Old Faithful Inn Review: Is It Worth It?

Old Faithful Inn is the most iconic place to stay in Yellowstone National Park. There’s a good reason why it’s the most requested lodge in the park! Check out my Old Faithful Inn review to learn all about staying at this historic hotel.

If you want the best place to stay inside Yellowstone National Park, the Old Faithful Inn is it! This hotel is the most sought-after lodging in the park, has a great location in the heart of the park, and gives you that rustic log-cabin feel.

I enjoyed staying at the Old Faithful Inn, and I highly recommend it for your Yellowstone vacation! Read on for my full review of the Old Faithful Inn.

Old Faithful Inn Review

The Old Faithful Inn is a national historic landmark lodge in Yellowstone National Park. Opened in 1904 at the Upper Geyser Basin, the hotel is the largest log structure in the world.

The incredible structure was designed by architect Robert Reamer. The lobby towers 76 feet tall with wooden supports cut from local fallen trees, and a 500-ton stone fireplace sits as the focal point of the lobby.

The Old House contains two 3-story wings with guest rooms. An east wing was added in 1919, and a west wing was added in 1927.

Today, the Inn features 327 rooms, a dining room, two bars, a deli, and a coffee shop. Plus, its proximity to the Old Faithful geyser and central location in the park make it the perfect place to stay in Yellowstone.

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Standard Hotel Room

We stayed in a Standard Hotel Room at the Old Faithful Inn. These rooms are located in the West Wing (the newer of the hotel’s wings). They have either one or two Queen beds, either a full bathroom or a shower-only bathroom, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.

Our Standard Hotel Room had one Queen bed and a full bath. We had a window overlooking a back employee parking area. There’s a dresser, two end tables, and a chair. These rooms are just like a standard hotel room.

The attached bathroom is small and contains a toilet and a small stand-up shower. The bathroom sink is located out in the bedroom. They provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower. By the sink is a cute little teddy bear bar of soap as well as liquid hand soap.

The rooms are small and without a ton of amenities (remember, this wing was built in the 1920s), but you’re not likely to be spending a lot of time in your room. Most of your time will be spent out exploring the park, and if you follow my 7-day Yellowstone itinerary you likely won’t be back to your room until around dinner time.

None of the rooms at the Old Faithful Inn have air conditioning, TVs, Wi-Fi, or radio. It’s nice to be unplugged for a few days.

There is a fan in the closet that you can set up in front of an open window to provide some cooling to your room. Luckily, Yellowstone gets cooler at night.

If you don’t like the idea of being fully unplugged, most cell networks have coverage in this part of the park. If needed, you can hotspot off someone with service. And there is Wi-Fi available just next door at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

The bed was comfortable enough, especially after a full day of hiking. My travel noise machine and eye mask came in handy for this trip. While the room doesn’t have all the unnecessary electronics light that most modern hotel rooms have, sleeping with the window open for air circulation did let in a lot of both light and noise in the morning.

Old House Room

We took a free tour of the Inn, which gave us a peek into one of the Old House Rooms without a bath.

These rooms are located in the Old House and they do not have private bathrooms. Instead, you would use a communal bathroom and showers located on the hall. The bathrooms are very nice (they’ve been remodeled since this part of the hotel opened in 1904), and they’re like upgraded college dorm bathrooms with a row of toilet stalls in the front and a row of shower stalls in the back.

These rooms are the classic style rooms that visitors would have stayed in when the hotel was first opened. They’re very simple and feature one, two, or three Queen beds, heat, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan. There is also a sink inside the room, so you don’t have to go to the communal bathroom just to brush your teeth.

The rooms in the Old House are more rustic than the modern added wings. The walls are log-style on the first floor and wood-paneled on the upper floors. The beds have antique-style metal frames. The feel of these rooms is more rustic overall.

