Kaliko P.
Yelp
We booked online for a Kama'aina rate for two nights at the Rainbow Falls Cottage and it was a magical experience: no TV, no wi-fi (there is, but you have to be in the main building for it to work), no phones. Instead, you will hear chirping birds, maybe the meow of the resident cat Pumpkin, the purring and cooing from the group of domesticated pheasants that roam the property, and the coqui frogs at night.
Ownership changed from Hale Ohia Cottages to the current Volcano Village Estates after COVID.
RAINBOW FALLS COTTAGE:
Rainbow falls was larger in person than what it looked like on their website to me, at least.
The cottage has small two-person porch, a bedroom, a kitchenette area and bathroom.
The porch was small but just right for 2 persons. The chair cushions were kind of worn down but who cares, you're outside! The table had an uneven surface so we put our wine glasses on the porch rails.
The main room had a queen sized bed which was rather soft and gave us backaches, but some people may prefer a softer bed. I ended up sleeping on the chaise lounge one night, mostly due to husband's snoring, but I did like the firmness of the lounge chair.
Lighting in the room was very well thought-out. You can tell the owners have traveled to hotels and places with poor lighting and made sure this didn't happen on any of their properties (read my review for the Royal Kona Resort); there were many lamps and side-lights which you could use for mood as well as reading/packing.
There's a gas fireplace you turn on with a remote, and it kept the room comfortable at night at the end of April, when temps went down into the upper 50s. There's no air conditioner as the temps up by volcanos are cooler.
KITCHENETTE:
Very well thought out, with small ceramic dishes, bowls, coffee cups, glass drinking glasses and wine glasses and silverware. I packed disposable paper plates because most places I've been to don't supply dishes/utensils, so this was a classy and nice surprise. There's a coffee maker with the inn's signature coffee blend enough for two cups; a mini-fridge with a freezer and a microwave.
Breakfast is placed in the fridge daily for you so you can eat it whenever you want. First day it was 4 banana pancakes and a fruit platter. Second day was my favorite with "Volcano Blossoms"; eggs in a tortilla cup (vegetarian) or ham cup, which was very well thought-out and separated with waxed paper. My husband loved the egg in the ham cup. It was super tasty, wish I had the recipe! It also came with a fresh fruit plate.
BATHROOM:
The shower was a bit dark and small, but it's an old cottage and this was it's charm. There's a flexible shower hose that sometimes started making dripping noises at night, so I'd put the shower hose head down toward the floor and that took care of the problem. Shampoo/conditioner in dispensers on the wall. Mini bar soaps and fluffy, clean, amazing towels provided daily. Very comfy bathrobes also provided and we used those for the hot tub. Hot water plentiful.
Toilet has dual-flush system. Seats are cold in the morning, but hey, you're in a rainforest!
OTHER:
Parking, free, no ridiculous "parking fees" like at other resorts. There is a carport with 3 covered spots but we just parked outdoors on the property.
Hot tub near the cottage for use, large towels in a bin. Very relaxing in the early evening hours with a glass of wine, listening to the coqui frogs. The cottages provides you with a flash light so you can walk a few feet back to your cottage without a problem. Most of the cottage lights are already on at night on the porches, so it's not a big problem.
We didn't get to see any stars in the night sky when we went as it was overcast, as a treat for us is to see the sky without city light pollution, but if you're able, go out into the evening and see the bright stars and maybe some shooting stars as well. A full moon night would be an extra bonus for ambience.
We had a housekeeper named Valerie who kept our cottage spanking-clean. I actually had never seen a cottage or inn-type place that clean before. SPOTLESS. Even the mirrors, every corner, clean. Of course the carpet was a bit worn, but that's due to time, and you're supposed to take your shoes off, Hawaii-style, but I am sure some guest trudge in with shoes, a big no no in Hawaii. Valerie was super friendly and answered all of our questions regarding places to eat, things to see, etc. The lady that checked us in and who was there daily was also very nice. We got texts daily asking us if everything was OK, now that is FIVE STAR!!
Although there were other guests, we didn't hear any noise. It was very quiet, serene and calm. At times we found ourselves whispering for no reason at all to preserve the quiet of the place.
No mosquitos that we encountered here, as we were prepared with repellant but didn't need to use it.
RETURN FACTOR - 100% YES, next time in the Pineapple Ohana Cottage as it has it's own private hot tub.