Exterior

Reviews of Volcano Forest Inn

3.5 out of 5
Volcano Forest Inn
19-4034 Old Volcano Road, Volcano, HI

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 56 out of 110 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 30 out of 110 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 13 out of 110 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 7 out of 110 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 110 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Duncan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Clean and quiet place. Not what I’d call an actual “B&B”. But he was upfront about that so it was what I expected. Definitely recommend it.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Jon on 28 Feb 2024
Mahalo for taking time out to share your experience with VFI Duncan. It was an honor to host you and your wife.

6/10 Okay

Beverly

Travelled with family
They stated there would be a $120 cleaning fee which was not shown at the time of booking
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024
Response from Jon on 17 Feb 2024
Beverly,Mahalo for your review, but all fees are advertised on Expedia

10/10 Excellent

Steven

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very pleased with our experience at VFI. The place is absolutely immaculate and the owner is hospitality personified. My highest recommendation!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024
Response from Jon on 27 Feb 2024
Steven,Mahalo for the review. We enjoyed your stay with us and we hope to host you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Yasuyo

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
It was a very quiet and cozy place where you can drive to Volcano National Park only in a few mins. We stayed at VFI for 2 days so that we could fully enjoy the national park, and we totally did enjoy the whole experience!! We were a little bit worried about where to grab our lunch and dinner. VFI kindly provided us great information about restaurants and grocery stores around Volcano, which made our stay so much easier!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from Jon on 26 Jan 2024
Yasuyo,Thanks for your kind review and sharing your experience with us. It was a pleasure to host you and your partner. We hope to host you again in the future.

8/10 Good

John

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
I liked the location in the rain forest 🌳 I would have liked to have had a stopper For the bathtub 🛀 I also think that you should add the two light bulbs to the bathroom light fixture! Empty sockets can be dangerous!
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023
Response from Jon on 26 Jan 2024
John,Thanks for sharing your kind review and concerns with us.

6/10 Okay

thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Amenities
Not much of a breakfast, poor bed.otherwise ok— close to park.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Response from Jon on 26 Jan 2024
Thomas,Thanks for sharing your opinion with us. We know it’s impossible to make everyone happy; we aim be kind and keep our guest safe during their stay with us.

4/10 Poor

Eric

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Everything about Volcano Forest Inn is a scam. Please do your research before throwing your money away. Lack of hospitality, false advertising & a never ending list of rules with financial repercussions. PLEASE don’t support these places that are only in business for financial gain and nothing more. Do your homework before giving away your hard earned money.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Jon on 7 Nov 2023
Thanks for sharing your opinion. Everything is advertised when you make your booking. We encourage you to read as well! Our prices are fair and meet market conditions in the Volcano Area.

2/10 Terrible

Nova

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
This is not a traditional B&B. It is a bad Airbnb, complete with chores, fines, and signage everywhere. It is the most unwelcoming place I've ever stayed, truly taking the host out of hospitality. The only time I saw him was when he was when he was on his way out for errands, and he required that I pay the "cleaning and service fee" in cash or Venmo. Shady AF for a commercial establisment. Considering the general lack of cleanliness and service, I have my suspicions. In fact, if you aren't timely enough with this shady fee buried in the extra details of your booking, he locks you out. That's right. He prints your name in large, bold letters, tapes it to the front door, and deactivates your front door code. So, if you can't figure out how to access the walls of text you get from this place that are somehow unfindable in the Expedia app, you can scan the QR code while you cool your heels on the porch of the place you've already paid hundreds to stay at. You would think a place that is so concerned about guest security (cameras, fine for leaving the patio door unlocked, COVID so the host is completely absent) would not misuse guests' PII so grossly. Just stay somewhere else. Seriously. If you have no other options, do try to read your multiple walls of texts carefully. They are accessible from an email with a link somewhere. Be prepared to make your own coffee, wash your own dishes, and find breakfast elsewhere. See my Google review for more details.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Jon on 11 Oct 2023
Nova,Thanks for sharing your opinion. However, you are spreading misleading information. We do post QR codes for guests at our main door. If we can't get in contact with the guest directly on Expedia or their booking agent. This has been very successful in communication with our abroad guests and they are very thankful. We do not lock out any guests and you are posting false information.You were also informed during your booking our the type of breakfast we provide, rules, and hotel collection fees. I highly encourage you to read all policies before booking. I

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Jon on 1 Oct 2023
Mahalo for the review Christopher.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
High fees
Very high fees charged without notice.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023
Response from Jon on 6 Sept 2023
Mahalo for the review. I would suggest you read your booking details. We are in a competitive rate with in 92 miles our our Inn.

