Eldridge Hotel

The Eldridge Hotel has a beautifully decorated lobby and restrooms, but the rooms themselves are pretty plain. There’s no coffee in the rooms or the lobby, which was disappointing, but the bar more than made up for it — great drinks and even better service. The front desk staff were friendly but clearly overworked and distracted. The location is perfect, right on a lively street with plenty to do, though it can get loud at night. Parking is nearly impossible, so plan ahead. The room was overpriced for what it was, but the overall atmosphere of the hotel almost balanced that out. I’d absolutely go back for the bar and to try the restaurant, but I wouldn’t stay overnight again.

Had a great stay at this hotel! The staff was extremely nice and attentive, and I loved the historic vibe of the hotel. Rooms could probably use an update (including the hard mattress), but they were really clean. Honestly, a clean room is the most important to me. I would definitely recommend this place to people staying in Lawrence. You can’t ask for a better location!

Service was top notch. Jacob (the bartender) led the charge with fantastic beverage making skills and terrific conversation (ask him about the double handled bowling approach). We stumbled across a museum in the basement which housed a gentleman that gave us a tour of the entire building while filling us in with knowledge about The Eldridge's history. Front desk staff was very pleasant. Rooms were just fine (loud AC unit and mattress may need replaced). Other than that.....great experience.

The Eldridge is overflowing with history and atmosphere. Located perfectly on Mass Street (try to get a room on the East side with a view of the street) you are right among the heart of Lawrence.

I have been coming back to the Eldridge for 50 years and never thought I would give a negative review. I am here for a football weekend and they jacked up the price to $429 per night. Also, when we got to our room we found there was no dresser and no place to put clothes other than the closet. The rooms have gotten a little shabby.

My husband and I stayed one night during a weekend to attend a dinner hosted by KU Law school. From check-in to check-out, we had a wonderful experience. Our hotel room was large, clean and comfortable. Everyone was friendly and helpful. This hotel is located on Massachusetts Street within walking distance to many shops, restaurants and bars. We ended our evening after dinner at the hotel’s bar. Upon seating at the bar, our bartenders, Aaron and Angel, made our Old Fashions (my husband ordered the Million Dollar Old Fashion—it was amazing!) and easily handled the crowd that entered after we did. The next morning, we had our breakfast there (coffee is free) which was very good—service by Cora was great. So glad we stayed here and we will be back!

Wow. History. Majesty. Brilliance. My GF and I stayed 2 nights at the Eldridge in a suite. Although the room is in a different building, just down the street from the main hotel, it was a short walk and very easy to get back and forth. There is also a parking garage right next door where you can park for free. Every staff member that we met was incredibly friendly and helpful. They always smiled and greeted you in a way that made you feel as though you were a valued guest and not an inconvenience. The Extended building has 8 suites in it. We never once heard any other guests. The building was very quiet. Our room was very spacious, with a King bed, full kitchen, sitting area and an enormous bathroom. It was a bit pricey, but there was a Kansas basketball game, so every hotel in the area had higher than usual prices that weekend. Putting that aside, we will most definitely return to the Eldridge Hotel during our next visit to Lawrence.

I really hate to leave this review but with how management has failed to address the issue I feel the need to share. We had stayed here before and had such a wonderful time that we decided to go again for a quick Mothers Day getaway. After a day of shopping and delicious meal and drinks in the hotel restaurant we thought what a nice break from our daily schedule UNTIL I woke up around 4am with bites. I thought well maybe it was a mosquito but with the “1,2,3 pattern” I was concerned. Around 7-8am I woke up with MORE bites around my thighs and torso. I did not want to think the worst but we felt it needed attention. We called the front desk and a nice young lady Sophia came to see. We could not find any bugs but there were little red marks on the sheet. She took pictures of the bed, my legs and torso. I have a total of 15 bites. We were given 2 business cards for Hanna and Pam (managers), since they weren’t there. Sophia put our account on hold until we could talk to them. Neither Hanna nor Pam contacted my husband even after calling them again on multiple occasions. Not once. We thought maybe they would drop the charge and stayed patient. Things happen. We noticed the charge drop (or so we thought) and still never heard from a manager. This morning we notice a charge of almost $300 for the one night we stayed. So our assumption is they didn’t address their current situation. Not a professional way to conduct business of a serious matter. We had bedbugs in room 502 and had to make sure to launder all of our stuff carefully when we got home. We are very understanding people but also believe people should be aware of our experience and the way they have handled the situation. We tried reaching out to them again before this review and was forwarded to Hanna’s voicemail once again.

Taylor (the hostess on Friday night) was absolutely wonderful! she did a great job and was very welcoming! Thank you Taylor!

