Volcano Hale

Loved our time here! Very cute old house with updated bathrooms. It had the feel of guesthouses in Europe, multiple rooms in the same house and shared bathrooms, but barely ran into other guests. Everything was very clean, organized (no person for check in but clear envelopes, directions and signage) and well put together for a homey cozy experience! Highly recommended for an affordable stay in Volcano.

I spent three nights in the Volcano Hale in May, for some hiking and general touristing in the Natl. Park.. I was extremely happy in Volcano Hale! It is a large house, built 1912 and very well kept. There are 5 guest rooms, three full bathrooms, a kitchen with stove, microwave, fridge/freezer and some pots/pants/plates/cups etc. and a very large common area. All is shared (not the rooms of course) and all is very nice and clean. Nicely decorated, too (the piano is only decorative which may be for the better :)). I was in room 311, at the top floor and the view through the windows into the rainforest is spectacular This is all no-contact and it worked well. Instructions were sent in time and easy to follow. Some tips: 1) I came from the Kona coast and was surprised how cool, no, cold it was in the rainforest! I was quite cold the first night. I emailed the owners (management?) the next morning and they told me where to find another blanket, and also how to use the heater in the room. I had seen it but did not want to use it without explicit permission. After that, the next two nights were great. 2) Food: The bad news: Avoid the Kilauea General Store! I paid $10.- for a loaf (16oz) of standard sliced bread, and another $10.- for a small piece (8oz) of Kraft cheese. Either of them would have been $1.50 in a regular supermarket which of course does not exist up there. I noticed that the store does not have any price tags on their merchandise. Now you know why! The good news: Just go Thai all the way! There are 3 Thai places in Volcano Village. One is a sit-down restaurant (Thai Thai) where I got dinner the first night. Excellent food (I lived many years in So Cal and believe that I know a little about Thai restaurants) and a fair price: less than $30.- for a portion that would be enough for two, or in my case for dinner and breakfast the next morning. The other two are food trucks. I went to Tuk Tuk Thai food truck, at the end of Old Volcano Drive, and it was so good I went back the next day (my last). Excellent quality again, very friendly, and about half the price. Didn't have a chance to try the other food truck. I will for sure go back to Volcano Hale the next time I'll be in the area!

Here's my review: Stayed recently over the Easter weekend (4 nights) Bottom line: A great place to stay as a base for exploring the Natl. Volcanic Park for solo or couples - which is 5 min away.....This is more of a hostel type experience in an older house with shared bathrooms but a great economical stay. You may see some others registered guests sharing the kitchen and Frig etc. I stayed in room 311 (the upper part of 3 levels). Anyway room was good - adequate for the stay in the upper Rain Forest (4000 ft) Constructive Feed Back - Suggestions for Mgmt. : (property co) #1) Front Door Lock - worked poorly and hard to manage (get to work) - either re-key or put some graphite in there #2) Better trash pickup - piled up after awhile #3) Paper towels would be nice for kitchen area Pro: Super close to VNP main entrance + 5 min drive to Volcano General stores (2) Tips: Very good Wood fired pizzas (Ohelo Cafe) - although sticklers for COVID protocols (as most places this is over - but to each of their own)- a very good place with good food - close 7pm (I also like the general store next door - I went every morning for Kona Coffee - very good $2). Suggested trails in VNP : (most do) : Kilauea IkI Crater trail : 4 miles round trip - do as a loop (park in lot 2nd lot) : Chain of Craters Round - From rain forest to Sea Level - Sea Arch (suggestion - continue on another 1/4 mile from Sea Arch and visit Coconut Grove planted in the 1960s - I thought cool... :NIght viewing of lava - (do 9 - 11 pm) - 1 mile each way + suggestion ; bring a pair of binoculars -makes a huge diff in viewing night lave lake

It smelled like mold as soon as I opened the door. Not cleaned well with dirt or mold and cobwebs on the windows. Mold growing on the paneling upstairs, ripped and stained carpet. The hallway light switch was upstairs and the automatic light did not work. The bedding was clean, but the room needed to be updated a little. I did not feel comfortable staying there by myself and actually left.