Arnott's Lodge

Strangely sinister atmosphere
Just back from an amazing backpack of Pacific. This was worst hostel experienced. As with all, they have rules but pay close attention as rules are many, varied, and strictly enforced. You are under constant surveillance here. General feeling was an "us against them" mentality. Very strange. Price was was ok, and the location was really good. Swim beaches were close enough to walk. Bikes on offer, although it rained so I didn't try. Everything will be a charge here, which not true at most others I tried. Booked the lava hike, even though it was very clearly explained that there is no lava seen but still seemed like good price and experience. But driver/guide was only sixteen years old! I can't believe it legal for guide of tours to be a minor as it didn't feel safe. Tried to cancel on these grounds, but told of cancel policy. Still didn't go and was told by management that they provided the tour, and I was required to pay. It was not their fault that I wasn't literate to know cancel policy. I still cannot believe guide can be sixteen.

Arnott's Lodge in Hilo is precisely what it claims to be. If you are literate and know your needs, you should find an excellent value in Arnott's. The staff is hardworking and genuinely interested in ensuring a quality experience for guests and tour patrons alike. They are spread thinly as to do otherwise would increase the cost to the patrons. As a result "high maintenance travelers" are advised to find other accommodations. The prices are bare bones catering to budget travelers. The amenities add great value as does the location right next to some of the most beautiful coastal parks in the world. On my repeat visits to Arnott's I have been amazed at the unending effort to upgrade and improve the facilities. High quality construction projects completed by friendly professionals are the norm. Where else in Hawaii can a budget traveler go and be treated to free pizza and beer?

Wouldn't recommend this hostel to anyone! It is dirty, with cobwebs and dust everywhere, that could be fixed with a quick dust or vacuum. I stayed in the women's dorm and my bunk bed was so wobbly and unstable I thought it was going to collapse. I didn't go on their tours, but heard mediocre reviews. It only costs $10 per carload to get into Volcanoes National Park, their tour is $75 per person! The women working the front desk gave me the wrong code for the dorm, so when we got back late at night I couldn't get into the dorm. There was no one at the front desk and no one would answer my knocks, so we actually ended up breaking into the dorm. The next morning I went to ask about the door code, and the lady treated me like I was an idiot for having been given an improper code. That night the new code didn't work either. I asked Doug Arnott about it (who happened to be outside) and his reply was "You are the only person having these difficulties with the door. I will give you the code again, hopefully you don't screw it up this time." I was appalled. He was berating me for his staff giving me the wrong info. The place is cheap and dirty, the staff sucks, and the owner is worse. Stay away from Arnott's.

Arnott's is not as bad as a few of the people on here would make it seem. There is an overwhelming amount of signs posted just about everywhere. There where three in the bathroom alone. I suppose the staff cannot be troubled to answer a question if it comes up. There is also an extreme number of cameras throughout the premises. It makes you feel uncomfortable to know that someone is always watching you. I stayed with Arnott's several weeks ago, and than again yesterday. I had the same dead flowers in my room from the several weeks earlier (that were dead the first time also). My biggest issue is with the owner. He walks around all day with a disgruntled attitude, as if we are unwelcome guests at his home, hoping we will leave sooner than later. But to be fair, the rates are affordable. It is rather close to the ocean (two or three minutes' walk). The staff was very friendly. The manager Mark is very pleasant, and the tour with guide Shannon was something I will never forget. He made sure everyone took home the experience they came to this great island to see, touch, feel. He was also very informative, telling us what every new plant or animal was that we came across, and what it meant to the native Hawaiians. He continued answering questions for everyone past a point that most people would get annoyed being asked so many. In conclusion, the staff is excellent, the tours are incredible, the beach is right down the street, and the rates are affordable. On the other hand, if the ever present array of cameras, unjustified amount of signs, and unfriendly owner are things you can get past, then you will enjoy your stay.

