We recently spent our first night in Old Faithful Inn and while we really enjoyed the experience, I wanted to pass on some things I learned.

Try not to stay on the first floor--it is very noisy. A lot of people walk through the halls looking at the hotel and forget people are actually staying in tne rooms.

They do four tours a day and bring a large group down the hall. I was coming back to my room from the showers with a big white towel on my head and had to go through about 30 people to get to my rooom!!!

Speaking of showers-there are no showers on the first floor--another good reason to stay on an upper floor.

If you are there when it is hot, try to stay on the front side. There is no A/C and our room was in the sun all day. We couldn't leave our window open because there is a white rock parking area on the back side that blew a lot of dust in our room every time someone drove through it.

The elevator on the west side is very noisy.

Be advised the rooms in the "old house"--the original building-- are very rustic, small and dark. You do have a sink but will have to go to the showers.

We expected most of this because of posts I had read here at Fodor's so we were prepared and that helped us to just enjoy the experience. Thought some of our experiences would help make your trip even better.

Thanks Connie
We will be in Yellowstone the middle of August but could not get rooms in the Old Faithful area so will be staying in West Yellowstone. I was told by the reservationist in Yellowstone that we would have a 45 min drive from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful. Were the roads crowded when you were there? Does this sound like a reasonable length of driving time to you? We could have had a room without a bath but choose not to take it for reasons such as you have given. Hope we will not be sorry.

We didn't mind not having a shower in the room--we usually camp so this was nothing new.

I wanted to stay in the old section because it has the rustic feel of the 99 year old inn. The newer wings are just usual hotel rooms. I just wanted the Old Faithful Inn experience and so I found it all charming.

We were there last week and the traffic wasn't too bad. 45 minutes sounds about right.

Thanks Connie
Were there toilets in the room along with the sink?

We stayed in a first floor room 2 years ago and it had a shower and full bathroom. There are showers on the first floor, just maybe not in the wing that Connie stayed on. We had a very nice, tastefully decorated room and loved the Old Faithful Inn.

Stayed the last year in mid August also. HINT -- don't give up trying to get a room at ANY of the places around Old Faithful. We got rooms at last minute due to cancellations that always happen. We stayed one night at the Old Inn and one at Snow lodge. Also stayed 3 at Canyon Lodge which I highly recommend as teh only other base you will need besides something around Old Faithful for various day trips to the diff sections. The Canyon Lodge is only a few years old and hugely different then the hundreds of ratty looking cabins built in the 30's. Same in Old Faitful -- Snow Lodge is a few years old, the cabins are old and small and dusty, and the INN is off course THE historic place to go to -- if nothing else go there at night and sit in the lobby. We were luckiy enouh to stay off the main original building where all the tiny rooms with only a sink and heavy traffic are. But take ANYthing you can get.

As far as tips on getting rooms (I've used this at Yellowstone last year and at Yosemite earlier this year). Tip #1 is easy -- You have to book a year in a advance. Since everyone does this -- many plans change a year later and cancellations come in as time approaches (to save penalty) Having missed that 1 year window or you don't get what you really want do the follwoing. Go to the website for online reservations
http://travelyellowstone.com/static/70.htm
click on "checking all factilities". Then try ONE day at a time for the period you will be there. You can pick up single nights at good spots sometimes -- the likelihood of 2 or 3 nights in a row is remote so don't put in a range of dates. Bookmark this site. Do this everyday (maybe morning and nite) up tl you leave. Assuming you already have accomodations somewhere -- when you get there check at any hotel check in desk and ask if anything is open at the Inn or anywhere else you want. I got some better rooms this way while there. Good luck

CD - definitely KEEP TRYING. While 45 minutes isn't too bad (we stayed in w.yellowstone once, also), the last time we went to Yellowstone, we got a ressie at the last minute. It was a 2nd floor room with a view of the other small geysers nearby, one of the dormer-style rooms at the top of the steps. It had three double beds and a sink, with a shared bath down the hall. It was wonderful - quiet and serene; we used the little sitting area just outside our door every evening to play cards and people-watch in the lobby below! It was also waaay cool to step out on the 2nd floor porch to watch the sunrise and see Old Faithful do its thing!! So keep trying!

Thanks everyone, I will keep trying. I've called and I do check the website. Maybe now that it's getting closer to our arrival date, there will be more cancellations. I did get one at the Lake Lodge for our last evening but the first two are still in W Yellowstone.

Just called and got Old Faithful without bath for the first night and Canyon the second night. Hope this is good!! Any comments?

I just got back from staying one night at Old Faithful Inn. My conclusion: NEVER AGAIN; its a ripoff par excellence.

The room had a bath, but the shower was so small that that at 6ft tall and 180, I could not turn. When I pushed the shower curtain back to get out of the shower, the tension held shower curtain rod came down and hit me in the head.

The room was so small that it had no place to put luggage (I had one overnight bag); it was hot, unventilated except for the little window, and miserable. All that for more than $100 a night.

West Yellowstone may be 30 miles away, but how far will you drive for a decent night's sleep?

Bob, I agree you aren't getting much for your money compared with other hotels but I wanted the experience of staying in the 99 year old inn and knew from this forum what to expect going in.

For clarification---the original part of the building, called the Old House, does not have toilets or showers--you do have a sink. There are no showers on the first floor so you have to go up to the second floor. I actually found this to be a fun--for just a few days.

These rooms are a lot more rustic as in keeping with the inn's decor. They are also nearly half the price of the other rooms.

The wings were added later and do have bathrooms but are no different in atmosphere to any other hotel room.

We met up with friends who got an Old Faithful cabin at the last minute. They have been totally restored inside and out. They are small but their's had a double and twin bed plus the bathroom.

Well, Bob where were you, BEFORE I made reservations (and paying for them) for Old Faithful Inn and cancelling West Yellowstone reservations? ;-) I just wanted to make the most of our time and not spend nearly six hours driving (three days)to and from our hotel. I just hope it is not hot cause then I will be a bitch. Thanks everyone for your experiences.

Hey CD, i think you'll be fine. While i'm far from being a hotel snob (i LOVE holiday inn express!), anything that even suggests camping makes me shiver! Including the word 'rustic'.

Old Faithful IS old, and we were in the oldest part, complete with slanted ceilings/dormers etc. It only had a sink, so we had to 'rough it' by sharing a bath. And it was still WONDERFUL! We had the best time! Its a GRAND ole hotel and you will love it.

How many days will you be there? If you're not happy, it will be easier to be moved to a different room if one opens up.

But IMO, the worst room at Old Faithful Inn is MUCH better than the best room in w. yellowstone. You won't be sorry! ENJOY!

Thanks Ellen - that's the part of Old Faithful Inn that we are in also....I plan on calling often to see if there has been a cancelation of a room with a bath. We will be at Old Faithful one night. Canyon one night and the pioneer Lake Lodge Cabins one night. I want to try and upgrade from Pioneer to Western at the Lake Lodge also. But if not, we will go with that "camping" spirit!