Nice staff. Beautiful lobby and rooms. No valet. Don't park in metered spaces in front, or be ready for a $10 ticket the minute your quarters run out! Free parking is a bit of a walk. NO coffee pots in rooms. Dress quickly and head for lobby with complimentary coffee.

I have had dinners, lunch at the Eldridge Hotel and Father's Day was the first and last for breakfast. Absolutely the worst breakfast I've ever had. The coffee tasted like colored water, eggs were burnt and the biscuits were so hard even the flour gravy couldn't soften them. Their dinners are absolutely delicious, just not sure what went wrong.

What a nice place. Fabulous location in Lawrence. Comfy rooms. Friendly and helpful staff. Parking can be a bit of an issue, but it's not a showstopper. We would definitely stay here again.

We recently stayed at the historic Eldridge Hotel. The four nights we spent there were amazing. Our suite was beautiful and comfortable. All staff were very welcoming. Food and beverages were delicious and very creative. We had a spectacular meal with family in the dining room one night and then there were those yummy lemon ricotta pancakes for breakfast. Thank you for a wonderful stay Eldridge friends.

Great location and close to many restaurants and shops. Hotel itself is nice enough and rooms are large. I understand hotel is older and here are some drawbacks: shower does not have handrail needed for older person; would be nice to have light switch in actual toilet area vs having to turn on light at night for entire bathroom which disturbs those sleeping, air conditioner next to bed is extremely disruptive not only for the person sleeping next to it but all in bedroom as it is loud and goes on and off multiple times a night, there is no dedicated parking have to find your own, no one to help with luggage and valet area where you can drop off luggage requires you go up 4 steps which is inconvenient. Again hotel is nice but be aware of drawbacks.

So glad we chose to stay here while in Lawrence! The staff was great and the room was spacious and comfortable. There is a restaurant on the main floor and they offer great room service as well. The room was really clean, and the bed was mostly comfortable. I really liked that there was a way to adjust the room temperature and two TVs. The hotel itself is neat to look at with a lot of history

OK it's really important that you read the reviews they are confusing the restaurant from the hotel. This hotel provides plenty of upgrades that separate them from most properties! I travel a lot so I have to give this place five stars for going above and beyond. As far as designed I would give it first floor lobby bathrooms are 5 stars. Everything is glamorous, yet classy with a modern twist to traditional look. Now the room are extremely spacious but the design hasn't been updated so I would say 3 stars. Now the items in the room are 5 stars. Number one favorite thing was the beds. I'm in love with those pillows I need them in my life. They're true King size full, soft and firm at the same time. Completely in love with those pillows. Mattress was very comfortable. Bedding was clean and soft. Bathroom amenities included shampoo and conditioner that were gentle and I had Great results on my hair. The lotion was so moisturizing and light. The make up mirror was a great touch. Every day I got two bottled waters which was well needed. Q-tips and cotton pads for makeup removal were also a great touch. The towels like the bedding was definitely an upgrade because they were soft, large and Beautiful. Everything in the room was upgraded, there was plenty of outlets with USB outlets provided making it easy to charge phones. Service was excellent, room was cleaned daily. Hotel is located right in the heart of the town across the street from plenty of wonderful restaurants. I stayed here for five days so much to do so many wonderful places to eat. Felt very safe for evening jogs. Parking is an issue. As far as the hotel being haunted I did not experience any paranormal activities, lol. I was in room 505 and apparently 506 is supposed to be haunted, thankfully there's enough space between those walls that any supernatural activities stayed out of my room.

Had a chance to finally stay here after passing it countless times over my years visiting Lawrence. Wonderful ground level lounge and excellent service from the front desk staff. Look forward to a longer visit in the future.

Getting 1 star only because you have too! Words can't begin to describe the disappointment and frustration with our dinner. Our son and girlfriend had been here in the past, and wanted to take us out for a nice dinner. Sadly, it was anything but! My only hope is that it was just a one bad night on their part. It started by waiting 15 minutes just to get our drinks, by minute 45 we finally received our starters. We ordered the Brussel Sprouts Chips and the Pretzel charcuterie board. I would rate them "ok"! The Brussel Sprout chips had more raisins than the Brussel sprouts themselves, and the pretzel charcuterie board had odd combinations of sausage, 1 slice of prosciutto, and 1 slice of ham. The cheese sauce to dip your pretzel in tasted like a cheese sauce from a jar. At minute 70....(yes, you read that right) our waiter came to tell us that there was some "printer problems in the kitchen and the orders all got lost". Now mind you there were 3 tables around us, that came after us, but still received their food. Another 30 minutes goes by, which by now we have been there for over 2 hours and we're just getting our food. By now, we're over this and just ready to leave. The manager came over when our food arrived and tried to explain the situation of what happened on the kitchen.....but no "I'm sorry for what took place". He would take off the price of the starters for us though, which we said keep the main course and we'll just pay for our starters. He did do the right thing and boxed up our food to take home, but to top it off when we opened our food at home it was missing side items. The picture below is of the chicken Marsala, which ended up being a bland/dry chicken breast with a few mushrooms on top, there was not 1 ounce of Marsala sauce. It was supposed to come with mashed potatoes and asparagus, but I guess it was easier to throw in bland broccoli. We didn't even touch the stuffed chicken as it looked like it still needed to be cooked. Again, I hope this was just a 1 night thing, but for now, I would say stay away!

