Big Meadows Lodge

We had a great experience staying at big meadows lodge. You have to remember that you are staying in essentially wilderness so this isn't going to be a luxury resort. Going into it with that frame of mind our stay was super enjoyable and we loved every minute!| Our room was very nice if a little spartan but the water pressure in the bathroom was really great and the room itself is very clean. It is extremely quiet at night and you can hear other guests but not badly.| The food in the lodge dining room was really good and reasonably priced. Our server was nice and attentive and the service was quick. It's really cool to be able to look out the window while you're eating and see the mountains. We didnt check out the taproom but we heard good things from other guests.| There's a lot of nice overlooks on skyline drive and down into the town of Luray there's a lot of activities to do. You are in the middle of the mountain though so getting on and off takes time. Average drive down for us was about 30 minutes but there is a gas and convenience store right near the lodge with a bunch of stuff you may need or want. | Overall we really enjoyed our stay here and recommend it to anybody who wants to get away for a little bit!

The location is lovely - the hotel room is well-below what was expected for the price. We spent three nights in a “preferred room with two queen beds” located in the Doubletop Building that was built in 1959. Our room had A/C (the rooms with two queen beds have A/C), Keurig coffee maker, hair-dryer, TV, and small fridge (that is not mentioned on their website). There was no phone in the room and no WiFi – WiFi worked well in the main lodge building. It had two outside chairs and small table. The beds were comfortable. Unfortunately, our room needs refurbishing: the fan had visible wires showing, the bathroom door was warped, peeling paint on the bathroom trim, bathroom exhaust fan didn’t work, the toilet seat was loose and moved around when seated, and a bedside lampshade was cracked/damaged. There doesn’t appear to be much insulation between rooms since we could hear conversations and people walking around (from upstairs); and we could hear some sort of “plumbing” noise regularly throughout the night. I recommend sleeping with some white noise going in the background. Bottom line is that the room felt old and needs remodeling. It is not worth the $400+/night currently listed on their website – if you can get the room when on sale, it makes it more palatable. We had good meals at the lodge’s restaurant, and the staff were helpful and friendly.

We were up on Skyline Drive yesterday and went to the dining room at the Big Meadow Lodge. We got there right at the end of the lunch hours, but were told we could still get lunch. We waited 10 minutes before someone deigned to seat us. There were many diners present, and more were seated after we got our table. Then we waited another 10 minutes before a server came over to the table. Very nice lady, our server. However. We never got our drinks until AFTER the food came, and I think the kitchen staff must have been very tired as it took them so long to get our meals. I have no idea how long the prepared food sat before the server noticed and brought to our table, but my food was warm, not hot. Husband's Ruben was good. My pasta dish came without the 'add on' (shrimp) and the server had to go BACK to get us utensils with which to eat. My pasta dish tasted OK but probably would have been a lot better had it been served hot and WITH the shrimp. Everything about our lunch was extreme slow speed. All in all, not a stellar advertisement for the restaurant and one we have no desire to repeat.

Pros- cozy, rustic feel. Great room next to dining room had beautiful views. Food was excellent, especially the trout. Location perfect for hiking. Great presentation of astronomy by park ranger in meadow down the road from lodge.||Cons- Bathrooms very outdated, only 3 TV channels, no wifi. Views from room not as pictured in website. Views obstructed with trees. Windows overlooking views in great room filthy. Chairs in great room broken and worn. Dinner took 90min to come out!

Had biscuits and gravy, potato hash, and French toast. Everything was great! The food came out in a timely manner even though it was busy. I would suggest getting there early, at around 10am it was packed. The host and our waitress were very nice.

The first thing you need to know is that $279 per night does not guarantee you a room with A/C. We made a quick trip back to the lobby and luckily we were able to get transferred to a room with air as it was mid July. Once we got to our new room we quickly noticed the poor conditions. The curtains were water stained and moldy, the patio hadn't been swept or cleaned for the season and the bathroom was so outdated it felt like you stepped back into the 1960,s. Honestly the entire resort needs an upgrade. The grounds were very sloppy with dirty lawn furniture and old leaves from last fall lying all around the cabins. The restaurant and tap room (also no A/C) need an upgrade as well. We wanted to order pizza and were told that the pizza oven had been struck by lightning a few weeks ago and still wasn't fixed. |The next evening we decided to have dinner at Skyland. WOW!!! What a difference! The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the restaurant and bar were very inviting. There was a large deck for outside seating with a beautiful view and the food was DELICIOUS! Bottom line, if you're planning a trip to Shenandoah it would be wise to book your stay at Skyland.

Stayed at a cabin last minute with my wife and dog. Front desk was friendly and helpful and let us know where our dog could travel through the lodge building. Cabins are near the lodge and lodge rooms. It's convenient to get to with luggage from the parking lot, but not isolated by itself. Our cabin was cosey and this one had a screened in porch which was nice for playing cards and letting the dog chill and sniff around some. If your looking for sunset views from the lodging though, you should probably pick a room in the lodge, they have a better sunrise view than the cabins. Everything is fairly close if you want to get food or go to the gift shop. Dinner was decent. The restaurant was good. I tried a mushroom pasta with chicken that was really tasty. The trails are right next to the lodge, with some entry points from the parking lot. Very nice sunset view on one trail just ~100 ft uphill from the cabin. We saw deer eating outside our cabin in the morning. Also saw lots of other people with dogs there. It seemed like a very dog friendly place.

My stay at Big Meadows Lodge was fantastic! The dining options were easy and convenient, the staff was friendly, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. We stayed in a room without AC in the summer, but it was still comfortable as the staff provided us with a fan. The views are also incredible and don’t miss stargazing out in the big meadow by the Wayside. Great visit!

The rooms at Big Meadows are pretty decent. The beds are comfortable and the room, which has a vaulted ceiling and ceiling fan, was clean. They had cable television with decent reception and a decent channel selection. The room also had a balcony which would have been nice. However, it was in serious need of a paint job which gave me some concern about how well it was maintained. The balcony view looked down on the roofs of the cabins behind our building which was... okay. Surprisingly, our room also had a wood-burning fireplace, though I don't know how we could have started a fire if we had wanted to (which we didn't). My medium, 3-star review comes from two points. First was the lack of A/C. We left the window open and the door cracked to get some ventilation. Even so, I heard another guest complaining about how hot it was in their room with no A/C. And then there is the cost. The room was +$300/night! For that kind of money, frankly I expect more from a hotel. Our stay was okay but for the money, I would not do it again.

This is heaven on earth. Hike to a waterfall, witness a gorgeous sunset from a rocking chair with dinner and a cocktail, then join a Ranger for a Talk - life just doesn't get any better. We stayed in Blacksman Cabin 114 two years ago & this time got Room #3 in the Lodge with a view of the Valley looking down on Luray WV. Next time we won't be in such a hurry, catching weddings, and will stay at least two nights. Are the accommodations rustic? You bet - that's the charm.