The location is amazing & just minutes or a short drive away from many attractions. However, the cleanliness of the location should make future renters look elsewhere. The images included in the listing do not match the pictures we took of the home.
We experienced the following: animal droppings on the bed, stained sheets, toilet still dirty from previous renters, mildewed shower, a cockroach in a different bathroom, rodent droppings in kitchen floors and cooking surfaces/dining area/bathroom/bedrooms, rodent traps, dirty dishes in the cupboards (some with droppings inside), dusty floors & surfaces including toenails in the closet, and piles of cabling in the bedrooms.
Much of this we cleaned ourselves with supplies provided by the owner and our own supplies. We washed all the sheets and towels ourselves because our skin was becoming red and itchy following a night’s sleep in the bed. This was solved with just one washing on hot. A bedroom light fixture had 2 burned out bulbs when we arrived. The third and final bulb burned out when we turned the light on for the first time. We replaced these bulbs ourselves from the home's stock, but 2 of these bulbs were already burned out before our arrival.
We found further evidence of rodents when a box of cereal was chewed through. Renters should keep all food in the refrigerator and freezer. All food should be removed from the space prior to new renters entering the home.
The owner was responsive and worked with us through AirBnB support to come to a resolution in regards to the cleanliness concerns. The owners quickly replaced a faulty smoke detector that began sounding at 3AM and again later that day sometime while we were away sightseeing. They also kindly gave us a dozen organic chicken eggs. The eggs were left on the kitchen counter while we were away from the house. This may be cause for concern for some renters who value privacy.
All should visit Hilo and the Big Island, but I cannot recommend staying at this home when you do until the issue identified above are resolved. This location will be amazing once the cleanliness and pest issues are rectified.