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Big Island · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels on the waterfront in Big Island

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Updated 1 September 2026 · 7 Big Island hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Big Island, out of the 7 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 5 down to 4.7.

Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE is the one I would book myself.

Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE

Highest rated of the five

Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE

★★★★★5 from 167 reviews

Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 5 from 167 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under the waterfront and around $229 a night on the dates we checked.

7 hotels in Big Island qualified for this list and five made it. Charming Magnolia Cottage with Hot Tub Near Liberty & Downtown is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE1

    Modern City Loft Downtown Lynchburg VA LYH HUGE

    ★★★★★5 from 167 reviews

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    • Charming Magnolia Cottage with Hot Tub Near Liberty & Downtown2

      Charming Magnolia Cottage with Hot Tub Near Liberty & Downtown

      ★★★★★4.94767 from 206 reviews

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      • The Virginian Lynchburg, Curio Collection by Hilton3

        The Virginian Lynchburg, Curio Collection by Hilton

        ★★★★★4.7 from 1,188 reviews

        • Gym
        • Restaurant
        • Bar
        • Parking
        • Kid friendly
        • Air conditioning

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      • The Grove: Gather. Relax. Play. Shop. Explore.4

        The Grove: Gather. Relax. Play. Shop. Explore.

        ★★★★★4.9202533 from 79 reviews

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        • Luxury Downtown Loft, Balcony and Rooftop Bar!5

          Luxury Downtown Loft, Balcony and Rooftop Bar!

          ★★★★★4.88 from 40 reviews

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          How this list was put together

          7 Big Island hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

          Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

          The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

          What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

          Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

          Gerald Whitfield

          Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

          Volunteers three days a week and travels the rest. Maritime museums and working boatyards in 19 countries, mostly by ferry and train, talking to the shipwrights in every one.

          Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.