Big Horn Resort, an Ascend Collection Hotel

The staff were friendly, and having the hotel connected to the water park was handy. But with the price and our experience, I wouldn't recommend staying here. We’ve stayed at Great Wolf Lodges and Six Flags Great Escape Lodges for about the same cost, and this was nowhere near those experiences. Next time I’d stay at another local hotel and walk or drive over to the water park. This place needs major facility upgrades and better customer service options before I'd consider returning. The rooms were clean-ish, but we found food residue on some counter surfaces. For the price, it felt like an overpriced Super 8 Motel. Breakfast was limited, and much of the food and milk often wasn't replenished. On our last morning, the breakfast worker was putting food away and cleaning quickly an hour before breakfast was meant to end. We got food, but families came down after us and had nothing to choose from. Noise was the worst part. We could hear every step in the hallway, stairwell, and rooms above and below us. People stomped around from about 6 a.m. to midnight every day, and we got the worst sleep of our lives. The beds were awful spring mattresses, harder than the floor. There were no pillow or sheet covers under the bedding, which felt gross even though I assume it was washed. The pillows were paper-thin and offered no support.

I was in town for medical reasons and stayed just one night, but this will be my go-to hotel in Billings now. I'd heard warnings to be careful in Billings and lock the car. This place is away from downtown and residential areas, in more of a hotel district, and it felt safe. It was quiet and peaceful, though it was the off-season. After reading plenty of reviews, including a few complaints about staff, I decided to try it anyway. I couldn't find a single thing wrong. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and seemed happy to help. My room was spotless, with no mold, damage, or signs of age, and everything worked. It smelled nice, and I appreciated the printed, laminated TV channel guide. Breakfast was fine too.

The arcade had a decent mix of games, and there’s a small bar and food area. We ordered onion rings and got about seven, which felt a little disappointing. The front desk staff were friendly and helpful, and when we asked for clean towels, they brought them right away. Our room wasn’t refreshed during our three-night stay, though. We chose Big Horn Resort mainly because our child wanted to swim, but the pool was chilly, the bottom didn't look clean, and there was a noticeable film around the top of the hot tub. We didn't spend much time there. The room was modern and nicely updated, but the bed and pillows were mediocre and uncomfortable for a longer stay. Noise from outside the room made it harder to relax, and the TV remote was unreliable when changing channels. The location was convenient, with restaurants, shopping, other amenities, and several hotels nearby. The pool and comfort fell short of what we expected, especially since swimming was our main reason for coming. Check the water park hours, as it isn't always open.

I mentioned at check-in that I might need a cot, if one was available. The front desk guy said it would cost another $15 a night, which I thought was ridiculous. We paid a lot for the rooms, and I’ve told many people not to stay here. I’ll also be contacting management to give them a piece of my mind. We stayed three days and reused our towels, but there were only three for the five of us. After two showers, I took the wet ones down to exchange because my oldest wanted to shower after playing in a championship basketball game. I’ve always been able to bring towels down for clean ones. After I put them in the dirty bin, the front desk guy said no, he had no towels to give me, and it wasn’t his problem. I said we had none for showering and asked for three, but he refused. I told him I’d worked in the hotel business for a long time and that laundry should be finished after the maids leave. He said no. The water park costs $14 per person even for hotel guests, and it’s only open from 4 to 8 p.m. The hotel pool is in the same area and open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so if you have things to do until after 8, you can't swim. I won't stay here with my family again.