Palms Cliff House Inn

Honomu, United States

4.1

Closed now

18 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 866-963-6076
Website:
www.palmscliffhouse.com
Address:
28-3514 Mamalahoa Hwy, Honomu, HI, 96728
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Wi-Fi
Paid

Today

Today 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Honomu) 12:59 AM Saturday, June 28, 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We are a luxurious B&B specializing in romance and the feel of «Old Hawaii.» Listen to the waves crash and the native birds sing while eating a delicious breakfast each morning. Whales (late Nov. to early April) and Spinner dolphin (year round) will captivate your attention. With 8 comfortable rooms you are sure to find your stay relaxing. Conveniently located near Hilo, and easy driving to Volcano, Mauna Kea, and Waimea.

History

Established in 2000.

John & Michele Gamble turned this single family home into an award winning B&B after seeing the property in 1999. Having fallen in love with the property themselves, they were sure others would want to experience the feel of this very special place. After doubling the size of the original home they opened their doors and welcomed their first guests in 2001. Since opening the inn the Gambles have hosted famous celebrities, honeymooners of all ages, adventure travelers and shopaholics. In 2004 both a song and a hula were written to honor both the Inn and the Gambles.

Meet the Business Owner

John and Michele G.

Business Owner

Michele grew up in rural Colorado, while John grew up near the shore of Lake Michigan. We both love the outdoors and try to enjoy it as often as being Innkeepers will allow. Some of our favorite adventures here in Hawaii have been camping/​hiking Mauna Loa (Brrrrr), Hiking Mauna Kea and watching the sun rise. Did you know that if you stand on the summit at night there are stars above AND below you? What an experience! We love to «get Away» to a secret camping spot near South Point that takes a full day of 4-​wheeling just to get to. And on a lazy day you will find us both enjoying a good book and the view from the Inn’s lanai. We both feel so very lucky to be able to «Live Aloha.»

Palms Cliff House Inn also recommends

The Seaside Restaurant and Aqua Farm

150

reviews

Seafood

John and Michele G. says,

«Really good selection of fish and good food. Family run and a special treat to sit facing out over the old fish pond.»

Café Pesto

610

reviews

Pizza

,

Italian

,

Cafes

John and Michele G. says,

«Good food, good drink, good friends — all come together at this wonderfully friendly restaurant.»

Hilo Bay Café — CLOSED

288

reviews

American (New)

,

Cafes

John and Michele G. says,

«Wonderful atmosphere and good food.»

The Woodshop Gallery & Café

16

reviews

Art Galleries

,

Cafes

John and Michele G. says,

«Good local style food and terrific gallery. Janette carries work from a variety of talented local artists.»

Vicinity

Near this location:
1
mi
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
Honomu
1
mi
The Woodshop Gallery & Cafe
28-1692 Old Government Rd
1
mi
Island Art Adventures
28-1680 Old Mamalahoa Hwy
1
mi
Glass From the Past Antique Bottles & Collectibles
28-1672-A Old Mamalahoa Hwy
1
mi
Hilo Sharks Coffee
28-1672 Old Mamalahoa Hwy
1
mi
Advantage Industries
Honomu

