Arnott's Lodge & Hiking Adventures

"I stayed here for 3 nights so that I could take part in two of the trips - Mauna Kea and Volcanoes National Park, offered by the same Company. It was much easier being on hand, the trips were excellent, good value for money and well conducted. The bonus at the end was being taken to the airport - for a smaller fee than local taxis charged ! " more

Arnotts is a great place to stay in Hilo! Their camping policy of 'set up your tent even after office hours and pay in the morning' definitely helps travelers that need a place to set up in the wee hours of the night. Charging $10 a person, they allow the use of all their facilities; big screen tv, outdoor showers [hot water takes a little bit to get going] and sink with mirror, bathrooms, the washer and dryer, kitchens and the ability to store 1 container in the dorm room fridge. They have tables set up for general use under an awning and have lots of goodies behind their counter for sale. Abraham and Lana were awesome and kept us laughing and even told us about some great local waterfalls that were completely void of all the tourist traffic jams like Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls. Granted it took a bit of a hike [around 45 minutes] in the rainforest but we were determined to see the huge waterfall Lana suggested to jump off of. Once we saw it we chickened out immediately [it was at least a 30-40 feet fall] but we had the best time just hopping around the COLD tide pools and enjoying the scenery all to ourselves. But! back to the hostel grounds, everything was lovely except the fact that at night it was a bit noisy with cars revving and planes flying overhead. Wasn't a problem for me [I'm a sound sleeper] but for the light sleepers you might find some trouble staying asleep. more

I had a great time at Arnott's. The staff was very friendly and the accommodations were clean and very affordable. Beautiful beaches are also well within walking distance. The tours were great and my guides, Akaika and Kaoki, were very knowledgeable and are great drivers. I would recommend staying at Arnott's to anyone who is looking for a nice, friendly place to stay. more

Arnott's Lodge is a great hostel for those on a tight budget and with a carefree spirit. I stayed there for three nights where two nights were in the men's dormitory and the last night in the semi-private room. Yes the dorms are a little rundown but the facility is always being improved and kept up. The semi-private rooms seem to be recently remodeled and very clean. I went on the tour to the Mauna Kea Summit and the Lava Hike and were both very adventurous and awesome. Both tour guides (Robert & Lei) did a fantastic job at giving a bit of Hawaiian history and keeping the tour fun and accommodating. On the Lava Hike I got pulled into the Ocean by a huge wave on the Black Sand Beach (carelessly my fault) and Lei was ready to assist me with towels and bags. Both went out of their ways to make sure the tours were enjoyable for all on the tours. I've seen Doug (owner) on the lodge here and there and always greet the guest with small friendly talks and a "E Komo Mai" (Welcome). The three sisters at the front desk Ku'ulei, Kanani, and Kahealani were terrific at answering my questions to their best knowledge and outgoing. These girls are very sweet and they are doing their best so don't be rude and obnoxious. Show a lil' bit of ALOHA spirit if things get busy and hectic at the front desk. The lodge is away from downtown but offers a free shuttle to the airport, downtown, and Wal-mart everyday at 8 am. Bikes are available for rental for $3 which is cheap compared to renting them elsewhere. If you think you fit the description of the traveler fit for this hostel, then you would have a great time. But if you are the type of person who is high maintenance and complain about every little thing, there are plenty of other places you can stay in Hilo, but you won't find them at prices like Arnott's Lodge. It was my first time staying in a hostel and I met so many like-minded people from all over. more

Awsome! more

It's a great location with plenty options to stay. Nice decorations. It's clean. Very good. more

great and awesome feels like home. more

Very nice with clean and friendly space - I would recommend to all friends. more

Although I would prefer 5 stars hotels, I've never considered staying in this type of accommodations until this place. I can honestly say that I was pleasantally surprised that our stay and experience at Arnott's was FANTASTIC. I loved the service we received from Leann and JoJo (mgr's daughter). It was top notch service! Something you don't see much at hotels. more

Ikaika was a great tour guide. I would recomend his tours to anybody. more

I really enjoyed my time at Arnott's. This place made me feel right at home. There was a sense of feeling that made me feel warm. more

This place is very nice and clean and quiet. There should be more of these places around. more

Thank you for making my cycling trip to Hawaii unforgettable. Your welcoming smiles and helpfulness allowed me to cycle 576 miles over 12 days. I've seen incredible scenery and met some amazing people! more

Stayed on the lawn camping and felt the accomadations for the rate was very fair. Mutliple T.V.'s w/ a dining area are great perks and are above average as far as my trips comparison. Customer service was way better too. Thx a bunch (even though your not downtown; I'll go outta my way to see u all again. more

It is the best value, and only company, on the Hilo side, if your most important interest is Mauna Kea itself. more

This was a very nice hostel. The owner also arranges tour groups to island sites, such as Volcano Nat' Park. The bike rentals are on site and easy. The great swimming beaches are blocks away. The hostel is 3 miles from town, but there is a free bus and renting a bike is fun. I would stay here again. more

We took the tour to Kiluea Volcano with Brandon. Brandon is the BEST guide! He knows and loves the area - he grew up there and his family still lives around the area. He brought us out to see the lava flows early in the afternoon (before the other tour groups got there) and even stopped to let us spend time on the Black Sand beach nearby. He kept everyone safe and still brought us within feet of the live lava flows. Highly recommend the tour with Brandon! more

Guide was funny. I had a panic attack at the summit of Mauna Kea and the guide knew what to do, seems to understand and was very kind. more

It was pure luck that I found a very low airfare to the Big Island and then stumbled upon Arnott's Lodge. They have a web site to make reservations if you think you would like a true adventure that is very educational as well. Dormitory and private rooms were very reasonably priced between $19.00 and $65.00. I had no need for a rental car as the lodge provided free transportation to and from the airport. A free taxi service to and from Hilo town made scheduled trips in the a.m. and p.m. hours for grocery and other shopping, dining, as well as events and movies. It was only a short (estimated two city blocks) walk to the beach through a "jungle" path (fun not scary). A well-equiped and clean community kitchen and laundry facility were available to all guests. Doug Arnott has created a marvelous site for travelers and adventurers from all over the world. He offers multiple other in-depth adventures beside trips to the lava flow from Kilauea volcano. These include a 12-passenger van tour up to Mauna Kea (extinct volcano at 14,000 ft), site of the Keck Observatory. He offers access to a variety of activities on the Big Island, e.g., hiking, biking down Mauna Loa, helicopter and plane rides and water adventures. I loved the volcano and lava flow adventure, especially the night-time tour to see the red hot lava streaming from the vent down into the ocean. This was one of my best adventures and it was really affordable for me. Almost forgot, you can rent a bike there for $2. all day and there is a tent area for you hardy young campers. I urge anyone to take a trip to the web site, an adventure in itself. more

Nice, clean hostel - good value for your money. When I was there I had a big dormroom with bathroom for myself which was really nice! Only stayed one night but would recommend it to anyone looking for a cheap place to stay! more