I will never recommend a stay at Arnott's. It's too bad, really, as it looks like it may have been a cool concept some time ago. I was instructed to call at arrival for a free shuttle, which never came. After waiting over an hour, I took a cab with another couple also waiting for the shuttle. At check in there was no explanation about the shuttle or apology. My deluxe accommodations were fine, pretty much as advertised, clean but plain. The "luxury" bath was a joke, really run down, cheap, apartment style that probably was totally adequate fifteen years ago. But I was happy to have my own private bath, and expected nothing more, the "luxury" hyperbole notwithstanding. I borrowed a bike and headed into Hilo. I have to disagree with the comment that Hilo should be avoided. I thought Hilo was really cool, tons of history, great museums (Tsunami and Lyman are two), and very friendly people. I definitely recommend Hilo. I joined the Mauna Kea tour through Arnott's the next day. The guide was excellent. It was pretty bare-bones, with nothing provided and travel in a really old Ford van, and I wouldn't do it if I was traveling in a group as you can rent a 4x4 from Harper's across the street and go to the summit for less money per person. But traveling alone, the cost was about the same, and the guide was great. You just go to the summit, not into an observatory or anything. The next day I joined the Lava Viewing Adventure. The guide was terrible. Almost zero commentary on the one-hour drive to the volcano and very little during the drive through the Park to the lava. When we got to the trailhead, there were a couple of groups going together. I was expecting a three-mile hike to the lava (as Arnott's had advised), but I came across someone who had fallen and was bleeding pretty badly from the knee. Our guides were nowhere in sight, so I used my handkerchief as a bandage and told him to wait while I looked for a guide. The guide I found said to tell the guy to head back to the van, that he was too busy and could do nothing. Plus he didn't have any first aid with him. I got back to the guy and helped him to the van, found first aid and dressed his wound. The guide thanked me when the group returned as they were trying really hard to keep track of everyone in their groups since they've lost some people on the lava recently! I was totally shocked, but the guide just kind of chuckled and said people were always wandering off and couldn't be found. They even lost someone from a cruise ship who had to be put up at the lodge and then flown to meet up with the ship! I told the guide that I was really disappointed that I had to care for this guy and not see the lava. The guide told me that there weren't any surface breaks anyway, so I didn't miss anything but a really long hot walk. The drive back to Hilo had no commentary, but the guide did put on the radio so we at least had some Hawaiian music. We returned to the lodge where I was directed to Doug Arnott for a refund on the tour. Doug told me that it was my decision not to finish the hike and stay to help the guy, that I did go on the tour and I was not getting a refund. I pressed him, but he just told me that if I didn't like it and continued to "whine" about it, I could leave immediately and find other accommodations. So, I did. I found Arnott's to be totally reasonable as I felt that I knew what to expect, but it seems like if something does go wrong, and you need a solution or resolution, then you're labeled some kind of "troublemaker" and totally dismissed. And that obviously comes right from the very top, Doug Arnott. Doug and the tour experience ruined what was a really pleasant stay at Arnott's. Especially as I found that prices at the other hostel I stayed at are cheaper than Arnott's!

Respone from the Owner: This is Doug Arnott and I would like to rebut some of the negative commentary I see here, although it is offset by positives as well. We are what we are, and we state it VERY clearly on our website. We entertain over 7000 guests a year these days, 99% of whom go off quite happy with our (recently refurbished) accommodations and tours. Lonely Planet which does unannounced site visits gives us an excellent rating. And as you all know there are the guests from hell....the ones with no comprehension of international style budget accommodation with no frills, but at good prices. That is why our website says "we are not for whiners or picky people or people with "problems", we are for happy international travelers.....So it may be true, that when we get the odd person who has no idea of being happy, and wants to complain about everything, we can be a bit rough on them. I don't like people who yell at staff about minor matters or are demanding about things like ants in Hawaii where we live in a tropical environment and the alternative is to poison everything until it glows. Or who have no comprehension that time zones can tip cancellation policies into another day. We go out of our way to copy the best Hostels and Budget accommodations we see around the world. Also we are not isolated, our shuttle is regularly scheduled and we have bicycles for the 3 mile, 15 minute ride into Downtown Hilo. Thank you Hostelz for space to rebut....Aloha.....Doug Arnott

