The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls sits among 22 lush, natural acres, surrounding Hawaii’s largest privately accessible waterfall. The Kulaniapia experience is like no other, just 15 minutes from town, but completely away. Whether you come for relaxation, adventure or both, nothing quite prepares you for how much you find of each.
Those seeking adventure are invited to sign up with the Kulaniapia Adventures team for a guided, 120 foot rappel down our namesake waterfall.
Accommodations are provided in several asian inspired buildings providing accommodations ranging from standard/waterfall view rooms and family suites, to fully detached cottages and a Pagoda Guest House with a full kitchen.
Enjoy a wholesome, locally sourced breakfast and the big island’s best coffee, all while enjoying the view of our namesake falls each morning.
Our stay at Kulaniapia was amazing! We stayed up at their farm in one of the garden cabins and loved feeling at one with nature. We enjoyed meeting their farm staff and were very impressed with the shared spaces. We especially loved swimming in the river and listening to the sounds of the jungle at night. A gorgeous, inspiring place to stay that we would highly highly recommend. We will definitely be coming back someday!
This property offers a wonderful secluded place to relax and rejuvenate. The staff was amazing and the accommodations were wonderful. The view of the waterfall from the property is beautiful. Dinner with the Chef Dominique was amazing and we would highly recommend the experience.
The Inn is fabulous! It is right in the middle of a tropical rain forest. The rooms with the best view of the falls are Pitake and Maile. They are on the 2nd floor of a separate building from the office. We took a million pictures walking down the path to the falls. Absolutely enchanting! Bring bug spray! Everything is well organized.. check-in, breakfast, etc. I highly recommend Kulaniapia Inn!
This Inn is a bit remote from the hustle and bustle of Hilo, but MAN, THAT WATERFALL AND THE INN’S VIEW!! After driving through taro fields, you arrive at the gates of the Inn and you already feel the zen from your surroundings. The valley formed from the falls and the river that runs through it has amazing cliffs and trees as a lovely backdrop, I felt like I was in the Valley of the Wind from Studio Ghibli or something! The hosts are all super chill, and the accommodations were quite Chinese in the Harmony House. They definitely communicate more than my preference (via text and email) on promotions for activities and such, but I get it; there’s a fine line and everyone’s preference is different, it was just a bit much for me. We only stayed for a night but really enjoyed the opportunity to stay in and relax. In addition to the sound of the waterfall, what surprised us was the tree frogs singing all night long! How delightful – something we aren’t able to enjoy where we’re from. Breakfast the next morning was perfect and delicious. We did walk down to the waterfall, taking the path that was supposedly less steep to walk down by the bamboo garden. It’s awesome to go down there and see the fall closer, or even take a dip! However, the host forgot to mention that they were paving a new path and actually performing construction; we ended up having to climb across the rocky cliff that bordered the new path… I walked on the muddy path until my feet sunk, then walked on the rocky cliff to get out of the way of the bobcat flattening the path so the pavers could do their work… that was not great. Hopefully by now the path is in place and solidified, so no one else had to experience that; it’s just weird the host didn’t mention anything about it, so we were stuck with no real path to proceed. Otherwise, our stay at the Inn was tremendous!! …
Beautiful inn located a short 10-15 minutes from Hilo. We used it as the home-base of our east side of the big island adventure. Breakfast is cooked fresh and available to-go. But the best part was the sound of the waterfall lulling us to sleep after a long day's adventure.
A magical place to stay. Not good for kids . Felt like we had our own private waterfall and the bamboo collection was outstanding. Perfect stay with a very good breakfast set overlooking waterfall . how to return
This was an amazing experience, possibly our best in Hilo, and that's including the wonder that is Volcanoes National Park. We could feel our blood pressure go down the minute we opened the gates to enter the property. The 100-foot waterfall is the draw, but the drive in, the landscape, decor, the zen staff and all-around ambiance build on the sense of peace. After reading a NYT article that came out *the day* I was looking at lodging, we booked the Prince Kalakaua suite, with a king bed we immediately sank into, a sofa, small lanai overlooking the property, and that gorgeous sound cascading all around you. There are roomier, more luxe or more rustic choices for lodging, and there didn't appear to be a bad one. We also pre-booked a kayak to paddle around the small pond but the weather didn't cooperate, and a fresh Grab n Go lunch, which we ended up taking with us when we left. A breakfast was included -- although you have to order it online when you check in -- and it was peaceful to sit on the porch and dine with a clear view of the falls, even with the on-and-off rain. Because of that rain, the waterfall was at full power, and we did walk the Bamboo garden and then walk down to the falls to take a closer look. It was muddy enough that I took a little slide down the hill (wear shoes with treads), but totally worth the mess and I got to clean up in the stream. And a note to birdwatchers, the Inn is a great place to get a few Lifers. We loved it and plan to come back. We didn't have enough time to take advantage of the farm tour, the cooking class or the chef dinner, which all looked amazing, but maybe next time ... btw, if you're looking for great restaurants in Hilo, suggest Moon and the Turtle, Jackie Rey's or Hilo Bay Cafe, and Temple Bar -- four stars for cocktails. …
We absolutely loved this inn! The people, scenery, views, vibe - the entire place and experience was remarkable! To literally be at a waterfall is a rare experience and then to also have full access to it night and day was priceless. The staff and Alice, the cat, were fantastic hosts. Highly recommend Kulaniapia Falls Inn in Hilo Hawaii.
We were able to see the waterfall right from our room. It was beautiful. We loved hiking down to the waterfall and swimming. The breakfast was wonderful and the people were very welcoming. The road to get there is very curvy and there can be animals that jump out. I would highly recommend staying here at least one night. It would be a great place for a wedding. Had we known our exact itinerary for the evening, we would have booked the chef's dinner as we heard it was wonderful.
The potential is there but on an island with many outstanding hotels & resorts its the little things that matter. My husband and I visited this Inn 4 years ago and we were so looking forward to going back since it is a special place with a picturesque setting. I booked their advertised chef farm to table dinner back in August for February 2nd. On January 25th, I received a text to change dinner to February 1st and we did. Then I got another text January 28th that the dinner would be cancelled. Had I known, I would have changed our booking. The farm tour was a 5/5 with Katie and Mike!! They are the real deal. Chef Domonique was especially accommodating when we had to bring some dishes that were left in the room by previous guests. There is space for a gorgeous check in/out but it is a small impersonal plastic window. We upgraded this trip to the Jade Cottage, which could use some upgrading, there is barely room for 2 suitcases to unpack and a work area. Jade cottage deck has a beautiful view but there is construction going on and loud music being played which took away from the nature sounds. If rating nature walk and the falls it would be a 5. …
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