The Old Faithful Inn is one of the most iconic national park lodges. Having stayed at several renowned lodges like El Tovar and Glacier Bay Lodge, I was eager to experience another famous rustic retreat.
In this article, I’ll break down a recent stay at the Old Faithful Inn and offer important tips to consider before making a booking. It’s worth noting that this hotel has the potential to be a serious letdown for those who don’t set the right expectations, so make sure you take in all these tips!
Table of Contents
History
The Old Faithful Inn is one of the most iconic national park lodges, steeped in history and rustic charm.
It first opened its doors in 1904, making it one of the oldest and most historic lodges in the National Park Service. Designed by architect Robert Reamer, the inn was built in a distinctive rustic style, known as “National Park Service Rustic” or “Parkitecture,” using local materials like lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone to blend seamlessly with its natural surroundings.
Over the years, the inn has expanded to accommodate the growing number of visitors eager to experience Yellowstone’s wonders (the east wing in 1919 and the west wing in 1927). Despite a few fires and the occasional need for renovation, the Old Faithful Inn has retained its original charm.
It’s also had its share of notable visitors, including several U.S. presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge. The inn’s grand lobby, with its towering stone fireplace and hand-hewn log railings, has become an enduring symbol of the park’s rich history and a must-see for anyone visiting Yellowstone.
Location overview
The Old Faithful Inn is located in the Old Faithful Village, right in the Upper Geyser Basin, making it an extremely convenient place to stay.
If you’re not aware, Yellowstone National Park is pretty expansive. The speed limits are also quite low, so it can take a while to get from one side of the park to the other. For that reason, you really want to plan out your moves when trying to explore the park.
However, the Old Faithful Inn is centrally located, so you can easily reach various spots within a reasonable amount of time.
There are also a couple of other lodges in the village, including the Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Old Faithful Lodge and Cabins (these can offer more affordable lodging). Within this village, you’ll find a few general stores, a gas station, gift shops, and a bookstore.
You also have several dining options, which I’ll discuss below.
Booking
The Old Faithful Inn can fill up quickly, and some people recommend making reservations as much as a year in advance. However, we were able to book just a few weeks out through Amex Travel, so we didn’t actually have to pay any cash for the stay.
We booked a basic room and the cost came out to around $530/night which I believe is probably pretty standard. This hotel is going to charge you Ritz Carlton level prices for the location but you have to adjust your expectations because your experience may not be aligned with that price (more on that later).
When booking, you’ll want to consider the bathroom situation. Some rooms share a shower or bathroom with other rooms, which might not be ideal for everyone.
Fortunately, we had a private shower and toilet in our room, so this is definitely something to look out for when making a reservation. I believe the rooms without private bathrooms include the “Old House Rooms.”
Keep in mind that these are lodge rooms, so they’re quite basic. There’s no Wi-Fi, no TVs, and no mini-fridges or microwaves. If you need Wi-Fi, there’s a nearby hotel (Snow Lodge?) where it’s available, but this is intended to be a somewhat off-the-grid experience. The good news is that you’ll likely have cell phone service in and near the resort, so you can still stay connected if you choose to.
The parking situation can be a bit frustrating since there aren’t designated spots for hotel guests. The entire lot can fill up, which is what happened to us when we stayed at the lodge in the Grand Canyon.
The solution is to find a nearby lot, such as the parking area by the general store.
Check-in & viewing Old Faithful
We arrived around 5 PM after being stuck in a 1.5-hour traffic jam caused by a flipped truck on the way into the park. Before checking in, we decided to make a quick stop at the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is just a few minutes away.
The first time you walk into the lobby of this lodge, your jaw might drop a little. It’s a beautiful interior with multiple levels of balconies (though only the bottom two are open to the public).
It’s definitely an impressive sight, and seeing it in person had been on my bucket list for a long time, so it was pretty exciting.
The lobby was busy but not chaotic, so we were able to make our way to the front desk and then to our room without much trouble.
When we arrived in our room, it was pretty much what I expected—very basic, without air conditioning, but I was really happy we had our own shower.
Immediately after checking in, we decided to check out Old Faithful.
I had never seen it before, so I was pretty excited to finally witness it erupt. You can check the schedule in the lobby, which predicts when the next eruption will occur. In our case, it was happening only about 15 minutes after we arrived so we rushed to our room to drop off our luggage and then made our way to the geyser where a crowd was already forming.
For those wondering, the prediction was only a few minutes off from when it actually erupted. (I believe there are a handful of other geysers that have predictable eruptions in the park.)
It’s truly awesome to see how close you are to Old Faithful and to be able to walk out there within a couple of minutes to witness something so incredible. Plus, you have the entire Upper Geyser Basin to explore, with its many steaming geysers and springs. This area has the greatest concentration of active geysers on Earth, so it’s definitely worth exploring. Take your time.
Since this is bear country, it’s a good idea to always carry bear spray when wandering around Yellowstone National Park, as bears can potentially appear anywhere. Interestingly, you can rent bear spray here, which is important since it’s not allowed on planes.
If you don’t want to walk out to the geyser there’s an amazing view of it from the balcony accessed via the second floor. It’s also a great place to watch the sunrise.
Dining options
Within the Old Faithful Inn, you have a few dining options.
There’s the main dining room, which is quite beautiful. For dinner, it’s best to make reservations as soon as possible, but we had breakfast there and found plenty of open tables.
The breakfast itself, while serviceable, may not be remarkable. It’s more about the atmosphere than the culinary experience. The setting, with its warm, lodge-like feel, is one of the highlights, especially if you enjoy the traditional lodge ambiance
Inside the lodge, you can also visit the Bear Paw Deli, where they offer grab-and-go sandwiches, chips, and an ice cream shop. Just don’t arrive too late, as they might be out of the good stuff.
There also is a bar and coffee bar but we didn’t spent time in either. However the gift shop has some really tasty huckleberry snacks if you’re in the mood for something sweet!
Observation deck
There’s a really cool observation deck called the “Crow’s Nest” that reminds me of widows walk on top of the lodge. I was excited to take the stairs up there but then I was told that the tour slots were already filled up. So if you want to check out the views from up there inquire with the hotel as soon as you can. And I mean potentially months ahead of your visit….
Final word: Is it worth it?
Given the price, which can easily exceed $500 per night, and considering how basic the rooms are, you might wonder if it’s worth staying at the Old Faithful Inn.
We encountered some issues during our stay, including finding a mouse in our room. After searching reviews, we discovered that other guests had similar problems. When we reported the issue to the front desk, we were told to bring the complaint to Amex Travel, which wasn’t particularly helpful.
Additionally, depending on your room type, you might have to share a bathroom, which can be a drawback. With these potential issues in mind, it can be challenging to justify the high cost. While the historic charm and prime location are significant perks, the experience may not fully align with the price tag for everyone.
On the other hand, staying at the Old Faithful Inn puts you right in the heart of Yellowstone, with Old Faithful erupting just outside the lodge and easy access to the park’s fascinating landscape. The convenience of being centrally located makes it much easier to explore other parts of the park compared to staying in hotels outside the boundaries.
The historical charm of the building also adds to its appeal. For history enthusiasts like me, staying in such a unique and historic structure is a truly enjoyable experience.
So, my opinion is that if you highly value the history and convenience of a location like this, you can justify the price. However, if you’re sensitive to issues like finding a mouse in your room, potentially sharing a bathroom, or dealing with no Wi-Fi, the steep price tag might be hard to swallow.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
