Excellent location. Close to everything. The room is small and done on a shoestring budget. But good for budget travelers. We loved the deck. We rested on the deck and watched a beautiful sunset.

The room is kind of isolated and in the middle of a jungle garden. There are all kinds of birds and small animals around. If you are a light sleeper the exotic frog call for the company would keep you up most of the night. But if you are a sound sleeper and a nature person, you would love it.

We stayed for 8 nights in the Whale room with a direct view of the ocean and absolutely gorgeous sunset views. This simple room was not fancy but fit exactly what we were looking for - a private, clean, quiet space where we could hang out and use it as our home base for touring the rest of the island. We had fresh papaya, passion fruit, and bananas directly from trees onsite as well as Kona coffee and other breakfast items available in a cabinet on the balcony. We asked for a hot plate to cook some food in our "kitchen" area. Cute gecko chirps could be heard in the evening. A couple of us didn't want to travel around the island one day and just wanted to rest in the room all day - it was that comfortable. Everyone was super nice and - when one of us had a medical issue - the concern and attempts to help were very much appreciated.

I thought a sign at the front driveway would have helped us find the place easier when we first got there. We just were not sure if the building was supposed to be the Guest House or not. Parking was kind of tight though easy. I recommend painting lines so people know where to park. Some other recommendations include (1) having a notebook for guests to provide their notes/comments to future guests. I've seen this when traveling in other countries... may be fun/useful here (2) Maybe a few board games (3) a flyer to provide guests when they arrive describing amenities, contact phone numbers, who to contact, places within walking distance, recommended places to eat, and how to schedule a massage.

location

bed sheets dirty.

Cheap. The host is a nice guy.

The "room" I had used a shared washroom with another room. I was not aware of this untill I arrived. The rest of the house is a pack rats dream. The walls are thin. The person next door played bad music.

great location. nice and spacious. the Host John was very nice, he did an amazing introduction and welcome tour. John is very accommodating, caring and understanding host. it’s great that he lives there so if we need anything he’s right there. John is also very helpful in advising us where to go and where not to go, the best time to go. we loved the place we would definitely go back again. keep up the good work John.

it was perfect for what we wanted to do in Kona. I can’t think of anything wrong with the property. I would recommend the property to anyone.

Initially the contact with the owner/caretaker was nice.

After I cam back from a weekend Maui I found some kind of beetles in my bed (Bedbugs!). I cleaned the bed as good as possible, put some powder around the edges. Of which I was told, it would keep any bugs away/kill them, and went to sleep. I woke up the next day with between 400 and 500 bedbug bites! Owner apologized and offered me another room for the next night. Rather than having it cleaned professionally, they cleaned it themselves. Unfortunately the other room was unavailable after my night there and I had to move back in the "freshly deep cleaned" room. They replaced the bed and after insisting from my side they finally threw away the pillows and bed linnen as well. They made the couch, that was there before as well, into a bed for me to sleep on. Hesitantly I moved back in and when I laid on the bed to watch some tv, I looked at the side and saw another big bedbug. At that time I had to pack my things and go... The owners call it a tropical experience, "like sun and rain" and refuse any compensation to me for the remaining unused days I couldn't stay with them because of this. They take NO ownership at all of what is happening at their place. Avoid at any costs if you can!

Very warm and engaging hosts!

Was a tad hot, had to use a second fan.

We really lucked out finding this. But luckily we spoke with the host, John (who was very helpful and honest about his location) before we arrived. This is NOT a hotel or resort. It is not fancy. Read everything about this location before booking. It was exactly what we needed. The first few days in Hawaii we really wanted to hit the ground running and this location allowed for that. If we had been in a more resort style place, we probably wouldn’t have seen as many attractions as we did the first week. It wasn’t because it was uncomfortable or anything. It was perfect for what we needed it for. Reviving from our amazing long days in Hawaii and sleeping sound. Our room had amazing views and a great bathroom to accommodate the whole family. John was so nice and knew a lot of great information about the island. He also made my wife, a nervous first time mom, SO comfortable having our 2 1/2 year old there (who wasn’t always quiet). That was enough for us to definitely want to come back to his amazing home.

Just make sure you read everything. Each room has slightly different variations. I would suggest calling John and talking to him. Remember, this is his home. It is not a resort or hotel with a pool and amenities. It was very hot at night so we bought our own fan. Problem solved! The surroundings of his home are a little on the cluttered side and not exactly “clean”. But it doesn’t affect your stay there at all!

the location was perfect. we were close to everything. I loved the room. it was comfortable and clean. the view was amazing. we watched the sunset most evenings from right there. the staff was super helpful. John was so attentive and kind. he went above and beyond to be sure we had everything we needed. I had the vacation of a lifetime and am planning to return. I will be sure to return to simple Kona guest house when I make it back to Hawaii.

We stayed in the superior ocean view room. It was great! It’s a nice sized room equipped with bathroom and shower, mini fridge, coffee maker, glass ware, towels, and basically all the amenities. Although other people stay in separate units at the condo, it didn’t feel as though we impinged upon one another. This made the stay feel like home and private. John the owner is a great host and a very intelligent person! I loved having conversations with him. I miss it there already.

