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Rating 10 - Excellent. 361 out of 557 reviews" "
10 - Excellent
361
Rating 8 - Good. 152 out of 557 reviews" "
8 - Good
152
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 557 reviews" "
6 - Okay
21
Rating 4 - Poor. 11 out of 557 reviews" "
4 - Poor
11
Rating 2 - Terrible. 12 out of 557 reviews" "
2 - Terrible
12
9.2/10
Cleanliness
9.6/10
Staff & service
8.6/10
Amenities
8.4/10
Property conditions & facilities
9.2/10
Eco-friendliness
Reviews
8/10 Good
MEREDITH
Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
It’s an older property but well maintained. More of an inn or motel. Quaint. Small. Check in and check out are very easy and quick. Only ceiling fans but it was all right. We stayed only one night so didn’t get to hang out on the property very much. Ear plugs in the medicine cabinet to counter coqui frog noise.
Staff was wonderful, charming little hotel. Banana bread, coffee and fruit for breakfast was great! Loved having a kitchen. Allowed us to use the towels even after our check out so we could go to the beach and drop them off on our way to the airport.
This is the cutest little hotel! It’s like staying with friends or family. The staff is SO nice and the grounds are beautiful. Very well maintained and clean despite being retro. Loved the hot coffee and banana bread each morning and even enjoyed Obie the cat coming in to stay with us one night.
Staff very nice, helpful. Hotel cat sweetheart, very friendly. Just great Hawai'i vibe.
James
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024
Response from johnhilo - on May 6, 2024
Thank you.
6/10 Okay
Ann
Apr 15, 2024
Liked: Staff & service
Loved the garden and staff were friendly. Banana bread was good.
Expedia did not make a distinction between rooms with and without a balcony. We wanted a balcony and the lady we very helpful in checking and letting us know that there was one available for an additional 20-30 per nigh. We agreed but was actually charged 40 per night. This was not what we originally agreed and seemed mean - especially considering the room was not booked. The balcony made the room and the original room we were allocated seemed dark and confined.
As the property has several internet addresses it was difficult to find the one allocated and the correct password. The office closed at 7 so there was no one to ask. There was supposed to be instructions in our room but these were missing and we realized this too late. There were limited power points and as we had forgotten our power strip this meant we had to scatter our devices through the room. Again the office was closed at 7pm so we could not ask for a power strip. Would be great if the lamps could be updated to have power points USB connections and if new power points were added each side of the bed.
Loved this place - super friendly staff, fresh banana bread in the AM, and fresh papaya too. We had the family suite, and found it to be very comfy. Wish we could have stayed longer than one night.
The property was beautiful, it was just right size. Easy to get to, near the bay and restaurants. Morning coffee, banana bread and papaya. Easy check in, parking available, room with kitchenette, clean and staff were wonderful. Would stay again when visiting the area.
Very nice location with natural ambience and very friendly staff. They gave us a lots of free papayas and banana breads.
If we come to Big Highland, I am going to book this hotel.
Sanjay
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from johnhilo - on Mar 18, 2024
Thank you.
8/10 Good
qing
Mar 10, 2024
Liked: Cleanliness
rooms are clean and they do provide banana bread, hot coffee/ chocolate and papayas in the morning which definitely is plus.
There is no AC installed, only fans are in the room. Also, the walls are paper thin you could hear frogs singing over night. They do provide earplugs if you needed.
qing
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from johnhilo - on Mar 11, 2024
Thank you. Not sure about the thin walls though, as we are a brick building.
10/10 Excellent
Adam
Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
We truly loved our stay at Dolphin Bay hotel! The suite option drew us in, having a 5 person family. So very nice to have beds for 5! This is an older hotel, but very clean and well maintained. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the banana bread and fresh papaya in the morning was a great local touch. We would absolutely stay here again when in Hilo.
Adam
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from John on Mar 7, 2024
Mahalo for your kind review, Adam! We are very happy you and your Ohana enjoyed your stay with us.
The folks running the hotel are very friendly and helpful. It has a sense of coming home. It's also a 5 min walk to town for dinner or walking around. Hilo's a cute place, very laid-back. Worth more time than we had...
Keith
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from John on Mar 5, 2024
Mahalo Keith for your kind review. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay and are looking forward to you coming back to visit!
Wonderful hotel. It’s beautiful property with lots of fruit frees. Walkable to anywhere hilo downtown. It has a community vibe. We loved our stay in Dolphin bay hotel… we were sad to leave. Coming back soon again!
Jiwon
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from John on Feb 27, 2024
Mahalo for your kind review! We are glad you enjoyed your stay and look forward to having you back! Take care - A hui hou!
Lovely landscaped grounds; Cozy and efficiently designed rooms; kichenette is a definite plus; Very attentive, friendly and accommodating staff; excellent morning coffee/tea, delicious banana bread, and fresh fruit; nice walkable proximity to town.
William
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from John on Feb 18, 2024
Mahalo for your kind review! We are so glad you enjoyed your stay!
We love there: mini kitchen so convenient; bed comfortable; air breathing from window and fan is perfect setting. I love papaya for breakfast and my husband love coffee they made. Delicious banana bread too.
Shian Yu
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2024
Response from John on Feb 6, 2024
Mahalo for your kind review! We are glad you enjoyed your stay with us!
Very friendly staff, location was quiet and out of the way, but close to downtown shops and restaurants.. coffee, fresh banana bread and papaya were great!
