Lan T.'s comprehensive review really said a lot more than I ever could. I have come to this place for decades and not a lot has been updated. They added a new scalding swimming pool off the entrance which was definitely appreciated. The rooms at this inn are more basic than the pack of Delta Omegas at Coachella during Skrillex's performance last year. Just a bed. And a few towels. Bathrooms are of similar quality. To me, it's an aura of charm. I personally don't mind the nigh-decrepit state of the hotel as the real attraction are the pools. Did I mention the pools? They are pure bliss. It is impossible not to feel relaxed in these things. My advice? Come in the middle of the week to avoid the masses of screaming infants, bro-ey financiers, and lecherous teenagers. Hotel staff are kind and generally responsive to customer demands. Oh, you should definitely bring ear plugs. The walls are wafer thin. I haven't had breakfast here in some time, but it's nothing special one way or the other. Definitely one of Idaho's best kept secrets!
(4)
L M.
We were tired and on our way to Nevada - needing a "fun" and "new" type of overnight break from driving, so I found this place. I was nervous to stay in the Inn based on some not so great reviews. Ultimately, it was clean and felt like you were staying in your weird great-aunt's guest room. Nothing super fancy. The bed was....ok....not extremely comfortable. The bathroom is across the hall, which, was a new one for me, but I went with it. For the price of the room, you get unlimited hot springs access and breakfast the next morning. I found these to be necessary in what seems to be an expensive night's rest at an "OK" sleeping establishment. The hot springs are great! So cute. And drained regularly. The staff was so sweet - filled with only the sweetest old ladies. The breakfast the next morning was surprisingly DELICIOUS. I felt like I was at a family home, waking up on Christmas morning to a smorgasbord of breakfast delights. IT IS ALL HOMECOOKED. THE COFFEE MUGS ARE ON A WARMING PLATE! I would do this strange adventure again...
(3)
Whitney E.
Checked out at 9pm and drove 2 hours home. The very loud hotel has paper-thin walls, unadvertised shared bathrooms, horribly uncomfortable beds and they charged my card for 2 nights instead of the reserved 1.
(1)
Lan T.
I travel a lot, if you want to know what it's like to stay in the Trump Towers, I can tell you, a boutique hotel on Miami Beach I'm your man, Las Vegas...almost every single hotel casino in town, how about LA...been there, done that, New York's 30 Rock, downtown Chicago, sure enough, I'm no stranger to world class comforts when traveling. Is Lava Hot Springs Inn the Trump Towers? Obviously not, if that's what you're looking for, then move along, these are not the droids you're looking for, but in its early days it absolutely was, and today, its got something found in few modern hotels anywhere, history, and circa 1950's aristocratic charm. When I walk onto the grounds of the Lava Hot Springs Inn, I feel like I'm walking back in time, like I'm walking onto an old Cary Grant movie set, or maybe even into an old haunted mansion. I love to pretend, and to imagine myself back in time, roll playing the rich and famous of the roaring 50's. The wide hallways, the quaint sitting rooms, the library nook, with desk and chair, even the room decor has obviously been hand picked to match the time period. If you love roll play, if you love history, if you love to see how the rich and famous lived their lives some 50 to 60 years ago, and want to experience a truly fun and relaxing moment, where time stands still, then meet me at Lava Hot Springs Inn, one of my personal favorite getaways in the entire country. Sometimes when I visit the Inn, we purposely ask for an upper room, where the old style shared bath is across, and down the hall, true enough, more than once, admittedly so, I, as well as my secret love, have streaked down the hallways to take a quick shower after soaking in those amazing mineral hot springs. Although the pools close at 11:00pm, if you're careful, and very, very quite, you can sneak down the back black iron rod access stairs from the upper level, and take a midnight skinny dip in the back pools, you'll need to employ your very best sneaking skills though, to hide from and avoid the grounds night watchman, but it can be done, oh yes, it can be done! :) If you're a grumpy old red neck, looking for "the best deal in town," you'll find THAT hotel right downtown, don't come here, and spoil my chi, because this is definitely a five star resort to me!
