Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo

Photo gallery for Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo

A two-story house with a front porch, a garage, and a small balcony.
A wooden deck with a railing, a red chair, and a view of the ocean and greenery.
A coastal property with a view of the ocean, a small house with a metal roof, and lush greenery.
A residential house with a covered porch, a staircase leading to a garage, and a well-maintained lawn.
A living room with a wooden floor, a sofa, a coffee table, a bookshelf, and a painting on the wall.

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good

Highlights

  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Near Honoli'i Beach Park

Popular amenities

  • Patio
  • Refrigerator
  • Washing machine
  • Internet
  • Onsite parking available
  • Non-smoking

Explore the area

View map
Hilo, HI
  • Place, Honoli'i Beach Park
    ‪17 min walk‬
  • Place, Rainbow Falls
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Place, Port of Hilo
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Airport, Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.)
    ‪12 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

Add dates for prices

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  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
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About the area

Hilo

Located in Hilo, this cottage is by the sea. Mokupapapa Discovery Center and Palace Theater are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Port of Hilo and Naniloa Country Club. Pacific Tsunami Museum and East Hawaii Cultural Center are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with scuba diving and snorkelling nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking and cave exploring.
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Map
Hilo, HI

What's nearby

  • Honoli'i Beach Park - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
  • Rainbow Falls - 9 min drive - 6.9 km
  • University of Hawaii at Hilo - 10 min drive - 8.4 km
  • Port of Hilo - 10 min drive - 8.7 km
  • Carlsmith Beach Park - 16 min drive - 11.8 km

Getting around

  • Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.) - 13 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Cafe Pesto Hilo Bay - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Kozmic Cones - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪The Temple Bar - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Puka Puka Kitchen - ‬5 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Kai Cottage - A Little Piece of Old Hilo located?

Situated by the sea, this cottage is within 1 mile (2 km) of Hamakua Heritage Corridor and Honoli'i Beach Park. Naha Stone and Kalakaua Park are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 4 out of 9 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 9 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 9 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 9 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 9 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a great stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 27 April 2026
We're so glad :-) Come stay again, anytime! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Quiet, lovely view

Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: My friend and I were very pleased with our stay at Kai Cottage. My own complaint was the host wanting us to leave the keys in the lock box which allowed someone, I don't know who, to enter the property when we were not there. Happily, nothing of ours was stolen but it was disconcerting to return to the house with the door to the balcony open and many lights on inside. We did not leave the house in that way.
Verified review

8/10 Good

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good location, fit our needs, host responded promptly. Fresh avocado was bonus and much appreciated!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 14 January 2026
We're so glad you enjoyed your visit! Come back anytime :-) Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The host did a great job in accomodating our requests and was readily available when needed. The property itself is beautiful...someone did a beautiful job of stone masonry in the backyard. Would definitely stay here again
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 4 March 2026
Mahalo nui for your review and kind words about our services! Our guests are everything, and we are always happy to help in any way we can :-) We hope to host you again if your travels bring you back to Hilo. Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Perfect location, comfortable stay!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Our family of four had the best time at this cute spot. Honoli'i beach is just around the corner! Quiet and peaceful neighborhood. The house is well appointed with extra linens, beach towels, a well stocked pantry and fridge with all the basics for home cooking. The washer and dryer helped so much too. The frogs are loud at night but we LOVED it - our own white noise spa soundtrack. We would definitely stay here again.
Response from VrboOwner on 20 April 2025
Mahalo nui for your review, Lauren! We are so happy that you enjoyed your visit and the conveniences that Kai Cottage provides. Come stay again, anytime! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Vacations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

2/10 Terrible

Great view and location, otherwise not so much

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The online pictures and reviews were not what we found upon entering the cottage for the first time. It was not clean or well maintained. We took our shoes off as we do at our home in CO. My white socks that I wore before unpacking my slippers were totally black on the bottoms. Our guest relations contact responded in a timely manner to our texts.
Response from VrboOwner on 12 February 2026
It is super unfortunate that you were here during the volcanic eruption that sent tephra and ash into the air and all over the houses we manage. Floors everywhere were dusty and we're sorry this affected your socks and your impression of cleanliness. All of our managed properties are professionally cleaned and inspected - and we offered to come over and redo the floors for you. We hope prospective guests will read other reviews because the house is comfortable and we keep it very clean - it's just an old beach house with soft vibes and lovely views. We hope we communicate this well and encourage folks who want to relax in a nice Hilo neighborhood to book Kai Cottage. Warm Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew
From a partner site

8/10 Good

It’s alright

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Cosy little cottage. There’s no A/C, only fans - but it was alright (we didn’t stay in during the day). There’s no dishwasher, but it’s fine if you don’t cook and eat a lot at the cottage. The furniture is old, but it works. What I’d suggest is to put clear labels on all the light switches or write instructions, because it’s confusing: what switch is for what fixture or outlets, plus the remotes and fans - we ended up flipping switches to get lights where we wanted them and still didn’t figure it all out.
Response from VrboOwner on 17 December 2025
Mahalo for your review, and for the suggestion about labeling switches. We are always grateful for tips from guests on how we can improve :-) We hope we can host you again next time you visit Hilo! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Reservations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

8/10 Good

July Vacay

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Absolutely beautiful location - just minutes away from the most wonderful pebbly sand beach, Honoli'i Beach Park, where you can also play in a lagoon undearneath the Hawai'i Belt Rd bridge. You can see the ocean waves from the lanai and you really feel nestled into the forest. The house was super cute and well laid out. Cons include a lack of attention to detail of the house - cheap curtains don't do much against the morning sun, the front screen door was broken, and there weren't ceiling fans and the floor fans didn't do much to circulate the air unless pointed directly at you.
Response from VrboOwner on 23 August 2025
Mahalo for your review! I've alerted our maintenance team about the screen door, and we will let the owner know of your suggestions regarding blackout curtains and ceiling fans. We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay, and we hope we can host you again next time you visit Hilo! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Reservations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025
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