Jimmys Travel Report

Old Faithful Inn Suite

ofi-front-02

After landing at West Yellow Stone airport, and picking up our rental car, we proceeded to drive to the Old Faithful Inn to check into our room. After leaving the airport you make a right and drive five minutes to the small town of West Yellowstone. This small town directly boarders the national park, and after grabbing some bottled waters and light supplies we turned left onto Hwy 191 and drove half a block to the park’s check-in entrance.

 

Introduction: Yellowstone for Labor Day
Review: Delta Regional Short-haul Coach Salt Lake City to West Yellow Stone
Review: Old Faithful Inn Suite
Review: Delta Regional Short-haul Coach West Yellow Stone to Salt Lake City
Additional Thoughts: Yellowstone National Park

 

There was no wait or other cars when we checked in, which we thought was great for the Friday of Labor Day weekend.  The park fee is $30 for private vehicles and it’s good for a week. After paying the entrance fee, we drove into Yellowstone National Park. It took about 30 minutes to from landing at the airport to driving into the park itself, which included rental car pickup and a quick trip to the grocery store. Not bad at all.

The drive to the lodge is about 45 minutes long without heavy traffic. With traffic longer. The scenery is naturally beautiful, and it’s easy to get distracted as you meander about Hwy 191. Once we arrived at Old Faithful Inn we parked in the main parking area in front of the hotel and carried our luggage to the lodge reception desk. The lodge was built at the turn of the 20th century in 1904 with natural timbers and stone, and this design ascetic is carried throughout the main structure (called the Old House).

 

ofi-front-04Another angle of this majestic lodge

ofi-front-03Looking straight up when walking in the front

entranceFront entry door to Old Faithful Inn

registration-desk-02Front registration desk

registration-deskLooking at registration to the front

Check in was simple and quick. There was no line when we entered the lodge, and we had our 2 room keys (for an Old Faithful Inn Suite) promptly. After giving us some direction we made our way to suite 3002. The front lobby is wonderful, and I’ll cover it with the rest of the lodge later.

From the reception area we walked upstairs to the second level. On the second floor you walk through an access corridor encased in timbers. It’s dark and rustic. The suites are in the East Wing newer portion of the lodge (1927) and it requires crossing a connecting breezeway between the original and newer section. Once you cross the second story breezeway you immediately ascend a second staircase to the third floor. This section of the lodge is light, bright and less rustic – almost Victorian. It’s quite a contrast. Suite 3002 is at the end of a longer corridor.

2nd-floor-02-rSecond floor main lodge

2nd-story-hallLodge 2nd floor hall

cross-breezConnecting breezeway 2nd floor

hall-23rd floor hallway

suite-2-doorsSuite 3002 way at the hall end – 2 doors

3002-doorEntry in

We entered the suite from the first door which puts you into the bedroom. This bedroom is connected to the sitting room by dual doors into a connected bathroom, and then another door on the outside wall. The room is finished in the simple plain Victorian style, with modern maple furniture. It’s very different than the “Old House” section of the lodge – but also makes a comfortable space. There are 2 queen beds, both located in the one bedroom.

Additional bedroom furniture includes two nightstands, a dresser, two ottoman benches (for the beds), and a free standing armoire that acts as a small closet. There are 2 older traditional sized windows and with curtains. The furniture is a mix with some western in style (which fits with the sensibilities of the lodge) and some more contemporary.

2-beds Beds with ottoman bench

single-bedSingle bed

buffelo-toyBuffalo toy on bed

armoireFreestanding armoire

inside-armoireStorage inside

dresserBedroom dresser

The sitting room was about the same size as the bedroom. It was furnished with a pull out sleeper love seat, a sitting chair, console table and coffee table. The room style was similar to the bedroom but with some of the furniture having more of a western feel; this makes for an eclectic collection of furniture in a more or less simple layout. Our daughter used the pullout sleeper for her bed which she said was comfortable enough.

