testimonials
We loved our four days in Megan’s place. The location can’t be beat, half a block away from the Hilo Farmer’s Market, and close to loads of eating establishments and... read more shops. It was easy to park (on the road in front). We slept well, cooked several meals, and felt like we were staying in the rainforest, which made it special and magical. Megan was easily reachable and happy to share tips with us. Highly recommended!


December 26, 2020
I had a wonderful stay here. The bed was comfortable, the place was beautiful, a lovely outdoor shower, with the sound from the little waterfall stature outside (I don't know... read more what to call it, sorry!). Megan showed me in and was very helpful and responsive. The location was perfect for what I wanted to do on the East side of the island. So many rainforests and other beautiful adventures. I hope I am able to get back there in the not so distant future! Thank you again, Megan!


December 15, 2020
This place is located right downtown in Hilo and a block from the ocean. The full house is charming and has a complete kitchen which we found very useful.... read more It is a great place to stay if you are looking for somewhere to hole up for quite awhile during the Covid-19 period. Megan is a wonderful host and was very warm and helpful.


April 5, 2020
We loved our stay. This place was located in downtown Hilo within walking distance to many restaurants, the coast and the farmers market. Megan and Jasper were very kind, offering... read more us coffee in the morning (which we unfortunately missed) and tips for our trip. Would definitely recommend Megan's properties for anyone visiting this side of the island.


December 9, 2020
This little spot was ideal for staying in Hilo. It is centralized with fabulous restaurants and shopping all within walking distance. The property was cute and very zen,... read more with little frogs that chirped at night. I highly suggest ear plugs or the white-noise app to drown out any unwanted noises at night. The building we stayed in was backed up to a public area. At 1-2am, there were garbage(?) trucks that came to collect, beeping and rumbling and making a racket. Then there were random people talking at around 3am as well. The rain at night could also get pretty loud, but that was considered white noise and not as bad.
The hanging bed was comfortable but if you don't want it to swing too much, just prop up the sitting chairs around it. There aren't too many power outlets and no wifi in the room. So good thing we had an unlimited data plan. The hosts Jasper and Megan were friendly and on the property if you need assistance. Overall, I would highly recommend and would stay there again.


February 28, 2020
We had an amazing stay. This place is so cool and Megan and Jasper and their friends were all amazing. The room was adorable and spacious and had all the... read more amenities we needed. Hope to return. Highly recommended!


January 11, 2021
Megan and Jasper's space is beautiful! It's such a fun and cool use of space with partially open-air rooms along with very pretty grounds. Perfect for the climate of Hawaii.... read more The space was also very clean with a good use of many green/sustainable products. We loved the coffee in the morning! Even though we had to leave early, Jasper stopped by to chat briefly and see us off which was very considerate. One thing that was kind of unfortunate is there were two cats howling very loudly from 4am - 4:30am the morning we left. I'm not sure if they were the hosts cats or the neighbors, but it was unexpected. The traffic didn't bother us because that didn't start until about 6:30am and we didn't notice any issues with mosquitoes.


January 18, 2020
The location, host, and beauty of the room and environment were so perfect. The noise at night from the restaurant and parking lot behind the property (which are beyond... read more the control of the host) made sleeping difficult.


February 24, 2020
We really liked Megan and Jasper and their incredible property. The house and grounds are really impressive and the hosts and their community work hard to maintain it all. Perfect... read more location. The house has been fixed up and is beautiful but can be damp when it rains and buggy when it stops. If it rains a lot you’ll want to use the laundromat to dry out your clothes, which won’t dry in the house or outside because of the humidity. We liked having the windows open and listening to the frogs at night, and were glad the hosts, other guests and work-exchange folks on the property were respectful and not noisey. There are a lot of people around fixing up the property and working during the day, so something to consider if you’re trying to avoid interaction during Covid. We enjoyed chatting with everyone and the relaxed community vibe.


December 26, 2020
We had a good stay at Megan’s property. We stayed in The Lotus Garden - Mauna Villa. Megan was a very helpful host. She was very communicative and gave us... read more great options to visit and eat at during our stay. We enjoyed the outdoor garden and loved hanging out with “Loki” the resident mascot of the property. We sure felt at home. Nights were nice and cool but the afternoons got really warm indoors. If you decide to spend some time out in the garden, just make sure to use some mosquito repellent. We’ve never slept on a hanging bed before staying here. We would describe the feeling as sleeping on a cruise. You will definitely feel the sway. Also, just watch out for the random avocados that fall on the roof. They will catch you off guard during anytime of the day and it will scare the heck out of you haha. Other than that, we would definitely recommend this property when visiting Hilo. The location is perfect and the parking is easy.