terrible thanksgiving dinner experience. loud bar seating, big screen tvs going, bartender juggling for the wait staff. nothing like a genteel dining experience in an historic hotel at all. yuck

I was here for a holiday work party and we ordered appetizers. The five cheese Fonduta dip came out first and it was hot and super cheesy. The wings came out next and they were a great size and very moist! We also ordered a few sides of French fries and I love the beer batter. My co-worker ordered the lobster Mac n cheese. It's a good portion for the price, so don't let the price veer you away. She said it was jam packed with lobster and the cheese sauce is extremely rich. We finished up with with a skillet sundae which was a warm chocolate chip cookie in a hot cast iron skillet, with a chocolate drizzle and scoop of chocolate ice cream. We also ordered the creme brûlée it was perfect with the crunch on top with a creamy filling. I am glad we were able to have a good time and our server was very flexible accommodating everyone with drinks and appetizers.

Never recieved such above-and-beyond customer service before. The rooms were beautiful and the hotel was very historic and elegant!

Ah. History. I love it and I love it even more when I can stay at a beautiful, old hotel that is so rich in history such as The Eldridge. On both of my recent business trips, I stayed here and I found the staff to be welcoming and helpful, the rooms to be large and well appointed and the food to be quite tasty. There is even free wi fi which was greatly appreciated (makes me nuts when some hotels still charge for this) I did laugh when I checked in and the front desk clerk was like the "Price is Right" host asking me if I wanted the room that had been arranged for me, or if I wanted Room 506, which I guess is the hottest room at the hotel given it is purported to be haunted. Given I had a business meeting the next day, I opted for the room without nocturnal spirits but it was tempting! Turns out, the story is that the original hotel was destroyed years ago, but when it was re built, the original cornerstone is in Room 506 and is supposedly is the "portal " for which the ghosts enter and exit the building. Don't know if I am a believer but it's pretty good folklore! My rooms were both corner rooms with a separate seating area, large comfortable bed and since they faced the main street, there is even a little "white noise" machine you can use to block the street noise. On my visits there didn't appear to be any or maybe I'm used to the noise of Chicago, but no need to use the sleep machines in my mind. If I had a wish, it would be that there was a coffee machine in the room. Oh sure, you can wander down to the lobby and get a cup of Starbucks free just by the front desk but I would rather have it in my room as I hate getting dressed to go and find some coffee. The other challenge for me was that the light in the bathroom was behind me rather than in front of me. Tough for putting makeup on but I was able to rectify it by opening the blinds and using the mirror in the main room. Small things but for a business traveler really critical. The hotel has valet ($10, I must be in Kansas!) and if you don't see him when you pull in, just lock your car and leave it. You can give your keys to the front desk person who will find him. All in all a great place to stay, reasonably priced, close to everything Lawrence has to offer!

Very slow service. Plan to send 180 min for dinner. Not going back. Food tasted good.

We had a great stay Saturday evening. Our room was well appointed and clean on the top floor. It was mostly quiet with a few moments of chatter in the hall. The suite set up was spacious and allowed us to spread out a bit without being on the bed the whole time. There was a small fridge and microwave for convenience. The location can't be beat for quick access to shopping, eating and campus visits. The valet seemed confused and/or surprised that people were handing him keys, but other than that a fun quick stay in LFK.

We have stayed a The Eldridge a number of times on Massachusetts St. in a corner suite and would give it 5 stars.  This stay, the main hotel was booked, so we did the Extended.  I will never stay at the Extended again, and the reason for 3 stars, probably deserves less if only rating the Extended.  We had to park our car, on the advice of The Eldridge Staff, and paid more for the room.  The room was great, but as mentioned by others, it is not staffed.  We had to park our car in a parking garage on the advice of the staff.  The Public Parking Garage is basically used for Homeless People, and had to go daily to move our car to not get tickets with only 10 hour parking.  At $249 per night (more than the Corner Suite at the main Eldridge), we did not feel safe, and I would would never stay at the Extended again.  So 5 stars only deserves 3 for the Extended. My wife was approached by vagrants, while I went to get the car to leave

