Carson's Volcano Cottage B & B, Volcano

We stayed 2 nights which were not pleasant. The first morning we got up and the electricity went off when we started the coffee. No one was around but us until a couple arrived so she could fix breakfast. The breakfast consisted of several sweet dishes and fruit with no meat or eggs. If you are diabetic you would not have had much to eat. The following night we arrived back to the room only to have the electric go off. There was only a phone number to call. It was a good thing we had a cell phone since there was no phone and we got a recording to call another number if it was an emergency. We left a message but no one ever came to turn the electric back on. We called in the morning and this time left our cell phone number on the message. This time the owner returned the call and asked us to go flip the circuit breaker. He would not agree to any monetary compensation for our problems. He just said it was an old bed and breakfast and we should expect those things to happen when we turned on all the appliances which included a heater since it was cold, a dehumidifier because it was damp & moldy and the refrigerator. I only wish I had read the reviews before we booked at this place. A friend had stayed here a few years ago and had a better experience. The gardens at least were pretty. It was definitely quite since we were the only ones around. However it is noisy when it rains because it is a metal roof and this makes it difficult to sleep.

I liked the idea of hiking through the Volcano National Park then heading down the road 3 miles to our warm cozy cabin in the rainforest-perhaps soaking some sore legs in the hot tub surrounded by lush vegetation and tropical flowers... Well, it was a nice thought. The reality was a cold dank dark cabin with a roaring dehumidifier and a tiny space heater; both were not sufficient to dry out and warm the cabin. The bedding looked clean and the linens were fresh. But the place was freezing (our clock's thermometer registered 52 degrees)and there was no where to sit but either on the bed or at a dinette set. We couldn't run the dehumidifier, heater, and lights at athe same time or run the risk of blowing a fuse. If the lights did go out, it would be pitch black outside and we'd probably slip and fall on the moss covered walkway while looking for the fuse box. We went looking for the owner to get some blankets and found that he doesn't stay on the property. The owner of this place won't even stay here!We nearly got back into the car and drove back to the Volcano House to warm up in front of the fire in the lodge. Breakfast was advertized as quite a sumptuous feast. He did have a nice hot pineapple upsidedown cake, the other cakes were just that- cakes. There were poptarts, instant oatmeal, yogurt, packaged cereal, and exotic fruits, but even in the lodge it was cold enough for me to see my breath. I'll return here after they get heat and comfortable surroundings installed, because the place could really be a gem.

Really disappointing. Ginger room was cold,(and we had plenty of clothes), smelly, moldy. Was supposed to be a suite, but actually, one corner of the room is walled off with no door and just enough room for a fold-down sofa. Hot tub wasn't hot and staff could not fix it.

Reservations strictly end at 6pm, so no last minute late night guests allowed. Located outside of Volcano on a residential street, it is quiet at night. Forested hot tub is HOT with strong jets. Friendly cats belong to owners and are very entertaining. Stayed in Ginger Suite: King bed in main house. There was a bee infestation the day before we checked in--they vaccuumed them up but didn't offer a discount on the room. I have had better B&B room quality for the price. Bed was comfortable, tv in room, no screens on the windows for bug control. Room is located above owner's lodging and walls are thin. Not recommended for honeymooners unless you get your own cabin and plan to stay a few days. Breakfast was DELICIOUS. Fresh local fruit, homemade pastries, and 4 hot options on the breakfast buffet. Quiet, tranquil place, but don't expect a spotless room that has new everything.

Carson's was a miserable experience from start to finish. We stayed in the Ginger Suite in the main house and were appalled at the condition of the room. Stained sheets, spider webs on the walls, bugs in the room (because there are no screens on the windows), the linoleum floor coming up in the bathroom, mildew on the walls, holes in the walls and the overwhelming stench of mold made us want to leave immediately. The horrific condition of the room, however, was nothing compared with the hostile, defensive nature of the owner and one of his staff members after we listed our complaints. Rather than offer to change the sheets, clean the room, or transfer us to a new room, our hosts informed us that we were staying in a rainforest and that they were a small business, not a hotel. In short, the owner provided excuses, not solutions. I suppose the owner thinks that cleanliness, timely maintenance and good service are luxuries that only a hotel need provide. That is where we differ. He seemed positively aghast that we would complain about the condition of the room, and implied that we were unseasoned travelers who didn't understand the mechansims of a rainforest and could not appreciate the rustic charm of a B&B in this setting. Quite the contrary. Rustic is what we wanted, but as one reviewer put it, rustic does not equal unsanitary. I could write volumes about our poor experience here. Just know that it would do my heart good if I could steer just one newlywed couple or adventurous family away from this place.

We stayed on the upper level in the main house. The mold and mildew smell were unbearable, as was the sight of it everywhere. We requested a different room that might be less moldy. The owner said that the house is in a rainforest and "there's nothing they could do about it." How about an ATTEMPT at cleaning every now and then? Not only are the beds completely covered in stains, we found the sheets obviously dirty from the last guests upon our arrival. The manager came up to inspect, said he "couldn't understand how that could have happened." We requests switching to a room that might be less moldy and cleaner. The room next door was just as moldy, and when I pulled back the covers with the manager standing there, found those too were dirty! Not just stained, obvious crumbs, hairs, etc. At this point we polietly requested a refund. The manager refused. We explained it was for health reasons, our allergies could not handle the mold, but he still refused. We debated which would ruin our trip more: fighting the mold or fighting the credit card company for our money back. We slept in the moldy room on stained sheets, but regret it. Definitely the low point of an otherwise perfect vacation.