1. We stayed 2 nights at the Jackson Lake Lodge, 100 miles south of Lake Yellowstone Lodge, our previous 3 nights stay.
2. We ate a lake side lunch at Colter Bay, 6 miles north, watching the boats being unloaded into the lake.
3. Check-in time is 4pm, but we arrived at 2pm. Registration never called back, when we returned at 345pm.
4. The hotel sitting room has cathedral ceilings and windows facing Lake Jackson, with a magnificent view of the snow capped Grand Tetons towering over the Lake.
5. The main building has 3 restaurants, a gift store, and a business center for printing boarding passes.
6. Main building has 39 third floor guest rooms, half of which face the Grand Tetons and the Lake, reserved a year in advance, and the other half facing the parking lot, for those people who reserved too late!
7. We had paid $269 per night for a 'cottage' room, making reservations through Tripadvisor, with the room described as having either a ground floor patio or second floor balcony.
8. Hotel open May 18- October 8, 2015. There are other hotels in Jackson Hole that cater to winter ski activities.
9. There are 382 rooms altogether, of which 39 are in the main building, and 343 'cottages'.
10. The 343 cottages are motel rooms in 29 buildings of 8 to 20 attached rooms per building, units having attached neighboring units on both sides, and a third attached unit in the back.
11. Parking is right in front of the motel room, with many motel rooms having a front patio facing the parking lot. View of Grand Teton or Lake Jackson? Dream on!
12. Even numbered rooms 500-552 are the only 'cottages' in the single story structures with patios in the back of the unit, facing the gardens, away from the parking lot.
13. We were assigned to room 343, one of 8 units odd numbered 333-347 with no patio. Unit was very clean but dark, with a 1950s design -flat roof, two small adjacent push up windows divided into 4 sections.
14. I called registration, asking for a room I reserved with a floor level patio or second room balcony.
15. We were reassigned to room 701, and end unit in one of 4 two story buildings, with a garden view.
16. There are 48 rooms in the 4 two story buildings. These are of more modern design, and about 50% larger than the 296 'cottages' in the single story motel buildings.
17. Rooms 701-719 in our building had patios on the bottom floor and balconies on the top floor, facing the inland forests -garden views.
18. The other 3 two story buildings: rooms 351-365, 561-579, and 900-912 have back yard patios or balconies facing the Lake in a distance, with the Grand Tetons in the background. 574-579 have partially obstructed views.
19. Our 14' x 21' unit 701 had a large picture window separating the balcony from the room, with screens on side window. The mosquitos have good taste, as only I was bitten, not my wife!
20. Unit had a high sink, toilet, and bathtub in the bathroom, along with a sliding bathroom window, and ventilation fan.
21. Separate from the bathroom was a kitchen sink, with sliding window, with coffee maker, but no refrigerator, microwave nor TV. Strong free wifi connection. When was the last time you could watch a video on a hotel internet!?
22. Very comfortable king size bed, with electronic safe, dresser, built in shelves on the wall, with lounge chairs, closet. Overhead fan, but no AC.
23. Units were no smoking areas, with such signs on balconies/patios, but a neighbor lit up cigars on the patio downstairs!
24. Dinner time, we walked by a unit of multiple family Asians, who cooked food and ate on towels set on the cabin door step! Talk about giving Chinese tourists a bad name!
25. Complex had nearby hiking trails, a swimming pool, a corral for mule riding, a medical clinic and a self service gas station.
26. There were at least 7 places to eat on the premises: the fancy Mural Room with prices to match, the Pioneer Grill, the take out window, the Blue Heron Lounge to watch Warrior games, the Lobby Coffee Cart, and the Pool BBQ.
27 Nearest general store with fruits and non packaged foods to eat was 6 miles away in Colter Bay, which has less expensive cottages, but is even more 'rustic' looking than the 296 1950s single story 'cottages' here.
28 Boat cruises and other water activities at Colter Bay, including a nice hiking trail around part of the lake.
29. Trail in back of hotel next to marsh land adjacent Lake Jackson was closed due to elk and grizzly bear activity! We could not see any at dusk.
30. Business center in the main building with 4 PCs and direct internet connection. However printer was out of ink, so we had to get our boarding passes printed at registration.
31. Hotel personnel at registration slow to realize steps required to print out a boarding pass and I had to painstaking explain each step!
32. Not fancy enough for you? Try Jenny Lake Lodge, 13 miles away, with $1000 a day cottages! read more