Only reason I gave it a 9/10 instead of a 10/10 is because the outside cooking equipment could be updated/improved. It was tough to cook breakfast on the grill units available, but I made John aware of the issue. If you have an issue, talk to John and he will help you. It seems like some of the poor reviews stem from people who don’t make their needs known to John during the stay, and then post mean stuff about it after. That’s not the aloha way!

A quiet place in a Hawaiian neighborhood. We really appreciated our friendly host and his passion and knowledge of Hawaii. As the sun rises, the neighborhood’s turkeys patrol by, their goggle, goggle waking the doves who coo their replies. What a delightful way to wake in tropical paradise! After long research for our vacation, I picked up Simple Kona Guest House based on its affordable price, ocean view from the house deck, and pictures of pleasant looking rooms. We stayed in Happy Whale Studio, which provides the best view, plenty of fresh air, and sounds of tropical paradise each early morning. We were delighted to be free of the drone and discomfort of air conditioners and found the simpler life so attractive! The neighborhood feels safe, looks well kept, and it is very quiet other than the songs of tropical birds. There are free roaming chickens who add fun and drop fresh eggs. The well-mannered cat-in-residence, Spirit, does not enter quests’ rooms uninvited but regally greets everybody outdoors. Please share some tuna from your sandwich or cream with this friendly feline and you will get a loyal following. The stealthy emerald geckos climb the railing eager to share the papaya provided by the host. An Uber ride from the airport is under 20 minutes and affordable. The island eccentric owner is very enthusiastic about sharing his local knowledge and helping guests with their vacation plans. The best, in our opinion, beach was at the Old Kona Airport State Park with plenty of parking spots, picnic tables with a few grills, trees for some shade, showers and bathrooms. It is under 30 minutes drive from the Simple Kona Guest House past the Kona airport. Second best for those who loves playing in waves is Manini'owali Beach Located in Kua Bay (about 40 minutes from the apartment).

The host opened his home for traveling guests and we appreciated it. We enjoyed our short stay and would change nothing. It is a simple guest house just as advertised.

Very friendly

Parking was a nightmare, place was not as expected in photos, hard beds & shared bathrooms were difficult with children owner was friendly.

The area was very quite by 8pm no noice but us only lol only the wonderful birds at night I had everything I needed for a good value

I dont like that we have to share bathroom but hey for what pay I let it pass Thigh parking but no problems just ask john and he will take care of u. If you ask john for recommendations and suggestions BE READY TO HAVE A NOTEBOOK AND PEN HANDY HES YOUR EXPERT OF KONA.

We stayed with John for 3 weeks in the downstairs Family room and we had a blast! Yes, read the description, it is simple and therefore affordable. No, our bedding didn't match, but when you don't care about stuff like that and would rather care about having a great host, a great central location and an affordable option, this is for you! Fresh papaya and passion fruit! A full kitchen and full sized fridge and freezer to cut down on food cost. If you need anything, just let John know and he will help you out. Thanks John, we really hope to be back one day!

Jeffrey, the beautiful green gecko didn't visit often enough. Yes, our kids named him.

I liked how friendly the staff was. I also was very appreciative about the texts of ongoing events and the like. We also had plenty of privacy and felt welcome staying in the common room areas.

There was not much I disliked about staying here. There were a couple of bug bites my partner and I would wake up with, but other than that the stay was excellent.

nice location. good view from front veranda. friendly host.

back studio has no sink in bathroom, making shaving difficult. Kitchette has sink but no mirror, so no shaving there either. Listing shows "shared kitchen", but that's the BBQ setup on the porch of the back studio. The actual kitchen is in the family room, and is NOT shared. There were very noisy staff members (or residents?) arguing/swearing at night, other got noisy building materials to/from back of building late night and very early AM. ZERO places to hang clothes or towels in the back studio. no closet or racks.

Close proximity to the Airport

No sink or mirror to brush teeth and shave. No AC and Roaches.

Mike and John were great they catered to our needs. They provided us with great tips and advice for beaches and other good points to hit. The place had a great view and was very comfortable.

Parking spaces a bit crowded. The bathroom space was a little narrow for us.

NOTHING!!! It was the worst place of stay of my life. I simply regret booking here and I'm upset that booking.com partners with such a horrible place in general. Please take this review seriously for other future victims.

Bed sheets, couch and everything in the room were STEINED, there were molds everywhere, bathroom was shared and used terrible form of locks, parking sucked because it was so narrow, the owner never responded to my 5 calls and voicemails, nor 10 emails either because their inboxes were full nor they never check them! and their whatsapp is also not reachable, and texts with the owner was worse than any AI chatbots that exist today.

Value was very good. Last minute booking also a big help.

Somewhere, the flys and mosquitoes could get in the room. Not a lot, but a few now and then. Helpful gecko 🦎 kept them at bay though.

We liked the surrounding and it being ocean view. We only stayed there for 2 nights out of the 5 that we booked because we decided to drive to Hilo. On our return back to Kona and due to our changed of flight (flying out in the evening), we requested from our host if we can extend our stay for half a day since we weren’t there for 3 nights. John accommodated our request and even offered to let us stay extra days if we needed it. Wish we could, but we had to return back to the mainland. He was nice and easy to deal with. The neighborhood was great…Beautiful sights.

I am not use to the shared bathroom 🥴 For next time and if available we would like a private bathroom.

It’s was off the main road and had a good view of the water

Closer to the beaches

No AIr condition