Volcano Village Lodge — Hotel in Hawaii

Leading with the positive aspects for us. Tasha, the innkeeper, was very (very) responsive and communicated pleasantly and swiftly. Very high marks for her communications and responsiveness; ease of reservations; cleanliness of rooms, and very unique rainforest location. Wonderfully close to Volcano National Park. What was less than positive for us - and I take some fault for this as perhaps I should have read more reviews and would have discovered this -- was that the rooms were not a good fit for us - may fit others fine. We booked the Mauna Loa room, assuming that with two bedrooms we'd have plenty of space for two couples. I think it would be good for a single couple or small family that didn't mind the all glass aspect. But there was not enough privacy for two couples to feel comfortable. The biggest issue for us was that I am light sensitive so that when I immediately saw upon arrival that it would be impossible to get the room to darken fully, I was ready to bolt (master bedroom walls are all glass with light filtering, not light blocking, shades, you're sleeping in a fish bowl basically). Fortunately for us, Tasha had a cancellation that day and was able to furnish another room that had already been set up, so my spouse and I added the cost of renting the additional room for two nights (I think it was Haleakala room) and left the Mauna Loa to the other couple. Warning though, if you are at all light sensitive, the Mauna Loa is not the room to book. Even if you shut off the porch light (as we were told we could, which was nice), the hot tub lighting stays on late. And if you elect to use the smaller bedroom of the two and not the master, there are no shades in that room. The other couple who wound up using the room was not happy with the light from the hot tub during the night. The room that we were able to move to at the rear of the property, was much better for those who are light sensitive; it was fine in that regard (no light at all on three sides). In re-meals. It was fine to heat them up ourselves but it would be nice to have some suggested instructions as to how long to heat them and a mitt to remove them once they were hot. (We didn't see a mitt.) The breakfast burritos were great. Fruit was fresh and nice - could skip the oranges, though, they were dry and tough both days. We had supplied no dietary restrictions but wished we had, smiling here, as on the second day, the French toast was pretty basic (burritos first day were much substantial). And while the toast came with sufficient maple-flavored syrup in a tube, the syrup was simply sugar with maple flavor - so for those used to the real thing, it was disappointing. Perhaps if real maple isn't easily available, some level of locally available fruit syrup would make more sense? To wrap up, sorry to leave a mixed review. Great hosts, great location. At least one of the two rooms not a great fit for us. Photo is of the room that we...

This was my most disappointing stay anywhere in the USA. I tried to contact them after my stay and sent 10 emails as I like to resolve issues privately, but all their correspondence is automated and they did not respond.

We stayed at the Hale Manaluna "lodge/suite" from July 5th to 7th, 2025. Given my background in hospitality and extensive travel experience, I had high expectations for what was the most expensive accommodation I have ever booked. Unfortunately, my experience was far from the standard one would expect for a property at this price point.

Booking and Expectations: We had been gifted an $800 voucher by family members who selected the facility for a weekend getaway, which made the experience even more disheartening. Upon arrival, we were shown to our “lodge,” not through a private entrance in the forest, but directly from the reception area, which was not what we had imagined for a “private luxury villa in the rainforest.”

After realizing this wasn’t what we expected, I attempted to address my concerns with the receptionist, but she had already left for the day, and there was no one available to speak to when we checked out.

Accommodation Quality: For $1172 over two nights, I was expecting far better conditions. Here are some of the issues we encountered during our stay:

Kitchenette: What was described as a “spacious kitchenette” was nothing more than a shelf inside a wardrobe with basic appliances running off a power strip. These appliances overloaded easily, and we were unable to use them simultaneously.

Room Amenities: There was no drinking water provided in the room, and the bathrobes smelled musty and had clearly been worn many times. Additionally, there were no slippers for the cold floor, and the standard lamp and ceiling light did not work.

Spa & Hygiene: The “private jetted spa bath” filled with brown water, and the outdoor spa was unsanitary with milky water.

Breakfast: The breakfast options were subpar, with eggshells in the burrito, a lack of variety, and limited fruit (just one mandarin, one kiwi, and a few pieces of pineapple), with no juice or fresh milk for coffee.

I also note that there were no iPod players, no telephone, and no staff present when I attempted to reach out.

Attempts to address the issues went in answered. I would seriously re consider anyone looking to stay here. I believe that this experience falls far short of the expectations set by the marketing and the price point. Given the poor quality of the facilities, the absence of basic amenities, and the lack of attention to customer service

Updated after response:

I gave you plenty of time to respond privately, but you only eventually responded publicly. Yet again sub-par...

Mixed feelings. Lots of good things but two negatives. First, the room was cozy and the view of the ferns was lovely. The electric fireplace was cheery and warming (needed - it was wild weather). The proprietors sent important information after confirming texts were ok. Their coffee was real Kona. They were able to accommodate my request for a gluten free breakfast and were worried about me having the same thing two days in a row. I was delighted to have anything other than a meal bar. The quiche was tasty and they have both a microwave and a toaster oven to warm it up. The fresh fruit assortment was a treat.||But the biggest drawback may not apply to the other rooms. I was in the room off reception. There was a door connecting it to reception for them to use. There was no door knob for me to go there. Worse, there was no lock! I was told the room cleaner would use it after making sure i was not in. And they are careful to make sure they are quiet in the morning to make sure guests are not disturbed. This they did. But on day two, very late afternoon, i was surprised to hear a key in the lock and see the door start to open. “Hello?”, i called. The door shut with a “sorry”. I was tired after hiking all day and was about to run a bath. This upset me. I sent a polite “WTF?” Text and was told they didn’t see me come in and were going to replace the TV. WHY? And so late in the day? It is unacceptable to rent a room that does not guarantee the security and privacy of guests. How about a chain lock like in hotels or a small slide lock?||Less serious but one that effected my sleep. The pillows. Huge boulders. Heavy and rigid. I used a towel for my head/neck and pillows from the chairs as arm bolsters (shoulder injuries). Still, I did not sleep well either night and i am one blessed with the ability to sleep almost anywhere. Maybe it was the bed or the noise from the dehumidifier and fireplace fan (though i use earplugs). Maybe it was a nagging worry about the door. Maybe it was the wind or the volcano energy. ||Last complaint, plastic water bottles. I thought they were outlawed in the island. Don’t know the economic tradeoffs, but maybe large water dispensers instead? Maybe there was one in reception. IDK. I didn’t want to go out in the rain to walk around to the entrance||There is a lot to recommend this place and i feel bad leaving unfavorable reviews to small businesses, but i will try another...