I stopped by Hemlock Lodge a few weeks ago. Info center informed us that there was a hiking path up to the natural bridge. So upon arrival, we spoke with a hotel staff employee and they were extremely friendly and very helpful. We decided to look around at the facility and to enjoy some of the beauty around to Hotel. The hiking path was very well maintained and not too challenging. Bathrooms are clean and they have a gift shop. The hike is moderate, so be ready to go uphill and thru a tight rock. It's approx a mile hike. Enjoy @ noirvedanaturals read more

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The lodge is fantastic! You have a typical continental breakfast, pool access, and fantastic views! The restaurant onsite has decent food, you get free WiFi, a private balcony, and first access to the Sky Lift and trails! In a great location near the Red River Gorge, with a tavern of bourbon is your jam! Beds are comfy, people are friendly, and there are events and goings on to keep you occupied... when you aren't out exploring the Gorge, of course! Enjoy! read more

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Great location for hikers going onto Red River Gorge or the Arches. The lodge has free included breakfast for room stays. EVERY room had a large balcony overlooking pool and creek and trees. The room has been sort of upgraded. Tv was ok. Beds ok. The room had laundry bags that never been switched out. I picked it up and two large bugs jumped out. Alive!! Yikes!! The dust on corners of desk needs attention. I liked instructions for Air Conditioner and heater thermostat. Rust was all over any metal surface such as lamps and door handles. read more

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Nice state park lodge with somewhat updated rooms. Rooms were clean but we were given specific directions on how to work the AC. Couldn't set the thermostat below 70 or it wouldn't work, they told us that. We couldn't get the AC to run more than 5 minutes at a time. All day and night you had to go through the steps for the AC to run only 5 minutes again. I complained everyday to staff but nothing was ever done on our 3 night stay. Hot room made for miserable sleeping. Food on buffet was subpar. I would say's state park funding cuts have caused this park lodge to go downhill fast! read more

Had a two-night trip here a couple of months ago with my boyfriend! We had an incredible time. The lodge was super cozy and clean with peaceful views! Staff was also very friendly. The beds were comfortable and there was enough parking at night as well. Super close in proximity to several hikes and good restaurants! We enjoyed walking around and taking in all of the scenery. The only negative thing to say is that the shower would suddenly go piping hot for no reason, but it honestly was not that big of a deal. Would recommend this place to anyone and would love to come back during the summer season to experience all of the amenities! Loved it here! read more

We stayed in the lodge while visiting Red River Gorge + Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The lodge is centrally located within Natural Bridge SR Park so you are near the main hiking trails to see that Bridge and it's arches as well as the ski-lift and souvenir shop. The Lodge itself boasts a tavern (Trail's End Tavern) and restaurant on site. I read that the Tavern boasts a respectable bourbon selection but was unable to verify as though hours online all showcased a 2 pm daily opening, it never opened during our stay though it wasn't listed as being "off season" (early April, 2024). We dined in the restaurant for the complimentary breakfast which was really good particularly for a free breakfast-- a buffet with eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, a waffle maker, yogurt, fruit, breakfast pastries, coffee, juice, milk. The biscuits were far better than I would have expected and all else was above average as well. Rooms are quiet and clean, water pressure is phenomenal in the shower, there's not a lot of outdoor light pollution to mess with your night schedule. There's a great back balcony for each room with a pretty overlook. TV has standard channels. In-room fridge and coffee maker. I'd say other than the Tavern being closed without advertisement, my only primary complaint would be check-in. Check in on Expedia and e-mail verification was listed as 3 pm. We hoped for a bit early check in given that was such a late check-in, but not only was this not possible but upon arrival at 2 we were told check-in was actually 4 pm and they weren't sure why it was listed as 3 so often. We were told this was for "COVID protocols" (sidenote: any single thing you can do to kill the COVID germs in a hotel room should have already been standard protocol to kill cold, flu, e-coli, etc.). When we came back at close to 5, we were told by new staff they weren't sure we'd be able to check in as they hadn't heard back from housekeeping but thankfully we were. So all in all, not much to nitpick about and it was well worth the price we paid. Great value, great location, well maintained, quality free breakfast to boot. The wifi worked surprisingly well for us too the entire time we were here, not that we were doing anything intensive in that regard though. read more

We ate at the restaurant at Hemlock Lodge. I had a chicken wrap. Decent at best. My husband had the fried fish with hush puppies. The fried fish was good. The hush puppies were not. My husband said he could use them for trailer scotches. The service was poor at best. The beverages were terrible. Not sweet tea or Coke Zero. We will not be returning. read more