(5)
Scott A.
Having been the producer of a cable TV travel program, I have stayed at many hotels big and small, old and new, in too many places to count. With that, let me say this was my worst experience at a hotel, ever. The story is too long to put in a review, but in brief, I believe the owner was rude to guests and staff alike. He came across as an angry man with no communication skills. I have stayed at two other properties in Lava Hot Springs which were both fantastic. I have nothing against small towns and I have a penchant for old hotels, but this one is just a deteriorating dive run by a man who is out of his element. Sad, because it could be the gem of the town. If you are still considering a visit, please note that reviews from guests who visit for the express purpose of using the hot pools by way of a day pass tend to have much more favorable reviews of the property than those who stay overnight. You have been warned.
(1)
Brian H.
While some have called this hotel "quaint," my impression was that it is simply run-down and out-dated. It's just not up to modern inn standards and I wouldn't consider staying here again, especially not in the summer. First, the pros. The staff were friendly and the hot springs pools were enjoyable. Now, the cons. We stayed in a basic room which was barely a room at all. For starters it offers no air conditioner. The ceiling fan might have helped during a muggy summer night but it was so loud we couldn't sleep with it running so we just had to lay on top of our covers and sweat. Also, there are no private bathrooms for the basic rooms. Instead we had to walk across the hall and use a shared bathroom that included an old bathtub that had been poorly converted into a cramped shower. Seriously. Breakfast was passable so long as you stick with the store bought items (yogurt, raisin bread, juice, etc). The breakfast casserole, rock hard waffles, and hash browns prepared by the staff were just gross. Other members of our group stayed in the upgraded room so I will include a couple of brief comments on those rooms as well. Their room did have a small window air conditioner unit. It also had a private bathroom ... sort of. It's just a bathtub and sink literally sitting at one end of the bedroom and then a toilet behind a curtain. Yup, a curtain. Have fun with that. Oh, and they did have a TV, which the basic rooms didn't. There are limited options in Lava Hot Springs, but I would make every effort to find a better option than this inn. Unless all you care about is a bed and a door, because that's pretty much all you get.
(2)
Lucas J.
Bedbugs!!! There's nothing quite like waking up to the feeling of parasites crawling over your skin, drinking your blood and leaving you with dozens of furiously itchy bites. Sadly, this was our experience the first night we stayed at the Lava Hot Springs Inn on 11/15/14. I captured one of the bedbugs and showed it to the after-hours clerk at the front desk. We were moved to a different room in a different building, which we promptly inspected for bedbugs and, finding none, managed to get a couple hours of uneasy sleep before breakfast the next day. My girlfriend and I are not the squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease type of people. We made the best of a bad situation and tried to enjoy our second night in town despite the horrifying experience we had the night before. I was surprised, however, that we were not even offered an apology from the staff for the experience we endured. Indeed, when I told the hotel manager about our experience, she seemed entirely unsympathetic. Though she assured me that the room was to be fumigated before anyone else would stay there, she didn't offer us any consolation or compensation for having spent a night being eaten by parasites. I wish I had read the negative reviews on Tripadvisor before we booked. As far as I can tell, LHSI is notorious for ignoring and/or fighting customers who complain about their accommodations. Rather than trying to resolve disputes with customers and engaging in what the rest of the world calls "customer service", they try to get negative reviews removed, write negative comments about the customers who give them negative reviews, and deny any culpability for failing to satisfy those customers. My girlfriend and I are pretty tolerant travelers. We have often overpaid for sub-par accommodations, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception when it comes to small-town inns. We don't mind slumming it a little, and don't expect every place we stay to be the Four Seasons. We do expect, however naively, that the people we deal with will act like compassionate human beings and treat us as they would like to be treated. When a guest complains that they were awoken by parasites and had to move their luggage to a building a block away in the middle of the night when the temperature was below freezing, it seems like you should offer them something more than nothing. My advice to fellow travelers is to avoid this place, not just because the accommodations are run-down, the breakfast is unimpressive, the area around the pools is dangerously slick with ice when it is cold, and the buildings are potentially infested with parasites, but because the people who run it seem totally unconcerned with any of this. Rather than address these problems and try to make amends, they try to silence and discredit their critics. Renovating the buildings would cost a lot of money, but being compassionate to your guests costs nothing. I understand if they can't afford to fix all of the little problems that other reviewers complain of, but they could definitely afford to act like decent human beings who care whether or not their guests are happy.
