative chain lock and no deadbolt. The dresser/nightstand drawers would not stay closed due to the slanted floor, a window would not close and another was glued plexiglass to the wall. There was a plant growing in the tiny bathroom's window. Just gross! We returned that key and found a different place to stay. Received many emails afterwards thanking us for staying. Blah! read more

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DON'T BOOK HERE! I booked on Priceline, received a confirmation and then multiple texts, including one that stated there was an issue with water temperature and I could bathe on a different level of the property. I called to cancel my reservation as I hadn't packed anything to wear to go and from my room and got no answer. I NEVER CHECKED IN AND WAS BOOKED INTO THE PROPERTY ANYWAY. I attempted to resolve this both with the property, Priceline and my credit card company and I still have to pay the price for the night. read more

Literally an outright scam. I booked a room, got confirmation and everything, even got extra messages the day of checkin confirming my stay, showed up for checkin and was told they have no room, go away. They told me IN WRITING they'd fully refund me plus pay the difference, see attached photo. Wasted my entire evening scrambling to book another place last second for 50% more, missed dinner reservation and was penalized more $$. They proceeded to charge my card that night, see attached photo. Now after over a month and several calls and emails both from myself and hotels.com, not only no refund but they simply deny the entire thing and hang up. Hotels.com also told me too bad not their problem. Filing credit card fraud is the only way to maybe recover my money. read more

Wild Ginger Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Very disappointing! The web site looked great and the room would be spectacular - BUT NO! The room was smelly, open gaps to the outside in the single pane window, stained bed spread, toilet seat only bolted on one side (the other bolt missing). Horrible! Horrible! We checked in, went to the room, and found out how deplorable it was and how misleading the web site photos were. Then we went back to the check in desk. 10 minutes maybe. They would not give us our money back! Terrible guest service! Totally misleading! DO NOT STAY HERE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! we go to Hilo about every weekend! To bad this "hotel" is trash! read more

This hotel is totally misrepresented on Expedia. It's a mess. I think the on line pics are from a long time ago. Very sad. And no refund as you don't find out until you go to check in. read more

This place is DISGUSTING. The building literally looks like it should be condemned. The photos online are not accurate and must be from 30 years ago. Our room was full of spiders and mold. The shower floor and walls were covered in mold, mold in the bedroom. I counted at least a dozen spiders crawling on the wall within seconds of walking into the room. My room didn't even look like the photos and I felt like I needed a shower just standing in there. I've stayed in hostels in third world countries that were cleaner than this place. There also isn't even a proper working door lock on the room. We immediately went back up to the front desk, explained the situation and that we couldn't stay in that room. I asked for a refund and the girl at the front desk told me she needed to contact the owner to ask who was not on site. I called back two hours later, was told they hadn't heard back. Went back the next morning, another girl at the front desk said she would call the owner, she walked away and came back telling me the owner would not give me my money back. I asked to speak to him and she said that he would not take my call! DO NOT STAY HERE! This place is a literal scam set up to rip people off. Their other reviews must be fake. I noticed now several other people are making similar complaints. Stay away from this hell hole. read more

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Avoid this place! Where should I begin!? The whole vibe of the entry is something out of "Deliverance." The front desk clerk, a young female, is either aloof or just plain rude while appearing to be nice. The room itself is not sanitary. It should be called a Petri dish; an incubus of foreign contagion. Food items were left in the refrigerator from the previous guest. The clerk said that that is for our use. Are you kidding!? The window doesn't close so you cannot secure your room. The ceiling is cracked as well as the floor half eaten by termites. When we addressed it with the clerk she was indifferent. Her added response was "you don't have to stay here if you don't like it.... You won't get a refund." What she doesn't understand is that we don't even care if we get a refund. Human beings are not designed to Habitate in such a place. By the way. This is not a hotel. It's a hostel at best. Also, the clerk lied when she said that cancellation is impossible when the app allows it. We have a screen shot to prove it. I don't know if it will make a difference but I have contacted department of health and the better business bureau. How bad is a situation where I would even go to the trouble of notifying the authorities? On principle we refused to stay here and so should you! Buyer beware! Update; after vetting the photos and description I submitted to platinum Amex they fully refunded me read more