It's exactly what you would picture as an outdoorsy sort of Lodge. The rooms are clean and they have balconies with excellent views. Nice size refrigerators with soft cozy beds. The breakfasts are pretty good too. Plenty of coffee. We have run in to some excellent staff here willing to direct us here or there. Will be coming back. read more

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Went for lunch when only the buffet was available during lunch on a Saturday . It was dry and old and looked like gas station food. The dessert had been cooking under heat lamps for way too long. Inedible. Left hungrier than we came. Our server was wonderful and the drinks were cold, that's the only reason for the single star. read more

The room was really nice. The bed sheeting was clean. I had a really nice say. I would come back there again. read more

This is probably my favorite place in the red river gorge. The food is good and the atmosphere is perfect. Ive eaten here several times during both breakfast and dinner and I love it when im able to be seated by the large window wall with a great view. The veggie omelet was delicious and the kids enjoyed their biscuits and gravy and french toast. During lunch ive had the roasted chicken from the buffet a few times and its always awesome. read more

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I'm so glad that this lodge opened. We came here to check out the sights and the trails. The staff was friendly and accommodating considering there's plenty of new rule or restrictions due to the pandemic. read more

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We enjoyed our time at the Hemlock Lodge- for the most part. The king room was nicely-sized and clean. It's a little older, but still very acceptable for a state park lodge. The continental breakfast was good as well. What left us wanting more was the customer service at the front desk of the Lodge. The employees seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves, and when we called for help with a non-functioning TV it took four calls to get a response... which turned out to be "There's nothing we can do to help you. It's the satellite company's problem." The next morning, when we went to check out from our two-night stay... the manager was too busy to even leave her desk to come and talk to us about the issue. She simply told another employee to tell me that she would email me. It's clear that the attitude of the front desk employees comes from their supervisor. read more

This is a pretty difficult lodge to find. If you are not familiar with this area you are going to find yourself deep in the woods with no service. It was pure luck driving in at night that I was able to find it. The staff at the front desk for each interaction at the lodge seemed like they really did not want to be there. Customer service is not a top priority here. I do want to point out the host at the restaurant early in the morning was outstanding and seemed to be the only one really working. We were looking forward to their breakfast buffet which was not open or operational on a Saturday morning. They had one room left, meaning they were at max capacity. So I am not sure why they chose not to run this service. The location is great, and the views from the window are looking directly out into the forest, which I found very peaceful. The bathrooms are old with stained ceilings and tubs. These need to be replaced. Over-all staff improvements, better geo locations on the website and search results for first time visitors, operational breakfast buffet, and updated bathrooms. People have rediscovered the outdoors over the pandemic. Now is certainly the time to ensure they want to keep visiting the woods and your lodge. read more

I have read a lot of reviews about how this hotel needs updating & the WiFi is nonexistent. Forget that. It's a lodge in the woods. Did you go to play on your phone? If you want a nice, quiet, calm place to relax that is clean and has a wonderful view from your balcony, then this is the place. The room was very clean; everything seemed to be new and not worn out or worn down. There was a black washcloth embroidered for make up only and hanging over the tub was a hand towel folded prettily with a washcloth & shampoo in it. Look for my photos of these items. There is an outdoor pool, which is not just rectangular shaped. There were trails very close to the lodge. The staff was very friendly and helpful in guiding us to the right trail. The dining room had wonderful views & it was clean. The food that was ordered off of the menu was good. I would not suggest the salad bar or the hot food bar. (There were frog legs.) Those items seemed very dry and appeared to have been sitting there for quite some time. I did order the salad bar and not very many of the things that I tasted were good. But the southwest tilapia with corn & black bean salsa was delicious. We also had breakfast the next morning. I decided to order off the menu again, while my girls ordered the breakfast bar. One daughter was perfectly happy with her food, one was not but that's always the case with those two. This is a lovely lodge with friendly staff and decent food. It's not a high-end Marriott. It's a lodge in a state park. If it's clean and comfortable and everyone is friendly, then what more can you ask for? We were very happy with our stay at the Hemlock Lodge and would've gladly stayed one more evening, if we could have. read more

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This "hotel" is run by Kentucky State Parks so I wasn't expecting the Hilton. Regardless it was charming and had great views of the gorge. The place was dated but very clean. The room was updated and nice! I very much appreciated that. The bathroom was a bit old and needed some touches but that was my only thing to complain about. Hope to come back soon someday! read more

Stopped and had lunch at the lodge. The food was good, I had the catfish sandwich. Better than what you'd expect from the look of the place. Prices were very reasonable so all in all a good experience. read more

