Sunflowerguy03

Has anyone ever been to Hot Springs before I am planning a trip and I am trying to get a good Idea as to where to stay and what is on the must do list. Thanks for the help

Jimingso

Which Hot Springs?

Sunflowerguy03

Sorry Hot Springs Arkansas

bigtyke

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34968886

includes my trip report on Hot Springs

happytourist

I live just outside of Hot Springs, so I can give you some information. Sadly, most hotels get poor reviews on tripadvisor.com. I would recommend the Baymont, which is on Lake Hamilton and several miles from downtown, and is fairly new. Right now is racing season and so even getting a room could be difficult. Don't wait until the last minute. Horse racing is big here--the season goes from mid-January to mid-April. The winner of the Arkansas Stakes, the last race in April, goes to the Kentucky Derby, so that's always a big racing day.
A lot depends on when you will be here. At this time of year, tour the bathhouse museum in Hot Springs National Park (it's the bathhouse row right downtown), visit the many excellent art galleries and antique shops, go to one of the spas, have a drink in the lobby of the Arlington Hotel, drive up the mountains, go up the tower, go to the Ron Coleman mine in Jessieville and ask to see the gallery (amazing rocks), check out the arts calendar in the newspaper for events at the Poets Loft, jazz clubs, etc. If the weather is nice, rent a boat at Lake Ouachita and go out for a couple of hours. Right now the rangers are doing eagle watch tours.
In the summer, go to Magic Springs, an amusement park that has great roller coasters and free concerts on Saturday nights (we've seen LeeAnn Rimes, Patty Lovelace, Bo Diddly, Diamond Reo, and many more great acts, all for the price of your park admission).
You're also about 1 1/4 hours from Little Rock, where you can go to the Clinton Presidential Library and the Central High Civil Rights Museum. If you have time to drive down to Hope (home of Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee), you can see the 15,000 FEMA trailers stored there on your way to Historic Washington State Park, an interesting interpretative park where the Bowie knives were first made.
http://www.hotsprings.org/

Sunflowerguy03

thanks happytourist that is a lot to consider, we will actually be visiting mid-September any most see or do that time of the year?

cd

Our son lives in Houston so when we drive down we always plan for 2 days in Hot Springs. We stay at the Arlington Hotel which we find to be old and charming. We allow an afternoon to go to the Buckstaff, just a few steps down, and have a wonderful hot springs spa experience. They have a mens side and a womens side.

mrwunrfl

I stayed at the Embassy Suites in Hot Springs and thought it was excellent.

happytourist

I think there's a barbeque festival/hot air balloon event September 18-21. There's also a jazz festival in September 12-14.

crest332

I second the recommendation for the Baymont on the lake. It's nothing fancy but reasonable and on a beautiful area of the lake. Another option (though pricey) is Lakeside Inn on Lookout Point. Beautiful inn, rooms, and grounds with wonderful breakfast. There's another B&B on the lake, Hamilton House.

The other option would be to rent a condo. They are plentiful and available in many price ranges. If you want specific recommendations for sources, just post.

We keep our boat on Lake Hamilton so we really don't spend much time in the downtown area. On the lake, my favorite restaurants include BackPorch Grill and an Italian restaurant, I think called The Villa. If you don't mind a bit of a drive, Cajun Boilers has good seafood.

happytourist

If you're willing to stay out of town about 15 miles, rent an entire house here in Hot Springs Village for the same or less as a night at the Arlington Hotel in town. We're in the Ouachita Mountains, with 8 golf courses and 12 lakes.

http://www.hotspringsvillagechamber....sp?cat=Rentals

http://www.hotspringsvillagechamber....sp?cat=Rentals