Very old Inn, with minor updates. But my room was very clean, and the linens smelled fresh. read more

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If I could give the wild ginger 0 starts I would. My family planned a trip to hawaii in May of this year and when it came time to check into the wild ginger we took one look at the room and left. There were bugs everywhere, the entire room was soaked. The carpet was wet, the bathroom floor was also wet, like literal pools of water on the tile in the room. It smelled like mold and cleaning products, and there was actual mold! I gagged walking into the room. The building looks like it should be condemned. I made a Yelp account just to let people know to stay away from this place! The Wild Ginger is dirty and disgusting and I do not recommend it to anyone! BEWARE OF THIS PLACE!!!!! read more

I gave the wild Ginger no stars at all. This place is a dive very unhappy very unhappy website is misleading and then when we tried to tell them we weren't gonna stay there. They tried to charge me for a full night $129 and I wasn't having it so we went to lunch called the credit card company and they got all the charges taken off, my friend then found us a better hotel and much nicer with a balcony overlooking the water and that's where we stayed. In fact we even extended our stay there one night. read more

Terrible customer service I received a call from Autum regarding payment which she was trying to run my card 2 days before my actual check in. I called her back and called the hotel but no response. Then she called back the next day to tell me she cancelled my reservations mind you I haven't even checked in yet. After her 2nd call I tried calling back 20x (yup 20x i have my phone history) and still NO one returned my call back...then I tried to book it again and then of course it was all booked...I mean if this is how they treat people I'm glad I didn't stay their. This is so unprofessional read more

Wild Ginger Inn is a nice hotel and hostel hybrid next to Downtown Hilo for those on a budget. Private rooms are available and it's a very simple basic and vintage place to sleep and stay at if you don't have high standards like me. There is no air conditioning available but the breeze coming through the windows is helpful as is the overhead fan. TV is also available along with a small refrigerator, microwave, and bathroom. The common area and lobby at the front of the property is large and spacious, though I did get bitten by mosquitos and other bugs while working on my laptop computer in the area. Speaking of which, the only wifi is in that area, and does not reach your rooms. The continental breakfast served daily from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM is pretty good. There is POG Juice, coffee, bread, papaya, little rice cakes, and more. read more

I have been trying for days to get a refund for "DOUBLE" charges this hotel has made without authorization. They have my son double booked and all attempts to reach someone lead to a frustrating circle. My son liked the place and I found the front desk staff to be friendly. It seems the owner is stonewalling and won't refund our charges even though they are double billings. If anyone knows Jason, please tell him I am not his enemy and that he should meet his responsibilities and refund the double billings ASAP! I hate filing disputes through credit cards!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Although the owners seem to be trying to restore this historic hotel it has a long way to go. And it's loud. Right off a main drag and lots of coque frogs around. The breakfast was included but pretty scant and little things like no milk for coffee, no water for tea could be improved. read more

Disclaimer: The place is apparently going through a change of ownership as I write this, so hopefully things will improve, but as of right now, be warned: The Wild Ginger Inn is SWARMING with termites! I mean dozens IN MY ROOM this evening, apparently attracted by the light. I fled and turned the light off, in hopes they will find another spot to party and I can return in relative peace in a bit. I'd been hoping this place would be decent and functional -- for the price I didn't expect more -- but sharing my room with masses of six-legged, winged roommates is really more than I bargained for. Ick. read more