Arnott’s Lodge & Hiking Adventures are not that customer friendly of a hostel. As a former employee for Arnott’s Lodge I have seen what it takes to market and sell a product. I have noticed how a company can offer an excellent product to the consumer but, forget about those who truly market the product the “Consumer.” Only one word can be used to describe Arnott’s Lodge -- “How.” How can a company that states their slogan to be “No Substitute for Quality” maintain being “Unstructured?” How can a company claim to have quality when qualified employees are substituted for those with no experience or those with prior criminal offenses? I was mortified when I found out that my fellow co-workers were convicted drug offenders. This is what happens when an unstructured company doesn’t enforce and/conduct proper background checks. “No thanks” to Hawaii's Crystal Meth Epidemic I had only two choices -- unemployment or remain employed. My employment with Arnott’s gave me the chance to meet a variety of people from around the world. Coming as far from Russia to India giving me the chance to embark on others journeys through conversation and/ listen to their different experiences they encountered traveling to the Hawaiian Islands. The Lodge also gave me the chance to work for a very understanding and considerate Manager Mr. Mark Gomes caring for the Local people of Hawai’i and understanding what is needed to maintain a successful company. The source of the problem with this company lies at the top with Founder and Owner Mr. Doug Arnott. The first encounter with Mr. Arnott was a rather unforgettable moment in my life. From his tone of voice to the way he scolded his employees, literally bashing them verbally using foul and/derogatory language. I always thought the way to maintain a positive and productive working staff was to praise them but, apparently not according Mr. Doug Arnott. I was embarrassed being an employee of Arnott’s Lodge seeing the way he conducted himself in front of guests. But I guess his personality explains the reason why one of his Local Employees was chasing him in a very irritated and yet seeming to be aggressive manor. As a former Arnott’s employee I can ramble on about my experiences being Good or Bad, but honestly it depends on “You” the traveler as to whether you extend business to Arnott’s Lodge. But prior to doing business with them here are sum suggestions in which you should adhere by. Watch out for the Owner Doug Arnott who I was told has “Bipolar.” Tours are Falsely Advertised so read the fine print. Stay in their Deluxe Accommodations. Stay away from the Semi-private, Dorms. If going on a tour: Find out who your Tour Guide is. Canceling your reservation: cancel forty-eight hours prior otherwise they will charge. Shuttle times are inconsistent. Watch out for the Maze of Signs that tell you what and not to do. Too many questions create temperamental Arnott employees. Arnott’s is the McDonald’s of the Hostel and tourism industry

Took their lava tour, but didnt stay at the hostel. Seriously the most ignorant tour guide I've ever had, told me the spanish may have landed in Hawaii sometime in the 100's A.D. When we were out on the lava flows they stopped the entire tour to get a family to give them their credit card info again, unbelievable. They pretty much lied about everything, way over priced and unprofessional.

I'd like to tell our story of our recent trip to The Big Island. I think we were very lucky and made really good choices while we were there and I'd like to share out fortune with others. I also want to thank other people for their advice on this site for making us decide to hire a car in the first place. When we decided to go to the Big Island I wasn't sure where to fly into. I happened upon Arnotts Lodge on the Web and decided to fly to Hilo and stay there. Originally I thought that we would stay there for four nights and do a couple of tours and spend some time on the beach or something. A few weeks before we went to Hilo I thought I'd better do something about booking a room so I looked at this Web site and their own Web site. After reading the comments on this Web site I decided that hiring a car might be a good idea instead. We searched Google and found this excellent Web site offering discount car hire with major rental companies directly from Hilo airport. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name the site but its discounthawaiicarrental.com . It seems too good to be true but because you don't need to pay to make a reservation we thought we'd give it a go and ended up getting a bigger car for 1/2 the price it would have cost if we went directly through the company. There is plenty of information on things to do on the Big Island available at the airport and many other locations and if you have a car you can see so much and most of it is free. We spent one night at Arnotts Lodge when we first arrived. The facilities were ok. The building and bathrooms were a bit old and run down but we had no major hassles. We spent the next four days driving around the island and we stayed at a different hostel every night. We saw volcanoes and waterfalls, valleys and hot beaches and snorkeled with sea turtles. It was fantastic. There are many free things like macadamia factories, coffee farms and orchid gardens to stop at and plenty of free samples to be had. If we had stayed in Hilo at Arnotts we would have missed out on so much. My best advice would be if you are going to go by yourself or for only one or two days then maybe an Arnotts tour is the way to go. Otherwise hire a car and get out of rainy Hilo and see all the fantastic sights the island has to offer. Bear in mind: There is pretty much no public transport on the Big Island, Hilo is the rain capital of the USA, Arnotts is WAY out of town and there is nothing within walking distance except a beach.

