Sandra's vacation retreat is a great place to stay on the Hilo side of the island - it is a little slice of heaven! We loved our 5-night stay here. The garden is so lush and green, and the studio is a perfect size for two and has everything you need to make your stay enjoyable: The king size bed is super comfortable; the bathroom is well stocked with all amenities; there is equipment for going to the beach - cooler, mask/snorkel, and large plush beach towels; umbrellas (yes, it does tend to rain a lot on that side of the island); and even flashlights if you want to go explore the Kaumana Caves. On a clear night, star-gazing is amazing. And Sandra has provided a binder with lots of useful information about the area.
It's about a 35-40min drive to Hilo or the Volcano Park. The small towns of Keaau and Pahoa do not have much to offer other than a supermarket. We ended up grilling at home most nights and thoroughly enjoyed the tranquility on the lanai. It took us a night or two to get used to the Coquis (small frogs) that are very loud, but now we kind of miss them :-) Definitely better than the rooster they had at the next place we stayed at!