8/10 Good

Lisa

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
John is an excellent host, and the room and public areas were lovely. It was comfortable and inviting, clean and convenient to the park. We heartily recommend Volcano Forest Inn
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Jon on 22 Aug 2023
Lisa,It was an honor to host you and your friend (her 1st to big island). I look forward to hosting you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Kirill

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023
Response from Jon on 18 Aug 2023
Kris,Mahalo for the kind review. It was a honor to host you and your wife.

10/10 Excellent

Tareq

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
One of the best places i have stayed at , at first i was scared because it was in the middle of the forest but then i was surprised of how clean and big the rooms are , the rooms are a bit cold but there is a small heater that wotks great , Jon was a very nice host and we kept communicating through out my stay
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Jon on 22 Jun 2023
Tareq,It was an honor to host you and your wife. It brings us joy when we meet the expectations of travelers. We hope to host you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Joanne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Quiet location and close to Vocanos National Park.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023
Response from Jon on 19 Jun 2023
Mahalo for the review Joanne. It was a pleasure to meet and host you. You will always have a place to stay here at VFI.

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The view and night sounds are very tranquil and relaxing. It is a bit far from the airport though.
Stayed 1 night in May 2023
Response from Jon on 1 Jun 2023
Mahalo for the review Lindsay. I enjoyed meeting you and your brother.I wish you two safe travels.

8/10 Good

Kelly

Business traveller
Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Beautiful property, spacious property, kind staff.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023
Response from Jon on 27 May 2023
Mahalo for the review Kelly. It was an honor to host and get to know you. I look forward to meeting with you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Arianna

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great experience! Very nice staff. Lovely location near food and the Volcano National Park.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023
Response from Jon on 8 May 2023
Aloha Arianna,Mahalo for the review. It’s was an honor to host you.

10/10 Excellent

Janet

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 31 Mar 2023
Aloha Janet,Mahalo for the review and it was an honor to host you and your party while visiting the village.We look forward to hosting you again when you return.

8/10 Good

Max, La Porte

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 14 Apr 2023
Aloha Max,Mahalo for taking time out and giving us a positive review.We look forward to hosting you again.

8/10 Good

jeanne

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 24 Mar 2023
Jeanne,Mahalo for the review. I enjoyed you and Ken and I look forward to meeting you two again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Tara

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 16 Mar 2023
Mahalo for the review Tara. It was a pleasure to host you and your family.

6/10 Okay

kevin

Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 15 Mar 2023
Mahalo for the review Kevin.

10/10 Excellent

Jene

Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 1 Apr 2023
Aloha Jene,Mahalo for taking the time to leave us a review. It was an honor to host you and your party.

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
You get a room in a house and you share the kitchen. Convenient to Volcanoes National Park. Owner very nice. The house is secluded but not isolated. Thought cleaning fee should be included in price, not as an extra.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Jon on 15 Mar 2023
James,Mahalo for the review. It was a pleasure to host you and your family. We look forward to seeing you again.

10/10 Excellent

Amelia

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
I liked that it was so close to Volcano National Park and that it was a very quiet place to stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 5 Mar 2023
Amelia,It was a pleasure to host you and your brother. I look forward to meeting you again. Mahalo for the feedback.

6/10 Okay

RAYMOND

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
rain forest, natural, birds, near the park snd its great facilities and the glowing lava sites
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 25 Feb 2023
Mahalo for the review Raymond.

8/10 Good

Jack

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
Finding the place was crazy. The sign faces east, but we came in from the west. The sign is missing two letters. There is another sign on the ground, broken off from a stand apparently, that would have helped if it had been repaired. The entrance road is a narrow, potholed forest road, needing maintenance. First impressions are important! But the building is nice, and Jon was VERY accommodating and pleasant. The gathering room is a full kitchen. Our room was very clean and comfortable, and spacious. The area is very quiet, birds singing, no neighbors in view. A couple oddities: only one bedside lamp, with low wattage making it hard to read. I moved another floor lamp to the bed side so I could read. Only one pillow per person; hard to read in bed that way. Mattress decent, great comforter on top. Two pictures on the walls are identical pictures. And the rules and regs are a little offputting. Seems heavy handed threatening financial penalties if we break a rule. Overall, we liked our stay very much. We would return again if we ever get the chance.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 18 Feb 2023
Jack,Mahalo for the review. This really helps us improve our services here at VFI. I do agree you, 1st impression is important. However, the storm damaged our sign and it has been repaired. We look forward to hosting you and your family again. I will share your input with my partners.