(1)
Thomas M.
Hot pools are plenty and definitely the highlight of the property. We very much enjoyed them. Our room was a bit outdated and we encountered several bugs and spiders. The bathroom rugs were dirty. The bed was unsupportive and concave. At the end of our stay I provided feedback to the owner but to my dismay he took no action to rectify the situation. Next time I would purchase a soaking pass for their pools and stay elsewhere.
(2)
Manda B.
We stayed here recently and had a pretty good time. I think it would be best to point out some pros and cons: PROS * We definitely preferred the Inn's pools to the official pools up the street. We counted seven of them on the property, all different temperatures, and one was even long enough to swim laps in. *If you are just visiting Lava for the day, you can buy a soaking pass at the desk. They are pretty strict about smoking on the premises, but it seemed like they wouldn't have a problem with drinking an adult beverage out by the pools, as long as it wasn't breakable, and it went into the right recycling bin. Pools were open until 11pm for guests, 10pm for soaking guests. * Comfortable bed with TV in our room. * Cool old building - used to be a sanitarium. * Literally every thing in town is within walking distance from the Inn. CONS * In room bathroom has absolutely no privacy. This is just a weird thing. There are bathrooms available for the basic rooms, which I bet you could sneak over and use. * Complimentary breakfast wasn't the best. This may be because we came at the tail end of service (8-10am). * Smells... funny? * Strict on smoking and VERY serious about noise. They will charge you extra if they receive any complaints. (more of an FYI) * The place is very quaint and homey. It is decorated with a modge-podge of items from the DI. A makeover would be awesome. We would probably stay here again, or at least, get a soaking pass for the day. Discounted rooms are available through City Weekly here: cwstore.cityweekly.net/M… Certificate is good for a basic room (Sunday-Thursday only) and does not include a "private" bathroom. We were able to use this certificate and upgrade our room without a problem.
(4)
Kris G.
Wow, what a gem of a town. Didn't stay the night as we were wanting to get closer to airport. Would definitely go back if the opportunity arises. The pools were absolutely wonderful. The hotel is historic so accommodations were minimal, but that adds to the charm. Staff was very accommodating and informative, wish we had more time. Thank you thank you. Left feeling great. Would love to do the hot spring massage.
(5)
Chalk F.
Can't speak to the rooms. But I can tell you that the hot pools are assume. I find myself in Lava regularly and this is my go to spot.
(4)
Jim B.
Rolled in to town on a Saturday afternoon, and unfortunately they were the only place where we could find a room. Now I see why. The room was tiny, and it smelled very musty and old, and the window had no screen so we could air it out. The bed was HORRIBLE, and it felt like it was at least twenty years old. Very uncomfortable, and if your spouse/partner even had a thought of rolling over, the bed would move terribly, thus waking you up. No clock in the room, and you tripped over your bags because the only place to put them was on the floor. No heat/cool control in the room (except for a noisy fan), so that's a big fail in my book. I didn't have much of an issue with the shared bathrooms, so no big complaint with that. The place was pretty noisy, too (thanks really loud family at midnight that the staff did nothing about). Breakfast just gets a 'meh'. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. When I could sleep, I was quickly woken up by the many trains that came through town (just on the edge). Would never stay again, and that's too bad because the place has a ton of potential. I'm only giving it two stars because the pools and surrounding were pretty cool.
