testimonials
Wow. Where do I start? This was such a special place in a peaceful town with lovely hosts. We are so lucky to have stayed here! The Mauna is one... read more of a few thoughtfully designed cottages in Megan’s Lotus Garden. We enjoyed the serene landscaping, incredible handcrafted touches and warm hospitality. I can’t say enough great things about this place and hope to have the chance to return again.


February 21, 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
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
Megan’s place is perfect for a couple nights in Hilo. It is walking distance to coffee and food downtown and a great location to explore the area. It was clean... read more and cozy. We loved the outdoor shower and coffee. A perfect stay overall. Highly recommend!


December 31, 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
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

December 7, 2020
Nice little place. Very clean. Hosts are very nice and very accommodating. It is on a busy-ish road so there may be some road noise in the AM.


October 17, 2020
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
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
The loft is very stylish and unique. Loved the hanging bed and the open bath. The hosts were friendly.
The exterior of the space and surrounding area... read more is a little underwhelming. Stark contrast to the interior. The host was also slow in responding ( more than a day late ).


December 19, 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
You couldn't ask for a better spot in Hilo. We were immediately relaxed the second we crossed the bamboo gates, and felt very at ease and at home, especially with... read more Jasper and Megan being such incredible hosts.
Others have said it, but we looked forward to the coffee delivery every morning--great, fresh coffee and french press. Perfect. The kitchen has everything you need to cook at home, and a grocery store is right across the street, as is the Hilo Farmer's Market, which is best on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The shower is great--immediate hot water and very roomy + high quality shampoo/ conditioner & body wash are provided. Even though it's very private it still gives the right amount of outdoor shower vibe with a high open window.
The room gets fantastic light, and it was almost always the perfect temperature just with the fan going and the top windows open.
The shared grounds are stunningly beautiful-- the ponds are gorgeous and each building is painted in bright, lovely colors. We loved spotting day geckos and listening to the coqui frogs sing at night.
There's no TV, but there is great wifi if you bring a laptop/tablet. I would recommend bringing a ukulele or some good books, or just chilling and listening to the yard sounds.
It's close to everything--you can walk to amazing restaurants (Moon & Turtle, two blocks away, is one of my top 10 meals of all time), live music, shops, and a beautiful banyan tree and beach side park all within a few blocks. Rainbow Falls, 'Akaka Falls, and the Botanical Gardens are a quick drive, and we went to Volcanoes National Park (about 35-40 mins) two days in a row.
It rained almost every night while we were there (in February, so winter season) and the one downside is that the rain gets very loud--definitely not the fault of the hosts or the place, just worth mentioning.
I'd stay here again in a heartbeat and hope to soon! Thank you Megan and Jasper for making our journey to Hilo one that we'll never forget!!


February 29, 2020
This is a beautiful place in the heart of Hilo within walking distance to the bay, botanical gardens, farmer’s market, restaurants and shops. Meghan is a wonderful and welcoming... read more host!


January 16, 2022
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
The scenery was so beautiful. Pictures do not do it justice. Airbnb was very clean and Megan was an amazing host. She left coffee on the balcony one morning which... read more was very sweet. Can’t wait to book again when I visit!!


January 7, 2021
Megan and Jasper were welcoming and friendly. Their cabin is in an amazing location in Hilo since you can easily walk to restaurants, a grocery store and the farmer's market... read more in under 5 minutes. We especially liked the Pineapples restaurant which is basically right across the street and open later than some other places in Hilo.
The kitchen had everything we needed for light cooking including a full stove/oven and kitchen sink so we easily made breakfasts and lunches. There wasn't quite enough cookware for us to feel we could easily cook a full dinner and there was no microwave.
Since it was warm and humid, we left the windows open and fan on to stay cool enough. Having all the windows open made us feel close to nature which was nice and relaxing in some ways and a bit bothersome in others. For example, the frogs were loud at night (although we still slept well) and there were some mosquitos inside (although each bed had a mosquito net if needed). The open windows also made the place a bit less private since you could hear and see some folks walking around in the garden during the day, although everyone we met was very friendly.
Overall, it was a great base from which to explore Hilo, nearby waterfalls and Volcanos National Park.


September 6, 2021
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
Aloha! We were on a counter-clockwise driving tour from Kona, three weeks after Hawaii had reopened for tourist travel following closure due to the COVID pandemic. We had chosen Lotus... read more Garden wanting a location in town, rather than the big hotels by Reeds Bay, and are glad we did. After a night in Volcano, we spend one night in the Botanica Apartment. It’s location is perfect for sauntering around town to shop, nibble and gaze at gallery art. Megan and Jasper, our hosts, were friendly and attentive, establishing communication beforehand and providing tips for our stay. We made advance dinner reservations at Pineapples, cater-corner from Lotus, and it exceeded expectations, featuring the first live music that we’d seen since pre-COVID. Breakfast at The Booch Bar was outstanding. We hope to return to Hilo and Lotus Garden to indulge at Kula Shave Ice and the lovely farmers market adjacent. Mahalo!


November 7, 2020