My husband and I booked a stay at the Eldridge at the suggestion of many. The original hotel location is everything we expected. HOWEVER, at the suggestion of hotel staff, we booked a suite at the "extended Eldridge" location which ended up being an isolated building several blocks from the hotel. In a nutshell, don't waste your money. Here's a quick recap of the "benefits": - There is no staff at the extended location. None. - Our building key stopped working at night and we were locked out of the extended location with no access. You'd think it would be a simple fix to call the main location and ask someone to bring a key. NO. After calling multiple times with no answer my husband walked to the main location while I sat outside in 100 degree heat. - A valet will drop you at the extended location, however, they are not trained to act as porters & there are no luggage carts on site. When our car was returned the valet essentially tossed us our keys and ran off. Our luggage was locked inside the building which then meant we had to drive to the main location, get another key, and return. We have expressed our concern to management at this hotel with very little response or desire to make our experience right. Don't book the extended location. Just save yourself the trouble and don't give the Eldridge your business whatsoever.

No valet parking. Your choices are 2 hour parking or hoof it two blocks and four floors up. The Eldridge is clean, offers great views of Mass. But a street like Mass is parking congested, it took strategy to make sure I didn't get a ticket or worse.

This review is more like 3.5 stars. We had a great stay at the Eldridge on Mass Ave in downtown Lawrence. The history is charming & the location is perfect, but the history is a double edge sword because the building is soooo old & somewhat mildewy smelling. For $180/night, I expected a little more updates, nicer towels/bedding, etc. Valet parking is $20 but it's also free on the streets on weekends. The first floor history is beautiful! What's even cooler though is that Bonnie & Clyde stayed here before robbing a Lawrence bank! :) We didn't eat at the restaurant, but we enjoyed cocktails in the quiet bar on the left when you enter. The bartender (forgot his name) was incredible- so sweet, very knowledgeable & accommodating. It was a great meeting spot for my family coming in town! We stayed on the 3rd floor overlooking Mass Ave in a deluxe king room with a sitting area. The mildew smell was a bit overpowering but luckily I travel with air freshener :) it was nice to be able to get a rollaway bed for my sister to stay though. Again, the history of the building is worth the stay,,, maybe just for one night. All in all, I'd maybe come back if I got a good deal on the room, but it's hard to pay $200 for a night in a hotel that needs an extensive refresh... but I'll definitely come back to the bar for a great experience there :)

A picture is worth a thousand words and I just posted ten of them. I received one call from management, which I missed, weeks after our stay, and haven't heard back since.

Warning friends! Last weekend I went to the Eldridge hotel in Lawrence, KS for a fun girls weekend. Unfortunately, some Ray Ban sunglasses were stolen out of my car by the hotel valet. Although, losing a pair of fairly expensive sunglasses would be irritating in its own right, the hotel's response to the theft elevated the incident to another level of disappointment. When I politely confronted the front desk staff, the initial patronizing response was "Are you sure they're not the pair on your head?". The initial reaction was not an isolated incident and multiple follow-ups with staff were required to try to amicably resolve the dispute. After further investigation, staff confided that the suspected valet had a previous history of joy riding in guests cars and petty theft from other employees. Despite this history, management is still refusing to replace or reimburse my lost property and I have been forced to file a police report. It's an extremely disheartening response from a long standing hotel chain that I've enjoyed staying at over the years and I caution anyone who considers staying at the Eldridge or Oread hotels in the future to think about what they may be going through in your room if they treat your cars this way.

Came In for happy hour-unfortunate for us it was during a shift change. 35 minutes to get a drink. :( So disappointed-this used to be a favorite place for happy hour.

I have stayed there a few times over the years and always had a very positive experience. I recently had to cancel on rather short notice and was not charged even though I was inside of the 30 cancellation policy for basketball weekends. Thank you. We'll try to make it later in the season for a stay!

My girlfriend and I used to enjoy the Eldridge a lot. We would usually get the charcuterie plate and martinis. We went today and a new girl seemed like she'd never sat people at a table before. Then I took one look at the new menu, it was about a 33% price increase on everything and the new menu had about half as many options. I wanted to leave and just get noodles and company, but my girlfriend felt bad and we ordered the sweet fire shrimp entree it was $14. When it came out it was 5 pieces of shrimp. They were also battered and fried with the tales still on so removing that got your fingers messy. Needless to say $16 after tip and we still had to get noodles and co.

Fantastic historic hotel right on Massachusetts street in downtown Lawrence. Right in the heart downtown with great shopping, dining and bars just a few steps away. We came for the parade and holiday shopping and where able to get a forth floor room overlooking the parade route. In December the street is lit up with Christmas lights and festive decor. Room was clean comfortable and updated with a very comfy bed. The restaurant on the first floor had a great breakfast. We didn't have a chance to try dinner there but it was certainly bustling with people in the evening. We would certainly stay again.