(2)
Brenna D.
My husbands extended family goes to Lava every year. We always stay in the condos but this year we decided to a few days early with our immediate family. Hubby's parents got us rooms at the Inn and we fell in love with this charming little hotel. The rooms are tiny but romantic. The bathrooms are across the hall and are shared, but since we were sharing with family, it wasn't a big deal. There is a sitting room with a little TV and couches so that's where we gathered to chat and play board games. We have a toddler and the hotel let us keep a gallon of milk in their refrigerator. The breakfast was pretty good. French toast, waffles, egg casseroles, plenty of fresh fruit, toast, juice and milk. It was nice to have breakfast provided rather than going out in the morning. Best of all, they have their own mineral pools that are free for guests. I was pleasantly surprised to look out my window one night and find someone cleaning the mineral pools. They had been drained and he was scrubbing the inside. This is a quaint little hotel that's fun to stay in but don't expect them to cater to your every whim.
(4)
Brendan S.
The onsite pools are a very nice benefit but the hotel is not up to modern standards. The room we stayed in was small and seemed to have a water leaking problem that the staff was only passingly interested in. Most if not all of the rooms do not have private bathrooms. Staff was generally helpful but the hotel couldn't provide an extra blanket because they didn't have any. I didn't eat the included breakfast but others said it was OK. The one nice item was that there are pools onsite and if you are primarily interested about soaking in the pools all day, it was a good for them. The pools were clean and big enough.
(2)
marcia m.
This is a great old school hotel with wonderful hot springs to enjoy as a part of your stay. We had a City Weekly coupon that brought the cost down considrably. The hot springs were hot, soothing and wonderful. The rooms are small but the beds are fine. Bathrooms were across the hall...a bit inconvienient but fine. If you want a king room with bath it is available. The breakfast was eclectic and wonderful...I loved the choices expecially the egg cassoulet. The people running the inn were so so friendly and helpful. We definitely had a great experience and would return again and again.
(4)
Albert B.
No ice maker;-( . Blue house is OLD. Could use a face lift Nice pools
(4)
Emily D.
I stayed at the Inn for the third time this past weekend, and had a great time! Lava is a great weekend escape with friends or an SO, and is so relaxing. I come from a small town, so it's nice to escape SLC and pretend that I live in a town of less than 500 people again. The Thai place in town has great food, and the town museum is interesting and cute. The curator let my friend play the old pump organ, and we sang some songs for the other visitors. This Inn is great because of the hot pools they have on the property, and their proximity to your room. "Simple" describes everything bout this place, from the guest rooms and shared bathrooms, to the breakfast served daily. Don't expect a staff that will cater to your every need though... All in all, I love this place and am already planning my next trip!!
(4)
Apryl G.
Lava is a ghost town during the off season, as my friends and I found when we visited in October. Pity that because the colder months are a perfect time to soak in the hot springs. This inn and spa has 3 large pools, 2 (Aztec and Therapy) of which the locals regularly enjoy and 1 (The River Pool) that is accessed primarily by guests. The River Pool is the smallest but the most intimate-and it was just gorgeous at night with the leaves of a large tree spilling into the water and the river murmuring alongside the grounds. Our accommodations were large and adequate in this former hospital, but a tad...creepy. Supposedly there is a ghost but other than the weird and slightly smelly vibe I got there was no sign. Our room included a toilet and a large bath...but they were not partitioned off for privacy. And well...a girl like me likes to shut a door and powder her nose privately. That wasn't too much of a problem as their were restrooms just down the hall. The proprietor was very cool and chatted with us about the history and the goings on of the town. Slinking about the place were a couple of ultra furry and friendly cats that were probably the real "owners" of the establishment. Great place. Would stay there again and possibly hunt ghosts.
(4)
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Address :94 E Portneuf
Lava Hot Springs, ID, 83246
Nigel L.
