Very large room. Clean. Lovely view over the lake from a small private balcony. Coffee in the room along with refrig and microwave. Located walking distance from several restaurants. Can walk a bit around the lake too. Hotel is quite peaceful but there is a train not far away that you can hear at times. read more

I mean, I was content with the hotel but there's room for so so so so much more with this hotel. I choose the Waterbird Inn because of its prime location and it was cheaper than the hotel next door.... The positives. The room is huge! The price is well worth it if you want an affordable hotel. The hotel overhangs the water! That was my favorite part. It's so much closer to retail and stores. Great variety of TV shows The negatives is that this hotel is in a major need of TLC. Rooms are outdated. There are parts of the building that are in need of repair, my room had yellow water for the first 5 minutes. The deck is littered with bugs. Their outdoor lights don't work. Amenities kind of stink. The bed wasnt too good either. The obvious issue that I see people complain about is the train. It's truthfully not that bad. The place that saddened me the most was that there is a trail outside the hotel and part of it is blocked off because of terrible maintenance. The hotel is in a prime location, I enjoyed my time here but I definitely know this place can be a paradise if the effort was put in the building! read more

See all

They called me the day of the booking to cancel my reservation. They had already took my money and then refused to refund it to me or help me find a new hotel. The "manager" was extremely rude and said too bad. I wish I could give it zero stars read more

Not many people vacation in Gary, Indiana- unless they have a fascination with abandoned stuff like yours truly - and thus there's very little in the way of hotels in Gary proper. The two places I found looked very sketchy, hourly rate type of joints, and thus I opted to stay about 25 minutes up the road, closer to Indiana Dunes. I had a couple places earmarked as possibilities, and the other one, Al and Sally's Motel, had their office closed due to Covid with a note to make reservations over the internet and to call upon arrival. This didn't fit my impromptu style of travel, though it fit into a general theme as my traveling companion had cancelled a day before due to a positive Covid test. So I made way for the Waterbird. I'm glad I did. This place was a delight with a huge room with a couch, coffee table, dresser, flat screen TV and a balcony hanging right over Chubb Lake. There was even a wall near the front door creating a little vestibule area next to the bathroom before it opened up into the bedroom/ TV room. All for $90 a night. Waterbird Inn even has a trail through the woods which goes most of the way around Chubb Lake. They do seem to share this with the Best Western that also hugs the shores of Chubb Lake, and it doesn't quite make a complete circuit, eventually running up on the backyards of homes. I don't think I even saw any No Trespassing signs but common sense told me to just turn around. Chubb Lake isn't the biggest body of water; I think another reviewer dubbed it an overgrown pond, but it's an invigorating little hike. Chubb Lake does indeed have eponymous waterbirds and you will hear them if you hang out on the balcony... as well as trains passing at regular intervals. Personally I can sleep through a train from across that lake and through the woods a bit and didn't mind it. In fact I might have taken the initiative to go and collect some pictures and video of train graffiti. And that porch over the lake seemed very Zen at night. I had planned on camping out at Indiana Dunes for my second and final night of this excursion but I enjoyed the Waterbird so much I extended my stay for an additional night. My friend from Chicago couldn't make it down and camping alone didn't sound as fun, plus I'd probably get pretty grimy exploring Gary and I wanted to be able to wash up. The Indian fellow working the front desk took care of me quickly both times and the maid was friendly, too. I practically had the place to myself during the week in May. A lot of the decor here is a bit cheesy but definitely very cheery. It fits the theme and I respect them for sticking to it. The Chinese restaurant in the lot of the adjacent strip mall seemed pretty basic but the location was handy and it did the trick. I don't know if I'll ever schedule another Gary exclusive getaway with a strict No Chicago rule - it had to be done this time, Eric S - but even if I'm going to the Windy City or just getting a late start on driving out west I might consider paying the Waterbird another visit. read more

