I imagine most guests arrive at Volcano House with a good idea of what to expect and what not to expect if they have done their research first.

This is not a luxury resort with all the trimmings. The rooms are basic but clean, no TV or coffee facilities, not even a hair dryer. Most guests spend a maximum of only two nights there.

We opted not to pay the extra for a crater view. Just how much time are you going to spend in you room looking at it? Anyway you can't see it after dark!

The restaurant is very reasonably priced and the dinner was excellent. Eat early, you'll get a window table with a perfect crater view.

The breakfast buffet starts at 0700 but if you can take coffee back to your room for no charge.

Avoid lunch if you can, the tour groups arrive and the queue is horrendous.

The location is perfect. Right next door to the ever helpful visitor centre and only a few minutes drive from the village.

We did the beautiful Kilauea Iki hike early, visiting the Lava Tube on the way. We had the tube to ourselves. Later in the morning the area is swamped with tour buses and looked like a touristy nightmare.

Go and enjoy this hotel with a past for what it is and try not to compare it to the manicured resorts of Kona. The experience will be worth it!

The Volcano House was ok. We stayed at the Garden rooms. They were worn and in need of updating. I did not stay in the main hotel, so I can not speak for its rooms. The restaurant at the main hotel was very good, reasonably priced and has a gret view of the craters. I most likely wound not stay here again. I would drive to Hilo after my visit and stay there instead.

The only positive aspects of Volcano House are the views and the gift shops. We knew that our room would be small and without tv, radio or clock. But the lighting was so poor, you couldn't even read. The beds were really uncomfortable. The towels in the bathroom were terribly old. I was up most of the night listening to some shutters banging in the wind outside. The buffet breakfast (the only option) was mostly inedible. I got to the dining room at 8:15am. The scrambled eggs were ice cold as were the breakfast meats. The baked goods were obviously store bought...a long time ago. And the coffee tasted like it had been re-warmed from the day before. While we were there, we heard numerous complaints from the folks who worked there. Volcano House is in desperate need of new management and infusion of funds.

The Volcano House offers great views and has the feel of staying at grandma's house. The rooms were small but clean, with old lumpy beds. For what we received, I found it to be a bit overpriced. The views are exceptional, but can be seen from the public restaurant or the park. I would visit the park, but look for other hotels.