I'm giving them a 4 because the hotel and cabin weren't necessarily the best but the staff was so so so nice and helpful. We originally got a cabin and then found out it didn't have any WiFi and it was a dead zone so Tim was able to check us into a hotel room instead that had WiFi. Tim was super helpful and one of the nicest people I ever met. The TV in our room wasn't working so Tim got the park ranger, Darin, to go into another hotel room and get us the piece we needed. Darin was also super nice. The hotel room itSelf wasn't too bad. The toilet didn't flush well and it would have been better if there was carpeting in our room. Also, the blankets had some holes in it. The food there was really good. I would recommend staying here because it's cheap and the staff couldn't get any better. read more

This is a clean and decent place to stay! It's not a 4 star hotel; it's in the woods and in a state park. The staff was helpful, polite and welcoming. Hospitality at it's best. It was built in the 60's, but well maintained (rare in a state park) Someone cares about the place. Food was good, reasonable and not pretentious; 'home cooking'. Wait Staff was fine. The Lodge also has a bar! Mark in the Tavern was great! Clean and quiet place to stay and the staff was also wearing masks to protect their guests. I would go back again! read more

Best service, food and view around the area. The menu was great and you got your money's worth. Very comfortable dining room and the staff was awesome. I will definitely eat there again on my return trip. read more

Pros: Pet friendly rooms! Cleanliness everywhere! Nestled in a gorgeous woodsy setting Surrounded by beautiful trails Rooms have great views Meticulously clean rooms and around the facilities Staff was very friendly/great customer service Breakfast ($9.99) and dinner buffets ($ 14.99) were reasonably priced considering the views, good waitstaff service, selection & quality of food Rustic atmosphere Trails around the lodge were beautiful Reasonably priced accommodations Now the cons: Our room smelled like oregano (yes, I said Oregano) Outdated decor and amenities (although our room was super CLEAN which to me is more important) Our dogs didn't have much space to walk around (the state park does allow dogs in the trails) Summary: This place is very special! If you are a nature lover and don't care about fancy frills then this place is for you. Although the lodge was outdated, the retro decor was rustic - which makes you feel you are in a different era. Our room was very CLEAN and all the staff were so friendly. I only took one star off because our 2 dogs didn't have a big place to walk around at the lodge area and our room smelled a little funny. Overall, would love to come again and we will! ...great place! Make sure you stroll in the trails! See pics and read the pros and cons carefully to get an idea of what I'm talking about. read more

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So the location of the lodge was great, close to trails and the sky lift to natural bridge. At check in the girl was on her cell phone when we first got there and I had to wait for her to finish before she helped me... and the only help she gave was the room number and where to park. No other info was given. Asked about the tavern and was told I don't think it's open today. The gentleman at the other desk seemed nicer but didn't seem to be able to help. When I went to the gift store I had to wait because the clerk was chit chatting with 2 ladies the whole time we were there. Then when she noticed I wanted to buy something she told me to go back to the front desk to purchase it VERY poor customer service. WiFi and cell service was horrible. The room was clean, but needed updating badly!! Screen was blown out of balcony door. read more

Traveled with our family of 5 (3 girls ages 7-13) and stayed for 2 nights (which seemed to be enough). Beautiful scenic views from our balcony. We enjoyed the outdoor pool (lifeguard on duty), although the water was a little cold- even in August! Reasonably priced snack bar near pool next to hoedown island. Our room was clean but dated- which goes with the vibe of the lodge. The water pressure in the bathroom was variable... A little hot/cold action going on in the shower!! The dining was pretty good... We tried the breakfast buffet, priced around $7 per adult. Easy access to trails. Felt very secure at all times. Free wi-fi. Gift shop on site a little pricy. Bring plenty of snacks/drinks for the kids. read more

Hemlock Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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The lodge is old and rooms are dated as other posters describe. Awesome view of the woods and good access to hiking trails. The restaurant is sad. The dinner buffet has good salad choices but the meats are over fried and over done. They do not have enough wait staff. We had to wait for refills and wait for the check as well. At breakfast this morning, there was only one waitress. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of dining choices in the Red River Gorge/Nat Bridge area... read more

My husband and I stayed at the Hemlock Lodge for a 2 night stay. Here are my complaints about our room: The room smelled musty/mildewy; the faucet in the shower ran constantly--could not be shut off; and the AC also ran constantly and loudly. What I liked about the room: a big window with a great view, a balcony with two chairs and a table. Bed was comfortable. Our first night there happened to be the first Friday of the month, when they do a seafood buffet in the dining room. We decided we did not want to spend $25 a person for fried seafood, so we went to Red River Rockhouse. We went in early April, so the pool was closed, so I cannot comment on that. The park itself is awesome, and the Lodge is a convenient place to stay while visiting the park. Just be aware, the Lodge is on the older side, so keep your expectations low. read more