See all

The hotel is in a crowded little plaza. The lobby looks a bit dumpy. When I read the hotel was on a lake, I pictured a retention pond. I couldn't imagine a lake of any size in the area. I checked in feeling a bit dejected and made my way to Room 259. The corridors were fairly typical and since this was my birthday treat to myself I felt let down. It got better - MUCH better. I opened the door to the room to find a REALLY clean, comfy room with everything in working order. The curtain was drawn across the patio door. When I opened that curtain, my jaw literally dropped. This was no retention pond, but an incredible marshland lake filled with - yes, waterbirds. An egret looked up as I stepped onto the patio. Seagulls swooped by, as did barn swallows, Canada Geese and an amazing Great Blue Heron. I dropped crumbs down into the lake from my balcony and saw a couple of huge turtles and dozens of smaller ones vying for grub. It was like being in a Disney movie. I sat on the patio for hours. It was that gorgeous. The room itself was comfy, clean and quiet. Think about it. On one side is a plaza filled with restaurants (Dominoes, Little Caesars, a Chinese restaurant, McDonald's and MUCH more right across Indian Boundary Road). On the other side is an amazing lake with such a feeling of solitude that I totally relaxed. read more

Waterbird Inn - A couple of Canada Geese begging for crumbs. - Hotels Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

See all

The balcony right above the lake surface made my stay. Turtles , fish , ducks and birds come every morning under each balcony to get some crumbles from hotel visitors , they are very much use to people and it a awesome experience. Gorgeous sunset! Rooms are clean and pleasant. Food is 4-5 min walk nearby hotel and from another side is pure nature where you can hangout near by water. Relaxing stay read more

See all

Fantastic place to stay with a family. If you're a hotel snob and want a foot massage with your room service, this isn't the place for you. If you're a family and want a large room for a dirt cheap price on the water with daily room service... this is fantastic. EVERY room is on the water with a balcony. It's 1 minute WALKING-distance to fast food, ice-cream, and pizza. It's 1 minute driving-distance to a host of nice small-business restaurants. Hotel is definitely not new, but it's clean. Staff is friendly, and the balcony over the lake is priceless. We would certainly stay here again on our next trip to the dunes. read more

Wonderful little hotel. We are staying three nights during Labor Day weekend. Very happy with everything . . . yes, I even enjoy the train when I sit out on the balcony read more

Pleasant place for the money. As someone else said they seem to be working on upgrades. Great location as we were able to walk to restaurants and a Walgreens. read more

There are worse places to stay. But there are also better. Pros: decent view from rooms. Not bad for the price. Basic conveniences. Good TV. Mostly updated room. Cons: Bad mattress. Train noise all night. Musty sheets. Creaky floor. No whirlpools like the photos on TripAdvisor shows. We stayed for business - teaching right next door at the Best Western (same owner apparently). Looks like it probably was a nice place in its day. But that day was a good 20 years ago. Most rooms face the lake which is nice. Outside is pretty run down. The far end looks like it was once used as banquet space but is now vacant. The hotel next door is vacant. We arrived after dark and it definitely has a creepy "watch your surroundings" kind of feel. Front desk lady was nice. Rooms appear to have been "revamped" recently but could use some basic cleaning - and repairs (old picture hangers still on walls - old plant hangers in ceiling - bathroom cabinets and drawers don't close - patio slider does not lock). Our sheets smelled quite musty - highly likely they weren't cleaned btwn guests - or cleaned a long time ago and have been sitting in damp room. Mattress is SUPER worn in - dent in the middle so we rolled towards each other all night. You will feel EVERY movement from your bed mate. There is a train track right behind the hotel that runs all night - every 5-15 mins and they use their horn RIGHT behind you. It's a freight track so you'll "feel" it if you don't hear it. Bathroom updated with granite counter, new toilet, new shower fixtures. Definitely ask for 2nd floor room (stairs required) because the floors creak and you'll hear everything from upstairs. Our business partner was in room next door and we could hear him walking around and heard his toilet flush (really loud). Ac/heat unit is super loud - we slept with sweatshirts and pants on because the heater kept us awake. There is lots of food, drug store, gas options close by. There are also other hotels. I'd look around before staying here again but for $70 it was decent. Not a bad view for the morning cup of coffee. read more

