Virginia’s Natural Bridge Park and Historic Hotel

This was absolutely one of the worst hotel. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous from the outside. The lobby was everything you would expect from a resort. That was quite deceiving. We did arrive a bit early. It was about noon with check in being at four. To no surprise, were denied a room. I had driven literally across virginia having closed at work the night before and spending the night packing. We were both very tired and hot. When we were denied a room I explained our situation and asked if there was anyway we could get a room a little sooner than four. The front desk attendant was a bit rude, but explained that she would see what she could do. Expecting her to contact the cleaning staff and request our room be cleaned we went to find some lunch. Other than a gas station each way, we couldn’t find a thing. Eventually we ate hot dogs at the local gas station. After driving around for two hours exploring, or should I say seaching, for the nonexistent town, we returned to the hotel. Once again we were denied a room. We sat in the lobby for 30 minutes to let my phone charge. Not one of the three attendants contacted housekeeping to requst that our room be attended to. After talking to a few hotel staff we found a dollar general. I would have preferred something that sold fresh produce, but a hour plus trip hardly seemed worth it. I drove around some more. We returned to the hotel and tried to check in. The front desk attendant said that my reservation wasn’t till four. I looked at my phone it was fifteen minutes till four. Feeling more than annoyed, I sat down patiently and waited fifteen minutes. After waiting, we finally checked in. We went to room 111. The fowl odor of urine flowed in my nostrils as I opened the door. I had already intended to speak to the front desk about the situation, but i figured I’d wait out the strict four o’clock check in. Besides the unpleasant odor, it was so small and unsightly. The wallpaper was literally peeling off the wall. There was a rest stop style toliet and a four foot by foot walk in shower without a shower curtain in the bathroom. I pick up the remote with the battery taped in and attempted to turn in the 90s style tv and failed. I tried to turn it on by hand. It didn’t work. The wifi wasn’t available on our side of the hotel. I went to the front desk to quietly explain the situation. The blond midshift attendant was very polite and offered us a nicer room on the main part of the hotel. As we approached our room I noticed a hospitality area with a microwave and a mini-​fridge. The moment we entered the room I realized that was the only mini-​fridge on the floor. Not even a full-​sized refrigerator. With my guest being an insulin dependant diabetic this wasn’t optimal. We had a very large balcony that severely needed to be painted. The view was beautiful. We ate at the red fox and it was delicious. There were only twenty one channels on my trip. My trip was a package deal. I paid two hundred and twenty-​two dollars for a two night stay in a room with a verandah, tickets to see the caverns and natural bridge. Without being giving a explaination for the breakfast voucher we missed breakfast. I talked to the front desk attendant to get her to give us a voucher for the following day. After a little hesitation i was given a new one and an explanation of the times and where to go. The attractions were wonderful. The hotel has such great potential that sadly isn’t being full filled.
After i wrote the first review, as i was falling asleep i was bitten on the leg by a bug.

I stayed at this hotel with a school trip. It was very nice, clean rooms, but basic. The hotel has only one elevator. The only purpose to stay is to visit the Bridge or the caverns, there are no other thing around.

Great value even if a little dated in places. Food, drinks very good, friendly service. Dont forget to take advantage of the hotel tours, especially with Gretch.

I can’t believe how bad quality is this hotel room. This hotel only worth $ 30 USD. The staff is nice.

Do not waste your vacation or money here. You are far better off staying at the cabins or one of the many hotels nearby, maybe in Lexington. The only fair service we received here was in their restaurant.
The front desk staff was ZERO on the knowledge front and not sorry, even the hotel manager, when they dropped the ball on servicing the room, to include the simplicity of clean towels.
We are avid hikers. Travel the world and stay in places that DO NOT service rooms, but when you stay somewhere and expect service and even call at 9am and request the service then come back after 10 hours of hiking and find nothing has been done and can’t even shower… huge mistake. The front desk claimed and the manager claimed no big deal we were not the only one. Not to mention the front desk clerk only had hand towels with her and needed to track «the man» down to see if he had towels.
I should’ve known when I asked for a cot seeing how small their beds were, the young lady at the desk told me they don’t have any right now but my kid can just sleep on the floor with some blankets…
The manager in the morning of check out could care less!
Do not stay here. We found plenty of friendly faces along our trip and one young lady at the local deli told us we would’ve been much happier at the cabins. With 3 children, I agree.

