Uncle Billy's emergency proclamation

[HiloJulie]

No need to sell me on the incompetence of the State/County!

The State/County should have taken the lead on this 6 plus years ago. Reach out to the big boys, offer tax incentives and all the gift baskets one can imagine and redevelop this land!

I doubt the existing structure was worth rebuild - so I'm pretty sure a total teardown was always on the cards, so now we get stuck with an 8 to 14 million dollar bill, 9 grand a day security, first responders not allowed to enter (what happens when the next fire is set?) but I can't imagine we have no one in the State/County that could see the potential of this property way back when.

[Chas]

Such a shame. I used to stay there way back when and thought it was charming. I loved the garden and little stream running through the middle of the courtyard.

[terracore]

Before we moved to the BI I was looking for budget accommodations. Uncle Billy's was in our price range. I went to the usual review sites and one of the top reviews was "Uncle Billy's Gives Me The Willies". This was long before they hit bottom but had been in the glidepath of the downward trend for awhile. So we chose the Hilo Seaside Hotel (Motel) instead.

From what I read it was quite the resort back in it's heyday. Unfortunately my only memory other than driving past and going into their store and lobby for some unforgotten reason was that rhyming review.... which I found with the help of Google's bard:

Title: Uncle Billy's Gives Me the Willies

Author: Connie l

Date: March 18, 2012

I stayed at Uncle Billy's Hilo Bay Hotel in 2012 and it was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. The hotel was rundown and dirty, the staff was rude, and I even saw a cockroach in my room. But the worst part was the atmosphere. The hotel just felt...creepy. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

The hotel was located in a run-down part of Hilo, and it looked like it hadn't been updated in years. The rooms were small and cramped, and the furniture was old and stained. The carpet was filthy, and there was a thick layer of dust on everything.

The staff was also very rude. They were unhelpful and dismissive, and they didn't seem to care about the guests. I asked for towels and toilet paper, and they told me that I would have to wait until the next day. I also asked for a new room, because the one I was in was infested with cockroaches, but they refused to give me one.

But the worst part of the hotel was the atmosphere. It just felt...creepy. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I would hear strange noises at night, and I would see shadows moving in the hallway. I even had a dream that I was being chased by a ghost.

I would never stay at Uncle Billy's again, and I would advise anyone else to avoid it as well. It's a dirty, run-down hotel with a creepy atmosphere. You're better off staying somewhere else.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

[Chas]

My recollection was a very pleasant staff. I believe they were Uncle Billy's family. Yeah, it was "worn". Saw a cockroach once (it IS Hawaii). But I thought it had a nice "Hawaii" vibe to it. I guess I'm less demanding and more forgiving than most. I saw cockroaches at the Hilo Hawaiian as well, which at the time was the best hotel on Banyan Drive.

IDK. Some people aren't meant for Hawaii. I have the feeling the reviewer might have been one of them. Would be interested to find out what they thought of Hawaii in general. Another red flag for me was "felt like they were being watched" (Huh???), "strange noises in the night", "saw shadows in the hall". IT'S A HOTEL. With people coming and going at all hours.

Sounds like Connie (Karen?) might have some other issues.

[TomK]

I never stayed at Uncle Billy's in Hilo but did stay at the one in Kona. The staff were not friendly and although I never saw a cockroach, the room was infested with ants. It was the last and only time I stayed there.

[AaronM]

It's Hawaii, critters abound.

The Naniloa had a poisonous slug problem for years.  You know, the nematode kind?  I'll take roaches and ants over brain rot(RLW) anytime!

[Chas]

I just noticed that the review was from 2012. The last time I stayed there was in the early 2000's, so I guess no maintenance for 10 years would have had a detrimental effect.  

After we discovered VRBO, and that for only a little bit more money you could rent an oceanfront house, we did that instead. The good ole days. I'm sure that's a thing of the past as well after the short term rental crackdown.

[terracore]

There was a roach in our room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. And ants. And one time we left the screen door open, birds. It's the tropics. I'd rather see an occasional insect than have everything coated in insecticide.

We did the VRBO thing a few times back when it used to be cheaper than a hotel. Whenever I've searched for them in the last few years, the cleaning fees were almost as much as the rent. They make sense for groups or longer stays, but for a person or two a hotel is usually cheaper and more convenient.

[oink]

I checked out the Hilo Seaside online not long ago. Different name and management now but boy did they go up in price. They must have done major renovations. I enjoyed my month long stay there a number of years ago quite a bit but I wasn't actually there much. I had a 2nd floor room overlooking the fish pond. The view was nice. The plumbing was a disaster. Sewage backed up into the bathtub one day. The shower was just frustrating with such miserable shower head until I went to the plumbing store, bought another and a wrench and replaced it. The room itself was well worn but not terrible. I thought the location was nice and for me convenient. I'd walk the Banyan Drive loop every morning starting before sunup. I became just one of the regulars doing that. Parking sucked. But at the time the price was fairly reasonable. Not now, unless they produced a miracle renovation. I need to find another modestly priced place to stay there. Fat chance?

[randomq]

I miss sub-$100 hotel rooms...