17Dec 2023 by Doug Arnott

Christmas 2023

affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, Hawaii, Hilo, Ocean, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling, Volcano
Here we are at Christmas time 2023. Today we had our staff Christmas party, which was marked by two things. Our fantastic staff and lodge friends: Mahana, Makana, Siobhan, Andras, Nanae, Lauren, Mike, Jenny, Donna, Mark, and Sarah One was the amazing cake and chocolate strawberries provided by Mauna Kea Guide Andras and his wife. The other was a very clever game facilitated by Lauren involving a tightly wound ball of Saran Wrap that was hundreds of layers deep and shed all kinds of goodies as it was unwound on the roll of a dice. As we approach the winter season for Mauna Kea we have yet to have a full sub-zero night, as the same conditions that have provided drought for much of the Island are keeping the Summit warm.…
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21Nov 2023 by Doug Arnott

Happy Thanksgiving from Arnott’s Lodge

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Ocean, Travel, Traveling, Volcano, Wifi
Aloha to all prospective and past guests. As we approach Thanksgiving 2023 we are truly blessed to be here in Hilo Hawaii in such a beautiful area and having had enough recent rain to keep all the vegetation green while most of the State is experiencing drought. This past year has seen ongoing changes and evolution in furnishings in our open areas as well as major changes in Landscaping and beautification of neighboring areas under our care. New guests will experience the beauty of our area and proximity of nearby Beach Parks while our many repeat guests and Educational Groups will still experience the Home away from Home that brings them back year after year. The County has steadily improved the Hele On Bus system and we now have nearby reliable…
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06Oct 2023 by Sarah Garcia
Throwback to ’95

Throwback to ’95

Adventure, affordable, Camping, Conservation, Environment, Hawaii, Hilo, History, Nature, Travel, Traveling, Volcanology
This past week we were given a gift in the form of several photos of Arnott's Lodge and our Mauna Kea tour all the way back from 1995! We want to say a special thank you to Geerten Kalter of Delft, Holland, for sending us his pictures. We have been in operation since 1990 and are so grateful to all the people we've met along the way. Things sure have changed! One of our original tour vehicles. You have to love the old suburban. Traveling to the summit of Mauna Kea. A view of the shadow cast by Mauna Kea The front of Arnott's Lodge. A lot has changed!
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03Feb 2023 by Doug Arnott

Blog on Late Check-ins

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, Hawaii, Hilo, safety, Travel, Traveling
You have probably found Arnott's as you are looking for a good price, and we are often the lowest of the well-rated Hotels in Hilo. There is a reason for this, as we are a small operation two miles from the nearest "Big Hotel" in an uncrowded coastal area and residential neighborhood, away from the center of town, and we do not charge "Resort Fees" nor do we charge for parking, so right there you are saving money. Another important saving that we pass on to you is that, like the rest of America, it is hard to find staff, especially for late hours. As security is more important after 9pm than check-ins, we focus on a Security Person rather than a Front Desk clerk with computer skills, so you can…
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15Jan 2023 by Doug Arnott

2023 starts with a new Kilauea eruption

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Camping, Environment, Environmental, Geology, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Volcano, Volcanoes, Volcanology
Aloha to Arnott's Guests and future guests!This is an update to the current status of the Kilauea volcano and its eruption. As of January 10th, 2023, there is a spectacular lake of molten lava with one fountain that varies from a few to 30 feet or more in height (10m +.)The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park staff have have prepared great viewing areas that are very close to the crater and allow spectacular photography. Be aware, however, that the full show does not begin until the sun sets (currently around 6:00 p.m.) and that large crowds and long waits for parking can be expected until about 9:00 p.m. After 9:00 p.m. and until around 4:00 a.m. there are very few people in the park. It can be very cold at that…
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21Mar 2021 by Doug Arnott

