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Arnott's Lodge & Hiking Adventures
Categories: Hotels & Travel Hostels Hotels & Travel Tours Hotels & Travel Campgrounds Hostels, Tours, Campgrounds [Edit]
98 Apapane RdHilo, HI 96720
(808) 339-0921
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:30 am - 10 pm
10 reviews for Arnott's Lodge & Hiking Adventures
10 reviews in English
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Review from Andrea S.
Los Gatos, CA
5/21/2012
A good, cheep place to stay.
I stayed in the women's bunk room (there was a men's on the other side of the building). The room and grounds in general were clean, and I felt safe and comfortable throughout. The Lodge also offers camping, individual rooms with shared bathrooms, and regular hotel style rooms as well.
Of all the places, I stayed at on The Big Island, this was my favorite, and I would have to say it was the vibe. The Lodge was a place that loved its travelers, providing a free DVD room, a kitchen for bunk room and camping guests, and a guest appreciation night with free beer and pizza. Guests are also asked to sign a contract which says that use of drugs and extreme drunkenness are not permitted (which while I'm not against, I greatly appreciated).
The only downfall that I found was that while the Lodge provided clean sheets, it did not provide blankets, which I did not have and is a must for me (I like to feel the weight) even in rather hot weather. The result was that I was using a towel to keep me warm. The overall feel, though, was earthy-crunchy and friendly (the owner lives in a house on the property), and I would definitely choose to stay there again when I next get back to the island. -
Review from Rose Ü.
3/27/2012
Arnott's is a great place to stay if you are backpacking or on a tight budget. The rooms are spotless and well equipped. The kitchen comes with everything you need. You can sleep in a tent, in a dorm or in a private room. All are a good deal. The only drawback is that it is far from town, so if you do not have a car you are dependent on the bus that runs once an hour and stops running around 5:00 PM. But they have such a nice garden and patio that going into town seems less important.
I did their Mauna Kea and Volcano tours and both were very good. The guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely bring warm clothes (hat, gloves, warm coat) on the Mauna Kea tour, as it gets very cold up there! -
Review from Ess B.
Miami, FL
12/30/2011
Arnott's is a great place to spend some time in Hilo on the cheap! Whether you are pitching your tent on the comfy safe lawn, or getting one of the private or semi-private rooms, the expense is minimal and there are many benefits.
Telephones and places to charge your devices, a big screen TV viewing room with movies, picnic tables to sit and chat with other travelers. The environment is very clean and safe, and you are minutes away from the beach. There are also bicycles to rent for the day, or tours of Hawaii available leaving from Arnott's. We paid $11 for our nightly tent space, and were very happy to spend the time and money. I'll definitely be staying at Arnott's when traveling through Hilo again, and recommend the place in good confidence. -
Review from Mark T.
Los Angeles, CA
10/26/2011
I saw Arnott's Flyer as soon as I walked out of the Hilo Airport. The place is located in a residential area over looking a park and looks like it was a former apartment at one time.
The only room available was a semi private, meaning the unit has 2 bedrooms. The other occupant was an elderly German couple. I never acquainted myself with them because I checked in late and left very early in the morning.
The unit had a kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator. There was even a veranda attached to the living room.
I was expecting a saggy mattress but was surprised to find it was very comfortable and had no trouble falling asleep. The cleanliness of the place was very satisfactory, I had no problems with the living situation.
When you check out, you're required to take the bed linen to the laundry room. If your on a budget the price can't be beat.
What more can you ask for? An apartment located in the heart of paradise next to the beach, while you're sipping on Mai Tai's on the veranda taking in the tropical sun.
Aloha! -
Review from Roo M.
12/6/2010
This review is specifically for the Mauna Kea adventure tour.
If at all possible, ask for a tour given by Robert, you will not regret it.
Seriously, Robert's knowledge and passion for what he does is what made the tour for us.
here's how it went:
On our recent trip to the Big Island, one of the Must-Do things we had on our list (as well as my personal Bucket List) was to "Catch the Sunset from Above the Clouds" at the peak of Mauna Kea. Every resource we checked online recommended the tours that were $200+ per person, but us being the frugal travelers that we are, opted to do some price comparisons once we arrived and boy are we glad that we did.
Rather than opt for the tour that picks you up from Kona-side and takes you to Mauna Kea, we chose instead to check the pricing on tours originating from Hilo-side and that's when we found out that Arnott's Adventures had tours originating from Hilo that were significantly cheaper than anything we could find Kona-side. Significantly cheaper as in Half the price!
So, with that in mind, what we decided to do was drive our rental car to Hilo, use the money we saved to rent a room at the Hilo Bay Hotel and not only be able to take the tour to Mauna Kea, but also be able to explore Hilo along with its surrounding environs AND have a comfortable room to sleep in for the night. Now THAT's one hell of a ProTip because driving from Hilo back to Kona at night is a major No-no.
And why would you want to when you have all the beautiful sights to stop at on the way back like Akaka Falls, Rainbow falls and all of the other assorted scenic points of interest all along H19
ProTip - **DO NOT TAKE SADDLE ROAD - unless you've done it before and have 4x4**
Where was I? oh yeah, The tour itself takes about seven hours (2pm-9pm) Meals are not included which is a great thing because then you can choose to bring whatever you want to eat and not have to eat what is provided to you.