July 9, 2020
I stayed here four years ago in the large "white" room upstairs. It was nice to come back to Megan's place again and try a different room/building. ... read more I love the colors and style of old buildings turned bright, splashy, and stylish.


January 29, 2020
This bnb was the perfect place in Hilo. Very close to shopping and restaurants and the bay. The space was colorful and quaint - felt like home. Megan was so... read more accommodating. Thank you for a wonderful stay and we hope to be back in the future!


December 24, 2021
We booked this stay only 45 minutes prior to arriving and were grateful to have found such a gem right in the city! The space is very cute and stylish.


December 10, 2020
Very convenient, and super chill spot in the middle of Hilo. Megan was quick in response from pre-booking questions, up through our time at the Lotus Garden Botanical Apartment. She... read more gave us tips on some cool hiking spots off the beaten trail, and good spots for local dining.
Parking was easy on the street right next to the apartment.
Fresh coffee delivered to the apartment at 7am was an amazing touch!
We loved the laid-back vibe. There is a mosquito net provided to go over the bed, since there are open air rafters to outside, but we didn't see any insects our whole time there.
Some city noise, but nothing bad or disturbing by any means, and we were there on a Saturday night. I think a cat (?) jumps on the metal roof sometimes which was startling at first but pretty hilarious.
Overall a really convenient and chill spot, and we'd definitely stay again!


February 25, 2020
The whole process was perfect! From check in to check out. The apartment was very clean and had its own entrance to downtown Hilo. The shower is also really cool.... read more Megan and the team displays a very positive attitude and willingness to help. Megan gave me some really cool suggestions to visit. Was only there a day, but checked out a few suggestions and was beyond satisfied. Will be on this side of the Island again soon, and hope I get to stay here again!


October 12, 2020
The lotus garden is such a lovely gem tucked away in Hilo town. Ideally located so many local attractions are within walking distance. Megan was such a welcoming host, even... read more delivering freshly ground coffee and a French press to the door each morning. The space itself is stylish and comfortable. I personally loved the light sway of the suspended bed at night - like rocking to sleep in a hammock. Soaking in the claw foot tub with a glass of wine was the perfect way to relax at the end of the day. Mahalo!


November 24, 2020
This place is beautiful and well located in downtown Hilo. Super comfortable with lots of space to stretch out and relax and it’s surrounded by a garden oasis. We didn’t... read more get to meet Megan as she was out of town but Jasper gave us great local tips and even dropped off a french press with all the fixings on our first morning there. Could not recommend this place more. We hope to stay here again sometime.


February 7, 2020

December 7, 2020
This cottage is a simple delight and offers the best of both worlds: the relaxation of a country garden cottage that is still downtown and walkable to everything you need.... read more It was an absolute haven. The cottage is inset - in the middle of the block, not along the street - and a stream-like gurgle from two water features on the property floats into most rooms.
The upstairs loft feels very much as photographed: bright and airy and spacious. As someone who appreciates the sound of rain on a tin roof very much, I enjoyed Hilo's frequent showers. But if you are a light sleeper, I would recommend bringing good earplugs as it can get loud. There is a second bedroom not pictured on the lower floor, which I would recommend for any light or sound sensitive sleepers.
There is also a perfectly equipped kitchen not shown in photos. We bought a lot of produce from the nearby farmer's market and other groceries from the natural food store just around the block and had all of the tools we needed to cook most of our meals in-house. For those who prefer to dine out while on vacation, there are at least a dozen great eateries in easy walking distance. The Poke Market was our favorite, and Antics Pizza offers gaming counsels while you dine (Nintendo etc - with some throw backs!).
Overall, this cottage made for a charming staycation, with everything we needed - including shampoo & conditioner, beach towels and board games - and enough space for two of us to work undisturbed while a third slept in.


May 17, 2021
Great space, perfect location. Megan was a great host and the space has a great location in the heart of town. I’ve stayed in Hilo a few times and have... read more never found a spot to stay that’s so central to downtown—very convenient. It’s kind of a little oasis in the middle of town, as the hidden courtyard gives it some serious jungle bungalow vibes. Definitely recommend!


December 3, 2020