Volcano Artist Cottage

Upon entry, I know I've found the calm and peace in my vacation. It's a place that took all my cares away... a true vacation. I wish I could have stayed longer.

This cute private cottage is nestled in the trees and, from the moment we set foot inside, we felt our stresses fade away. Bright with natural light, we woke up each morning to sunshine filtering in and the sound of forest bird singing. Cozy with rustic decorations, warm heaters at night, and Ira's loving artist's touch, this retreat will recharge you mind, body, and spirit! We will absolutely be back!!

We stayed two nights at this lovely, comfortable and very clean cottage. We enjoyed this very peaceful, quiet and charming place. When we were there in May, the temperature at night was less than 50 degrees. We didn’t have to worry about being cold since the place had a nice and efficient gas heater. We had a lovely time. We certainly recommend this place.

My gf and I just got back from a fantastic stay on the big island of Hawaii, where we stayed two nights at Ira Ono's Artist Cottage. The cottage and grounds are both beautiful, in a garden setting with an art store on the premises that is run by the proprietor, Mr Ono, who also creates art pieces for sale there. It's a very relaxing environment, nestled among rainforest trees and affords a lot of privacy at night. During the day, it still affords privacy, but customers and visitors to the art shop may stroll around the garden grounds (although this did not bother us in the slightest since we were off exploring the national park). There is a cat and a goat, named Ernest, who live outside and add a lot of charm to the place. The room had a refrigerator, stove and BBQ (which we did not have a chance to use, sadly) and was stocked with fresh fruits, delicious home-baked bread and teas. There are also plenty of books to read, or DVDs to watch if you should care to. We preferred to be outside. Which leads me to speak of what I think is this place's greatest strength: it is within a rock's throw of Volcanos National Park, which makes it invaluable for exploring all that the park has to offer (definitely a multi-day visit). Many people do not realize that the park is open 24 hours a day, allowing visitors to come back at night and view the red glow from the lava. If you are staying in Hilo, or elsewhere, the drive from the park may dissuade you from viewing the lava at night. But staying at the Artist Cottage is so convenient that we were able to explore the park at day, come back and rest, then return for night-time lava viewing. In addition, there is a delicious cafe on the premises (behind the art store) where you can buy lunch (organic sandwiches, salads) or have one packed to go if you want to eat in the park (there are no restaurants or services in the park). I give this place a very high recommendation.

It was more a cabin than a room. It was just us and the goat, nobody around, really peaceful. Ira is a real welcoming man. We just thought the breakfast would be provided (because it's a bed and breakfast), but besides that we had a little kitchen in the cabin and we totally recommend this place.

This review is a bit different as I didn't get to stay at the Artist Cottage. I didn't have advance reservations at the Artist Cottage, but when I called upon arriving, one of the staff, Val, said that they had a slightly bigger cottage available nearby for the same price. This other cottage turned out to be very charming, very clean, and very comfortable. It was behind the owner's house located on two acres acres of a beautiful garden. My companion and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this cottage. Fresh fruit, delicious banana bread, tea, and coffee were provided for breakfast. The only thing missing was TV and Wi-fi, but who cares? We ended up sleeping like babies for 12 hours the first night!!

My husband and I spent a few nights here in October while we were in Hawaii on our honeymoon. Volcano is a small, quaint town just outside Volcano National Park. There are only a few restaurants and stores and the entire place is nice and rustic, giving a pleasant feeling of being out in nature. The Artist Cottage is located on the grounds of Ira Ono's gallery, which is open during the day. The cottage has its own dedicated parking so you don't have to worry about there being too many people at the gallery. Also, with the limited hours of the gallery, most of the time you have the entire property to yourself. The grounds are generous, including a splendid grove of trees, some natural plantlife near the back, and a manicured lawn with artistic pieces interspersed. The cottage itself is darling. It includes a kitchen/dining room, a bedroom, and one of the most luxurious bathrooms I've ever seen. It is clean and modern feeling, and even though we were there during the rainy season we didn't have to worry about being cold and wet. The kitchen has a stove top and a dishwasher, dishes, and is prestocked with tea and breakfast for your stay, which, for us, included banana bread and various fruits. There's also a DVD player in the bedroom, and a sampling of books, CDs, and DVDs available for your entertainment. Soap and shampoo are provided in the bathroom. We had a lovely time and would gladly stay there again. We highly recommend it!

The breakfest provided was really more than enough for 2 people staying for 3 days, the welcome and greeting of the owner - Ira Ono - was outstanding and surprised us.You have to take in mind that it's 1000m above sea level, so it's colder there than in other parts of the island, and the heaters are complicated (we didn't manage to make them work).Anyway, very great place to stay in the middle of island, near volcano, in very, very nice cottage, garden, breakfast and people! Totally recommended!

We stayed with Ira and friends in Nov. 2007. I worked for a 5 Star-Diamond Resort on the Big Island, and this place out rated the resort I worked at. I was cozy, peaceful, serene, and totally private. Our cottage had everything you need and more to relax and have PEACE. Thanks Ira, we also got some ART from Ira's store plus, Ira gave us a good lead to pick up great books, food, and a great smelling tree. If you need PEACE and quiet-- THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE!! You need to experience Volcano Artist Cottage for yourselves. You arrive to a home not just a cottage. All the amenities you need. A Big Mahalo to Ira and Friends for making this getaway and great one. God Bless.

My husband and I recently spent two nights in this adorable, snug cottage on the grounds of Volcano Garden Arts. Set back in beautiful flowering trees, the cottage offered great food, warmth and a deluxe bathroom with rainwater shower. Ira Ono is charming and a great source for additional galleries to visit, only after perusing his wonderful selection. It was a fun way to start our vacation, thanks Ira!