This place was great. The moment we arrived, we knew we were in for a special time; for someone who grew up in the Midwest, and has lived on Oahu for a couple years now, the lava field that Lava Lookout sits on looks like an alien environment. There was deafening, beautiful silence as we stood on the back lanai and looked over the wasteland.
We only stayed for one night, but we were comfortable in our room and got a great night of sleep. When we woke up in the morning, we got out to hike across the lava field to the south-southeastern treeline, "oo-ing" and "ah-ing" at the unique hardened magma all the way. Getting to enjoy this lava field without guardrails or hoards of fellow tourists was really special. We got to follow the lava flows all the way to the cliffs where they met the ocean: a stunning an beautiful spectacle.
We only met Matthew once, just as we were arriving, but you could feel that this place was welcoming and laid-back. A great, off the grid retreat from an urban environment like Honolulu.
It was special to get to experience the Island of Hawaii staying in a place like this, and if we ever get to come back to this island, we will definitely prioritize staying at least a night at Lava Lookout because of the comfort, uniqueness, beauty, and value of this stay.