If I could give ZERO stars I would. Please do not book here! Save yourself the stress. We had booked 2 nights here when we were in a pinch for lodging and later found some lodging so we tried to cancel. We understand that they have a 24hr policy for cancellations so we asked for a refund for the second night, we were told that was possible but we would have to leave the hotel that same night before 9 pm. We we're on property for a total of 15 mins, not using any amenities. Upon calling back about the refund we were told that their policy is now 48 hours and they cannot give us the refund. Still in the process of getting at least half a refund for a hotel we didn't even stay at. They are hard to contact, they do not have good managment, and they are overall an unprofessional business. On top of all of this the area and building is sketchy and does not feel like a safe environment. I would stay clear of this hotel and find something in town with better customer service, comfortable lodging, and an accomodating staff. read more

Needed a place close to the Hilo airport and port of Hilo that wasn't ridiculously expensive. Found Wild Ginger and read it's assortment of reviews to discover it was under relatively new ownership by a young couple. I'm SO glad I picked this place to stay! The place is historic, built 1911 for the sugar plantation workers and remodeled as a hotel 1930. If you're looking for foo-foo amenities, this isn't the place for you. If you want a flavor of REAL Hawaii; local fruits for breakfast, warm aloha spirit and a beautiful garden outside the patio, this is the spot! The room was clean and just big enough for our one night stay (king bed, closet, bathroom, fridge & fans). Complimentary breakfast of croissants, muffins, bagels, fresh cut pineapple, fresh cut papaya, chilled rambutan, coffee and Passion Fruit/Orange/Guava (POG) juice was so yummy and satisfying! read more

Worst hotel and room I ever payed over $125 dollars for and I have traveled extensively throughout the country. After I had booked the day prior and arrived 2 nice Austrian girls were working the front desk on an internship program. They had told me that they couldnt find the key which I was surprised, and thought maybe they are still cleaning the room, but not the case. I was patient but when I got the key I checked into my room. It was filthy and they do not have A/C which they don't advertised the carpet was stained and had cereal and other food crumbs on the floor. the bathroom screen was covered at a border with wet tissue instead of being replaced. The sheets later to find out upon my return as I had a dinner meeting and graduation to attend was dirty with folded tape and paper in the sheets not knowing where they came from. The pictures don't reflect anything of aesthetic pleasantry or comfort in the Hospitality arena. The parking lot is filled with craters and pot holes- just poor advertisement. Too much noise at night and frankly have a cough from my stay which makes me think that they may have a mold issue there. I would not recommend this Inn at all- should be a condemed site for rebuild. read more

Downtown but quiet across the lil white bridge Location is Phenomenal! An acre of fruit trees and a block from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Lee was a doll, owner, cashier, Server, concierge, positively delightful. As a female traveling alone I felt super safe here! Pete the curious kitten protected me, so cute, not to mention the gregarious 5 year old shooting rainbows everywhere with his mischievous smile. These new owners will restore this historic iconic site to a "must see & stay" within the year. If you just need a clean comfy bed with no frills and fresh "tree to table" fruit breakfast... search no More! support this local family run business!! read more

The hotel has an old school charm to it. It is located just a few minutes from the center of town. The room was very comfortable. The owners, Lee and Jason, have Aloha spirit and are most hospitable. The entry way has amazing sculptures in either wood or sandstone, which Jason had carved himself. If I need a room in Hilo again, Wild Ginger would be my first choice. Dave read more

I miss waking up at the hostel every morning... We had two large windows that overlooked the ocean and lush greenery Hawaii has to offer all around us. I remember our room filling with sunlight early in the morning letting me know it's time to get some delicious breakfast the staff has prepared. There were a couple of staple items on the menu: papaya (my sister would get 4-5 of these), bibingka (sweet, little rice cakes) and toast spread with a jelly of your choosing. My personal favorite was the guava jelly! We stayed in a room that sleeps 6 for about a week. For the majority of the time, it was just us. When people did stay with us, they were in and out. A couple of them worked at the hostel too. All of them were polite and helpful when we had questions about navigating the area. The bathroom in our room had two sinks and a separate room for the tub and toilet. Our beds were bunkbeds that look like they're made of bamboo (maybe they are?), 2 mini fridges, and storage to keep your things. They also offer bicycle rentals. If you want to rent a car, there's a station for different car rental businesses by the airport. What I cannot say enough good things about is the staff at the Wild Ginger Inn. They are our Ohana away from home. Everyone is so personable and accommodating which makes sense considering it's a family-run establishment. They will go above and beyond! From checking in and asking us about our adventures that day, to introducing us to all the best local spots, to wrapping a bandage around my foot when I fell in the lava fields of Pahoa! I had never experienced such hospitality before. I could name a million other kind things, but it's better that you experience the aloha spirit yourself. It's truly heart warming. Thanks for the great memories! Mahalo cousins :) read more

