As of September 2026, Hilo has one hostel: Howzit Hostel. Dorm beds in Hilo start around $60 a night, and a private room out in Puna starts around $70, with camping cheaper still if you have the gear. Our Big Island camping guide lists the campgrounds.
Howzit Hostel in Hilo
Howzit Hostel is a clean, modern hostel in downtown Hilo, near shops and restaurants, with dorm beds starting around $60 per night including taxes.
Address: 107 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Website: https://www.howzithostels.com/hilo
The hostel includes a lounge, shared kitchen, and evening entertainment. Additional facilities include a 24-hour front desk, housekeeping service, full-day security, and free parking. Image: Howzit Hostel website.
Affordable accommodation in Puna
Puna‘s cheap shared rooms pop in and out of existence too often for us to recommend most of them. The Open Gate Hostel on the lava fields in Kalapana has stuck around.
Hipcamp shows what is open in Puna right now.
Pahoa Village Hostel
In a restored vintage building on Pāhoa’s main street, this small independent hostel has three private rooms upstairs, over shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen downstairs. It’s basic and communal, within walking distance of the town’s shops, cafes, the free county pool, and a kava bar.
The beds are memory foam. Each room has a work desk and fast WiFi, the shared kitchen has free coffee and tea, and there are hot showers and a covered outdoor lounge out back. Booking is online only, with no walk-ins, and the hostel takes travelers rather than long-term guests, with a background check on everyone who stays. Private rooms start around $70.
Address: 15-2958 Pāhoa Village Rd, Pāhoa, Hawaii 96778
Website: https://www.pahoavillagehostel.com
The hostel is upstairs in this teal building on Pāhoa's main street, above The Veli, the plant-based deli lit up at dusk.
Our Kona hostels page does the same for the other side of the island, and the full Hilo accommodation guide runs through hotels and vacation rentals if a hostel is not the right fit.