V W.
Yelp
We splurged slightly on this stay and booked only about a month before, after changing our Yellowstone itinerary slightly for convenience factors.
In retrospect, since it was only for the one night, I wish we'd gone a little more budget, however it was a quiet, pleasant stay and the property is very clean and well cared for.
PROS:
~Very clean and well maintained hotel.
~Complimentary coffee/tea/water off the lobby.
~Complimentary ample parking.
~Quiet. The hallways and stairs are thickly carpeted, which was great for deadening the sound of footsteps.
~Fairly standard motel style room with fridge, flat screen TV, complimentary mini toiletries, hairdryer (and a 'real key'!)
~'Cozy' feel and a very 'Yellowstone' theme with historic pictures on the hallway walls, animal heads and a stone fireplace in the lobby and lots of wood architecturally.
~Friendly guy on the front desk when we checked in, although we didn't see many (mabye one?) staff members after that.
~A/C and heat in the room.
~Good location within short driving distance to Yellowstone north entrance (5 min) and nearby restaurants, grocery stores and hot springs in Gardiner.
~Small dining area where you can use the microwave and toaster for your own food. (Unfortunately, breakfast was not included as of Aug '23).
~Pool on site -- unfortunately during our one-night stay we didn't get time to use it as we went to the nearby hot springs pools instead.
CONS:
~A bit expensive for what you get. I felt for the price that breakfast should have been included. It seems they used to serve it, but no longer do. We bought a few items at the local grocery store and used the small seating area off the lobby to eat breakfast.
~When we arrived we accidentally went up the wrong driveway next door, which was a private residence -- I wonder how many people have done that?! Perhaps slightly better signage would help. Not a big deal, but annoying when you're tired and it's the end of the day and you just want to get to your hotel.
~I wish the pool hours were expanded -- the pool didn't open until 9am. I would have preferred 6am or 7am opening in order to get a swim in before departing.
~Everything was fine, but I felt it lacked a certain 'something' and didn't give me the 'warm fuzzies'. Due to the fact it was a family run place, I was expecting a little more 'bespoke' and more of a bubbly atmosphere, but it felt a little flat, not much different from a big chain motel/hotel. Maybe I read too much into reviews. Again, it was fine, but I'm not sure it warranted the $285 w/tax that we paid for one night. (Aug '23) I do realize it's a high tourist area and in this post-Covid world, prices unfortunately seem to have sky-rocketed.
Ultimately, it was a pleasant stay in a convenient location.
Note: I recommend the Wonderland Café for dinner. (A short drive or 20 min walk from the Yellowstone Village Inn).