We got a reservation for Tuesday night at 8 pm. We were seated immediately, next to window and we…read morecould see lava glow from our seats. That was first for us and we were very excited. We had soup of the day and stuffed chicken for dinner. Soup came with fresh bread and butter and was very tasty. Stuffed chicken was also tasty and flavor full. We liked it. Staff is very nice and ambience is ok . Best part is volcano viewing and that tops overall experience.

Volcano House and this isn't just a place you stay--it's an experience the second you step out of…read morethe car. Sitting right on the edge of Kīlauea, the views alone will stop you in your tracks. You're literally looking out over the caldera while sipping your coffee like it's no big deal. The building has that old-school, historic feel, but it works... it adds to the whole "you're somewhere special" vibe. The restaurant carries that same laid-back but memorable energy, and the gift shop is worth stepping into too--solid mix of local items and keepsakes without feeling overdone. Whether you're eating, browsing, or just posted up with the view, this place makes you slow down and really take it all in.

Great service and food…read more I had the fish tacos - they came with just the right amount of coleslaw on the side. Also had the lilikoi cheesecake which was an explosion of wonder on my tastebuds.

We were staying in the Volcano area and decided to try several restaurants in the area during our…read morevisit. Service started off friendly and attentive, but after large parties arrived, the staff seemed overwhelmed and probably was not on their A-game. The burger and fish and chips were both good. However, the "local" dishes like the saimin and kalua pork were disappointing and didn't quite meet our expectations. The restaurant has a casual, chill vibe with lots of free and convenient parking, which made it an easy stop while exploring the area. Overall, a decent option, especially if you're in the mood for burgers and fries but we would probably skip the local favorites next time.

Cool menu, tasty food, but not as big of portions from the fish sandwich and pasta. Can't speak for…read moreother food portions. Ended up going nextdoor to get more snacks.

What drawn me to this cafe other than be close by is that the smell of bbq/grilling smoke. Small…read moreand local eatablishment attached to a general store. Great local food. We had the mac pesto pizza: delicious, crispy crust and fragrant bread. Loco moco medium rare. Made with sunny side egg and amazing gravy Kalua pork special so smoky and fall apart pork. Love the side potato egg salad. There doesn't seem to have air conditioning though, however the food is amazing

Our respite stay after a full day of chasing Volcano Craters and remote petroglyphs…read more Ten minutes from the park exit, just had dinner in the park. Works out great , self check in. Old fashioned but just right for the Area.

This was a great fond for us. We have never been on this island. Literally 3 minutes from Volcano…read moreNatl Park. We stayed in Rm 9. Convenient path to car and hot tub. We used the hot tub 2x and it was perfect temp. I thought it was crazy for a gas fireplace in room. We used it 3x because it was rainy here. Staff was helpful by providing us ice and utensils and glasses that we could leave in room. They don't want you drinking the water so they provide a 5 gal jug of water. Good to bathe in but not drink. They provided a small fridge, coffee maker, toiletries. The room was big enough that they could have added a coffee table by fireplace to set your drinks on. No TV but we had our own electronics. WiFi was on point. Ample parking. They don't do daily room service unless you ask. The sound of the birds at night is amazing. They communicate right away via text for anything you need. I would definitely stay here again.

We came in for a buffet breakfast with all the choices. A…read moreformerWW2 military detention camp visited by Eisenhower when he was a General. Set up is a big mess hall with tables n chairs. A buffet, so you can have seconds. Excellent Black Coffee in a thick military white cup. Sign me up Sarge!

Now the Visitor Center, the facility has restrooms (porta-potties) small snacks and maps of the…read morevolcano. If you have small children, you can also have them participate in the Junior Ranger program.

There are good things. Very clean and good quality beds etc. Plus right next to national park…read more However, all the pictures showed a wonderful breakfast and setting. But NOT a good breakfast...even for basic needs. A McDonald's style sausage patty, some papia. They said we'd get some French toast but never got any. Then got half of a bagel with it. Small amount of papaya, coffee...that's it. So can't give more than 3 stars. Give a 3 because of how cute and clean it was. But I was interested in one of the many nice breakfasts shown/ indicated on their web page. Else it was very nice.