See all

When I read the reviews for this place I realize what Yelpers have become. The Waterbird is a fantastic experience!!! It is a beautiful place with an absolutely delightful staff. Every room has a balcony overlooking a lake loaded with turtles, birds and fish. It is within walking distance of some GREAT restaurants. The room and the balcony were so nice that we actually opted to get our dinner at Toa Chen's to go to have it on our balcony. Btw, if you like Asian food GO THERE!!! ITS FANTASTIC!!! In the morning we found ourselves at a breakfast place called Third Coast Spice Cafe. Absolutely fantastic. Both of these restaurants have everything made fresh from fresh ingredients. The room was so nice I was shocked at the price. It was incredibly affordable and we had a dog. We were just passing through town on our way home from a cross country trip, but we were so impressed that we actually plan to go there for a weekend to check out the dunes park more thoroughly. When we do we will stay at the Waterbird and hit both restaurants again!! read more

Severely overpriced for the experience! Room was not super clean- actually found a hat under the bed. Looks like they are trying to update- but things don't look finished. We both woke up with itchy eyes- which usually only happens when in the presence of cats. The hot tub looked clean- but after looking around, we decided against trying it. Too many other places to stay to try this again! We didn't even have our in-room coffee pot! And the lack of any breakfast on site doesn't help at all (although, not sure I would eat there after seeing some of the hotel) read more

Traveling with 2 dogs we were having trouble finding a place that allowed pets. Finding this hotel we were already tired from a long day of traveling with the dogs and a baby and thankful to settle in. The price was different than advertised on website. After hauling in all our luggage and pack and play and dogs and baby we got baby ready for bed. Attempting to change temp in room, we found many cigarette butts stuffed in the heater. We tried turning on the TV which did not work at all. We tried connecting to the Wi-Fi which also did not work. We found cigarette burns in the blankets. The sliding door leading to the patio overlooking the water did not lock, and the patio was missing slats creating big holes for a small child (Like my toddler) or even dogs to get through easily. When finally complaining but explaining we did not want to move due to the baby already settled in and all our luggage unpacked, we would just like some sort of refund. The man said the most he could do was give us $10 off. He came and replaced the TV which required 2 different remotes to operate and picked out the cigarette butts. One of the worst experiences I've had. read more

See all

There is no spa, no pool, no breakfast. ...room was ok bed comfortable and bathroom clean. ...but definitely not worth the price....very disappointed ...expected so much more. read more

What a hidden gem! Breath taking view and very spacious rooms. My family of 6 were able to easily fit with no issues. Pet friendly for a small fee. Definitely worth it to stop... will be keeping this on our list. read more

My husband and I rented a room here for our wedding night and the following night. Our room was wonderful. It included a balcony and whirlpool. I thought the romantic escape package was a good value. The massages were wonderful and worth every penny! The building and decor would benefit from some renovations but the hotel obviously well maintained. read more

Great place most upbeat friendliest staff you will ever meet. Great people n a Great view of the lake. Very Clean rooms I will def come back to this place. read more

Waterbird Lakeside Inn is a great place to stay Lakeview close to Lake Michigan the Indiana state dune Park Michigan city Indiana and the lighthouse outlet mall!! Missy and Hearon who run the front desk are professional and helpful along with Neil the manager!!! read more

Complete disappointment with my evening here. The only thing decent about it is the lakeside view and the front desk lady. The refrigerator was not cold, you can only access the internet through select browsers, the Internet was so slow that I couldn't get any work done. Limited hot water and low pressure in bath/shower. The electric outlet by the computer desk did not work. One of the outlets had something broken off in it, so you couldn't plug in anything anyways. You can smell cigarettes throughout the hallways. The decor is reminiscent of the 1980's econolodge. For the price, you'd be better off getting the $39.99 motels that you see from the highways. There is no pool and no breakfast. read more

Cheap but limited services...but hey for the price it is awesome!!! Dated but great lakeside vies with balconies....

Well the other reviews I read were true, I expected a lot more during my stay for this price! No real amenities and the mattresses were horribly uncomfortable! Upon lifting up the bed sheets we noticed the mattresses are nearly a decade old, wow thats pretty gross! First and last time staying here! read more