Volcano Forest Inn

Pleasant
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Great location. Huge room. Convenient full kitchen with breakfast included.
  : It was very musty, dank, weird smells. The hallways echo. It was super cold and the plug in heater took most of the night to finally heat the room.

Very Good
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple

Wonderful
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : We brought our own breakfast.

Disappointing
Traveller Type:
  : The only nice thing about this place was the beds were comfortable. I wouldn't recommend this place. It's not warm and fuzzy. It's a boarding house with little assistance from the proprietor.
  : I was very disappointed in the VFI. It was a self check in. No interaction checking in...the whole place had notes and tape everywhere with instructions such as, "don't touch this", "don't go into this drawer", "don't eat anything in the frig that's not yours". I felt like I was back in college! We ran out of tp in our room and had no idea how to get more...we called the proprietor. They in turn texted us to go to another bathroom and under the sink to get it ourselves! Furthermore, they want to charge you for everything, if you don't lock the sliding glass door, extra fee, if you forget anything and need to contact them, another fee. Not very hospitable. The building itself had a lot of deferred maintenance. Tacky mismatched paint on the walls, all kinds of dryer lint all over he front lanai. I would not recommend this place to anyone!

Poor
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Well maintained road into the facility. The room was quite large. The no contact self check in and check out was nice and did give you a sense of privacy at first, but very quickly you begin to wonder if that's just because the owner simply doesn't want to deal with people. After a while, you even begin to feel like Big Brother was always watching.
  : Tons of little extra fees. Thankfully we were able to navigate them and not incur anything ridiculous. A $60 standard cleaning fee - it's BS, but I get that it's the norm in many cases. However, you'd expect to get a clean room if everyone is having to pay this extra fee - milk stains on the walls, *countless* areas of the walls that were patched and not repainted, bathroom faucets with toothpaste spittle all over, a bathroom mirror straight from a 1950s Bates Motel style room, similarly with toothpaste and other stains... But if you drag dirt into the building with you, that's an extra fee. Don't turn off the lights? Extra fee. Use a dish or the coffee maker in the shared and unkempt kitchen without cleaning the entire kitchen after? More fees. Don't lock the doors when you leave? $$$. (The door thing makes sense when you see the layout of the facility, but it adds to the overall point that I'll get to in a moment) Need to contact the owner with a problem after 8? That'll cost you. Look, I get that this isn't a hotel. I expect that there is an extra level of respect and courtesy that is required of all guests. This is a private property, after all. But when you add all of these things together, it gives you an experience like they are doing *you* a favor by letting you stay there. We felt like we were on pins and needles the entire time, and we weren't even there for 24 hours. I was afraid of throwing things away because I'd be charged a waste removal fee. I pricked my finger at one point on something sharp in my luggage and was actually terrified that I would be charged a biohazard fee because of the tissue I left in the trash with 3 drops of blood on it. And what do you get for these sacrifices? An aging, outdated building that isn't kept up with, beds from the 80s, linens from the 60s, cameras in your face at every turn, and an overwhleming sense of dread.

Good
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple

Good
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Location was convenient and close to the volcano but I recommend flying in to Hilo airport because Kona is 2 1/2 hrs away. I like the big rooms and the comfy king size bed. There is also a porch and chairs you can sit on outside. There was a kitchen you could cook in and a fridge you could store food. They had a list of close by restaurants with the numbers. Rooms were big and spacious. You get a code for the door.
  : People go to sleep pretty early, we got in at 9pm and everything was dark, we felt like we were going to wake everyone up. There is a loud humming noise or some kind of machine that kicks on all day and night so it was hard to sleep. Breakfast should be more specific on Priceline description, free breakfast includes granola bars, packages of oatmeal and pastries pre portioned in a basket in your room.

Good
Traveller Type:
  : location is great. 2 min drive to the Volcano NP. The facility is also clean and spacious.
  : The house is rather old, electricity circuit cannt handle multiple appliance.

Fair
Traveller Type: Traveling as Couple
  : Location and the nice big room.
  : No staff, you had to make your coffee and wash your dishes. The kitchen needed a deep cleaning. Breakfast was a nut bar and a roll in a cellophane wrapper.

Disappointing
Traveller Type: Family with Young Children
  : location, spacious room
  : The TV is quite small, the bed set feels extremely old and isn't warm enough, the breakfast is limited, the lighting is inadequate, the driveway is too long, and it gets very cold at night. Additionally, although the original price was for four adults, we were charged an extra $60 for bringing two young kids; if we hadn't paid the additional fee, we wouldn't have been allowed to stay. I want to clarify that my review is an honest representation of my experience at the hotel. I believe in providing genuine feedback to assist both the management and future guests. My intention is not to retaliate but to offer constructive insights based on my observations during my stay. Initially, we mistakenly went to the Volcano Inn, located 1.2 miles away. Its name is very similar to Volcano Forest Inn. The Volcano Inn offers hot tubs, a delightful public dining area, and more competitive pricing. Additionally, there's a food truck selling Thai cuisine at the entrance. Importantly, it's kid-friendly with no additional charges. I would recommend the Volcano Inn if you're looking for amenities like a hot tub, a pleasant breakfast, or if you're traveling with kids.