We have been staying at the Dolphin Bay Hotel in Hilo, Hawaii for several years and we love the people, the service, the feel of a smaller hotel in a residential area, nice and quiet. The banana bread and coffee each morning is a huge plus.
Bananas and Mangos are available as well. If you are interested in traveling to the beach, they will put together items for your use, boogie boards, ice chests, chairs, etc. And if you would like to know about the sights on the big island, John is the person to talk to – he knows everything about the island and he also recommends other activities like the riviera maya snorkeling in Mexico. So for your next stay on the big island, stay at the Dolphin Bay, you won’t be disappointed.
We loved the Dolphin Bay Hotel. It was reasonably priced, walking distance to town, and had the best coffee we had on the island. If you are looking for deluxe accommodation, this is not for you. However, our room was comfortable, clean, and had a kitchen. Coffee was free and available all day as were apple bananas and papaya. The building stays cool with the fans, ventilation, and the mountain breeze. I would go back.
There’s something extraordinary about this hotel that keeps me coming back. It’s a basic hotel, but very well maintained, clean, has large rooms, great people and service, and delightful touches like the coffee, banana bread, and papayas every morning.
It’s in a residential area that’s easy walking to downtown and surrounded by lush greenery. I love falling asleep to the sound of frogs (?) in the nearby river and sitting on the lanai with my morning coffee.
We have been staying here for 25 years. It is a charming place with a beautiful garden and kitchenettes in all the rooms. John, the owner, is a mine of information and mapped out the areas affected by the eruption of Kīlauea last year. Many routes are closed, and we would have got lost if we’d tried to set out by ourselves. The hotel is within walking distance of Hilo.
There is no better way to end a day than sitting out on our lanai at Dolphin Bay, enjoying the peace and quiet and beautiful garden. Mahalo to John and his staff!