My fiancé and I had an absolutely lovely time at the Kona Guest House. We were in the Happy Whale Studio and had a stunning view of the sunset every day from the balcony! Other reviews of this place complain of insects, mold, clutter... first of all, I did not smell or see any mold and I'm really sensitive to bad smells. Yes there were a few bugs and critters (namely adorable geckos) but I think that's the trade-off when you're in a beautiful wooded neighborhood with papaya and lilikoi fresh for the picking for breakfast. If you're looking for a sterile hotel with no personality, then book there for double the price, but we were pleased to stay here at a very reasonable price and enjoy some great aloha vibes. Plus, the guys working at the guest house were very gracious and chill and accommodating whenever we needed something or had questions. Best of all, there's an adorable black cat who loves to hang out with you and get pets while you hang out outside the room 🏝️

This is where Expedia booked for us!! Wow we were not expecting to be booked in such a dive😳first started with owner John the inn keeper. We had a Keypads with owner knowing the code. The rooms were Cockroaches infested. I asked John for sticky pads for the roaches: was told nope. Room smelled like puke. Had to go to Walmart and buy cleaning Supplies. Towels provided were dirty, old and like sandpaper. Beds are old and hard. The owners were not open to buying traps for the insects and cockroaches. My daughter woke up with them all over the bed. I told the owners and they were not concerned. We were told there was a pool and a hot tub but those were not functioning. The cooking facilities were dirty. The owners are scammers running a rundown place as a hotel. They asked for 90$ us for cleaning what a joke. The view is a million dollar one. Love the replies from owner which is an amazing guy but terrible business man. Gaslighting on every reply. And yes we locked up all the food but the cockroaches kept coming in 🤣

My husband and I stayed at the Kona guest house for 7 days and it was awesome. John was so friendly and fun to visit with, telling us about the Island and places we should visit. Spirit the guest house kitty was adorable. The guest house is at the end of a culdesac with beautiful foliage all around. No noisy traffic and I loved waking up to all of the chirping birds. Down the hill is a great walking path to get your steps in before your adventures of the day. Our room was the Dolphin room at the top of the stairs, we had beautiful sunsets and a nice breeze in the evening. It was a wonderful stay. Thank you John.

John's hospitality is a FIVE stars hospitality. He is such nice guy and very helpful in giving tips on where to go, what to do and what to eat. Also in the morning, he will pick a fresh papaya and deliver it to your window. We loved it. The three stars rating here is for the room. The room was clean and everything in order, but you could feel that it has not changed much in many years and could use revamping. I am guessing though if John's revamps the rooms he would need to increase his rates which are probably the most competitive out there. The view from the room upstairs is a million dollar view.

Who doesn’t like fresh papaya off the tree for breakfast every morning? Great place to stay for people who don’t want the resort experience and are cool with seeing a few geckos climbing around outside. Owner and keepers were more than friendly and gracious. If I come back to Kona, I wouldn’t stay anywhere else! Also they have the nicest cat.

Pros: Nice classical living in the tropicals. Close to nature. My room on 1st floor had mesmerising view of the pacific. Others have complained about smelly rooms etc., but I didn't face any such issue. Rooms were well presented. Owner is friendly and helpful. Surroundings were so serene! Ample parking space. Cons: Would have really liked an air con, the humidity was messing with my zen. The place might be too close to nature; mosquitoes, weird creatures (the likes of green lizards) kept creeping in the room near my bed. Owner can regularly spray something to keep those at bay. Overall this can be a good place to be if looking for 3 days or so.

It was really nice place to stay, we love Hawaii and the nature, really nice received, good room and good sleep but we are not difficult too... so be ready for everything is Hawaii not new York, you have to accept it with everything, yes there is little bit mosquitoes, or other living creatures, and weather is weather can be a bit humide, but everything was really nice for the price and Hawaii life style 🙏🏻

It's rustic, quiet, and perfect for our needs. If you are looking for a hotel/ motel/ resort experience... then this place is not for you. Johnny is helpful and eager to help. He wants your hawaii experience to shine. The rooms need to be updated a bit, & they are a work in progress. but the bed slept well. We had the Dolphin room. There is plenty of room for 2. I was a bit leery when i read other reviews, but I'm coming in with knowing it's rustic.... made for a wonderful trip. I wouldn't recommend that this place would be good when traveling with children. It's the simple little treasures that I seek, and I find this to be a gem. It may be a diamond in the rough, but it shined for us.

I’m what people might call a “country girl,” and this place was the perfect stay for my husband and I. We really enjoy visiting with the owner, John. This has been our first experience in Hawaii and he has been so helpful during our stay. We walked down to the beach from the guest house, it is close to a lot of hustle and bustle but out of the way enough to where it is a quiet and peaceful place to retreat. I am loving waking up to complimentary kona coffee and listening to the birds make their morning calls.

This place was disgusting! I had to stay there for one night. The next morning I booked another hotel. It’s dirty, they want you to use dirty cooking utensils that are outside. There is no air conditioning. I paid for 5 days and couldn’t get my money back. DON’T GO THERE!!!!

I would have given 5 starts but I didn't get much sleep last night as there was a drunken couple verbally fighting it out last night outside my bathroom window. I think they actually live there under the tarps behind the bamboo fence next to the house. Otherwise it was a wonderful place to stay.

My mother booked this place for a girls trip with her friends in mid February via American Airlines. I was going to stay with her the first night, but we ended up packing up our things an hour in. The owner, John, is a very nice fellow, but the room we received was not as advertised. The photos on the website are misleading and not an accurate representation of what we saw. We were also told that our suite would have two beds and a full kitchen. There was a full bed and a pull-out couch set up right next to the bed, with not nearly enough room to extend said couch. There was a tiny sink with a cupboard and some utensils, but no cookware. Outside was a camping propane stovetop (and, inexplicably, rugs layered on the patio), a mini fridge, and a large wardrobe that could have served as a pantry. We asked for a pot so I could make dinner, but the one that was left on the hood of our car for us to take had something brown caked onto it. My mother ultimately decided not to stay because a) the place was not as advertised, and she determined the room we had didn't have enough ventilation for her to sleep comfortably. We couldn't get the ceiling fan to turn on, and the only window we had was tiny. The property is open about having no AC - however, in my opinion, you at least have to have screen doors and more open air if you're going to do that in this climate. The room we had was locked with a keypad. The code we were texted was incorrect, and when we returned to gather our things and couldn't get the code right, John called out from the dark of night, while he was working in the bushes, to tell us what the actual code was. We did not know he was there, and were startled to have that information shouted at us without any prompting (besides muttering between ourselves that we couldn't get the code to work). I think this is a decent place to stay, especially if you're familiar with the realities of off-grid living and are comfortable with a more rustic stay. You do get a nice view of the ocean and the surrounding neighborhood. The price point is fair, and John texted after we left to offer to upgrade us to an upstairs suite (which seem to be what's pictured on the website) after we left, but we simply weren't comfortable staying there. I decided to post this review because I don't believe that the website is a full and fair portrayal of this place.

This place is so cozy and lovely. The view alone is worth it and so is Uncle Spirit-he and John made our little trip lovely. It is rustic, outdoor living-so yes, there’s bugs, and yes, you cook and eat outside. For those of us that enjoy such things it’s a wonderful place! We stayed for three nights and had an absolutely lovely time and are looking forward to returning during whale season! A big Mahalo to the owners for letting us stay in your lovely home!