Where to stay · Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · United States
Where to stay in Big Island (Hawaiʻi)
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park, Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Kailua-Kona. The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours.
Key facts
- First visit
- Kailua-Kona
- Families
- Kailua-Kona
- Budget
- Kailua-Kona
- Nightlife
- Kailua-Kona
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Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Kailua-Kona | The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours |
| Families | Kailua-Kona | The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours |
| Couples | Kohala Coast | Resort enclaves on black lava fields with white-sand bays |
| Budget | Kailua-Kona | The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours |
| Luxury | Kohala Coast | Resort enclaves on black lava fields with white-sand bays |
| Nightlife | Kailua-Kona | The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours |
| Food lovers | Hilo | Old-fashioned bayfront town of farmers markets, gardens and rain |
| Solo travellers | Volcano Village | Cool rainforest village of B&Bs and cabins at the park entrance |
| Quiet stays | Volcano Village | Cool rainforest village of B&Bs and cabins at the park entrance |
| Beach | Kohala Coast | Resort enclaves on black lava fields with white-sand bays |
Big Island (Hawaiʻi) neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, families and nightlife
Kailua-Kona
Kailua-Kona stretches along Aliʻi Drive from the historic Huliheʻe Palace and Mokuʻaikaua Church past seawall restaurants, condos and beach parks such as Kahaluʻu. Snorkel boats, fishing charters and manta ray tours leave from Honokōhau Harbor and Keauhou Bay, and the airport is about 15 minutes north.
- Good
- Widest choice of condos and mid-range hotels; Restaurants and shops within walking distance; Close to snorkelling and manta tours
- Watch out
- About 2.5 hours' drive to the volcano; Few sandy swimming beaches in town
- Nearby
- Huliheʻe Palace, Kahaluʻu Beach Park, Keauhou Bay, Honokōhau Harbor
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families, beach and couples
Kohala Coast
North of the airport, the Kohala Coast is a string of resort areas, including Waikoloa, Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea, built on old lava flows around sheltered beaches such as Hāpuna and Kaunaʻoa. It is the sunniest, driest part of the island, with golf courses, ancient fishponds and petroglyph fields.
- Good
- Best beaches on the island; Reliable sunshine; Full-service resorts
- Watch out
- Expensive; Little local life outside the resorts; Long drive to Hilo and the volcano
- Nearby
- Hāpuna Beach, Puʻukoholā Heiau, Waikoloa petroglyphs, ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay
$$ · Best for budget, culture, food lovers and families
Hilo
Hilo is the island's largest town and county seat, with a downtown of early 20th-century storefronts along Kamehameha Avenue, the Hilo Farmers Market, Liliʻuokalani Gardens and Rainbow Falls. It receives heavy rainfall, which keeps everything green, and it is about 45 minutes from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
- Good
- Closer to the volcano and Maunakea; Lower prices; Local, unhurried character
- Watch out
- Frequent rain; Few beach resorts; Quiet in the evenings
- Nearby
- Hilo Farmers Market, Liliʻuokalani Gardens, Rainbow Falls, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and solo travellers
Volcano Village
At about 1,100 metres, Volcano Village sits in ferns and ʻōhiʻa forest just outside the national park entrance. Accommodation is cottages, inns and B&Bs, there are a few cafés and a winery, and nights are cool enough for a fireplace. Staying here lets you visit the caldera at dawn or after dark.
- Good
- Minutes from the park; Quiet, forest setting; Atmospheric cabins
- Watch out
- Cool and often misty; Very few restaurants; Far from beaches
- Nearby
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea Iki, Volcano Farmers Market
$$$ · Best for quiet stays, food lovers and culture
Waimea (Kamuela)
Waimea sits on the cool saddle between the Kohala Mountains and Maunakea, surrounded by the Parker Ranch lands, one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States. It has farm-to-table restaurants, a weekend farmers market and easy access to both coasts and the Maunakea access road.
- Good
- Central location for exploring; Cool climate; Good restaurants
- Watch out
- Limited accommodation; Can be windy and drizzly
- Nearby
- Parker Ranch, Kohala Mountain Road, Hāmākua Coast
$$ · Best for quiet stays, food lovers and couples
South Kona and Hōlualoa
The hillsides south and east of Kailua-Kona are where Kona coffee grows. Hōlualoa is an artists' village of galleries, and towns along the Māmalahoa Highway, such as Kealakekua and Captain Cook, have farm stands and small cafés, with Kealakekua Bay and Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau below.
- Good
- Coffee farm stays and B&Bs; Close to the best snorkelling; Cooler than the coast
- Watch out
- Winding roads; Need a car for everything
- Nearby
- Kealakekua Bay, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Hōlualoa galleries
$$ · Best for quiet stays, culture and solo travellers
North Kohala and Hāwī
Hāwī and Kapaʻau are small plantation-era towns with galleries, cafés and the original King Kamehameha statue. The road ends at the Pololū Valley lookout, where a steep trail drops to a black-boulder beach.
- Good
- Quiet, rural atmosphere; Scenic drives; Few tourists
- Watch out
- Very limited accommodation; Long drive to most sights
- Nearby
- Pololū Valley, Kamehameha Statue in Kapaʻau, Kohala Mountain Road
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Kailua-Kona | $$ | Huliheʻe Palace, Kahaluʻu Beach Park, Keauhou Bay, Honokōhau Harbor |
| Kohala Coast | $$$$ | Hāpuna Beach, Puʻukoholā Heiau, Waikoloa petroglyphs, ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay |
| Hilo | $$ | Hilo Farmers Market, Liliʻuokalani Gardens, Rainbow Falls, ʻImiloa Astronomy Center |
| Volcano Village | $$ | Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Kīlauea Iki, Volcano Farmers Market |
| Waimea (Kamuela) | $$$ | Parker Ranch, Kohala Mountain Road, Hāmākua Coast |
| South Kona and Hōlualoa | $$ | Kealakekua Bay, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Hōlualoa galleries |
| North Kohala and Hāwī | $$ | Pololū Valley, Kamehameha Statue in Kapaʻau, Kohala Mountain Road |
Getting to your hotel
Kona International Airport (KOA) is about 11 km north of Kailua-Kona and roughly 30 minutes from the Kohala resorts. Hilo International Airport (ITO) is 3 km from downtown Hilo and about 45 minutes from the national park. Both have hire car desks.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Big Island (Hawaiʻi) for first-time visitors?
Kailua-Kona. Kailua-Kona stretches along Aliʻi Drive from the historic Huliheʻe Palace and Mokuʻaikaua Church past seawall restaurants, condos and beach parks such as Kahaluʻu.
+Where should families stay in Big Island (Hawaiʻi)?
Kailua-Kona: Widest choice of condos and mid-range hotels.
+Which area of Big Island (Hawaiʻi) is best for a budget stay?
Kailua-Kona ($$): The west side's main town with Aliʻi Drive, snorkel beaches and harbour tours.