Good location with Volcano NP just down the road. We've stayed a couple of times here over the…read moreyears with variable experiences. Communication with management can be a bit spotty. Rooms are nice and the verandas are wonderful - be aware the walls are thin - beds are comfortable, though on the softer side. Heat is via a space heater and this has come in handy for the drizzly damp days on this side of the island. The floors can get cold though since we observe the Hawaiian custom of taking shoes off in the house - so bring several pairs of socks! We did experience a day where hot water was limited. Just be aware this is a family business and not a big corporate hotel with all the bells and whistles. Aloha goes both ways.

I really wanted to like this place as much as the other reviewers, but call it dumb luck that we…read morehad a few not-so-good discoveries during our stay. PROS *Modern bathrooms with heated floors and a heated towel rack. *Clean sheets and a comfortable mattress. *Dehumidifier. *In-room breakfast and coffee. CONS *Found a used pair of men's underwear under the bed. *Two of the six legs of the bed were broken. *Low-drain toilet that is easy to clog, also evidenced by the next point. *Broken plunger, which made unclogging the toilet take longer than it should. Then, it wasn't replaced after our reporting it, so we had no choice but to use the broken plunger the second night as well. Protip: flush multiple times while you're using the toilet instead of once after you're finished like you would normally do. *The bathroom window is large and faces the front walkway, and although there is a blur effect on it, people can still easily make out your naked body if they decided to look in. *Saw at least three bugs (including one in the electrical outlet that we couldn't do anything about). The bungalow is charming and as modern as it can be, but you are essentially staying in a rural area with lots of nature. While the staff were friendly and apologetic about the underwear and plunger, I feel like they could have temporarily replaced the plunger with one from another room that wasn't being used, especially if clogged toilets are a known issue. The Volcano Village Estates is not a bad place to stay, is close to Volcano National Park, is better priced than other accommodations in the area, and I can easily see how one could have a better experience then we did.

I would rank my recent two-night stay at Volcano Village Estates one of my worst hotel experiences…read more My complaints center in four areas--food hygiene, safety, room cleanliness/condition, and total lack of owner communication. On day two of our stay, there was a cockroach on our breakfast inside our refrigerator. The innkeeper told me that in a rain forest, it's common to have insects in the rooms. I told her my concern was that the cockroach came in on the food, which raises significant concerns about food preparation and hygiene. (As an aside, I would not recommend opting for "breakfast", which was meager. For example, our first breakfast for two people consisted of two small burritos, which you had to heat yourself in the microwave, a kiwi, a tangerine, and a dozen grapes.) My safety concern was that there was a non-functional smoke alarm in my daughter's room when we arrived. Because there is no HVAC system, portable heaters are provided for heat at night. The innkeeper addressed the issue, which was due to a dead battery. A quick AI review (and yes, AI is not perfect!) says, "Hawaii requires functional smoke alarms in all residential dwellings, including hotels, rental properties, and multi-family homes. These alarms are generally mandated to be hardwired with battery backups, interconnected, and tested regularly." The system was not hardwired and obviously hadn't been tested. There were significant issues with room cleanliness/condition. My daughter's unit had a half eaten/half melted ice cream treat in the refrigerator when we arrived. Our room (called Papa) had unfinished plywood floors and walls except for the bath area, which was finished. The innkeeper said the owners "preferred it that way". On each side of the bed, there was a small carpet remnant that was dirty and stained. In our bath area, vanity lighting consisted on a single low wattage pendant light that was inadequate for shaving, make-up, etc. I raised all these issues with the innkeeper on the day of our departure and suggested that an adjustment on our room fees would be reasonable. The property manager responded promptly with an adjustment of about $100. I then suggested that a single night refund of one room fee would be more reasonable, but she said that the property owners would have to approve that, and I could expect a response in 2 days. Not receiving any response, I have since texted the innkeeper multiple times and was assured on each occasion that the owners would respond. Nothing has happened in three weeks. I write this review as an experienced traveler (over 50 countries) and as a vacation rental property owner. There are a multitude of problems with Volcano Village Estates compounded by the owner's indifference in addressing legitimate concerns. I would not recommend staying here.