So very disappointed in the the terrible customer service at this hotel. Have stayed in past and looked forward to an enjoyable visit as we came to Lawrence to observe the death of a family member. We tried to contact 2 managers to voice our concerns with our room .We never got a response. Not a good place to stay if you run into a situation that needs attention. You won't get it.

From a room and location standpoint, the Eldridge really is the class of Lawrence hotels. Nestled into Downtown Lawrence, you can valet your car, watch it disappear (literally. Where does it go?) and spend your weekend walking everywhere in this amazing town. We stayed here for my wedding and loved many parts of it - the comfortable beds, the spacious suites, the cool interior and historic vibe. There's only one smaller than average elevator, much like you would find in Europe and I find that this just adds to the classic feeling that emanates throughout. We did have considerably more hiccups this visit than others in the past, and they're pretty noteworthy when you're paying about $200 a night for a hotel room in a smaller town, unfortunately. One thing of note is that the back lot that is basically attached to the Eldridge is not Eldridge parking. It certainly seems like it would be, but the small $3 tickets will add up if you park there. Now it was a BUSY weekend in Lawrence, but it's worth noting that the valets were MIA. I'd literally just leave my car in the valet area and hope it worked out. One of them was super helpful, one of them looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. We had our hotel keys frequently get de-magnetized, and I'm not sure how. Apparently this is a common occurrence, but I'd never had it happen before and it happened at some pretty inopportune times during a mildly stress-filled, active wedding weekend. We also had the misfortune of having some ridiculously rank smell take over the hotel on my wedding day, right about the time my groomsmen and photographer were meeting up for photos. Bad, bad timing and the whole hotel slowly had a sewage stink creep through the old hallways. I think it's pretty par for the course at an older hotel, especially on the highest floor which we were on, but the water pressure left a bit to be desired. I spoke with them about this and they said they're purchasing more tanks this winter and that it's going to help add some pressure. What is great though is ducking out to the nearby restaurants and bars that take only a few minutes to reach by foot, or waking up to jog down Mass St. and through campus. This location cannot be beat. When it comes down to it, stay in the Eldridge hotel. I'm serious, it's got an amazing sense of class, quality suites, and some nice staff members. I think we just happened to catch them on a bit of an insane weekend, and not everything went right. It happens. At the end of the day, it's one of the best hotels in town, and with a few tweaks here and there, this would've been a four or five star experience.

I grew up and lived in Lawrence for 30 years. The Eldridge has been our go to hotel when visiting family for the past several years. I expect the showers to have low water pressure and the Tv's to have limited cable channels and we are fine with that (it's an old historic hotel). The heat was not working well in our grand corner king room and blowing cold 67 degree air on the very cold 10 degree Christmas morning. We chose to move to another room, specifically either 507, 407, 307, or 207 for the layout. Although all of the rooms were vacated, they were dirty and needed to be cleaned. Diane at the front desk told us it would be a couple of hours before the new room would be cleaned but the room was ready in about an hour. My biggest complaint or concern from our last visit would be the gross, moldy caulking in the showers. It was tough giving our toddler a bath while staring at the mold. The mold was present in the showers of both rooms. Lastly, during our stay, it was very cold outside (in the single digits). There were various homeless people sitting in the hotel lobby when we came back to the hotel in the evening on Sat 12/23, Sun 12/24 and Mon 12/25. I give kudos to the hotel for providing people a temporary reprieve from the very cold weather.

It is extremely expensive for what you get. The bathroom shower was dirty, no sheets for the pull out couch, the pullout couch looks like it needs to be trashed considering the only thing you can feel is the springs. The floor was more comfortable. Would not recommend to a friend.

One of our Mass Street favorites! We love the menu, the atmosphere and have always received first rate service. So much variety to choose from and everything we've had is magnificent. The Sweet Fire shrimp appetizer and the Pan Seared Ahi Tuna salad are both spectacular, tough to order wrong at The Eldridge, we'll be back for sure!

I am a big fan of this place, and let me tell you why... I've stayed here a few times over the past 8 years and each time has been distinctly different, but always positive. I stayed the first few times before the big renovation that took this hotel from Lawrence-nice to Hotel-nice. What I mean by that is that no longer is it simply the nicest hotel in Lawrence (the Oread is newer, but I haven't heard great things yet), its also a really great hotel in comparison to the big boys in the big cities. I've stayed in countless highly rated hotels across the country, but still love going to the Eldridge when I'm in town. Its super clean, the staff is always friendly and polite, the location is !!AMAZING!! and to be honest, I've never had a bad experience here. I've read quite a few of the reviews of this place on Yelp and the other sites and most of the things I read about are 1) things that all hotels have problems with (its impossible to be sterile clean at all times) or 2) personal issues that could/should have been addressed IMMEDIATELY and with management. Sure, we've all had rough encounters with wait staff, desk staff, etc., but the entire establishment should not be discounted by the actions of one person on one occasion...rather, it should be handled on the spot with the the management to ensure that not only do you have a better experience, but those around you and those after you will as well. Waiting to post an expose on Yelp isn't a very proactive approach. That said...back to the hotel itself: The new elevator is awesome, the rooms over Mass street feel so great for an alumnus like myself, and the the decor and overall feel of this place makes it totally worth it. Plus, at 150 ish for one of the nicest rooms in the entire joint, its a total steal for those of us used to seeing prices in the 300-400 dollar range for comparable rooms in lousy hotels just because they're located in a big city. If you're visiting Lawrence and want a beautiful location, attentive and friendly staff, and a very comfortable updated room, be sure to book your nights at the Eldridge. (also...the food and ballroom areas are great too...frequented many a wedding reception here back in the day and it was always superb!)