Lan T.'s comprehensive review really said a lot more than I ever could. I have come to this place for decades and not a lot has been updated. They added a new scalding swimming pool off the entrance which was definitely appreciated. The rooms at this inn are more basic than the pack of Delta Omegas at Coachella during Skrillex's performance last year. Just a bed. And a few towels. Bathrooms are of similar quality. To me, it's an aura of charm. I personally don't mind the nigh-decrepit state of the hotel as the real attraction are the pools. Did I mention the pools? They are pure bliss. It is impossible not to feel relaxed in these things. My advice? Come in the middle of the week to avoid the masses of screaming infants, bro-ey financiers, and lecherous teenagers. Hotel staff are kind and generally responsive to customer demands. Oh, you should definitely bring ear plugs. The walls are wafer thin. I haven't had breakfast here in some time, but it's nothing special one way or the other. Definitely one of Idaho's best kept secrets!
(4)L M.
We were tired and on our way to Nevada - needing a "fun" and "new" type of overnight break from driving, so I found this place. I was nervous to stay in the Inn based on some not so great reviews. Ultimately, it was clean and felt like you were staying in your weird great-aunt's guest room. Nothing super fancy. The bed was....ok....not extremely comfortable. The bathroom is across the hall, which, was a new one for me, but I went with it. For the price of the room, you get unlimited hot springs access and breakfast the next morning. I found these to be necessary in what seems to be an expensive night's rest at an "OK" sleeping establishment. The hot springs are great! So cute. And drained regularly. The staff was so sweet - filled with only the sweetest old ladies. The breakfast the next morning was surprisingly DELICIOUS. I felt like I was at a family home, waking up on Christmas morning to a smorgasbord of breakfast delights. IT IS ALL HOMECOOKED. THE COFFEE MUGS ARE ON A WARMING PLATE! I would do this strange adventure again...
(3)Whitney E.
Checked out at 9pm and drove 2 hours home. The very loud hotel has paper-thin walls, unadvertised shared bathrooms, horribly uncomfortable beds and they charged my card for 2 nights instead of the reserved 1.
(1)Lan T.
I travel a lot, if you want to know what it's like to stay in the Trump Towers, I can tell you, a boutique hotel on Miami Beach I'm your man, Las Vegas...almost every single hotel casino in town, how about LA...been there, done that, New York's 30 Rock, downtown Chicago, sure enough, I'm no stranger to world class comforts when traveling. Is Lava Hot Springs Inn the Trump Towers? Obviously not, if that's what you're looking for, then move along, these are not the droids you're looking for, but in its early days it absolutely was, and today, its got something found in few modern hotels anywhere, history, and circa 1950's aristocratic charm. When I walk onto the grounds of the Lava Hot Springs Inn, I feel like I'm walking back in time, like I'm walking onto an old Cary Grant movie set, or maybe even into an old haunted mansion. I love to pretend, and to imagine myself back in time, roll playing the rich and famous of the roaring 50's. The wide hallways, the quaint sitting rooms, the library nook, with desk and chair, even the room decor has obviously been hand picked to match the time period. If you love roll play, if you love history, if you love to see how the rich and famous lived their lives some 50 to 60 years ago, and want to experience a truly fun and relaxing moment, where time stands still, then meet me at Lava Hot Springs Inn, one of my personal favorite getaways in the entire country. Sometimes when I visit the Inn, we purposely ask for an upper room, where the old style shared bath is across, and down the hall, true enough, more than once, admittedly so, I, as well as my secret love, have streaked down the hallways to take a quick shower after soaking in those amazing mineral hot springs. Although the pools close at 11:00pm, if you're careful, and very, very quite, you can sneak down the back black iron rod access stairs from the upper level, and take a midnight skinny dip in the back pools, you'll need to employ your very best sneaking skills though, to hide from and avoid the grounds night watchman, but it can be done, oh yes, it can be done! :) If you're a grumpy old red neck, looking for "the best deal in town," you'll find THAT hotel right downtown, don't come here, and spoil my chi, because this is definitely a five star resort to me!
