There are a few poor reviews here, and I would guess that they had unrealistic expectations, not comfortable with the true "rootsiness" of Hilo-side of Big Island. Yes, it's a bit humble - no turndown service here - but the owner was really gracious and lovely (Mahalo, Ophelia!), the space was large and comfy with a great front porch where husband and I played cards every night after cooking an Island supper in the rudimentary kitchen (stove was a little wonky but it worked). One night as we sat there we saw a true Hawaiian cowboy come in on his horse, go into the bar across the street - STILL ON HIS HORSE! - pick up a beer and then ride off into the sunset. Did I mention rootsy? And it is in the laid-back little village of Pahoa, wooden sidewalks and all, with great restaurants - just a short hop to Volcano (well, 25 miles, which we realized in Big Island time was really not far), not far from Hilo, and my favorite, the HOT PONDS, not to be missed. Yes, the bath was pretty rudimentary (no tub) but for such a cheap rate, you get a great deal and can make yourself pretty much a home away from home. Right next door to 7-11 which I was afraid of but it is quiet, and convenient for morning coffee, hawaiian junk-food breakfast and a daily Hilo Tribune-Herald.

Be very, very wary of showing a credit card. 11 months after I had paid in advance for our room, the owner billed my credit card again fraudulently!

DO NOT STAY HERE!!!! This place was as far from paradise as you can get, it was more like a true hell hole! The place was old and run down and there was junk everywhere. I can't imagine who wrote the other reviews raving about this place because if they were actual normal travelers they would have been totally grossed out by what the rooms were like! Red shag carpeting, no a/c, fans that didn't work, cock roaches all around the room, no sink in the bathroom, which by the way wasn't even in the room, it was on the porch!!!!!! The bedding was so old and nasty like Walmart specials from the 80s...so dirty we slept on a blanket we had in the car on top of the bed in all our clothes!!! A weird man also was looking in the windows around 2:00am and just stood out there smoking for like 15 minutes...very creepy place!!!!!!!!!! Do yourself and be safe and comfortable somewhere else!!!!! We got totally creeped out and left at 3:30am! Not a safe place at all! Worst place I have ever set foot in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife and I stayed in the Island Paradise Inn during our recent vacation on the Big Island. We hadn't intended on staying there, originally planning on camping, however we arrived into town late and it was raining, so we decided to splurge on a motel. This one was recommended in our guidebook so we decided to give it a try. We didn't have a booking and were told we would have to go to Boogie Woogie Pizza, the owners other business, to check on availability. Fortunately there was a vacancy. We decided to order a pizza while we were at it!

The location is pretty good, right in town and on the main road. All the cafes, bars, and restaurants are only a short walk away. A 24hr 7-11 is right next door. One drawback was a bar across the street with thumping live music, however this died off after 10pm. All in all it was pretty quiet and we had an undisturbed sleep.

The room was more like an apartment, with living area, kitchen, and dining areas. Although the building was fairly old, the rooms had been fairly nicely renovated. It was not luxurious, fairly basic but comfortable. There was a TV with all the cable channels and a fully equipped kitchen. Plenty of hot water in the showers. Everything was clean and well presented, however most of the furniture was old and looked second-hand, a real mix of different varieties. It was really a great home away from home and a nice respite from the rainy camping. The owners were very friendly and pleasantly served us.

Overall this motel was great good value at around $50-70 per night, depending on how many nights you stay. We enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it to other travelers - a vary economical and comfortable place to stay.