We've been here a handful of times. Each time we have been almost more disappointed than the last. Our server/bartender was very friendly and accommodating. Our martinis were delicious! However, our pasta was room temperature with little taste/flavor. We tried to flag down management multiple times, was made eye contact, and ignored. I personally manage in restaurant and understand how busy and stressful it can be; this being the reason we came in this time at 4:30pm on a Wednesday when there were only 2 other tables. The service is always painfully slow and the prices are high. The chicken Alfredo is unfortunately not worth the $16 we paid. With the nicer aesthetic, uniforms, and personnel, I hope the Jayhawker Bar can train its staff better to be more attentive, helpful, and respectful.

Now I know why Quantrell burned it down! It was on account of the horrible service and marginal food

I was in town for one night only and decided I wanted to revisit some of my favorite haunts from my time as a college student in Lawrence. Wanting to be downtown, we decided to stay at the Eldridge. I've attended weddings here and have enjoyed the bar in the last, but I'd never stayed in the hotel -- and let me tell you, it was a profound disappointment. I found it to be overpriced and lacking in amenities. Although our room had two large flat screen televisions, the bathroom was cramped and the bathtub ridiculous (such low water flow that it took 15+ minutes to fill an undersized bathtub 75%). We ordered breakfast from room service and had to have them return twice for silverware (the first time they didn't bring any; the second time they didn't bring a spoon ... even though I'd ordered oatmeal). Since there was no parking, we had to rely on valet which was extremely steep ($15). The Eldridge still can't be beat in terms of location -- but that's honestly all it has going for it.

The Eldridge is a classic spot in Lawrence. Between the hotel, banquet space and restaurant, this place has it all. My sorority used The Eldridge for our formal dances and semi-formals. The sales representatives were super helpful and definitely worked with our limited budget. I also love the martinis in the restaurant inside of the hotel. They used to do a Thursday night half price martini special. Not sure if they still do it or not, but they sure have some tasty martinis! I have never stayed in the hotel overnight, but I heard it was a little pricey.

Classic hotel with great customer service. I had to leave at 5am to catch a flight. A staff member was kind enough to walk me to my car parked a couple of blocks away and assist with my luggage. Newly renovated bar/entry which is beautiful. Thanks to all the staff for making my trip back to Larry wonderful!

This hotel is very classy and elegant. It is conveniently located on Mass St. near all the shops and restaurants. The front desk is friendly and offered useful advice. They valet park for $10, but I just use the city garage for $1. Be prepared for a busy bar during half-priced martini night on Thursdays. I recommend the chocolate martini! The rooms are spacious. Book one month in advance for Saturday basketball game night.

The Eldridge Hotel has it right. Large rooms, with all modern conveniences, old fashioned grace and superb friendly service. What more could you want from a hotel? Ah yes, location. Downtown Lawrence has all the neat restaurants and services would could want.

Great location, but sadly, that's The Eldridge's main remaining redeeming quality. Almost staff are very helpful and friendly. The lobby, elevator, hallways and rooms are extremely outdated and in disrepair. (The huge HD t.v. is a plus, though.) i stayed 3 nights and sheets weren't changed once. 2 sets of blinds didn't function and 1 was coming down from the top. I remember the Eldridge's big remodel just 15 or so years ago, but it hasn't held up during that time period since then. The owners are supposedly currently remodeling the restaurant and bar yet it was billed to be finished and opened a month ago (April), but hotel staff now say it won't be completed and opened 'til September yet there's no construction work going on in restaurant or bar for the days I've stayed here. What is going on with this once classy property?

We stayed at the Extended stay rooms because the hotel was being renovated and loved it! The room was beautiful with wood paneling, tall 12 ft ceilings and gorgeous wood shutter windows. The bed was soft and the pillows plenty and fluffy. Everything was pristine, clean and comfortable. The location was ideal, one block to the center of the action in Mass street. We were able to go back to the hotel room to drop off bags or rest before going back out. It really was ideal and we will definitely be staying there again. Such an elegant and well appointed room and location!