18 reviews of Palms Cliff House Inn

No registration required
Place rating: 2
Governors Island, NY
We past 3 nights in the Palms Cliff House Inn out of 3 weeks in Hawaii and it was with out a doubt the most expensive and the biggest disappointment! Sure the place is really beautiful and the whirlpool amazing but the owners and the staff really unwelcoming! We are Swiss tourists and don’t speak as fast as locals, Is that a reason to treat us as if we were stupid? Of course being a hotel you would imagine that they are used to tourists???
I wouldn’t recommend this place to anybody but especially if you are a smoker! They have no smoking zones on all the property so there is a 5 minutes walk to the road and no cover (it rains a lot) if you want to have a puff!
Almost forgot, they only have wifi in the lobby and not in the rooms.
Place rating: 5
Pepeekeo, HI
Epically romantic. My husband and I got married here and rented to whole place for a weekend. Could not be happier with how magical our day was. All of our guests felt pampered and enjoyed the celebration. A day we will never forget.
Place rating: 1
Columbia, MD
Very Uncaring. My wife and I were scheduled last month to visit her 98 year-​old Mom in Honolulu. As part of the trip we were going to Hilo for a couple of days and had a reservation at the Palms Cliff House. Ten days before we were to leave, her Mom took a turn for the worse and we flew to Honolulu to be with her. She passed away on Oct 14th, and the only time that would work for her funeral service was the same day we were to be staying at the Palms Cliff House. I called them several days before our scheduled stay to cancel, and they reminded me that they have a «No Refunds for Any Reason» policy. I explained the situation and they told me to go through AARP Expedia since we made our reservations through them. The AARP Expedia Representative received the same quotation of their NO REFUNDs policy. I would guess that anyone who cares to stay at the Palms Cliff House Inn will receive the same level of caring and Aloha that I received.
Place rating: 5
Glendale, CA
This property is absolutely beautiful! My first time staying at a bed and breakfast and I love it! The landscape and ocean front views are beautiful. I love the boutique style and tropical and vintage feel. Nothing beats falling asleep with the sounds of the ocean and waking up to a beautiful sunrise. Can’t wait for breakfast!
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
Amazing. The name says it all. The views from the rooms off of the ocean side cliffs are unmatched. The level of service provided by the staff is similar to that of a five star hotel. Slightly off the beaten path, but a very short drive from Hilo and very easy to get to and from. I can’t wait to go visit again!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
This was a beautiful place to spend part of our Honeymoon. We went two years ago, and I am already hoping to bring my parents here someday. It is quiet, peaceful, romantic, clean, and very friendly. The breakfasts every morning are wonderful, and the rooms are absolutely beautiful. It is worth the money, and worth the stay — you do have to watch out for the small white sign on the side of the road, which is almost impossible to see at night! I can’t wait to go back.
Place rating: 5
Orange County, CA
My husband and I are very well traveled – never stay anywhere less than 5 stars, and we had a fabulous experience here. The breakfasts were splendid, the rooms were great, the staff was wonderful. I get very annoyed when I see rude comments about the owners. These people are obviously not used to staying in upscale places – you see, the usual bed and breakfast experience is a creepy woman in a mumu hovering over you, being overly familiar and in your face – which is why my husband loathes B&Bs usually. Just because these people are not snapping gum in your ear calling you «honey» doesn’t mean they’re unfriendly – it’s an upscale place. Get it?
Also, nothing makes me more irate than seeing yet another dunderhead like the reviewer below from Palo Alto who booked through a third party website where it CLEARLY states that the rate does NOT include breakfast, get angry that their rate didn’t include breakfast – CAN’T YOU READ??? And don’t tell me it didn’t say it, I’ve booked through Expedia and other 3rd party sites before, and they could not make it clearer.
I’m a lawyer, and I understand that not everyone reads the fine print of everything like I do – but come on, even a cursory reading of the terms and condition reveal that breakfast is not included. These people are obviously not well traveled, suffer from an inability to read the English language and fail to do even basic research before going somewhere – as someone who often has to hear Dumb Do Dos like these complain on vacations to the management about things that were disclosed to them before, or would have been revealed by two minutes of research – I only have one thing to say: PLEASE STAY HOME OR GO TO THE MOTEL 6 WHICH IS WERE YOU BELONG. Also, if you did have any experience staying in a small, independent, upscale place you would know that it is not uncommon to include a request for optional gratuity for staff.
Place rating: 4
Renton, WA
If you love off the beaten path, away from it all, and solitude to contemplate the ocean or read, this is the place. The view from the rooms is in-​your-​face ocean! Our room had no AC but the ceiling fan and keeping the slider open was good for us (although the humidity was just enough to make our papers and magazines feel floppy). We took advantage of a $ 199/​night deal that the inn offered online. Otherwise, it is REALLY spendy, and you may wonder why they charge for wi-​fi and common snacks on top of it.
