Ekomomai Retreat

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Ekomomai Retreat? The name actually means something here – I learned later it’s got roots in the local language, something about harmony with nature, and honestly that makes sense once you’re there. It’s one of those places that doesn’t try too hard to impress you right off the bat, which I actually appreciated after staying at some overly flashy spots that promised the moon and delivered… well, not the moon.

The retreat sits in this surprisingly quiet pocket – I mean, you’d think a 3-star place might cut corners on location, but they really didn’t. My room faced what looked like undeveloped land (in a good way), and the morning sounds were actually birds instead of traffic, which was a nice surprise. The 7.6 rating seems about right, honestly – it’s not going to blow you away, but it won’t disappoint either. Check-in was smooth, the staff genuinely seemed to know the area well, and when I asked about hiking trails, the front desk person didn’t just hand me a generic brochure but actually sketched out a route on a napkin that turned out to be perfect for what I wanted. The rooms are… look, they’re comfortable. Clean, decent beds, and the shower pressure was better than I expected. Nothing fancy, but everything worked, which is more than I can say for some pricier places I’ve stayed.

What really won me over was how the place feels during different parts of the day. Mornings are peaceful – you can grab coffee and sit outside without feeling like you’re missing some scheduled activity or fighting for space. Evenings get a bit more social, not in a loud way, but you’ll find yourself chatting with other guests who seem to be the kind of travelers who actually chose to be here rather than just booking the cheapest option. The staff mentioned they get a mix of people – some doing longer stays for work, others like me just wanting a few days somewhere that feels removed without being completely isolated. There’s decent parking (which matters more than people think), and while the building itself isn’t Instagram-worthy, it has this solid, unpretentious vibe that grows on you. I’d come back, actually – sometimes you don’t need luxury, you just need a place that does what it says it’ll do and lets you relax without any drama.

Early hotels booking in Hawaii is essential during major events like the Ironman World Championship, as accommodations fill up quickly with visitors eager to experience the islands’ renowned surfing culture and tropical beauty.

Rooms

• Two Bedroom Holiday Home with 3 × 1 large double bed and 2 × 2 sofa beds for 6 adults

Reviews

• Teri from United States (8/10)

  We enjoyed the location. We like the extra things that was provided. For example; the cooler, beach mat, googles etc.
  The surrounding landscape is very nice and cute.

• Aleksandra from Poland (7/10)

  The location was great, very close to the Hawai’i Volcanoes NP, not so far from Hilo (around 40 minutes drive). The kitchen is well equipped, with a lot of useful appliances. There is also washing machine and a dryer, which is always great for a longer stay. The place also offered the googles, body boards and some beach equipment. It was a nice surprise to be welcomed by local cookies.

• Jemma from United States (7/10)

• Julie from United States (9/10)

  It was spacious, clean, and being able to do laundry was great. The location was very nice too.

• Andrew from United States (9/10)

  The location was good — close to the hiway but somewhat secluded. The had some snorkeling and buggy boards there for our use. Nice open feel to the home.

• Hawaiicory from United States (1/10)

  DO NOT BOOK THIS PLACE ! ITS A TOTAL RIP OFF ! STAY AWAY . I first realized i was charged over USD $270 for a cleaning fee/s ! wow… the place was advertised at USD$ 86 or so. so very suprised to get a bill for over $400 for a nights stay when there are other hotel options for $200+ Auwe. i got the address and was very puzzled on the ‘scheme’ involved. Definitely, DO NOT BOOK THIS PLACE ! i tried to get a refund, but realized it was past checkin as i was on the road all day and looking forward to staying in a cool booking.com place that i normally book. The saddest part was i was traveling with my 12-year old daughter, she was wondering what was going on… She encourage me to call customer service. I was both embarassed and sick. First bring charged almost $500 for a place and when calling the ‘manager’ on the line with no answer on how to open the lockbox or no one there to even greet you. My daugher was witnessing customer service first hand, or the lack of there of. Sad. She encouraged me to contact booking and straighten things out. I was on hold for 30 minutes as booking staff attempted to contact the managers of the property. I’ve been a long time happy booking.com customer and will continue but will be very skeptical on booking a non hotel property. i have the address of this property well documented and noticed the original property did not match the property and address sent to me. very puzzling. i will do a travel blog post on this experience as we shot photos of the outside of the property because we also, weren’t given any instructions for the entrance key combo to enter the property. we never entered even though we were booked.

• Donna from United States (9/10)

• Jennifer from United States (7/10)

• Sara from United States (8/10)

• Thomas from United States (9/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities