Donna's place is budget travel at its best. Donna is a friendly, gracious, and generous host with a wealth of knowledge about Hilo and other points of interest. I enjoyed having the place as a basecamp to explore Hilo and VNP.
The place is in the perfect location to explore all Hilo has to offer. It is a stone's throw away from the eateries, farmer's markets, boutiques, Long's Drugs, Starbucks, and a bus station. You can explore VNP by taking a bus (takes about 75 min) from two blocks away. I did the hiking day at VNP by taking the bus and another day rented a car to do the Chain of Craters road.
Check-in was seamless. I arrived late and Donna left the door open and lights on for me. It's only a 5 min Uber ride from the Hilo airport.
I enjoyed the privacy of the whole upstairs, bedroom, bathroom (great water pressure), private deck, and living area with a fridge. Donna stocked the fridge with water, local juice drinks, and beer too. I fell asleep to songs from the Koque frogs and woke up each morning to cock-a-doo from a neighborhood rooster. Although the house is located in the center of the city, this made it feel as I was a faraway place in the countryside. Do bring good earplugs if you are bothered by frogs, roosters, and barking dogs. Her neighbors were loud one late night and their chained-up dogs can bark at night from pent-up aggression These are something Donna has no control over so, by knowing this in advance and bringing a good earplug could make your stay better.
Each morning, Donna left a beautiful basket of fruits (amazing Hawaiian papaya, apple banana, etc), nuts, Japanese crackers, and coffee. She joined me for a conversation a few times.
Donna provides everything you need for your stay but, I had my own pillows, sheets, and towels. If you are a real clean freak like me, doing this will also make your any Airbnb stay nicer.
Overall, Donna's Airbnb is a clean, safe and comfortable place at a great value. She does not charge outrageous cleaning fees like other hosts. And her place was nice and clean. So, keep her place clean while you stay too. I highly recommend Donna's for any solo traveler on a budget seeking a safe, comfy place of their own