The shrill voices of the invasive coqui frogs may keep you up at night. We got used to it, but then we were BEAT from our day-​tripping.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
We enjoyed our two night stay here. We originally were going to stay one night in Hilo and then one night here, but after much thought we opted to spend the money to extend our stay here. I left a voice-​mail and sent an email since I had problems booking another night on the website. I promptly received a call the next day from someone to take care of the change.
The front desk was very accommodating. We were running late and knew we would not make it to the check-​in times. We were told where we could pick up our keys, and the paperwork would be handled in the morning.
The place is beautiful and also bit pricey. It almost feels like a place you would go for your honeymoon. You can easily miss the entrance at night since the main road is not lit very well. As we were finally getting close to the hotel, I think John called us to let us know that a tsunami warning was in effect and to get out of Hilo.
We stayed in Room # 06, Paradise Dreams. It was one of the rooms with AC. We definitely used the AC even though it was late Oct. I would still recommend going for the units with AC if i had to do it again. Room was modern and up-​to-​date. The view was very nice from our balcony.
The price is a bit high but there isn’t too many options on this side of the island. I also found many places did not have AC. However, the breakfast made up for it. On day 1, we had a quiche, slice of pineapple, a muffin, apple sausages, and fresh pineapple juice. On day 2, we had papaya, muffin, sausages, and guava french toast.
The checkout is early probably because they only have one or two people cleaning the rooms. During our stay, one woman was training a younger adult with house keeping.
Other things: I think they charge internet access per device. We used our phones to tether. T mobile and A&TT reception were ok. Housekeeping doesn’t refill toiletries. Some areas of the floors creak. Keep that in mind when choosing first or second floor. I believe the 2nd floor units have AC. Pay in cash to save some money.
I’m usually not a fan of B&Bs. After two days, we didn’t want to leave. Overall it is a very nice place.
Place rating: 5
Waikoloa, HI
Time and time again, The Palms Cliff House Inn does not disappoint. We have stayed her more than 4 times and each time we stay, we appreciate the place even more and more. We have come to know John and really enjoy the view, the room — get room #5, it’s the best in the house — with air conditioning. My bear has to have his A/​C and I definitely would recommend getting an A/​C room.
It rained everyday on this visit, but the beauty of the view from the room, the delicious breakfast and the service from the maid made this stay exceptional. Breakfast is always a treat. The first day we were there, the innkeepers were not there.
The breakfast was still good — fresh pineapple, lemon poppyseed muffin, vegetable quiche and a chicken sausage.
On day 2, the innkeepers were back and we could see the love and care that went into making Palms Cliff House the great place it is. We had freshly made banana pancakes, blueberry muffin, chicken sausage, fresh papaya and orange and pineapple juice. Yum… the pancakes were excellent. The muffin still warm.
On day 3, we had pineapple, spinach & cheese omelette, a delicious salsa of fresh pineapple, a scrumptious cream cheese and pineapple turnover and a chicken sausage. This was by far, the best breakfast.
We traveled to Hilo town everyday for lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, the food in town does not live up to the breakfast we have daily. We had a wonderful stay. We love this place.
Place rating: 5
Atlanta, GA
What an incredible place to stay. The rooms are clean, comfortable and well designed. The balcony overlooking the cliff and ocean was huge and the view was spectacular. The property is well landscaped and very beautiful.
Breakfast each morning was very good and the setting couldn’t be better. It seemed to be carb heavy and light on the protein, but it’s vacation, so who really cares.
The innkeepers are friendly, but very businesslike. This was my first B&B, so maybe a businesslike innkeeper is a little unusual to some that frequent B&B’s, but seemed appropriate to me. They didn’t offer much help in terms of sightseeing or restaurants — some local expertise and commentary would really add to the enjoyment of the guests.
I honestly can’t imagine a better place to stay. We had a great experience and would stay here again without hesitation if we return to the Big Island.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Paradise can come in small packages.
My wife and I stayed for two nights. We found Palms through some travel websites. This was our first time staying in a bed & breakfast. We like to indulge when we travel so big resorts are our preferred accommodation and we travel quite a lot. We aren’t the book reader types so the solitude doesn’t appeal to us. To tell you the truth I had my doubts the second I reserved the place. Upon arriving at the Palms, all doubts were gone. It was truly beautiful, more so then the online pictures depict.
We stayed in the Paradise room on the second floor. My suggestion is to stay in rooms with the A/​C. It’s nice to sleep with the waves, but when you’re sweating you’re not going to get much sleep. Simple rules are in place to follow — no shoes in room and luggage on luggage racks. They aren’t anything crazy to complain about. I actually like the no shoes thing.
Breakfast is served early. Though not an early riser it wasn’t hard to wake up to a beautiful view while having homemade breakfast. They provide towels, umbrellas, and coolers for use. We did a lot of hiking so those things came in handy.
