Best Western Plus Kootenai River Inn Casino & Spa

We had a heron fishing from a log to watch from our private balcony, which had a little Bistro set overlooking the water. Inside, the spacious room had warm lighting and a comfortable bed. The staff were friendly and accommodating, and the older hotel has been updated nicely. We ate well at the restaurant, and even though we don’t gamble much, drinks in the casino were super cheap. The tunnel under the highway makes it easy to walk to the old downtown, where there are cute shops and restaurants. A great little getaway!

The photos on the website match the property, and I enjoyed this overnight visit enough to want to return for longer. Rooms were clean and comfortable, the casino floor was laid out well for wandering around and playing, and the service was courteous and professional. Food was good throughout. I used my meal card discount for French toast, which was just right, and took the short walk downtown through the well-lit tunnel. The main drawback was the trains. If that bothers you, bring earplugs, lol.

The room was fairly clean, though I found hairs in the comforter. The sheets seemed fine. The restaurant meal was just okay, and the salad bar had brown lettuce and beans dropped in the dressing. I didn’t see anyone attending to it. There aren’t many options in Bonners Ferry, but keep in mind this place is beside the tracks. Trains went by about every 90 minutes, and we barely slept. Bring earplugs.

The restaurant staff were very pleasant, the food was good, and our room was comfy and clean. Most of the rest of the stay was frustrating. We’d been looking forward to our weekend, February 6, 2026, but before we’d even gotten out of the car, a woman approached us as if she knew us and asked odd things like whether we’d locked the car. She had lots of license plate numbers written on her forearm. At check-in we told the front desk, and the staff member said complaints about her had been coming in since early morning and that she’d alert the general manager. My husband and I ran into her several more times in the lot. A man was with her but stayed in the car. We called the desk and asked security to talk to them. We were then told they were hotel guests and nothing could be done. A sheriff’s deputy came by and spoke with us. He said the two were known to police for bothering people at that location and were probably not hotel patrons, since they were homeless and living in their car. There was also a wrestling tournament at the hotel. The teenagers and families weren’t the problem, but the way the hotel handled access to the facilities was. From 4 p.m., when we checked in, until the pool closed at 11 p.m., the pool and hot tub had 30 to 60 people from the wrestling group there for seven straight hours. If the hotel had set aside a pool time for them and left other times for guests, we could have used it for even one hour. The next morning I hoped to soak before breakfast and checkout, but the wrestling families had already taken over, with their things on all the tables and chairs and nowhere for anyone else to relax. The casino was disappointing too. The only bar was in the smoking area, and I hated having to go there for a drink. I checked out with a sore throat and a poor opinion of the place, and I’m unlikely to return. When we raised our concerns at checkout, the front desk staff member got defensive and basically kept lying to us.