2/10 Terrible

Dennis

Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Creepy place! Our room had a nauseous odor, whatever scent that was plugged into the bathroom outlet, only compounded the problem! The king bed was built only like they used, and should have been retired a long time ago! The matching pillow covers and bedspread looked like new, probably because they were never washed! Please smell before you lay your head down, there have been many people ahead of you that didn’t, I could smell them all! You’re warned!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 15 Nov 2023
Dennis,Thanks for sharing your opinion. All bed linens are washed before and after each visit. We are located in a high-humidity location. You were informed of this information when you booked. Why didn't you inform us of this issue during your stay?

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Rooms were spacious. Stinky plug in air fresheners in bathrooms. Lots of little signs reminding of rules.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 6 Feb 2023
Anonymous,Mahalo for the review. We will use your comments to improve our services. We wish you well and safe travels.

8/10 Good

zhiyi

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything works fine except on our last day stay, the big bottle of drinking water tastes moldy. The garbage can was completely full and we have to push down to fit additional garbage in
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 6 Feb 2023
Zhiyi,Mahalo for the review. We will use your comments to improve our services. We wish you well and safe travels.

8/10 Good

kay

Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Jon on 6 Feb 2023
Kay,Mahalo for the review. I wish you, your husband and your friends safe travels while visiting Hawaii. We love accommodating all visitors from all over the world. Take care hope to see you again one day.

10/10 Excellent

Andrea

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Jon on 12 Mar 2023
Andrea,Mahalo for your review. We wish you well and we look forward to hosting you again at a discounted rate :-)

2/10 Terrible

Cheryl

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Jon on 26 Jan 2023
Aloha Cheryl,Mahalo for the review.

10/10 Excellent

Rob

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A quaint Inn in the truest sense. Secluded, access to a full kitchen, well-appointed rooms, great host. And if you want to visit Volcano National Park, you really can't beat the location!!
Response from Jon on 20 Jan 2023
Aloha Rob mahalo for the review. It was a honor to host you; please look us up again on your next visit. Until then safe travels.

10/10 Excellent

Jack

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023
Response from Jon on 21 Jan 2023
Aloha Jack,Mahalo for the review. It was a pleasure to host you and your family. I look forward to hosting you again.

6/10 Okay

pia

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Kurt on 20 Jan 2023
Thank you.

10/10 Excellent

Hillary

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Unique Inn set in a forest. Huge rooms nicely furnished. Super responsive host. Just have cash or venmo for the cleaning fee.
Response from Jon on 19 Jan 2023
Mahalo for the review Hillary. It was a pleasure to host you and your family.

10/10 Excellent

Yuqing

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Enjoyed the stay. I will recommend to my friends
Response from Jon on 11 Jan 2023
Aloha Yuquing,Mahalo for the review and it was an honor to host you and your family.

10/10 Excellent

Jason

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2023

8/10 Good

Douglas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Yiyang

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022
Response from Jon on 30 Dec 2022
Mahalo for the review Yiyang. It was a pleasure to host you and your party. Safe travels until next time.

10/10 Excellent

Ana Maria, Bakersfield

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice to see the rain forest outside every window and only 5 minutes from Volcano National Park.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2022
Response from Jon on 26 Dec 2022
Ana,Mahalo for the kind review. I’m happy that you and your children enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Rey

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything's been wonderful!
Response from Jon on 27 Dec 2022
Mahalo for the review Rey. It was a pleasure to host you and your family.

10/10 Excellent

Herbert

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Eco friendly
The Volcano Forest House is beautiful nestled in the rainforest of Volcano National Park. The rooms were very spacious with lot of privacy. The kitchen accommodations exceeded expectations of a B&B. The owners were so welcoming to me and my son. We look forward to our next visit to the Big Island as this will be a base camp for all our Island adventures. Mahalo
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022
Response from Jon on 13 Dec 2022
Aloha Herbert,Mahalo for your review. I look forward to hosting you and your family again soon.

