We stayed at Na'Ali'i Plantation one night on 2/18/05. It was perfect for our family of 4. We got the whole upstairs to the house for $100, with a full kitchen, living room, dining room, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, and a giant lanai where we had breakfast in the morning. Not a pristine 4-seasons, but a laid back comfortable place where you just want to relax and never leave.
We got a tour of the gardens in the morning of papayas, bananas, pineapples, coffee, and tons of anthuriums.
If I had known how good it was going to be, I would have booked a longer stay. What a great place to have a base of operations to see big island sights.
Reading other reviews around Hilo, it looks like you can't go wrong whereever you stay, but if you are travelling with kids, I think it would be hard to find a place better than this around Hilo.