Doug’s Blog on Visiting the Big Island during COVID

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, Conservation, COVID, distance work, Environment, Environmental, Geology, Hawaii, Hilo, History, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Volcano, Volcanoes, Volcanology, Wifi
Aloha All Visitors reading my Blog.The problem for any destination that has a Main Feature is how to draw visitors to come when that feature is not doing its thing.The burning question is whether the destination has other charms for Visitors besides its main feature.Paris without the Eiffel Tower is still amazing Paris, Japan without Mt Fuji is still rich in culture and scenery.Many have visited Italy many times without seeing Rome or the Volcanoes.And so it is with the Big Island, or as our Visitor Bureau likes to call it, "Island of Hawaii".For a start this is a BIG Island with three Huge Mountains: two over 13,000ft above sea level. One is Mauna Kea, which you can drive (4x4) or take a tourto the top, the other is Mauna Loa,…
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24Jan 2021 by Doug Arnott

Mr. Arnott’s January Blog

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Business, Camping, COVID, distance work, Environment, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Wifi
Aloha to those joining my blog..... There is a move afoot on Oahu to encourage mainlanders who want to (individually or with family) come to Hawaii for remote work, to fulfill their dream by offering good rates for longer stays into months for qualified applicants.We recently had an experience with 30 college-age students who would have gone on overseas trips but, because of Covid, had to stay in the US. This group stayed with us for 3 months, from Sept. through Nov. last year and taught us a great deal about longer-term stays, which we have never entertained before. One of the things we had to provide was really fast Internet for them, and after a new contract with Spectrum and about $4000 to a local Tech company, we had…
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20Dec 2020 by Doug Arnott
A Blog by Doug Arnott, founder and owner of Arnotts

A Blog by Doug Arnott, founder and owner of Arnotts

Adventure, affordable, Budget, Camping, COVID, distance work, Environmental, Hawaii, Hilo, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, safety, Travel, Traveling, Wifi
Douglass Arnott standing in one of Arnotts guest areas. While 2020 with Covid raging around the world has presented its challenges, we find ourselves approaching Christmas with a deep appreciation for Hilo and the Big Island of Hawaii where we are based.Our small population...only 200,000 on a large island and our sense of Ohana (family) and of Kuleana (ones obligation to others) has seen us through; far better than many other places. Going into 2021 we will probably see hesitancy by our usual clients of Paddling, Hula, Soccer, Rugby, Biking, Adventure Hiking and of course our Au Pair camper groups to travel in numbers, and so we find ourselves pondering who might we reach out to who could utilize our unique Hotel and the vans and buses which used to serve…
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25Sep 2020 by Sarah Garcia
Updates Around Arnott’s Lodge

Updates Around Arnott’s Lodge

Adventure, Camping, Hawaii, Hilo, Outdoors, Travel, Traveling, Uncategorized
Aloha friends! We hope all of you are staying safe and healthy. These are challenging times for everyone. I think we all have our sights set on that future when things will begin to feel safe and secure again. In preparation for that time, we here at Arnott’s Lodge have been busily beautifying, renovating, and repairing our home. We hope that when the time comes that guests can begin to move about freely again we can provide the safe, clean, secure place that we’ve always provided, but as bright and beautiful as we can make it. Douglass Arnott, owner of Arnott's Lodge, showing our new upgraded WIFI Our staff have worked hard to improve and perfect our surroundings in the recent months. We’ve renovated our outside stairwell, replaced carpeting in…
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29May 2018 by Sarah Garcia

Camping in Hawaii

Camping, Nature, Ocean, Outdoors, Travel, Uncategorized, Volcano
Who wants to go on a camping trip to Hawaii?  Are you interested in camping in paradise? It seems like a beautiful existence, doesn't it...pitching a tent on the beach, waking up in the morning to the sun shining and birds chirping? Well....it definitely can be! The key to having a good time camping in Hawaii is to come prepared. Do your research before you even leave your home. Which campgrounds are you going to stay at? What amenities, if any, do they offer? Do they require permits? What kind of gear do you need? It's one thing to show up at a hotel with nothing but the clothes on your back, but that's not really a fun time when you're roughing it! The island of Hawaii has a number…
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