The room was clean even though the bed is a little on the older side, I slept well. The staff is friendly. It is a bit on the older side and could use an update. I enjoyed the complimentary fruit.
It is a little run but that’s part of the charm. Staff are incredibly helpful and the daily breakfast is a fun way to meet the other guests. It’s close enough to walk to restaurants and shopping. The garden is beautiful and they provide much needed earplugs for the frogs. The walls are thin and the balconies are close so do not expect a quiet resort. A great stay though snd the area is unbeatable. Great value.
Wonderful location, very clean room. Great for a family or couple. The staff is super friendly and very helpful. Daily cleaning of the rooms and fresh towels every day. Beautiful to walk around and they have a very pretty garden and walking path. Looking forward to a return visit!
MICHELLE EVANS
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023
Response from John on Dec 31, 2023
Mahalo Michelle! We enjoyed having you and your Ohana stay with us. Opinion sure misses you all! Have a Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you again!
8/10 Good
Bence
Dec 25, 2023
Bence
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from John on Jan 16, 2024
Mahalo for your kind review.
8/10 Good
BETHANY, Rochester
Dec 23, 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great place to stay, staff is friendly and helpful. Most rooms have a kitchen and lanai or patio. Facility is a little dated and lacks AC but staying in December, fans and open windows cooled room at night. Great banana bread and fresh fruit for breakfast and a cat or two might visit. Lovely garden, location is convenient, good off street parking. We are not bothered by the Coquis at night, we like the sound.
Service was pleasant and good advice on where to eat and shop
Banana bread, papayas and coffee/tea were all free and good for breakfast
Room was clean and nice considering it is a bit older
Cool locking mechanism on the front door
Fresh drinking water in the fridge
Full kitchen you can use
Free and safe parking
10-15 min walk to the main Street but along the bridge there there is a homeless encampment
Tv and cable work but the cable can be hard to get working
Free wifi which was good
The room was a very pleasant temperature -there were two small fans and a large ceiling fan but that was a bit noisy when trying to sleep
Very quiet rooms otherwise
Jesse
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023
Response from John on Jan 5, 2024
Mahalo Jesse for your kind review! We are pleased you enjoyed your stay!
Beautiful garden, wonderful staff, the best papaya
Beautiful, lush garden! We so enjoyed our stay in this small hotel in a quiet residential area. It was perfect for our Hawaiian vacation. We explored the nearby waterfalls, town of Hilo, beaches, and the Volocanoes National Park. The staff was very helpful with ideas.
The daily papaya was so sweet and delicious. It was the best thing we ate during our whole vacation. Room is not modern or new but clean and so functional. Loved having a mini kitchen. Went to the local farmers market and got a few things, including some huge avocados and made a simple guacamole in the room.
The Dolphin Bay is a charming property. Despite being a little older property, the room was spotlessly clean and well appointed. Everything in the unit worked well and was perfect. They provide you everything you need to utilize the fully featured mini kitchen. It was great to have a complete cook range and oven. The staff are nothing but smiles. The clerk that checked us in met us at the room to let us in and reviewed the amenities. I can't remember the last time that happened. In addition to the excellent room, the grounds feature a fantastic garden with gravel paths through a lush tropical ravine and places to sit, relax and just take it all in. We will be staying at the Dolphin Bay again on our next visit to Hilo.
I stayed at Dolphin Bay Hotel two different times while on Holiday in Hilo. It is such a hidden treasure with a quiet beautiful location, wonderful banana bread n coffee n papayas in the morning, and probably the most amazing staff on the island! I truly treasured my time there! Thank you to the lovely Mom n Daughter who help run the hotel :-)
Vicki
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from johnhilo - on Oct 23, 2023
Thank you so very much.
10/10 Excellent
Verified traveller
Oct 13, 2023
Love the feeling of staying in an apartment not just a room. Everyone staff and guests so friendly
Verified traveller
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Response from John and the Dolphin Bay Ohana on Oct 13, 2023
Looks are a little deceiving upon arrival. The hotel is a bit older looking. However it was clean, the staff were welcoming. I loved the fresh banana bread, papayas and coffee each morning! They provided fresh towels and would tidy room each day. I found they provided all the in room amenities that we needed during our stay. The house cat Opie was a delight. The garden was beautiful and the grounds were nicely maintained. It had a very home away from home feel. We would definitely stay here again
We really enjoyed our stay - safe clean convenient. Staff was great, super attentive and helpful. Their gardens in the back were a wonderful respite from our busy days. Kitchenette was all we needed to fix a couple small meals. Smaller old school motel away from the glitz of the new places - would certainly stay here again.
jack
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from John on Sep 27, 2023
Aloha Jack - Mahalo for your kind review. Glad you enjoyed our gardens - it really is a special place. Take care!
We were only in Hilo for two nights but the beauty and wonder of the place, including our family studio at the Dolphin Bay had us longing for a longer stay. The room was perfect for 3 adults. The kitchenette was nicely stocked and everything was clean and comfortable. The grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed the banana bread and the papaya in the morning. We would definitely stay here again.
Julie
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Response from John on Sep 18, 2023
Mahalo for your kind review! We are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us.
The hotel had true Hawaiian feel to it. It was very roomy and had all the amenities we needed. The staff were super friendly and helpful. The family loved the fresh banana bread in the morning and the perfectly ripe papayas available in the lobby. The cats were even super friendly.