Volcano Forest Inn

"The booking advertises a lot of things; like a gym, bar, and restaurant. Also advertises breakfast. There are no such of these things. If you forget to lock a door you get charge $100(I did not forget) The common space is a mess; and the extra $120 you have to give in cash upon arrival is sketchy. I will take fault were I didn’t do much research; booked it the day before hand for $110; but they still charged me $146 with no explanation. A total of $266 for one night in a shared house. More than a resort."

"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. The "breakfast" is a couple of sugary snacks fit only for the metabolism of a twelve year old.  You can cook your own breakfast, but be prepared to wash your own dishes, and by the way, the dishwasher is broken. The common area (where you make your own coffee in the communal drip pot) is monitored by camera. They make sure you know with unfriendly signage. The bed was an old spring mattresses with an ancient foam topper. If you aren't of the age to eat the snacks, you probably won't sleep well, either. You get one over-stuffed pillow each, and if you are not eating the snacks, then you know why that's a problem.  You get one towel per guest, which never dries between showers, so get used to that wet towel feeling.  The rooms are spacious, yes. So spacious that you need glasses to see the tiny TV in the corner. And good luck reading the subtitles when you are afraid to turn up the volume for fear of being fined. In summary, 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. They will tell you your door code and that contacting him after 9pm is a $50 fine. There is probably info about the jenky service fee in there somewhere, but I don't get very far into unformatted walls of text on my phone without going cross-eyed.  Be prepared for a long, potholed, gravel driveway.  He will not greet you at that door and help you get acclimated."

"One of the best spots I have stayed. The rooms were great and being able to the full kitchen and dining area was perfect for our week long stay. The location was so close to the national park which was our main focus for this trip. Jon made sure we had everything we needed while there. We definitely will be back again."

"Driving in was not what I expected - I'm glad we came in during the day, otherwise our Jurassic Park soundtrack playing would have been too real! It's a beautiful location, and we asked for an additional bed (three adults traveling together), and we got a queen sized air mattress to go with our two other queen beds. We didn't spend much time at the hotel apart from sleeping (hiked through the volcano and around the park), but you couldn't ask for a better location to Volcano National Parks unless you're staying in the park. I would suggest some further clarification on where to go within the house - using the code on the front door was a breeze, but then we wandered around a bit looking for our room."

"We enjoyed our stay here! You could not find a more convenient spot if you’re visiting the National Park. In addition to the proximity to the park, it’s also very close to the couple restaurants in the area and a little market. Jon was a great host. Rooms, amenities, and common areas were comfortable and tidy. We would absolutely stay here again."