We had an excellent time during our stay at Steve and Maria's! Maria was there to greet us and be sure everything went smoothly. They live near the "4-mile" strip of beaches South of Hilo, including a great black sand beach that we walked to.

The neighborhood is lush, and a little secluded, which was a nice feel. There was a lot night noise from the wildlife, but we quickly learned this is everywhere in Hawaii, and was definitely more pleasant than car noise.

The bedroom was spacious and nice, and we loved eating breakfast our lanai. Even when it rained the hardest, we never got wet, and neither did any portion of the lanai.

The kitchen is a little rustic and completely outdoors but it was fun to work with the limitations.

We were out and about so much that we never used the front room which has a TV and couch. Although later in our trip we did want a TV after we got sunburned. Another guest may appreciate it more!

We were able to come and go as we please and never felt limited or like we were intruding. They also get bonus points for their friendly dachshund. She was super cute.