The hotel was similar to a hotel you would find along US 25 in South Carolina - except no TV! The restaurant was horribly expensive, the service was poor, and the food was forgettable. Save your money and stay in Hilo or rent a house in nearby Volcano Village.

I only feel half-guilty writing this review. Though I love Volcano Park and I think that the park staff are wonderful, I took my family to the Volcano House expecting at least a minimum of a clean and quiet room. The experience was so bad that I have discouraged friends and family from ever going to the Volcano House.

It would be one thing to run a historic hotel, make improvements as needed, and charge reasonable rates. It is quite another to run an outdated property, neglect maintenance, and charge high rates. We spent two nights in one of the premium rooms: crater view, two twin beds, space heater, walk-in closet. This room sits adjacent to one of the common-area rest rooms so you hear a fair amount of traffic including some loud banging sounds, possibly toilet seats dropping, and you can hear people speaking across the wall. We complained to the front desk, but they seemed either not to know the origin of the banging or knew that there was nothing that they could do to stop it (or they didn't care).

The beds are saggy, with probably circa 80's mattresses and worn linens. Shower was mildewy with a loose drain cover.

The 'crater view' is impeded by the heavy screens in front of the windows. You get a much better view by simply walking outside and looking.

Staff at the gift shop were nice. We had dinner at the hotel's restaurant; our waiter had too many tables but was at least polite. The front desk staff were marginal, though, giving us perfunctory service and seeming more occupied with personal phone calls than us. The restaurant food was just adequate, and didn't justify the high prices. I thought that the breakfast was pretty good, though it was standard buffet fare.

One note about the famed fireplace. The hotel makes a big fuss over their lobby fireplace, that it has burned for the last 12 decades. They claim that it has been lit continuously during that time. In fact, they have a framed copy of a Ripley's Believe it or Not article describing the fireplace. If this is true, then that may explain the smoke that belches from the hearth and necessitates leaving the lobby windows open for ventilation (we made sure that we had an escape plan for our room). I hope that this is all a myth and that they have actually hired a chimney sweep, as one would do periodically for any wood-burning fireplace. If the myth of the everlasting fire is actually not myth, then that is one more reason to avoid this place.

This place is not quaint, not charming, not even an adequate place to stay, at least not in Room #1. And it is expensive. There is a reason that people are posting angry reviews here. No, not because they want silk sheets, but because if they are like me, they have slept better on a Therm a Rest in a tent. It is because they feel ripped off.

We spent one night with our three kids in one of their "crater view" "suites". The price was over $230 but the room did not make it up to even a 2 star hotel. There was this smell from the small bathroom which people want it to make us believe to be sulphide gases from the crater. The breakfast was very expensive without any consideration for small children (they had to pay almost like adults); needless to say, that Hawaii is outrougeously expensive.

The good side: We had just arrived to the Big Island that night from Detroit and had to adjust our bodies to the new time zone. We then woke up very early on a clear sunrise, watching over the crater caldera. The sunrise view was simply spectacular ...unique... like nothing you could experience elsewhere

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!