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Just as diverse as the area’s landscape, which fades from small Western cities into vast lengths of open prairie and forested mountains, are its accommodations. In the population centers lodgings range from new chain hotels with wireless Internet access to elegant and historic stone inns decorated with buffalo skins and Victorian furniture. Move beyond these cities, however, and everything changes. Campgrounds abound in the open countryside. On the prairie, expect sprawling guest ranches alongside cold mountain-fed creeks. In the higher elevations, look for charming bed-and-breakfasts on mountain slopes with broad alpine vistas. But whatever the type of accommodation, all kinds of amenities are available, from the ordinary to the unconventional, including saunas, hot tubs, horseback riding, fly-fishing lessons, and square dancing. Perhaps the greatest benefit of all, however, is the isolation. In what some might call a welcome change in this era of information overload, many rural lodgings don’t have in-room televisions or telephones, and vast stretches don’t have cell-phone service.
Located in Hot Springs State Park on the banks of the Big Horn River and by far the best hotel in town, this handsomely restored 1918 hotel has spacious rooms with attractive Western log-cabin-style furnishings, and suites have fireplaces. Guests can take a dip in the seasonal courtyard pool or soak in the private hot tub, fed directly from geothermal mineral springs. The hotel is a short walk from several other hot springs pools inside the park.
A cozy lobby, a stone fireplace, and wildlife mounts on the walls distinguish this downtown motel. Hardwood furniture and patterned bedspreads add a slightly Western touch to the spacious, simple bedrooms. There's nothing fancy here: just clean, affordable lodging.
Although the exterior of this motel near downtown and the Stagecoach Museum is unremarkable, the lobby is attractive, with a ceramic-tile floor, hardwood trim, and wrought-iron tables and lamps. There are some extra-large rooms that can accommodate up to eight people.
The rooms at this hotel are popular with tour groups to the region and are typical of chain motels, but some have lodgepole-pine furniture and earth and green tones. The motel consists of four buildings connected by a sky bridge over Main Street.
A range of earth tones decorates the comfortable rooms of this hotel on the west side of town. Among the public spaces are an outdoor courtyard and a lobby with leather couches and chairs grouped around the fireplace.
The simple but attractive single and duplex log cabins here are pure Western, right down to the pitched-roof beam ceilings, iron bedsteads with horseshoe designs, and bathroom wallpaper printed with boots and cowboy hats. High-thread-count sheets and soft duvets ensure a restful sleep.
With a covered wagon on the front portico, an indoor pool, and an outdoor playground, this U-shape motel is an inviting place for families with kids.
The rooms in this clean and very quiet lodging have coffeemakers, large cable TVs, white fluffy comforters, and easy chairs with ottomans. The location is right by the mountains and down the street from the Casper Events Center. You can also make use of the business center, fitness center, and included continental breakfast.
The soaring atrium of this five-story hotel, which is five minutes from downtown by car, has a waterfall and is filled with overstuffed chairs and couches, as well as Scooter's Sports Bar. With white-and-blue accents and tan walls, the rooms are typical of chain hotels, but most have some Western-style touches, and some look out on the Big Horn Mountains. Three restaurants ($–$$$$), including the Brew Garden, The Greenery, and Sugarland Mining Company, serve burgers, steak, chicken, and pasta. The Sunday brunch buffet is popular and a good deal.
Built in 1902 by Buffalo Bill and named for his daughter, this striking downtown property retains both its frontier charm and rough edges, with period furniture and pull-chain commodes in many rooms, a large restaurant open all day, and an elaborate cherrywood bar said to have been a gift from Queen Victoria to Buffalo Bill. For those looking for modern amenities and trappings, this probably isn't it. But if you want true history, and the chance to bump into a ghost or two, choose one of the 15 rooms in the original hotel (named after local legends) rather than in the annex, which has standard contemporary rooms. On summer evenings the Cody Gunslingers Shootout takes place in front of the Irma Hotel.
A former flour mill near a bridge has been converted into this inviting small hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lobby is decorated in wood accents with Native American art throughout, while furniture from an old dude ranch fills public spaces, giving it a definite Western style. The rooms are more contemporary in style and lack historic character, and some face a busy street; all have doors opening directly onto an outdoor walkway. The building has six stories, but the top four floors are business offices.
This full-service hotel, off I–25, has everything under one roof, from dining options to business services. Muted blues, greens, and mauves decorate the large, contemporary rooms, some of which have whirlpool tubs.
The standard-size rooms are rustic but warm, and service is friendly at this affordable, locally owned motel in downtown Lusk. It's within walking distance of area restaurants.
Brown carpeting and red drapes decorate the spacious rooms of this hotel. With its inlaid cedar accents and comfortable deck chairs, the room housing the indoor pool is surprisingly stylish for a small-town hotel.
About 15 miles west of Cody and 30 miles east of Yellowstone National Park's east entrance, this sprawling property offers basic accommodations in a mountain setting on the Shoshone River. Most rooms are in a motel or duplex cabins, but there are two larger suites in the main lodge. There's also an RV and tent camping park.
This all-suites hotel incorporates Western themes into a thoroughly modern and eco-friendly property. Exposed timber, tile accents, and a sunset-and-ochre color scheme connect you to the land. Meanwhile, flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and Wi-Fi keep you in touch with the rest of the world. Green features include reclaimed wood trim from old structures inside Yellowstone National Park, natural bamboo-fiber fabrics, and organic soaps and shampoos. Some rooms have hot tubs and fireplaces.
