Hilltop Legacy Vacation Home

I stayed here for three nights over July 4th (had a great view of the fireworks without all the chaos!), and it was great. I had no problems with checkin, parking, or the facilities. Excellent communication! The room was charming and nicely decorated and very comfortable with a coffee maker and bottled water. Very clean. Best of all, I had originally book for the week before but lost the reservation, and my conference trip was cancelled. They reached out and offered to give me a credit, which I accepted and ended up staying for 3 nights instead of 2. I really appreciated them not just charging me for a cancellation. I will be staying here again. As a woman traveling alone, SAFE and CLEAN are two of my top priorities. This checked all my boxes. The shared living space is also really beautiful and a comfortable indoor/outdoor space to work or relax. There is a parking spot for EVERY guest.

We have stayed here several times, always in the Legacy Suite. The view of downtown from the front window is spectacular. But there is also a large side balcony that has a downtown view and, on a clear day, a great view of Mauna Kea. Also a nice view of the surrounding lush tropical greenbelt. Not sure, but this property could be on top of the highest hill in Hilo. I also love the original bathroom from the 1930s that this suite has, with its tile work and nice soaking tub, as well as the cute dressing room. So much more character than some newer properties or a generic hotel. Apparently there is sometimes confusion about where to park, but I'm not sure why since the on-site parking spaces are well-marked.

Hilltop Legacy is a very small hotel -- a few rooms that are part of a larger house where the family that manages or owns the property lives. As the name suggests, it's way up at the top of a steep hill with a lovely view of the bay. Unlike the last small hotel where we stayed on the Big Island, we found the arrival instructions to be straightforward and easy to follow. We were met by the friendly owner/manager, who helped carry our bags upstairs. The room was very small, but clean and pleasant. The walls, however, are very thin, and we felt as if we were in the next room. (Not a place we wanted to be.) The common area was inviting. All in all, we were very pleased.