The Lava Hotel (formerly Aura Soma Lava)

What to expect

If you are searching for Aura Soma Lava, this is the place. The lodge at 196 E Main Street in Lava Hot Springs now runs under the name The Lava Hotel. The address and phone number are unchanged, booking sites list it under both names, and the hotel’s own booking link still carries the old Aura Soma Lava name. The old aurasomalava.com domain no longer leads to a hotel site, so use thelavahotel.com instead.

From the street it looks like a brightly repainted roadside motel, with a newer two-story wing and more buildings behind. The part that matters to soakers is out back. A grassy riverfront meadow runs down to the Portneuf River, and that is where you find the hotel’s hot springs pool, a walking labyrinth, two rental homes and a short row of tiny houses. A 2018 visit described the meadow as about 2.5 acres, and you can hear the river from the tiny houses.

The pool uses the same hot mineral water that feeds the rest of town. The hotel’s own site talks about mineral-rich water rising from rocky caverns, but it does not give a temperature. One hot springs directory lists the guest pool at about 102-106°F39-41°C, with slightly acidic water, no sulfur smell and no added chemicals. Towels and seating are provided.

The key point: the pool is for overnight guests only. That keeps it calm, even on summer weekends when the public pools down the street are packed. There is no day pass.

The rooms

The Lava Hotel is small. Sources disagree on the exact room count, which ranges from about 12 to 19 hotel rooms depending on who you ask, plus the separate tiny houses and rental homes. Hotel rooms have private bathrooms, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a microwave and a fridge. Some have deep soaking tubs, either indoors or on a patio.

The rental homes suit families and groups. An Idaho hot springs listing says three of the five rental homes have their own private natural mineral pools. If a private tub is the point of your trip, confirm which unit has one before you pay.

There is also a massage studio with a spa menu and a sauna, a conference space, and a waffle counter in the lobby that delivers to rooms.

Getting there

Lava Hot Springs is a small resort town on US Highway 30 in southeast Idaho, in the Portneuf River valley.

• From Pocatello: Drive south on I-15 to McCammon, then east on US-30 to Lava Hot Springs. Allow about 40 minutes.
• From Salt Lake City: Drive north on I-15 to McCammon, then east on US-30. Allow a little over two hours.
• From the east (Soda Springs or Montpelier): Come west on US-30.

The hotel is on Main Street in the middle of town, between the public Hot Pools at the east end and the Olympic Swimming Complex to the west. Parking is free and on site. Every road in is paved.

When to go

The hotel is open year-round. Lava Hot Springs is busiest in summer, when people come to float the Portneuf on inner tubes and fill the water park. Summer weekends sell out early, and the town gets loud.

Fall and winter are better for soaking. Cold evenings make a hot pool feel worth the drive, and room rates are usually lower. Booking sites showed rooms from about $88 a night for late October 2026 dates, but prices move with the season and the room type.

Prices and booking

• Rates: Not published on the hotel site. Check availability through the booking link on thelavahotel.com, or call 208-776-5800.
• Pool: Included with your stay. No outside guests.
• Spa: Massages and treatments are booked separately through the hotel’s spa menu.
• Check-in and check-out: Booking sites list check-in after 3pm and check-out before 11am.

Booking sites show the same property under “Aura Soma Lava,” “The Lava Hotel” and “Lava Hot Springs/The Lava Hotel.” They are all the same place.

Rules and etiquette

The hotel does not post a long rule list online, so ask at check-in about pool hours, glass and alcohol, and whether children need an adult in the pool. Standard hot spring manners apply. Rinse off first, keep voices down at night because the tiny houses and rooms are close by, and do not use soap in the pool.

Where to stay nearby

You are staying here, but if the hotel is full, Lava Hot Springs has plenty of other lodging within walking distance. Riverside Inn and Hot Springs is a short walk east on the river and also has guest soaking. The Home Hotel on Main Street has in-room hot tubs, and there is a KOA campground and lodges at the east edge of town. Pocatello, about 40 minutes away, has chain hotels and full services.

Safety notes

• Heat: Pools around 102-106°F39-41°C are hot enough to make you lightheaded if you stay in too long. Take breaks and drink water, especially at this elevation, about 5,000 feet.
• Private tubs: If your unit has its own tub, there is no attendant. Check the temperature with your hand first and keep kids supervised.
• The river: The Portneuf runs right behind the meadow. Its current is stronger than it looks in early summer, so keep children away from the bank.

Nearby stops worth adding

The town’s main draw is the public Lava Hot Springs Hot Pools, a few blocks east on Main Street, with several outdoor pools at different temperatures and day passes for anyone. The Lava Hot Springs Olympic Swimming Complex, west of the hotel, has heated indoor and outdoor pools and water slides in season. In summer, tube rentals in town put you on the Portneuf for a float through the middle of Lava Hot Springs.