As oppose to what the guide book say, I recommend staying in Hilo for 3 – 4 days. There is much to do and the food is excellent this part of the island.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
stayed here. rooms were fine; not way fancy but TBH the pics on the site make them look kind of funky but they were clean and much better than in the pics. it was supposed to a be really rainy season (early nov.) but didn’t rain much.
12 miles outside of Hilo, just far enough that you felt like you were in the sticks but close enough you could get food.
all the rooms have a rad view (i assume — ours was great)
beautiful grounds. the place is a recently build victorian building.
the list of instructions given at checkin were long, the breakfasts were $ 15/​day and were okay, we only got it once because we were up really early each morning.
i would stay here again.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
This place was just perfect. We stayed for four nights just last week. Incredible views, beautiful grounds (the photos really don’t do it justice) and really gracious owners. Spacious porches all look out over the ocean. Everything was thought of and anticipated for including hundreds of titles of dvds to watch. Would definitely be back and would highly recommend.
Place rating: 1
Palo Alto, CA
I would love to write a great review for this B&B, since it really has some nice things going for it. Spectacular views, clean & modern rooms, very secluded, lovely grounds… but unfortunately, our interactions with the owner, John, were so unpleasant and distasteful that I would never, ever stay there again. John was so incredibly rude and unkind to us… he overcharged $ 60 by making us pay an additional amount for the breakfast, even though his website CLEARLY states that the «Rate includes breakfast.» He refused to give us a refund, and his last email to us on the matter was almost comical it was so downright nasty. Also, like the person who wrote a review below, we were rather shocked to receive this very creepy 1 page checkout letter reminding us to tip his housekeepers (so…Is he not paying them enough?) and be gone by 10am (rather early for a checkout, I think) In addition, while we were sorting our bill, we watched as his wife lugged this huge suitcase down the stairs. When I asked about it, John said he’d had to call his wife back from the airport to get their DSL working again. All I could think was… why don’t you call a local DSL repair person then, instead of troubling your wife who needs to make her flight? And also, could you show a little courtesy and respect for your wife by offering to help her with that huge suitcase? Truly, the whole experience of staying here left a really bad taste in my mouth. I would be surprised if the place is still in business a year from now if this is how he treats his guests.
Place rating: 4
Santa Barbara, CA
perfect place for the b&b. breakfast was delicious. nice place, somewhat a lot of rules to follow but whatevs, it is someone’s house. hm, tv didn’t have any of the espn channels, that sucked since it is fb season now
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
Spectacular, Hilo convenient location. Aptly named since the palms are lush, the cliffs, impressive and the house immaculate. The grounds are park like, beautiful and well maintained; a real plantation oasis. Were all that not enough, hundreds of spinner dolphins frolicked in the adjacent cove as we enjoyed a very complete, very well prepared breakfast.
The room was only better than average BUT the view made the overall experience exceptional. If I had to reach for something about which to be critical, I thought the inn keeper got a touch testy when I arrived a little later than the specified check in and failed to follow the clearly outlined late arrival procedure. Again, I’m reaching and in fact, I could have read the instructions better. Let’s call this negative a wash.
All that aside, PCH is a great setting, properly sized for a small or mid-​sized wedding party to take over the joint and enjoy a very private, very special gathering. I’m going again.
Place rating: 5
Mountain View, CA
I surprised my wife by staying here for the first two nights of our honey moon. We had planned most of our trip together, but I convinced her to let me plan the first two nights and surprise her. I chose this place mostly on a whim after looking though their photos, some satellite imagery and a few reviews (ok I’m an engineer, what can I say)… things couldn’t have worked out better.
We arrived late at night, and they had the key waiting for us in a drop off box outside. When I opened the door to our room located in the corner on the bottom floor her jaw hit the ground. It was beautifully decorated, and very luxurious. Everything had a bit of Hawaiian flair, and I could best describe it as a combination of a boutique 5-​star hotel, and a plantation house.
I had requested some flowers in the room waiting for us and they were gorgeous. I’m not sure what the best part was, the interior or the exterior. Watching our first sunrise over the cliffs with the spray of the water making small rainbows was amazing. After the sunrise we were treated to an amazing gourmet breakfast, from fresh Hawaiian fruit juice, to guava French toast, and countless other delicacies.
The hotel has a very quiet, reserved private feel which suited us for this trip with individual breakfast tables for each guest. The hosts saw themselves more as hotel owners than what I envision as a traditional B&B where they would come and check on your needs, explain the food, and wish you a good day each morning. They were very responsive to any needs, and requests that we had and handled everything quickly.
The location was perfect for exploring the western side of the island near Hilo, including the Mona Kea observatory, and many of the wonderful waterfalls nearby.