(5)Scott A.
Having been the producer of a cable TV travel program, I have stayed at many hotels big and small, old and new, in too many places to count. With that, let me say this was my worst experience at a hotel, ever. The story is too long to put in a review, but in brief, I believe the owner was rude to guests and staff alike. He came across as an angry man with no communication skills. I have stayed at two other properties in Lava Hot Springs which were both fantastic. I have nothing against small towns and I have a penchant for old hotels, but this one is just a deteriorating dive run by a man who is out of his element. Sad, because it could be the gem of the town. If you are still considering a visit, please note that reviews from guests who visit for the express purpose of using the hot pools by way of a day pass tend to have much more favorable reviews of the property than those who stay overnight. You have been warned.
(1)Brian H.
While some have called this hotel "quaint," my impression was that it is simply run-down and out-dated. It's just not up to modern inn standards and I wouldn't consider staying here again, especially not in the summer. First, the pros. The staff were friendly and the hot springs pools were enjoyable. Now, the cons. We stayed in a basic room which was barely a room at all. For starters it offers no air conditioner. The ceiling fan might have helped during a muggy summer night but it was so loud we couldn't sleep with it running so we just had to lay on top of our covers and sweat. Also, there are no private bathrooms for the basic rooms. Instead we had to walk across the hall and use a shared bathroom that included an old bathtub that had been poorly converted into a cramped shower. Seriously. Breakfast was passable so long as you stick with the store bought items (yogurt, raisin bread, juice, etc). The breakfast casserole, rock hard waffles, and hash browns prepared by the staff were just gross. Other members of our group stayed in the upgraded room so I will include a couple of brief comments on those rooms as well. Their room did have a small window air conditioner unit. It also had a private bathroom ... sort of. It's just a bathtub and sink literally sitting at one end of the bedroom and then a toilet behind a curtain. Yup, a curtain. Have fun with that. Oh, and they did have a TV, which the basic rooms didn't. There are limited options in Lava Hot Springs, but I would make every effort to find a better option than this inn. Unless all you care about is a bed and a door, because that's pretty much all you get.
(2)Lucas J.
Bedbugs!!! There's nothing quite like waking up to the feeling of parasites crawling over your skin, drinking your blood and leaving you with dozens of furiously itchy bites. Sadly, this was our experience the first night we stayed at the Lava Hot Springs Inn on 11/15/14. I captured one of the bedbugs and showed it to the after-hours clerk at the front desk. We were moved to a different room in a different building, which we promptly inspected for bedbugs and, finding none, managed to get a couple hours of uneasy sleep before breakfast the next day. My girlfriend and I are not the squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease type of people. We made the best of a bad situation and tried to enjoy our second night in town despite the horrifying experience we had the night before. I was surprised, however, that we were not even offered an apology from the staff for the experience we endured. Indeed, when I told the hotel manager about our experience, she seemed entirely unsympathetic. Though she assured me that the room was to be fumigated before anyone else would stay there, she didn't offer us any consolation or compensation for having spent a night being eaten by parasites. I wish I had read the negative reviews on Tripadvisor before we booked. As far as I can tell, LHSI is notorious for ignoring and/or fighting customers who complain about their accommodations. Rather than trying to resolve disputes with customers and engaging in what the rest of the world calls "customer service", they try to get negative reviews removed, write negative comments about the customers who give them negative reviews, and deny any culpability for failing to satisfy those customers. My girlfriend and I are pretty tolerant travelers. We have often overpaid for sub-par accommodations, which seems to be the norm rather than the exception when it comes to small-town inns. We don't mind slumming it a little, and don't expect every place we stay to be the Four Seasons. We do expect, however naively, that the people we deal with will act like compassionate human beings and treat us as they would like to be treated. When a guest complains that they were awoken by parasites and had to move their luggage to a building a block away in the middle of the night when the temperature was below freezing, it seems like you should offer them something more than nothing. My advice to fellow travelers is to avoid this place, not just because the accommodations are run-down, the breakfast is unimpressive, the area around the pools is dangerously slick with ice when it is cold, and the buildings are potentially infested with parasites, but because the people who run it seem totally unconcerned with any of this. Rather than address these problems and try to make amends, they try to silence and discredit their critics. Renovating the buildings would cost a lot of money, but being compassionate to your guests costs nothing. I understand if they can't afford to fix all of the little problems that other reviewers complain of, but they could definitely afford to act like decent human beings who care whether or not their guests are happy.