6/10 Okay

Dave

Great location at great price
This property was in a super location and a great price right outside the gate of Volcano National Park as advertised. It was neat and clean for the most part but dated. Very quiet comfy large room. The zero human interaction check in and check out process was a bit dystopian and strange. did not feel very cozy or homey and felt like we were being watched remotely even though we probably werent. Never touched the food or kitchen because I didnt even really understand it. Felt more like a vrbo or air bnb and not sure if i would call it a hotel per se. thanks
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022
Response from Paul on 30 Nov 2022
Aloha Dave,Mahalo for your review. We enjoyed hosting you at our Inn. We hope to host you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Hue

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from Jon on 20 Oct 2022
Aloha Hue,I enjoyed hosting you and your sister. I hope to see you again soon. I will share this review with the owners.

8/10 Good

Timothy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Decent place to stay while visiting the park
Th Volcano Forest Inn was a good place to stay during our trip to the park. The best part was the proximity to the park. It was nothing fancy but we didn’t require it to be. We slept well but the bed was only average. We like the rain forest seclusion.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from Kurt on 20 Oct 2022
Aloha Timothy,We appreciate you and your family staying with us at VFI. We hope to see you again soon. I will share this review with the owners.

4/10 Poor

Catherine

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Wouldn't recommend
The location to the park was amazing, about 5 minutes away which made it easy to go to dinner and then back to check out the lava glow in the dark. The "free breakfast" was essentially a snack basket, with one of the following for each person per night: pre-packaged muffin, instant oatmeal packet, Chewy granola bar, banana. Not exactly what I expected when we picked this place specifically for the free breakfast. They do have a shared kitchen with a shared fridge, so you can make your own meals if that's your thing. The bed had a waterproof mattress pad, one of the ones that made a ton of noise when you moved. The sheets and towels were nice and there was a space heater in the room. The reservation I made was for 2 people, yet there was only 1 chair at the table in our room. We each had only one bath towel, which never dried given how humid it was there. My biggest issue with the place was the overall un-welcoming attitude. The day of arrival I got a text with check-in instructions, along with a list of fees for infractions: $50 if you call the host after 9pm, $50 if you are on the property after the check-out time, $100 if you forget to lock the patio door when you leave (along with a warning taped to the door about crime), and charges if you don't wash your dishes. The rules are fine, the attitude was rude and the reminders of a camera in common areas was creepy. Overall I wouldn't recommend it, and wouldn't stay here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Kurt on 10 Aug 2022
Thank you for your review and for following the rules for cleaning up the dishes you use and for doing your part in keeping the rest of the visitors safe during their stay as well. We are not a 24-hour facility when you booked you were informed of the check-in hours. We take pride in keeping our guests and place safe.

8/10 Good

Jason

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Volcano Forest Inn is a rustic, unique and well-run guest house. It's located in the midst of a small rainforest, and a hop skip and jump from the entry to the park. You may hear traffic going by every now and then on Old Volcano Rd., but if you're looking for quiet and seclusion, you've got it. Be aware, there is religious literature throughout the property - didn't bother me, YMMV. Check in is quirky; you should receive a code for the entry keypad via email or text. If you haven't received it the morning of your arrival (I didn't), definitely text or call the number(s) you received upon booking and one of the innkeepers will quickly rectify this. *Be aware* there is a *separate* cleaning/service fee beyond your room rate that is due upon arrival via cash or Venmo. I missed this in the booking details, so it was my bad. Jon, the on site innkeeper is an utter delight. The communal kitchen that is kept very clean. You'll receive a small basket of food in your room for breakfast, but you should DEFINITELY do a grocery store run in Hilo or Kona before arriving. There is a general store and some restaurants in Volcano, but they're pricier than even the already steep prices for Hawai'i. In my opinion, you *must* have a rental car for this property. Remember, this is a launching point for your big island adventures. As long as you're not expecting resort-style lodgings, and know you're getting a unique, rustic experience in a rainforest, it's a great deal! Thanks, Jon & Co!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Jon on 10 Aug 2022
Jason, Mahalo for your kind review. It was a pleasure hosting you.

4/10 Poor

Alok

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Kurt on 10 Aug 2022
Alok, Mahalo for your review.