Let me agree with those who have said the front desk personnel could generally use some customer service training. Case in point, I just went down to the lobby for a cup of coffee. There are no coffee makers in the rooms. Instead, the hotel provides coffee service in the lobby. The hotel does not make an effort to provide this service at an early/earlyish time. You see, restaurant personnel have the job of brewing the coffee. Thus, it arrives in the lobby contingent on when they arrive and get to the job. This morning, I gave them plenty of time to get this accomplished. When I went down to the lobby, it was 6.45--no coffee. I asked they guy at the front desk about when I might expect it. He was sitting down, staring at a computer screen. Not moving his eyes from the screen, he said to me, "The best person to ask is the restaurant." When I told him he would be the better person to ask the restaurant, he remained seated, looking at the computer screen. This is just one example. Even the more helpful front desk people tend to be cold. Finally: the hotel should provide the coffee service happily. Most front desk folk seem annoyed by it. From my perspective, it doesn't help my day that the very first person I talk to is a rude or irritated hotel employee.

The Eldridge Hotel, not as nice as I expected. No parking, you will have to use the valet parking ($15 per night). No cable tv. No window in the bedroom. The furniture in the sitting room was not comfortable. No complimentary breakfast. The only benefit was the location. For the money they charge, I would not stay at The Eldridge Hotel again.

I've had a relationship with the Eldridge since my early 20s. I consistently went to the Jayhawker bar with friends. We'd sit in the side room to the main bar. The room had a cowboy theme complete with stools that were horse saddles. That place is long gone. The bar was revamped along with the hotel and for the first time ever, I stayed at the hotel this past weekend. Right away, I will say this had there been a few differences in our experience staying at the hotel, this could have been a four star review. I really want it to be. I love historic buildings. I love staying in old hotels that have been kept up or renovated. So I feel really bad about the three star rating because I think if just a few things were different ... this would have been four or five stars. First the good: - Lovely rooms with nice amenities - For the most part, really nice and helpful staff (more on this below) - Awesome location -- it's great when you are there for Mass Street - Small fridge in the room - The typical hair dryer, iron and ironing board - Charming and historic building My issues ... with explanations ... Here was my first issue. We pulled up to the "Valet" spot and no one was around at the moment. This was no a big deal. My husband stayed with the car and I walked inside to check into our room. I got to the front desk and there was an employee there. The guy could have used some training in customer service. The entire time he spoke to me, he had a toothpick in his mouth and was kind of twirling it around. Some may be fine with this. I found it kind of gross ... and weird for place that bills itself as an upscale hotel. Maybe he was trying to be historic in the true sense of the old west whilst wearing his polo shirt? Please, dear reader, let me know if this was the case. I then asked the toothpick twirler about the parking situation. Was there a guest parking lot? The answer was no. "But you can park anywhere in the area where you can find a spot. You'll just want to move your car by 9:30 in the morning. Or you can do valet parking. It's $10 a day and we put it on your bill," he said. The second portion of that statement is probably how he should have started with in terms of answering my question. Again, the guy needs training. You know who didn't need training though? The guy handling valet parking at the time. Yes, I opted for the valet parking rather than having to figure out where to park and not have to move my car every few hours when Saturday rolled around. The guy working the valet parking was very polite and nice. I accidentally left my phone in the car. He noticed it. He followed up by calling our room and asking if I needed it. Yes, and thank you! He delivered it to the room. We got settled into the room. We found the bed a bit springy and firm for our taste, but OK. I do think though that perhaps the owners should have spent less on the big screen television in the room and more on the bed. At this point, my rating of the place was four stars. The guy handling the valet made up for the weird service at the front desk. Then the evening came. I recognize we're in a historic building. Sound travels. But if I stay at the Eldridge again, I will call to make my reservation and ask for a room on the third, fourth or fifth floors. We ended up on the second floor -- room 203 to be exact. It gets a little noisy. It has nothing to do with sounds on the street really and everything to do with the bar being directly below the room. The room is equipped with a sound machine. But it was kind of difficult to drown out the noise. You should stay at the Eldridge. It is a beautiful building. But call to make your reservation and request your room be on the third, fourth or fifth floors and I am sure the stay will be great!

