The Big Island of Hawaii - Hawaii with Kids - page 174

333 Iliahi St., Hilo, HI 96720. & 808/935-1466. Fax [phone]. www.dolphinbayhilo.com. 18 units.
$76-$86 studio double; $99 1-bedroom apt double; $109 2-bedroom apt double. Extra person $10. Playpens
and rollaway beds $10. From Hwy. 19, turn mauka (toward the mountains) on Hwy. 200 (Waianuenue St.),
then right on Puueo St.; go over the bridge and turn left on Iliahi St. Amenities: Concierge; car rental desk;
coin-op laundry. In room:TV, kitchenette, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
Hawaii Naniloa Resort Hilo's biggest hotel offers nice rooms with lanais
and enjoys a quiet, leafy Banyan Drive setting on the ocean. The hotel is a little
old and tired, but so are all the other hotels on Banyan Drive; in terms of com-
fort and amenities, this is one of the best that Hilo has to offer. Although it
needs work (new carpet, a paint job, and overall remodeling), the rooms are
clean and the oceanfront views are spectacular. A single room with two double
beds still has room for a crib or a rollaway, so you most likely can fit a family of
four (even four and an infant) into the room. Not only can you see the ocean
from the rooms, but on a cloudless day, you can see to the top of Mauna Kea.
The rack rates are on the high side, but it's usually pretty easy to secure one of
the cheapest rooms (which have only partial ocean views and no balconies).
93 Banyan Dr. (off Hwy. 19), Hilo, HI 96720. & 800/367-5360 or 808/969-3333. Fax [phone]. www.
naniloa.com. 325 units. $100-$160 double; from $190 suite. Internet rates from $70. Children 17 and under
stay free in parent's room. Cribs free, rollaway beds $17. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar;
2 outdoor pools; 18-hole golf course nearby w/special rates for guests; $5 fee for fitness center w/Jacuzzi and
sauna; salon; very limited room service; coin-op laundry; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room:A/C, TV, fridge,
coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.
Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel Uncle Billy's is the least expensive place to stay
along Hilo's hotel row, Banyan Drive. This oceanfront budget hotel boasts a
dynamite location, and the car/room package offers extra incentive to stay here.
You enter via a tiny lobby, gussied up Polynesian style; it's slightly overdone,
with sagging fishnets and tapa-covered walls. The guest rooms are simple: bed,
TV, phone, closet, and soap and clean towels in the bathroom—that's about it.
When booking, ask for a room with two double beds and a twin bed (or a pull-
out sofa) to fit your family. Keep in mind that this is a budget hotel and as such
the walls seem paper-thin. It can get very noisy at night (you may want to bring
earplugs)—but at rates like these, you're still getting your money's worth.
87 Banyan Dr. (off Hwy. 19), Hilo, HI 96720. & 800/367-5102 or 808/961-5818. Fax [phone]. www.
unclebilly.com. 144 units. $84-$89 double; $94 studio with kitchenette. Car/room packages and special sen-
ior rates available. Extra person $14. Children 12 and under stay free in parent's room. Cribs and rollaway
beds $15. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar w/hula show nightly; oceanfront outdoor pool;
activities desk; coin-op laundry. In room:A/C, TV, kitchenette in some units, fridge.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Since Hawaii Volcanoes was officially designated a national park in 1916, a vil-
lage has popped up at its front door. Volcano Village isn't so much a town as a
wide spot in Old Volcano Road: a 10-block area with two general stores, a hand-
ful of restaurants, a post office, a coffee shop, a new firehouse, and even an
ATM. Volcano has no stoplights or jail, and not even a church or a cemetery,
though it does have a winery.
Except for Volcano House (see below), which is within the national park, all
of the accommodations in this section are in Volcano Village. It gets cool here
at night—Volcano Village is located at 3,700 feet above sea level—so while
air-conditioning is not an issue, a fireplace or space heater might be an attrac-
tive amenity. It also rains a lot in Volcano—100 inches a year—which makes
everything grow Jack-and-the-Beanstalk style.