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Wonderful hotel that has so much charm. The views are spectacular. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The breakfast was beautifully presented and locally sourced. Watching the geckos outside our window was an added bonus. Lovely place to stay and the staff is very kind and accommodating. They helped us arrange a late check in on a holiday and ensured we had all the information necessary (despite me accidentally giving them a wrong phone number). Thank you, Wild Ginger Inn. We hope to stay shin in the future! read more

A hidden gem that is not hidden! Actually, its 2 blocks from downtown Hilo and a few really good restaurants (such as the best restaurant in Hilo, Naung Mai Thai Kitchen). This place has it all: ocean views from the hammock in the lush tropical yard, a charming mini rain forest in the lot next door, free wifi wireless Internet, very affordable rooms, free breakfast and clean rooms with fridge and TV. Hostel visitors find adventure by jumping off the 30 foot bridge which is a block away. read more

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So cute! Absolutely loved my time at the Wild Ginger inn! Not the best in terms of cleanliness, but the quaint decor, adorable lobby, and amazing views more than made up for any lack in updated amenities. The staff was sooo helpful and nice! Would come again. read more

Wild Ginger Hotel - View from the balcony/hallway of the Wild Ginger Inn! - Hotels Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I have to say I'm enjoying my stay here while doing my 14 day quarantine. It was built in 1911 I believe they told me and it's in very good condition considering. No A/C and to be honest didn't need it at all with the ceiling fan. The room I had was a king room with a TV , mini fridge and it has a huge walk in shower. The place is very clean and the staff that I've interacted with have been wonderful. Upon checking in they ask what you want for breakfast, fresh fruit , cakes , coffee etc. it's delivered by the most wonderful woman with a big smile around 8ish. You here her going down the breezeway in front of the rooms saying "Good Morning " it's wonderful. The gardens are beautiful and the water is just across the street. Now this is not by any means a luxury hotel but I would stay again. If your looking for a place just to lay your head down at night this is the place. Thank you to the staff that made my 14 day quarantine a little more bearable. read more

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Nice place , price was right, friendly staff it's a simple clean place to sleep , hot shower etc.. rooms are small and plain but clean , love the lush landscaping . The free Continental breakfast was perfect just enough to hold us for lunch , Hot coffee ,oatmeal ,toasted bread ,fresh island fruit and baked pastries. Very close to town 10 min walk if your looking for a place just to get some sleep take a hot shower , than explore the outdoors this is the place. FYI there is no A/C but not needed in January , WiFi only in lobby read more

We'll definitely come back. We were expected to arrive after hours and communication about getting our key, our room #, etc...were on point. Friendly staff. Owner Lee was personable and her passion/knowledge for the island oozed out of her. The building is historic and I'm glad it's being restored and shared. Room was clean and simple. Continental breakfast was complete. I would give it above 5 if there were more stars. read more

I am writing this at 5:00 in the morning since didn't sleep much last nite. Not because of the frogs, because our neighbor had their t.v. On since 2:00 am. There is no a/c so you leave the windows open and the walls are thin. I can put up with the frogs, old and semi clean rooms, but I need my sleep. read more

