This residence is surreal and immaculate.
True to the description, the Phoenix House is literally planted in the middle of a lava field, the remnants of Kilauea volcano's 1990 eruption that leveled the nearby city of Kalapana. From inside the residence (or along the front porch), you'll be able to see cooled lava for as far as the eye can see with houses sprinkled every 500 yards or so. In addition, you have a shield volcano looming to your right with smoke emitting from a still-active flow along the hillside (as of June, 2017). Moreover, you're within sight distance of the active ocean lava entry nearly four miles downward. These characteristics alone make the Phoenix House one of the greatest rental decisions you'll ever make.
Beyond location, the house itself is virtually flawless. From what we understood, construction on the Phoenix House was completed just this year (April 2017-ish) and subsequently, everything is in excellent condition and tip-top shape. I'm not a carpenter but I feel comfortable in concluding that whoever built this house is a master of his craft. Everything inside made sense. The ladder-stairs to the loft have strong and stable handles exactly where needed, the wood-propped windows are easy to open and offer a perfect level of relief, and the cozy front porch naturally leads to a view only dreams are typically made of.
In terms of amenities, Phoenix House has a full shower and bathroom (impeccably crafted), refrigerator, bed large enough for two (or three if you squeeze), desk, couch, two-person kitchen table, sink, Berkey water filter, dishes, and a mobile propane stove (possibly single burner - we didn't use it).
One thing to keep in mind: if you're planning on renting a car, it wouldn't hurt to upgrade to an SUV. The last half-mile of road leading to Phoenix House can get just a little bit rough in a few select areas (namely, the driveway entry and a dip right before the house itself). That said, we were in a Nissan Sentra during our stay (mid-size sedan) and everything was completely accessible, just a little bit bumpy in rare moments.
Jade & Dani were outstanding and caring hosts. Their residence is just up the driveway and they're willing to do whatever they can to ensure you have a wonderful visit.
In all honesty, we foresee Phoenix House becoming a prominent can't-miss residence in the near future so reserve this place pronto while dates are still open. 10/10 would recommend.