Soda Butte Lodge

Our room itself was fine, and a very nice employee kindly helped my dad carry his bags up to our second-floor room. There’s no elevator, and no coffee in the room, though they had some in the lobby. The restaurant is what made this a low-rated stay. It was SUPER WEIRD. When we arrived around 5 PM, the bartender and waitress were sitting at a table watching TV. We felt like we were intruding. They gave us menus and walked away without asking for a drink order, then hovered right beside us the whole time, which was awkward. Ordering was a struggle. My dad asked for one simple addition, and they couldn’t understand him at first. Once they did, they went back to lurking around and watching TV. The bartender handed me my drink by grabbing the rim where you put your mouth. The food was fine, but we had to eat with plastic silverware that sat out in a cup on the table, collecting dust and being pawed through. Another table came in while we were eating and also thought the hovering and plastic silverware were weird.

We had a large family room with three queen beds, and the bathroom was spacious. The location is great, and I love hearing the brook at night. But our rest after a long drive was awful. We were on the second floor, and for some funny reason there was loud waking and cabinet banging above us from 11 to 11:45 pm. This place was probably great in the 70s and 80s, but it needs upkeep now.

The bathroom door in my room didn’t close properly, and I heard strange noises through the night. It’s no five-star hotel, but it worked well enough for me. I stayed the night before climbing Granite Peak in the back country and again when we got back. The spot was great, just 15 minutes from my trailhead. We didn’t return to our vehicles until midnight after the climb, so I appreciated staff leaving our key on the reception desk. The coffee machine was good, the beds were comfortable, and there was a meeting space in the lobby.

The location was amazing, and the bathroom and shower were very large. There’s free Wi-Fi, but no free breakfast. The hotel has a lot of history, so it’s sad to see the building in this state. It’s old and needs a lot of cleaning and renovation. Our room had several problems: leftover food in the fridge, parts of the AC system broken, stains and hairballs all over the sheets, and cracks throughout the walls. We could hear EVERYTHING upstairs, so loudly it was hard to sleep. I’d reconsider staying here if you’re planning a visit to Cooke City.