I loved the ambience here. We stayed as a family of 3 in a family room for a great price. I was a little worried as a family staying in a Hostel but one side is all rooms and the other Hostel rooms but it didn't matter anyway. I loved the diversity and mix of people. I loved the Coquis frog sound at night and the birds and the outdoor tropical foliage. It doesn't even feel like you are in town but you are. You can see the ocean from your patio and breakfast and common areas. The guys were super nice, the breakfast fresh and yummy! The only feedback I have for them at all is the bathroom wasn't very clean and it grossed me out some. I ended up cleaning up the hair all over the floor and in the shower and wiping down the area myself. I would go back though next time I would ask for someone to come back and redo the job. I know they do internships for people which I support but its a good training tool to have to reclean an area to meet customer expectations. read more

If you're looking for something with more character than a hotel and more characters than a David Lynch movie, this is your place. The open-air lobby is like a trip back in time. The place is a little shabby and some might call it funky, but that's what I like about it. The buffet breakfast that makes you nostalgic for your Hawaiian childhood, whether or not you had one-- white bread, Skippy PB, guava jam, coconut spread, papaya halves... then you sit looking out over the garden into the sea and sky. There's a kitchen you could cook in, getting groceries at the nearby natural foods store or I'm sure it's not far to a supermarket. Also the big beautiful farmers market is quite close and I've heard tale it's the best! read more

Alright, so I have very mixed feelings about this (I'll be reviewing the outdoor hostel). I'm not one to complain if things are not pristine or if something accidentally happens or anything like that. For the price we paid, I really liked our private room. It was cute and kind of charming. Bamboo(?) walls, no real ceiling, and some scarves covering up the spaces where you might be able to see inside. One medium sized window exposed the nearby river and lots of greenery, it was quite nice. The bed was pretty comfy, a good size, and came with a net. The breakfast wasn't varied per se, but it was enough and there was always fresh fruit and some sort of baked good (and here I thought I'd get fit and live a #healthylife in Hawaii). The backyard is large and you can walk around freely. There was always parking (I was there in July), and we were walking distance from the main area in Hilo. Not a huge variety of places to go if you're there for a while, but plenty for a few days. That's where the good ends though. While we had a net, it was full of holes. I mean FULL. I had to finagle some kind of way to cover up the largest holes so I wouldn't get eaten by mosquitoes. That would've been ok if it weren't for the fact that the net was small af. It looks like it covers well. It covers the bed when no people are in it. That was a farce; we pretty much wrestled all night fighting for the damn thing. If that were the only problem, this would not be a 2 star review. The hostel has a lights out policy after 9, fine. Every room has a lantern that you can use after hours. Except this minor issue: ours had no batteries . The one plug we had in the room also did not work, so we had to charge our phones in the main area near the bathrooms and had to wait with it to keep watch. We went of course and informed the desk clerk about this, and he promised it would get looked at and fixed. Nah, you guessed it, that ish did not get fixed at all! After multiple times asking!! For real.. !!!! So we spent all our nights stumbling around in the dark. This was especially awesome when getting up to pee. Speaking of getting up to pee, you had to go through all these bunk beds that were set up in the middle of the place when going to the bathrooms. It was weird as hell, I have to admit. There were definitely people living there, keeping snacks in their beds and covering up with boxes and random sheets. Some people were also very creepy. This didn't bother me too much but just letting y'all know just in case. Oh yeah and the tin roof was leaking. Tl;dr while I was (bare minimum) pleased by my stay at the outdoor hostel because no one died, I wasn't robbed in my sleep, and I didn't have noisy sex-having neighbors, I wouldn't really recommend staying here as it seems your experience could really vary and would probably be negative. read more

Excellent hospitality...uber aloha!!! The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They can direct you to all the hidden gems in town and all over the island that are not only "must-sees", but also low-cost or inexpensive. The room was perfect for budget travelers that want to spend their money on other things besides a super fancy hotel. My room was clean, and had the necessities such as a private bathroom, microwave, fridge, and of course a comfortable bed with clean linen. The Hawaiian continental breakfast was always delicious and complete to start the day off. I most def will be back. MAHALO and MARAMING SALAMAT, Wild Ginger Inn! Til next time! read more

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