Located just off Kalanianaole Avenue in east Hilo past the industrial area, this hostel is popular with backpackers. They also offer mostly private tours in their vans, since, as they put it, “Most of our guests don’t have cars.” (If you book the Mauna Kea Summit tour, you may be sharing the van, but other locations are private.) They have a room with 55-inch smart TV (feel free to login to your streaming account) and a large outdoor patio. Although you might not get Four Seasons pampering, the staff here seems laid back and fun (on a particularly rainy day, they helped guests build a slip-and-slide in the yard area… why weren’t we invited?).
The lodge/hostel is comprised of a scattering of buildings. Dorms are small and can get hot (especially interior-facing dorms). On this visit the rooms felt fresh, but many units still feel closed in. They say they clean the carpets fairly often, and in rainy Hilo that must be a full-time job. Bike rentals are available. They offer Deluxe private rooms (private bath and shared kitchen), semi-private (private bedroom, shared bath and kitchen), or you can pitch your tent for a fee per person (children must be 7 or older). They also offer some suites with kitchens. Deluxe rooms and top floor suite bedrooms (only) have A/C. 7-night maximum stay. Proof of an outward-bound air ticket/itinerary is needed upon check-in.
98 Apapane Rd, Hilo