We only needed a one night stay in Waimea and wasn't looking for five star accommodation. However, this was a dissapointment from entering the car park and reporting to reception. The office is a mess! Piled with all sorts, not all welcoming. Up the rackety outdoor stairs to our room. Nothing appeared to have been updated since it was built. Smelt and looked clean apart from the hairs around the wash basin. Not 100% sure the sheets were unused. Certainly not pressed, not even the pillow cases. Room dark and dingey, walls paper thin. No facilities whatsoever, no coffee, no outdoor area, nothing! Thank goodness it was only one night. Spent the evening at the nearby Pakini Grill as there was nothing to make us want to spend any time in our room. Beds were comfortable. Don't mind old, but needs to be maintained and somewhat updated. We had stayed in Hilo the night before in a slightly cheaper room which was 100 times better.

YUK. Room was dank and smelly. Window surrounds were compleletly covered with mould. Floor was dirty and sticky - had to wear shoes the whole time. Overall this place is very run down - I don't think one cent has been spent on it since it was built about 50 years ago! I would not call this a lodge - more like a dingey roadside motel. I'm sure you'll be able to do better.

After reading the other reviews for this place, I was hoping our experience would be better than most, but it wasn't.
The ground floor rooms were very musty-smelling, try to request a 2nd floor room. The guest chairs' seats had collapsed, causing me to sink 4" down inside the frame. Someone had used the chair as an ironing board and there were melted burn spots on the seats.
My husband pulled the covers back and found hairs and crumbs on the sheets. I slept on top of the bedspread, my daughter begged me to sleep in the rental car.
The complimentary bottle of body lotion had some lotion missing - obviously not new.
The front office was an absolute mess.
I could go on and on, but no need. You get the idea.

Stayed here in July 2009 while traveling around the Big Island. Stayed here in 2005 and came back- rooms the same, good quality, super shower pressure, huge room. Just across the parking lot is an excellent restuarant the locals frequent. No complaints at all, we liked it again. Waimea is one of the most beautiful spots on earth, and a trip around Kohala is breathtaking. Even a great view of a volcano cone right out the back window. Beautiful rainbows apparently stay around forever.