Hilo Shaka Shak

I spent a week here and came away feeling rejuvenated. The spacious room had a very comfortable bed, and Cynthia was accommodating and helpful with recommendations. It has the island feel I crave, with a lush, Zen garden and the sounds of birds and nature around me. It felt like home, and was worth every penny. I'll recommend it and be back for sure.

Cynthia was an amazing, accommodating host, and we loved the Aloha spirit of the house. We stayed 8 days, with plenty to see and do, and the location was ideal for Hilo. The front room has its own bathroom if that's important to you; the shared shower had a strong flow, and the bathroom was very clean. The big kitchen made cooking easy. We met some sweet German people and a Netherlands couple. Island Natural food store is down the street, and Volcano's National Park is not far along Hwy 11. When the storm brought rain, the place felt like a tropical jungle, with frogs and birds to hear and lots of geckos around the house. On a clear night we could see Mauna Kea from our deck. Lovely kitties were lounging outside, too. Cynthia's hospitality was memorable, and thanks to her I can make papaya chicken now. I hadn't been to Hilo before and want to come back soon. We definitely plan to return and highly recommend booking with her. Enjoy!

The neighborhood was quiet, friendly, and well kept, and the Home/AirBNB was clean with a comfortable, roomy bed. Everything from the mall and grocery stores to the movie theater was very close and walkable. The host was so nice: she arranged a ride from Hilo airport, made breakfast, and even took me to the rental car company the next day. I'm looking forward to returning.

I needed a place for one night in Hilo because of a family emergency, after the family member couldn't accommodate me. I found Shaka Shak online and booked a B&B room. I arrived earlier than my scheduled time and was shocked by how unkempt the property looked, with bushes overgrown. I didn't think I could rest comfortably there, so I canceled within 10-15 minutes of making the reservation. Booking.com emailed to say it had encouraged the owner to waive the charges. The owner said business had been slow and she had a business to run, then charged me the full amount. She didn't seem to care about my situation and just wanted the money. I filed a complaint with Hawaii Tourism Authority for false advertising.