BEWARE! Do NOT make the same mistake we did! Avoid Arnott's Lodge like the plague. Here's why: 1) It's located in a terrible area. 2) Because of the dirt-cheap camping options, you get people interested in stealing your stuff. There are signs everywhere about watching out for theft. Arnott's Lodge even warns you not to lock anything in your car since it may get broken into. 3) They'll lie to you about tours. They'll tell you that you need to take their tours or else you won't be able to get anywhere, see anything, do anything, or be safe. These are all lies. Their tours are mediocre at best and can be easily done on your own. If you stay here, RENT A CAR (trust us, you don't want to hang around the lodge long, it's a miserable dump). Take your car and drive places yourself. 4) They'll overcharge you. We were quite surprised to see invalid credit card charges on our account when we returned. We were never notified about them and never signed for any charges. They apparently screwed up and booked us for a tour we never went on and charged us anyway. They won't admit the mistake and are trying to screw us out of our money. We have no idea what they're talking about. 5) The management lacks any customer service skills. Even before our problems when we got home, we were surprised how rude the management was. At Arnott's Lodge, the aloha spirit refers to a low ha-ha-ha coming from management as they screw over their guests. 6) If you don't have a rental car, expect to need to lock yourself in your room and hide. It's located in a very bad area and you cannot walk anywhere safely. You will literally be prisoners on your vacation. 7) The plumbing is bad, the facilities are very bad (think unmaintained park cabins), and the overall experience is somehow worse. 8) If you stay here, it will leave such a bad taste in your mouth that you'll never want to return to the Big Island again. On a positive note, if you're going to the Big Island, check out Volcanoes National Park. You do NOT need a tour to see it or to see the lava flows. Just drive there and the rangers will tell you where to walk. Bring good flashlights (LED ones are awesome) and gloves in case you fall (so you don't scratch your hands). We walked eight miles without a tour on lava rock and never fell, saw anyone fell, or talked to anyone who fell. You need to be careful, but Arnott's Lodge will make you think that you'll fall into the volcano if you don't go with them. There is no reason to be afraid of the lava — it is so hot that you cannot stumble upon it and walk into danger. You'll feel the heat — it's so extreme you can't get any closer. Enjoy your stay on the big island. Don't let Arnott's Lodge ruin it for you. (Avoid Hilo, too, if at all possible.)

My wife had booked a trip to Arnotts Lodge in July to go see the lava on the Big Island. We cancelled three days before the trip, which was well before their 48-hour notice. Low and behold, we were charged for the trip and to this day, after four attempts to make contact with the owners, they still refuse to answer our telephone calls to rectify the problem and we are out our money. I will never recommend this organization to anyone at all. Check your billing if you book a trip and then cancel well within the time frame.

Beware of any hostel that claims to offer a "free shuttle." Their shuttle runs infrequently, if at all. I had to take a shuttle from the airport to the hostel despite them claiming to offer free lifts. And once I arrived, it didn't get any better. The kitchen was crawling with ants day and night. I went on the Volcano and the Waterfall tours. The Volcano tour was great but the Waterfall tour was not worth spending $50. We saw three waterfalls and the guide spent the whole time ranting and raving about how the "white people" stole Hawaii. So you're better off staying at some other hostel.

Read the Web site — Arnotts is upfront about the services they provide (simple service, tours, no big amenities) and they provide them very well. If you expect more, you're in trouble. But if you are looking for a cheap, solid place this is a good one.

I met a lot of nice people here and they have tons of DVDs you can watch for free, but it's far away from everything and kind of dirty.

Physically this place is okay, kind of old and run down but it was cheap and it's a hostel, so I never expect much. I liked the big open area where people could mingle, and there were many travelers from Europe and elsewhere, which was cool. My big problem, a huge problem, was with the owner, Doug. He is by far the rudest and most obnoxious human being I have ever encountered. The way he speaks to the guests and even to his own staff is unbelievable. I was supposed to stay here for four nights, but left after the first night after experiencing this person. I don't even know what his problem was, but he spoiled my day. Anger management classes or possibly medication is in order for Mr. Arnott. They use the word "aloha" a lot on their Web site, but the owner doesn't even know what that word means. He just walks around the grounds looking down his nose at everyone in between psychotic outbursts. I will never in my life visit Arnotts Lodge again while Arnott is the owner. Thanks for nothing.