Happy New Year. We showed up for 12/31/12 eve dinner. Had a friend that bought us a gift certificate to show up and enjoy dinner on them. So we did, showed up 30 minutes early, got a bottle of wine and sat next to the fireplace in the lounge area, waiting for our table. Ambiance was great, old hotel, snow outside, warm fire inside, made for a great setting for the night. Then......we sat down to eat. The menu was limited, the wine list was great and the deserts were non existent. We were so ready for a great meal and were really let down. We love a good street taco, ordering pizza from a side car in NY so by no means do we need to be at all Zagat rated restaurants. The ahi tuna was cold, unseared (not as advertised) and the entrees were very very disappointing. The Vodka shrimp pasta had no flavor, looked great but was empty for the pallet. The Lamb, was not medium rare as ordered by well done and uneventful. I am only being this critical as the meal is advertised as 3$$$-4$$$$ per plate. I don't mind shelling out the dough, that is not the problem, but if you are trying to be 5 star rated or better, at least make the food worth it. It is not Chicago or New York, Houston but I was hoping for better as the place was a great setting for pre/post dinner drinks, just don't get the dinner here. Sorry, 2 stars.

I only stayed here one night and arrived after midnight. I was awake though, so I do remember the important things, like where the room was, what channel Craig Ferguson was on... right the important things. "The Good" - I like the quirky rooms and how it was laid out aside from one item (listed below.) The rooms are divided separated by doorways that do a nice job defining the various spaces, bedroom, living room, bathroom complete with sink outside the room. They have usable space that is not wasted but is very different then the standard box that you would get at a chain hotel. - The bed was beyond comfortable and even had an extra blanket for the potential cold. - The parking was a metered space outside the front door. Thankfully I had an early meeting so I would leave prior to the meters being active. The clerk at the front desk was nice enough to let me know these things as I would guess it is a common question. - There was a TV for both the sitting room and the bedroom. - They have an elevator, which I was told was "new." - There was a decent view outside the window from the fourth floor, on top of that it looked very cool at night. "The Meh" - The thermostat needed a little love, I like cold but 68 degrees is good when its July, not April. - Only because I have been spoiled by the chain hotels, the TVs are not flat screen, but at the end of the day, they worked and I had no issues with them or the remotes... Some people want the latest and greatest. I am satisfied when I get a channel that does not pixelate when the wind blows. "The Bad" - The bedroom, although in a separate room, did not have a door. I do not need or want a door but there was a door frame which would suggest at one time there may have been a door, plus there was complete and spooky darkness in the living room area... but there was nothing to shut. This was just different than what I was used to and took some getting used to in the new environment.

Went to brunch for my birthday with my adult kids. Not much selection but what they did have was very high quality and very fresh. Nothing sitting around dried out in a serving dish. Trout with pesto quinoa and the pasta salad were especially good. My only issue is the booths are a little too small to move in and out of comfortably. Sit at a table if you are there for lunch.

As a hotel, especially in a fairly small town, this place is elegant, incredibly comfortable, and full of history. The rates are more than in any other hotel in town (unless I missed something!), but it is well worth it if you have the dough. The building was one of the first in Lawrence and was the home of many of the original residents of Lawrence. It also was part of the fire territory during Quantrills Raid. If you're interested in local lore (and/or supposed hauntings), this is the place for you. The beds are likely clouds and they have amazingly soft and cozy sheets, comforters, and pillows. The room sizes are large, and a recent upscale remodel features marble, granite, and more in the bathrooms. I love the location in the heart of downtown, easy for walking to shops, restaurants, and bars. The Eldridge is within a block of Liberty Hall (classic movie theatre and show venue) as well as Free State Brewery (a local favorite restaurant that makes many of its own beers) and a ton of other places. Downstairs has a restaurant, bar, and banquet facilities. The bad: I attended a wedding reception there, and a server poured an ENTIRE tray of champagne on me. I did not get an apology let alone a towel or anything else...I was wearing a brand new dress which got sticky and smelly and gross. Not at all what I expected at the supposed classiest place in Lawrence...

Assuming that I don't stay at a friend's place or awkwardly crash the Hutt, The Eldridge is still my favorite place to stay in Lawrence. Need to try The Oread on campus, but it will never have the history/charm that The Eldridge does. Their rooms are luxurious and a pleasure. Great brunches too, second only to Milton's in my opinion. All 48 rooms are two-room suites. Quick history for those unfamiliar (abridged from their website): + Original building on this site was the Free State Hotel, built in 1855 by settlers from the New England Emigrant Aid Society. + In 1856, the Free State Hotel was attacked and burned to the ground by the infamous sheriff Sam Jones, heading a group of pro-slavery forces. Colonel Shalor Eldridge rebuilt the hotel and added another floor, vowing to do the same every time it was destroyed. + In 1863, it was attacked and destroyed by Quantrill and his raiders. Quantrill's raiders killed more than 150 people and burned Lawrence to the ground. + Colonel Eldridge promptly rebuilt the hotel and gave it his name, the Hotel Eldridge. To this day, the seal of the city of Lawrence depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes. + Years of ups and downs went by and in October of 2004, the hotel was sold to a group of KU Alumni and local investors. They temporarily closed its doors, completed major renovations, and reopened to the public in May 2005.