(1)Thomas M.
Hot pools are plenty and definitely the highlight of the property. We very much enjoyed them. Our room was a bit outdated and we encountered several bugs and spiders. The bathroom rugs were dirty. The bed was unsupportive and concave. At the end of our stay I provided feedback to the owner but to my dismay he took no action to rectify the situation. Next time I would purchase a soaking pass for their pools and stay elsewhere.
(2)Manda B.
We stayed here recently and had a pretty good time. I think it would be best to point out some pros and cons: PROS * We definitely preferred the Inn's pools to the official pools up the street. We counted seven of them on the property, all different temperatures, and one was even long enough to swim laps in. *If you are just visiting Lava for the day, you can buy a soaking pass at the desk. They are pretty strict about smoking on the premises, but it seemed like they wouldn't have a problem with drinking an adult beverage out by the pools, as long as it wasn't breakable, and it went into the right recycling bin. Pools were open until 11pm for guests, 10pm for soaking guests. * Comfortable bed with TV in our room. * Cool old building - used to be a sanitarium. * Literally every thing in town is within walking distance from the Inn. CONS * In room bathroom has absolutely no privacy. This is just a weird thing. There are bathrooms available for the basic rooms, which I bet you could sneak over and use. * Complimentary breakfast wasn't the best. This may be because we came at the tail end of service (8-10am). * Smells... funny? * Strict on smoking and VERY serious about noise. They will charge you extra if they receive any complaints. (more of an FYI) * The place is very quaint and homey. It is decorated with a modge-podge of items from the DI. A makeover would be awesome. We would probably stay here again, or at least, get a soaking pass for the day. Discounted rooms are available through City Weekly here: cwstore.cityweekly.net/M… Certificate is good for a basic room (Sunday-Thursday only) and does not include a "private" bathroom. We were able to use this certificate and upgrade our room without a problem.
(4)Kris G.
Wow, what a gem of a town. Didn't stay the night as we were wanting to get closer to airport. Would definitely go back if the opportunity arises. The pools were absolutely wonderful. The hotel is historic so accommodations were minimal, but that adds to the charm. Staff was very accommodating and informative, wish we had more time. Thank you thank you. Left feeling great. Would love to do the hot spring massage.
(5)Chalk F.
Can't speak to the rooms. But I can tell you that the hot pools are assume. I find myself in Lava regularly and this is my go to spot.
(4)Jim B.
Rolled in to town on a Saturday afternoon, and unfortunately they were the only place where we could find a room. Now I see why. The room was tiny, and it smelled very musty and old, and the window had no screen so we could air it out. The bed was HORRIBLE, and it felt like it was at least twenty years old. Very uncomfortable, and if your spouse/partner even had a thought of rolling over, the bed would move terribly, thus waking you up. No clock in the room, and you tripped over your bags because the only place to put them was on the floor. No heat/cool control in the room (except for a noisy fan), so that's a big fail in my book. I didn't have much of an issue with the shared bathrooms, so no big complaint with that. The place was pretty noisy, too (thanks really loud family at midnight that the staff did nothing about). Breakfast just gets a 'meh'. It was okay, but nothing to write home about. When I could sleep, I was quickly woken up by the many trains that came through town (just on the edge). Would never stay again, and that's too bad because the place has a ton of potential. I'm only giving it two stars because the pools and surrounding were pretty cool.