Types of Rooms at Old Faithful Inn

There are a few different types of rooms at the Old Faithful Inn. Here’s a little run down of each one so you know what to choose for your vacation:

• Suite with a Geyser Basin View — Rooms in the East Wing with two Queen beds, a sitting room, a full bath, a mini fridge, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan. Expect to pay a premium for a view of geysers (you may even get a partial view of Old Faithful).
• Junior Suite — Rooms in the East Wing with two Queen beds, a sitting area, a full bath, a mini fridge, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.
• Deluxe Hotel Room with Geyser Basin View — Rooms in the East Wing with one or two Queen beds, a full bath, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan. Expect to pay a premium for a view of geysers (you may even get a partial view of Old Faithful).
• Deluxe Hotel Room (no view) — Rooms in the East or West Wing with one or two Queen beds, a full bath, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.
• Standard Hotel Room — Rooms in the East or West Wing with one or two Queen beds, either a full bath or a shower-only bath, heat, phone, coffee maker, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.
• Old House Room with Bath — Rooms in the Old House with one or two Queen beds, a full bath, heat, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.
• Old House Room without Bath — Rooms in the Old House with one, two, or three Queen beds, no bath but access to communal bathrooms, a sink, heat, hairdryer, alarm clock, and fan.

Dining at Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn has a few dining options on-site that are really convenient, plus there are more options just a short walk away at the neighboring lodges.

• Old Faithful Inn Dining Room — The dining room is located off the historic lobby, and it’s a continuation of the rustic vibes of the hotel. Reservations are required for dinner. Their menu has American classics like steak and chicken. They’re also known for their extensive buffet. As with all dining in the park, it’s overpriced for what you get, but it was still very tasty!
• Bear Paw Deli — This quick-service counter is great for grabbing breakfast or a bite for lunch. I recommend grabbing some pre-made deli-style sandwiches to-go and taking it along with you for a picnic lunch on the road.
• Bear Pit Lounge — Tucked away in a corner off the lobby, this bar is a great place to relax with a cocktail. Look for the etched glass panels that were inspired by the original wooden Bear Pit Murals in the 1930s; they depict bears having some Old-West-style fun.
• Mezzanine Espresso — Located on the second floor of the lobby, the espresso cart serves coffee and snacks.
• Mezzanine Bar — Located on the second floor of the lobby, this tucked-away bar is usually uncrowded and serves cocktails that you can take out onto the Old Faithful Viewing Deck.

Plus, at the neighboring Old Faithful Lodge, you have the Old Faithful Lodge Cafeteria, a bake shop, and ice cream. And at the neighboring Old Faithful Snow Lodge, you have the Geyser Grill, the Obsidian Dining Room, and the Firehole Lounge. Of these, I recommend the Cafeteria for a quick bite and the Obsidian Dining Room for a nice dinner.

Old Faithful Inn Amenities

Being a rustic National Park inn, there aren’t a ton of amenities at the Old Faithful Inn. You’re expected to explore Yellowstone, not sit around the hotel, after all.

But they do offer free tours of the hotel daily. This will give you a little background on the hotel, how it was built, and the types of people who vacationed here. You’ll also get to look into one of the older rooms in the Old House.

There are other events that take place around Old Faithful Village that you can sign up for as well. For instance, we did a spirits tasting and cocktail class where we learned about Bozeman Spirits.

Inside the Inn is a gift shop where you can do a little shopping. They often have local artists outside the shop selling their work. And next door is a General Store where you can get more gifts and ice cream.

One of the Inn’s best amenities is its proximity to Old Faithful. You’re just steps away from seeing the iconic geyser erupt! You can check eruption times at the lobby desk. You can also watch from a special Viewing Deck on the second floor.

Christmas in August

The Old Faithful Inn is not open during the winter. So how do I have so many pictures of the Inn decorated for the holidays?

Christmas in August!

Yellowstone has a tradition of celebrating Christmas during August, on the 24th and 25th. This started back in the 1930s as a chance for the summer employees to celebrate together before the end of the season.

Now it’s a fun little send-off for visitors and employees as the summer season nears its end (most Yellowstone lodges will close by mid-September). Lodges like the Old Faithful Inn decorate their lobbies for just a couple days, there are festive events like Santa sightings and holiday cookies, and snow is always a possibility in August.

So if you plan your vacation for August 25, you can get a picture for your holiday card early this year!

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Benefits of Staying at the Old Faithful Inn

Old Faithful Inn is the perfect place to stay in Yellowstone National Park!

This hotel has an amazing location right by the legendary Old Faithful geyser, so you can always be the first to see it erupt. Plus, there are tons of restaurants and shops nearby in the Old Faithful Village, so you never have to go far.

