The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls in Hilo

Incredible experience - staff were wonderful location can not be beat!

The pond at the waterfall was incredible! While swimming in the pond, the perspective of the surrounding beauty of the trees and sky felt like paradise. Would return for sure.

Lush waterfall oasis
Even better in person than in the pictures. Have a private waterfall to yourselves in a serene, lush setting. Great setting, great people, perfect way to have a quiet getaway.

Our room was sold as a full view of the falls from our balcony, but there was a roof line extended from below our balcony that obstructed the full view of the falls. The room space was a little smaller than expected. The grounds were great, the waterfall was beautiful. Breakfast was good and staff was friendly. The linens (primarily towels and wash cloth) needed to be updated/replaced. The outdoor dining area fell very short of it's potential. Such a beautiful location, but the design and architecture looked like a poorly executed afterthought.

The Inn is on a beautiful property that is accessed via a gate protected private road. The waterfall is amazing and very peaceful. It is not your standard hotel as there is no TV or standard amenities, however there is a common area kitchen space with shared refrigeration and appliances.

This is a hidden gem in hilo if they could recieve 10 stars it would be a understatement.

Unique, beautiful and peaceful place to stay
Loved the sound of the falls. This place is actually a great value compared to other options in this part of the island especially because of the free breakfast and coffee/tra available throughout the day. They offer optional paid activities which are great and unique. Access is thru a very long, single lane road so best to arrive during the day.

The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls is an absolute hidden gem on the Big Island. You have your own waterfall! And you only need to share it with a few other guests! How do you get better than that?

There are a few confusing things about this place which might not be obvious on a third-party booking site, so I'll try to explain here.

1. There are two broad accommodation types here. The Inn, which is an inn, and the cabins. The cabins are located on a farm next to the Inn. You have to turn right, not left, from the road from Hilo to access the farm. This can be confusing at night, since the area is quite dark.
2. The cabins do not have their own plumbing; you will have to use toilets and showers located at the barn (they were squeaky clean). The cabins have solar panels to run lights and charge phones, but for anything higher voltage, you'll need to go to the barn. Oddly, the WiFi was excellent in the cabins.
3. "Barn" is a somewhat misleading term. The top floor of the barn is a laid-back lounge/kitchen area. You'll share it with the other guests and with the farm staff. The kitchen was well-equipped and had some basic oils, sauces, and spices for common use. The staff were all very cool and passionate young people. They gave excellent recommendations on things to do in the area. One staffer made us the best cup of coffee we've had in a long time.
4. If you stay at the cabins, you can use the services at the Inn, including booking meals and experiences.