ProTip - grabbing a mix plate from Verna's or the Wiki Wiki Kitchen is a winning game plan, but the tour will also stop at a local 7-11 that sells Hawaii-only goodies like Manapua Buns, Pork Hash, etc etc. Also a great option for frugal savages like me who don't need froo-froo dining options.
We got very lucky on our tour because asides from the two of us, there was only one other guest. What this meant is that time needed for loading/unloading as well as organization of guests was practically nil which gave Robert the option to pass by other points of interests and stop at scenic vista points to indulge my photography needs. - SCORE!
So, if you are going to try to book a Mauna Kea Summit tour with Arnott's, here is what you need to keep in mind
- See when Robert is driving and try to hop onto that tour
- Hope that the van isn't too crowded
- Grab some grub from Verna's or Wiki Wiki
- Bring Gloves and a beanie because it WILL get cold at the summit (Parkas are provided)
-Bring WATER - Lots of it - Mountains are high and dry and WILL dehydrate you like crazy
Photography tips:
Bring a solid/heavy tripod - Wind gusts get up to hurricane speed up there
High ISO/Low Light performance is a MUST
Polarizing, Vari ND filters are a MUST - if you have slide-type vari-ND filters, even better
Wired or Wireless release to minimize shake
Mirror UP!
I was working at -10degree weather with wind chill, but since my gear is Weather-sealed, it was not an issue. Make sure your gear can perform in these conditions.
AND TURN YOUR GOBDAMMNED FLASH OFF!
Btw yes, I got one of my once in a lifetime shots here. Boo ya. -
Review from Marina N.
11/7/2007
Excellent for the budget traveller that is just going to sleep in the room and spend the rest of their time exploring the island.
My sister and I stayed here about 5 years ago. We took two of the tours - one hiking about 8 miles over lava and the Mauna Kea sunset tour. The tours were well run and also no frills.
Stay here if you get your kicks from the beautiful weather and nature and are just looking for a place to crash. Also, a good way to meet folks to make your experience more lively. -
Review from Katherine K.
5/14/2007
I went to the Big Island with the idea of being a dirty filthy hippie, living on a farm, eating the fruit that I picked, bathing in the springs down the road but still shitting in a toilet. I tried it for a night but once I realized you are required to get some sort of infection, like Staph or something, before you are a real hippie AND you have to change your name to something stoooopid like "Wave" or "Schmoo," I had to quit.
After a very long and fun adventure featuring two friends and two locs and their van and some wine coolers and a black sand nekked beach, my friends and I ended up at Arnott's. Oh my was this place paradise after waking up on a "farm" underneath a wasp's nest. Arnott's is a hostel in the true sense of the word. You can sleep in dorms, semi private rooms, or you can CAMP ON THE LAWN. yep. it will rain and ants will crawl up your pants, but it is cheap and, hey, it's Hawaii. There is a communal sitting/eating area with a T.V., outdoor showers, boys and girls kitchens, a lounge/movie watching area, bike rental...you get the idea. We were there long enough to make friends with the staff, which was kind of good (local tips and they can be fun to drink with) and kind of awful (if I hear that girl talk about Mana one more time...).
Overall, Arnott's was good to me and saved me from getting scabies on some dirty, pathetic excuse at farming and communal living in paradise. -
Review from Gina T.
Union City, CA
7/19/2010
Y'all must be kidding me right? We were there in 2009 and that's 1 place we would NEVER come back to.
Did y'all missed the pee-smelled rooms? The stained bed linens, mattresses & pillows, ragged looking towels? Dirty-smelly bathroom, kitchen, and floor. Oh gosh, even camping grounds here are cleaner than that there place!!! We couldn't even sleep because the pee smell was so strong the beds were so gross. We even brought room de-odorizer and it didn't even help. The mattresses and pillows looked like things people throw out and were salvaged by Arnott's
If y'all on a budget--DON'T even go to Arnott's ok? Unless you're really down on your luck and had no where else to go. -
Review from Phill W.
Alameda, CA
6/9/2006
At Arnott's, you get what you pay for.
This is probably the cheapest accommodation in Hilo, and they won't let you forget that. Anytime you ask for a service, if they don't offer it, they'll tell you it's how they keep their prices down. They're not rude about it, but it gets old.
We stayed in a semi-private room, which shares a bathroom with one other room. It was clean and comfortable -- perfect if you just need a place to sleep and shower. The staff was a mixed bag -- one guy was extremely friendly and helpful, two others seemed to have lost their sense of aloha.
Arnott's feels like a hostel, but they will not let you stay more than 7 days unless you make special arrangements.
It's pretty far -- 3 miles -- from downtown Hilo. They have bikes to rent for cheap, but it's not a fun ride from Arnott's to downtown -- you ride on a main highway through a light industrial zone, sharing the road with lots of semis moving at 50mph. -
Review from Blue L.
Palo Alto, CA
3/31/2009
This place was good value and they have everything you need. We stayed in a deluxe room which had nice firm matresses - something rare in a hostel- anyway i slept really well. the location was not bad....you can rent bikes and visit the beach nearby.
we also took their tour to the mauna kea telescopes. our tour guide was Eldridge - who was most informative. he knew a lot about the area, history, geology, astronomy etc. he took great care of us.