If you’re looking for rustic, without actually having to rough it, then this is your best choice. The vibes of the log-cabin-style hotel, and how cozy it is to sit by the roaring fire in a quiet lobby after dark, are completely unmatched.

While the lobby and the village may seem overcrowded and overwhelming during the day, when all the day tourists clear out and you’re left in a quiet old inn with a pianist playing in the corner, the floor boards creaking gently beneath your feet as you walk, and a huckleberry margarita in hand as you play cards with your family, you’ll be glad you picked the Old Faithful Inn for your stay!

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What I didn’t love

While we had a great stay at the Old Faithful Inn, a review isn’t complete without a few drawbacks.

Probably the biggest obstacle is the price. You can expect to pay $250+ for an Old House Room without Bath and $450+ for a Standard Hotel Room. That’s a lot to pay when you don’t even get a private bathroom. But you have to remember that you’re paying for the convenience of being inside the park, and you’re in one of the best parts of the park.

During the day, the hotel is very crowded. That’s because it’s a tourist attraction in itself, so you have day trippers coming in. This can be very overwhelming, especially when you’re just trying to get checked-in and it feels like you’re in Disney World (the hotel was the inspiration for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, fyi). The easiest way to avoid this is to get out in the morning before 9 a.m. and not come back until after 4 p.m. when most day visitors have left.

Good to Know

• Park entrance fees are not included with your reservation.
• There is no Wi-Fi at the Inn.
• There is no air conditioning in any of the rooms.
• Check the front desk for up-to-date info on Old Faithful eruption times.
• The hotel books up fast, so start planning your trip at least a year ahead of time.

My Experience at the Old Faithful Inn

Overall, we had a wonderful stay at the Old Faithful Inn!

I loved the location of the hotel. We saw Old Faithful erupt three times during our stay without having to change our plans at all in order to catch it.

After dark, we took flashlights out to the boardwalk and did a little star gazing over Old Faithful. It was incredible to see the Milky Way so clearly and watch the steam from the geysers rising up in the darkness.

The hotel was so cozy, and we spent a lot of quality family time together. It really made for the perfect family vacation!

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Who Should Stay at the Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn is perfect for those who want a rustic National Park vacation without actually having to rough it (if you’re like me and you aren’t a camping girly!).

You’ll pay a premium for the historic inn and some modern comforts, so this isn’t the place to stay if you’re on a budget.

The hotel has room configurations that are good for families, though they don’t offer a ton of space or privacy from one another.

I think the hotel really shines as a place for couples. The small rooms are plenty of space for a cozy getaway for two, and the rustic log cabin vibes make for a romantic western vacation.

Old Faithful Inn History

The Old Faithful Inn, one of the most iconic structures in Yellowstone National Park, was completed in 1904 and is renowned as the largest log structure in the world.

Designed by architect Robert Reamer, the inn reflects a rustic style inspired by the natural surroundings, with its soaring log walls, asymmetrical gabled rooflines, and a seven-story stone fireplace dominating the lobby.

Construction of the inn marked the early 20th-century push to create grand lodges in national parks to attract wealthy tourists and promote railway travel. Built primarily from local materials like lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone, it was constructed by 50 artisans and craftsmen under the direction of Reamer.

The inn has endured through the decades, surviving the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake and receiving several restorations to preserve its historic character.

Today, it is a National Historic Landmark and remains a beloved destination for travelers seeking a blend of history, architecture, and the awe of Yellowstone’s natural beauty.

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Old Faithful Inn FAQ

Where to Stay in Yellowstone National Park

Want to stay inside Yellowstone National Park? It’s the best place to stay when visiting! There are 9 lodges inside the park:

• Where We Stayed: Old Faithful Inn
• Old Faithful Snow Lodge & Cabins
• Old Faithful Lodge Cabins
• Canyon Lodge & Cabins
• Lake Lodge Cabins
• Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins
• Grant Village
• Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabin
• Roosevelt Lodge Cabins

Yellowstone also has 12 campgrounds that you can reserve in advance.

More Wyoming Travel Tips

Plan your Wyoming vacation with these other helpful articles:

• Perfect 7 Day Yellowstone & Grand Teton Itinerary
• 34 Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park
• 19 Best Things to Do in Grand Teton National Park
• Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa Review: Jackson Hole Hotel

Cheers!

Paige

Would you stay at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park? Let me know if you found this Old Faithful Inn review helpful!