A wonderful guest house right in the heart of Volcano Village…read more My wife and I enjoyed all the special attentions that made Volcano House Hale Kapa Kahi such a very special place for us on our vacation to Hawaii. The cottage in the rain forest was beautiful,comfortable and very private. Highly recommended to all travelers.

Wonderful place to stay. Richard was a fantastic host. He was there upon our arrival, showed us…read moreeverything in the house and then left us to enjoy it. He was nearby if needed, but gave us our privacy. The cottage was very private and surrounded by tropical foliage. The decor made it warm, cozy and it had everything you could possibly need to make the vacation a great one; a nice fire, cozy quilts, various kitchen equipment....even waffle mix to go with the waffle maker. Great attention to detail! It was extremely close to the Volcano National Park entrance....the location couldn't have been better. Great little vacation. Thanks Richard!

We had a unique and wonderful experience at Volcano Village Lodge. The rooms are located in the…read moremiddle of a rainforest with floor-to-ceiling windows so you feel you're right in the middle of nature. The friendly and helpful staff made sure we had a great experience. Breakfast each morning was filling and delicious. They were even able to accommodate my dairy-free diet, which I really appreciated. If you're lucky, the moist and rich homemade brownies will also be available in the lobby. Just be sure to stock up before the office closes each day. We ordered picnic lunches from the lodge for our day hiking at Volcanoes National Park. While the sandwiches were average, the lunches included wine and an impressive number of snacks. The snacks lasted all day and we even had enough to bring some home on the plane. The property is only a 10-15 min drive to Volcanoes National Park making it easy to get there. One thing to note: the wifi was very unreliable during our stay. This could be a pro or con depending on your needs.

First question first: would we stay here again? Yes. It's a charming, quiet, unique place to…read morespend a few nights in a rain forest. The Volcano Village Lodge rates high on the cool factor. You get your own suite separated from the others and you're positioned up into the jungle in a glass room. The surroundings are quiet, and at night, even sort of magical as the frogs begin singing. Everything is wood and natural looking. You're at an elevation because of the volcano uplift so while there's no air conditioning, the place cools off nightly at night. There's no TV signal (though the room has a TV with DVDs) and there is a wifi signal, but it's spotty. You decide whether this is a plus or a minus. Personally, I find being insulated from modern digital interruption to be a plus, though I suppose that could be achieved anywhere by just turning things off - which I never do. The staff here are friendly, funny, and wonderful. A definite plus. The Volcano Village Lodge buildings themselves are a bit shopworn. They're clean, but just a little tired, I'd say. The place looks like it hasn't had a major reinvestment in a while, and the jungle dampness must be relentless on the wood. The "town" of Volcano has some rough spots. I refer to them as meth-houses, but I don't really know. There's a nearby sign installed by a property owner asking people not to dump pig guts on their property. I give it four stars out of five.

Amazing service and epic views and delicious food! We loved it all and huge shoutout to Eddie! He…read moremade this such a wonderful experience

Do you want an experience of a lifetime? Do you want to be a part of living history? Ever want…read moreto walk in the footsteps of those that dared to be a part of something so amazing words fall short? Book a stay at the Volcano House! The rooms take you back to a magical time, a time with character! The staff feels like family. The location....the location is beyond imagination, especially on nights like tonight when the fire and flame meet an unbroken gauze of the bewildered! Stay in the only place on the Big Island Mark Twain would recommend, talk to the family that hosts you, and experience the smells, sights and sounds of the past, present, and future! Make sure to have dinner....Get a reservation for the five star food and the attached Volcano House Restaurant ! Trust me!!!!!! There is Nothing like this in the world