In the common room wall there is a recessed space with shelves and a small refrigerator. On the shelves is a coffee machine with coffee and tea packs. The suite comes with an assortment of drinks in the fridge including soft drinks and juice that are refreshed each day. Oddly water is not included with this and I recommend stocking up before getting to the lodge (the local store does have plenty). There is also a snack basket on the coffee table that gets refreshed daily. The east facing windows have a clear view of Old Faithful which goes off every 90 minutes – location and view are of course is a highlight of the room.

couchPull out sleeper love seat

center-storageFood and beverage center

caffeineCaffeine setup

fridgeSmall fridge stocked with beverages (cream is ours)

basketSnack basket

corner-chairSitting chair with console table

side-wall-2Sitting room outside wall

views-of-old-faithfulViews of Old Faithful from the East Wing of the Lodge

A joining the one bedroom and living room is a joint access bathroom. The bathroom main entry is a sink and vanity area with a mirror. Connected to it is a shower room with commode. Basics such as soap, shampoo, conditioner and body wash are included. Also included are two terry cloth robes and a basic complement of towels.  Water pressure is acceptable and although being dated, the bathroom facilities were fine for a three night stay.

main-bathBathroom sink and vanity

hand-soapSoap bear

other-amenitiesGlass sink shelve

sink-areaAnother pic of the sink area

shower-tub-comboTub / Shower combo

shower-topAnother shower pic

shower-stuffShower amenities

commodeCommode

towlesTowel rack

robesTerry cloth robes

One of the most wonderful aspects of staying at the historic Old Faithful Inn is being able to enjoy the architecture of the lodge. The building is steeped in history, and it is really special to take some lazy time and wonder around the site and structure. The main entrance and lobby is breathtaking. The master interior space, called “The Great Hall”, rises several stories up to the “Crow’s Nest”, a high perch where musicians would perform before and after dinner service. In the 1950’s there was a significant earthquake and the structure was closed the public – what a shame because above the Crow’s Nest is a rooftop deck with great views of the park.

Directly off the second story area is outdoor viewing deck. From here you can see several of the geysers (including Old Faithful) around the lodge and enjoy a relaxing open environment. Just inside from the deck is a standard bar and coffee counter where you can get your beverage of choice. There are several benches lined up and it’s enjoyable socializing and meeting different people who are visiting the lodge.

building-01Lodge backside view

ofi-signLove the rustic construction of the lodge

2nd-floor-viewOpen lobby from second floor

open-interiorWhat you see looking up from lobby main floor

starcase-upSuper interesting architecture

2nd-floorAnother angle of second story

tableClose up of writing tables on second floor

outside-deckOutdoor seating area from 2nd story

fire-place-spaceMaster fireplace on first floor of main lobby

fire-fireMorning fire time

chimnyMain lobby fireplace chimney looking up to clock

clockView from 2nd story

clock-close-up-rClose-up of clock

crowes-nest-stairsAccess gate to Crow’s Nest

crows-nestSign into Crow’s Nest

 dining-spaceMain dining room

dining-space-aboveView from 2nd floor

main-dining-01Morning breakfast view

main-dinning-03Another angle

The Old Faithful Inn is located in a very interesting and geologically active area of Yellowstone Park. Directly behind the lodge is the famous Old Faithful geyser which goes off every 90 minutes. In addition to that are dozens of other geysers and beautiful sights. There are several raised walking paths and also standard trails that a person can spend hours exploring and learning about the natural beauty of the park – without even the need to drive somewhere.

mapMap of surrounding area

streamFirehole river

grottoGrotto geyser

clearBeauty pool geyser

crowdsGroup waiting for giant geyser

vistorVisitor center next door

 In Summary:

Old Faithful Inn may not be high end luxury on a far remote island; but it is very special and stately resort in its own way. It is so different from all the other hotels we have stayed with. The old rustic architecture is beautiful and grand, and very much Western American. Our suite room was well provisioned, roomy and very comfortable for 3 people to stay in. The lodge building itself and surrounding sights make the advanced planning and nightly rate of $572.00 (for the suite) worth the cost. There are a number of other properties you can stay at in the park, and we’ll probably try a couple of them, but Old Faithful Inn is unique and wonderful. We look forward to returning to this majestic lodge someday.