The FairBridge Inn and Suites Kalispell

I can see how this huge place could be amazing again with a lot of TLC, but I wouldn’t stay here again. The bed was comfy, and the staff were nice and helpful. The two pools were great in size and depth, one at 8 feet and the other at 18 inches, which is good for small children. The water seemed well maintained, but the pool was dark, the hot tub seemed broken, and we didn’t use it. The area wasn’t clean or well kept: the roof looked ready to fall in, the entrance door was rotten and almost coming off, and the bathroom was especially dirty and smelled mildewed. Pool towels had to be requested at the desk, which I only learned later in the room. The hotel itself is incredibly run down and smells of mildew. The carpet was stained, there was no window screen, and the fitness equipment was barely holding together. The handball room was unkept and required a staff member to escort us. The walk to the pool was creepy and cold, and some doors didn’t shut all the way, which felt scary at night. I doubt they heat the whole building. It was probably a great hotel in its day, and it has potential, but it needs a lot of care.

The front desk woman on the night shift was AMAZING, friendly and helpful, and the rooms were clean and tidy. Booking online was easy, and we checked in later than some, at 8:30 pm. The pool was clean and relaxing. Breakfast was the standard continental kind, and the food we had was nice, with fresh fruit available too. But the breakfast room was dirty, no one was there to tidy it, and there were no spoons for cereal. At checkout, the day staff member was friendly while talking with us, but first she left us standing at the desk for about five minutes before looking up, even though no one else was there. I’d recommend this place to everyone!

The pool was okay and breakfast was really good, and the staff had no problem moving us when we asked for different rooms. I also appreciated getting my money back for the one night I cancelled. Still, the bad outweighed the good. I booked six weeks ahead and was told the rooms would connect, but they didn’t have connecting or next-door access. I never got an email confirmation despite asking twice, because they said they couldn’t figure out a new system update. In the first room, it looked like someone had taken one bed and just pulled the covers up without changing the sheets. The other room had stained sheets and smelled terrible. The second set of rooms smelled bad too, and it seemed like pets allowed in the rooms had peed everywhere, so we just put up with it. My room had no fridge, and my parents’ room had no fridge, coffee maker, or microwave. Everyone I saw waiting to ask the front desk had a complaint. The hotel needs upgrades and has potential to be amazing again, but I wouldn’t recommend it until then. Just book the Super 8 next door.

We stayed four nights over the 4th, and the price was reasonable for the area and holiday period. The beds were very firm, the pillows felt like big, hard stuffed cotton balls, the showerhead was horrible, and the AC only worked well at night when it was cooler outside. The hotel didn’t look great from the front, and I wouldn’t venture around back. It also seemed to have a lot of weekly or maybe monthly tenants, and it wasn’t as clean or well kept as I’d hoped. We couldn’t get housekeeping during the stay, even though the notice says there’s no housekeeping for seven-day stays. After asking several times, we still couldn’t get clean towels, and the trash cans were full, as were the bins around the hotel. I’d stay again if I were in a pinch, but it wasn’t an amazing experience.