Hilo Bay Hotel, Hawaii 1972

This authentic 1970s colour photograph, captured in 1972, documents the exterior of the Hilo Bay Hotel located on Banyan Drive in Hilo, Hawaii. The archival image highlights the hotel’s distinctive Polynesian-themed architecture, featuring a dark wood-shingle mansard roof with decorative orange and white triangular flags. A prominent Sundries shop and Liquors & Pantry store occupy the ground floor, serving as a convenient stop for tourists. The asphalt parking lot features several period-correct vehicles, most notably a bright green Ford Pinto subcompact and a light blue Datsun 510 sedan. To the left, a lush Pandanus tree (Hala) grows near a traditional Hawaiian lava rock wall. The main hotel wing rises in the background with tiered concrete balconies typical of the era’s resort design. The Hilo Bay Hotel was a fixture of the “Banyan Drive” hotel row for decades; however, it underwent significant changes and was later rebranded before the property was eventually closed and demolished in 2017 due to structural concerns. This factual record preserves the tropical mid-century charm and automotive culture of the Big Island during the early seventies. All our images are available as royalty-free instant downloads for use in books, media, and creative projects – or make your own prints for home, work, or as a truly unique gift.