Shipman House: Back in Time, Hawaii Style

Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn, Hilo, Hawai'i

When we saw the Shipman House Bed and Breakfast Inn rising tall, proud and Victorian at the top of a long, manicured driveway, I said aloud:

“Oh, wow. This must have been the finest house in Hilo, back in the day.”

But actually, it’s still the finest house on Hawai’i's Big Island — even now.

When I travel, I love to feel like I’m inhabiting someone’s home, briefly trying on their life and history. Shipman House offers this opportunity in a unique and poignant way, mingling a family’s story with the history of the eastern side of the Big Island itself.

At the turn of the last century, W.H. Shipman, stepson of a successful Hilo rancher, became the big kahuna in these parts; his wealthy ranch stretched over 70,000 acres from the coast to Kilauea Volcano. In 1901, he bought this then-state-of-the-art mansion as a surprise for his wife, thus becoming the envy of the whole neighborhood.

(For the record, I think a nice silver bracelet makes a lovely gift, but to each his own.)

The front porch and first floor of the Shipman House

Shipman’s descendants have lived in the house since then, and his great-granddaughter, Barbara, has run it as a B&B since 1979. Her family’s empire may be smaller now, but still amounts to 17,000 acres of commercial real estate and agricultural interests; a legacy of having saved Hawai’i's native goose, the nene, from extinction and brought the first orchids to the islands; and assembling a gorgeous collection of Victorian furniture and Polynesian art.

Upstairs at the Shipman's main house

A modern-day stay at Shipman House is just a few blocks up from downtown Hilo and yet steeped in antique luxury; in the main house, for instance, you’ll find custom-made stained glass, oriental carpets, clawfoot tubs and even an electric elevator. Take a wander down the residential street to cross an old iron bridge and peer into a deep, green river gully. Or take a seat in a rocking chair on the big wraparound porch, surrounded by a tropical jungle fed by a mix of languid humidity, cool breezes and brief but astonishingly powerful rains.

Shipman's side porch and its comfy rocking chairs

Since all of Shipman’s rooms average $210 a night with a 2-night minimum, I’d still choose our room out in the adjacent guest house.

Rimmed by tropical plants and up a semi-steep flight of stairs, the big, airy Makai Room features the koa wood footboard of the same bed where Jack London slept — as a guest of W.H. Shipman — back in 1907. There’s a wide, plushy window seat, a shower big enough for two and a shared, screened-in front porch. (During our two-night stay, we never heard or saw our neighbors.) Japanese kimonos, a nod to one of Hawai’i's greatest cultural influences, hang in the big closet, and a ceiling fan kept us comfortably cool at night.

The Makai Room in the Guest House and glimpses of the Shipman's grounds

Come morning, Shipman’s breakfasts are pretty darn epic. You’ll meet couples from all over the world here, swapping island adventures over homemade muffins, passionfruit-flavored lilikoi butter, a seaweed-salt-herb combo that tastes great with hard-boiled eggs, and much more.

However, regardless of how hungry you might be, be prepared to rein yourself in while Barbara points our the offerings on her enormous/exotic fruit plate. Yes, she does this every day, and yes, she could probably just make up little signs telling you what each fruit is called/tastes like/comes from, but if you consider it part of your personal introduction to Hilo and Big Island culture, you’ll learn some cool things and be stuffing dragon’s eye fruit in your gullet within a few minutes.

The Shipman House fruit plate in all its glory

Come evening, before you turn in for the night at Shipman House, open a window or have a seat on the porch and you can hear the sparkly, metallic whirring of frogs all around you.

Have a listen here:

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My stay at the Shipman House Bed & Breakfast Inn was sponsored by the Big Island Visitors Bureau,
but all observations and opinions (as well as a new obsession with dragon’s eye fruit) are my own.

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While at Shipman House, know that you’re:
a half-hour’s drive from the Hilo Coffee Mill and the Akatsuka Orchid Gardens
a 45-minute drive from Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
a 10-minute walk from downtown Hilo, where you’ll find the Hilo Farmer’s Market;
ice cream at Hilo Shark’s Coffee; and dinner at the delicious Cafe Pesto

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See also
A Hui Hou, Hilo
Hawai’i in Bloom
Hawai’i's Big Island: Go With the Flow
Dreaming of Hawaii
TWT Travel Binder: Hawaii