(2)Brenna D.
My husbands extended family goes to Lava every year. We always stay in the condos but this year we decided to a few days early with our immediate family. Hubby's parents got us rooms at the Inn and we fell in love with this charming little hotel. The rooms are tiny but romantic. The bathrooms are across the hall and are shared, but since we were sharing with family, it wasn't a big deal. There is a sitting room with a little TV and couches so that's where we gathered to chat and play board games. We have a toddler and the hotel let us keep a gallon of milk in their refrigerator. The breakfast was pretty good. French toast, waffles, egg casseroles, plenty of fresh fruit, toast, juice and milk. It was nice to have breakfast provided rather than going out in the morning. Best of all, they have their own mineral pools that are free for guests. I was pleasantly surprised to look out my window one night and find someone cleaning the mineral pools. They had been drained and he was scrubbing the inside. This is a quaint little hotel that's fun to stay in but don't expect them to cater to your every whim.
(4)Brendan S.
The onsite pools are a very nice benefit but the hotel is not up to modern standards. The room we stayed in was small and seemed to have a water leaking problem that the staff was only passingly interested in. Most if not all of the rooms do not have private bathrooms. Staff was generally helpful but the hotel couldn't provide an extra blanket because they didn't have any. I didn't eat the included breakfast but others said it was OK. The one nice item was that there are pools onsite and if you are primarily interested about soaking in the pools all day, it was a good for them. The pools were clean and big enough.
(2)marcia m.
This is a great old school hotel with wonderful hot springs to enjoy as a part of your stay. We had a City Weekly coupon that brought the cost down considrably. The hot springs were hot, soothing and wonderful. The rooms are small but the beds are fine. Bathrooms were across the hall...a bit inconvienient but fine. If you want a king room with bath it is available. The breakfast was eclectic and wonderful...I loved the choices expecially the egg cassoulet. The people running the inn were so so friendly and helpful. We definitely had a great experience and would return again and again.
(4)Albert B.
No ice maker;-( . Blue house is OLD. Could use a face lift Nice pools
(4)Emily D.
I stayed at the Inn for the third time this past weekend, and had a great time! Lava is a great weekend escape with friends or an SO, and is so relaxing. I come from a small town, so it's nice to escape SLC and pretend that I live in a town of less than 500 people again. The Thai place in town has great food, and the town museum is interesting and cute. The curator let my friend play the old pump organ, and we sang some songs for the other visitors. This Inn is great because of the hot pools they have on the property, and their proximity to your room. "Simple" describes everything bout this place, from the guest rooms and shared bathrooms, to the breakfast served daily. Don't expect a staff that will cater to your every need though... All in all, I love this place and am already planning my next trip!!
(4)Apryl G.
Lava is a ghost town during the off season, as my friends and I found when we visited in October. Pity that because the colder months are a perfect time to soak in the hot springs. This inn and spa has 3 large pools, 2 (Aztec and Therapy) of which the locals regularly enjoy and 1 (The River Pool) that is accessed primarily by guests. The River Pool is the smallest but the most intimate-and it was just gorgeous at night with the leaves of a large tree spilling into the water and the river murmuring alongside the grounds. Our accommodations were large and adequate in this former hospital, but a tad...creepy. Supposedly there is a ghost but other than the weird and slightly smelly vibe I got there was no sign. Our room included a toilet and a large bath...but they were not partitioned off for privacy. And well...a girl like me likes to shut a door and powder her nose privately. That wasn't too much of a problem as their were restrooms just down the hall. The proprietor was very cool and chatted with us about the history and the goings on of the town. Slinking about the place were a couple of ultra furry and friendly cats that were probably the real "owners" of the establishment. Great place. Would stay there again and possibly hunt ghosts.
(4)