We stayed here for 1 night during our trip to explore the east side of the BIg Island and really enjoyed our stay. Our room was spacious and the bathrooms were very clean and updated. We stayed in the renovated tower and had views of the bay and Mauna Kea.The staff was very friendly and willing to help. It should be noted that most of the negative reviews are for the old tower which has not been renovated. But you can choose at the time of reservation which tower you'd like to stay in. I believe the renovated tower is called Mauna Kea.

Some reviews mentioned that the hotel seems to be lacking something and I do agree with that. I don't believe there is anything the hotel can do about it because the issue seems to be more about many tourists not stying in Hilo. Most tourists stay on the Kona side.

For those concerned about not having a restaurant that serves lunch and dinner, Ken's Pancake House is right at the end of Banyan Drive. They are known for breakfast but serve food 24 hours a day. We ate there for dinner and breakfast and it was delicious and the servings were huge!

The Hilo airport is also only 1 mile away which was great since we decided to do a helicpoter tour of the volcanoes. While on the Hilo side we visited the waterfalls, waipo valley, volcanoes national park, hawaii botanical gardens and kaimu black sand beach. Wish we could have stayed longer!

I've done my research on where to stay in Hilo, and read all the reviews on Tripadvisor so I knew not to expect much staying at this hotel (all my other choices were full). The guy at reception was friendly and the room was nicer than what I expect - bare bones but still acceptable conditions. We really just needed a place to sleep comfortably in since we were going to be out exploring the volcano during the day. The bathroom has been remodeled recently so it's pretty nice and clean. For some reason though, the flushing noise was really loud - kinda gave me a scare at first since it sounded like the one in the airplanes with a really loud sucking noise. Coupled that with paper thin walls and you can hear all your neighbor's plumbing system at work throughout the night and into the morning. We could also hear the noise right outside the door so whenever people wall through the hallway (some even stopped right outside to chit chat really loudly), it was hard to get a good night sleep. It's a bit hard for me to recommend this hotel to anyone.

They seem to be in the midst of a renovation. The overall building is moldy (exterior) and unkempt. However the room we got was newly renovated and just wonderful. The corridors clean and the bed comfortable. Bathroom was spacious and clean.

We had a fantastic view of the ocean and shoreline from our balcony. (not all rooms have balconies). The area (banyan drive) is a delightful and scenic area to walk in. Several parks/gardens/sea shore are all right there.

We walked (10 minutes) to Ken's for breakfast. The Ponds is also close by and great for lunch or dinner.

We really liked our stay and will probably return to Naniloa. The price and value are good and as long as you are not expecting a glamorous resort, you may be happily surprised.

I do not suggest eating at the hotel. There are not many guests (renovation related?) so I doubt things would be fresh.

All in all it was like a good hotel in a third world setting. For Hilo lodging it is pretty good.

The Naniloa Hotel has seen its better days, but decades of neglect have taken a toll that will require considerable resources and some decorating taste to overcome. While renovations have started, this prime location on Hilo Bay has a long way to go to reach the expectations of tourists visiting Hilo.

The Naniloa's exterior is partially painted adding to a generally unfinished appearance. The lobby shop spaces are empty and the staff outnumbers the few hotel guests.

The guest rooms are best described as spartan; a bed, a chair, desk, and a TV. A singe painting and a bed cover were the only color in the room.

Old carpets have been removed from the hallways and rooms and replaced with tile. The guest room and bathroom were clean. The Internet worked. The overall feeling of the place was sterile and barren.

For contrast one needs only walk two doors down to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, about the same price, but seeped in history, Hawaiian artifacts and aloha.