Just to get it out of the way, I’ll agree with the low-​end reviews that it was hot. I thought it was just me, because I stay hot, but I see it’s a thing. I left the patio door open all night.
I’ve stayed here on several occasions. The last time I stayed, I paid $ 54 through a third party site which is basically the price of the kind of motel you see on the news being busted in a meth lab ring.
For that price, or really for their standard price, it’s really a nice stay. I asked the front desk to upgrade to a patio, which they did, no problem. The rooms are clean and thankfully have make-​up removers, which I love. The patio is lit, with a view you can’t beat and provide cast iron rocking chairs and a table. The rooms are no smoking, but you can smoke on the patio.
The breakfast is buffet for $ 14.99. You get a choice of scrambled eggs, several meats, sausage gravy and biscuits, grits, potatoes, and fruit, plus yogurt, bread and pastries.
I need to underscore the fact that I am a coffee snob and could not believe my first sip of coffee. It was superb – rich, dark, and strong. The waitress even gave me a sample to take home without me even asking.
I asked for an extended check-​out. That was also granted. They have a bar connected to the hotel that I will review separately.
I really don’t understand the low reviews. For the price, the view, and the low-​key environment, plus the nice staff, you can’t beat it. If you don’t want to pay to see the bridge or the attractions, you can still stay here on the way to the Parkway or camping and you’re getting a splendid deal.
Also one of the cleaning staff was nice enough to take me through the Blue Ridge Suite, which is the joined rooms for parties under the main columns. It seems like a great place for an affordable party and I hear it can get crazy so they are obviously not stick-​in-​the-​muds either.
Yes, the park is a little high for a ticket, but I see it as an opportunity to get exercise and do something different. I took my Grandmother, she got a senior discount, and kids would benefit from the experience too. I mean, how much do you pay for a trip to Mcdonalds and you can’t cough up a few extra bucks to see nature and learn a thing or two about the area?
I think the gift shop needs a little work but they do have a few things going well for them which is offering local wine and local artisans.
To summarize, it’s a sweet, quaint little mini-​vacation.

Easy Check In, Friendly Staff. Loved the feel of this hotel. Has been recently remodeled and our room was fantastic! The hotel had a clean, new building smell. Our mountain view room had new furniture and carpet, brand new bathrooms, comfortable bed and sheets, new flatscreen TV, and were very nicely decorated! Our room was located in the main building and were surprisingly quiet. We traveled on a frigid weekend, and the thermostat kept us plenty warm. Only downside to the room was no fridge or microwave, but there was a hall kitchenette available just outside our room with a fridge, microwave, sink, and counter space.
Dinner and drinks were great! Some would consider it pricy but it was about $ 50/​person for a 4 course meal. The tavern lounge was cozy and we could watch the basketball games that were on. We did not indulge in the breakfast at the hotel– but Natural Bridge General store was 1 mile away and they had THE BEST breakfast sandwiches for cheap!
This weekend stay at the Hotel was a great couples’ getaway. The Natural Bridge Park with the caverns, trails, and of course, the Natural Bridge itself were great for the outdoorsy couple. Lexington being only 15 minutes away was a huge asset for a nice dinner and movie out! I would highly recommend this trip for a romantic getaway or even a family vacation with the Virginia Safari being 1 mile away!

Used a groupon so it was not as expensive as others have paid but… Holy hell it was hot. The AC was on all night but the room was easily 85 degrees. We opened the window but that didn’t help. This was our anniversary getaway and we left feeling really exhausted.
Wifi was terrible and didn’t work in the tavern. We enjoyed the area and going into Lexington but would never stay at the hotel again.

So sad, Thomas Jefferson bought this to keep it from being developed and yet it’s now a tourist trap. A large gift shop filled with all the crap you could imagine, made in China, and gross.
The staff at the info desk are quite sweet, and helpful, but I’m sure they aren’t allowed to tell you anyway around the $ 25 viewing few. Seems a crime to charge people this much money to see this natural gift… Sad sad. No option to hike in, no option to see from a hilltop, no no no…
Meh.

I think I’m in hotel hell…
Expecting Jack Torrance to be hacking through my door with a fire axe at any moment
No working WIFI
AC not working room is hotter then hell
Hallways smell of some funky disinfectant
Ahhhhhh !!!

No air conditioning, no screens in windows, price quoted on phone then doubled when arrived,

Beautiful lobby and close proximity to the natural bridge. The military discount we had meant we got a double balcony room for $ 77/​night. Room was clean, comfortable, but missing some amenities listed. We had a mini fridge but no hair dryer, ice bucket, or coffeemaker. The room smelled like fresh paint and the bathroom looked very newly renovated but the rest of the room, not so much. The balcony was very nice and we would’ve enjoyed our morning coffee out there… if we had coffee, and if the bridal party several rooms down weren’t loudly taking selfies on their balcony. Parking was kind of a pain. Apparently there were two weddings the weekend we were there and guests for the receptions dominated the parking spots so we ended up parking up a hill alongside the property. Wifi is also extremely spotty and there’s limited data connection at the hotel. We actually had much better data reception while hiking the blue ridge mountains than in our hotel room.
Free coffee, ice water, lemonade, sweet tea and homemade cookies in the lobby in the afternoons was a nice touch.
While staying here, I felt like we were sort of at the mercy of the hotel. The staff was wonderful but there just aren’t that many choices so of course, everything was overpriced. We had their «famous Friday night seafood buffet», which was okay, but not worth the $ 30/​person –everything felt fried and just generally very unhealthy. We had breakfast at the hotel the next morning and while it was delicious, it also felt overpriced. We ended up eating lunch and dinner out in Lexington for some change in pace.

Hotel Review– A little disappointed.
So my friends and I got «the standard room» which is $ 100/​night, the only photos they had of this place was the «historic hotel» building but when we get there we are told our room is not in the hotel we are given a map and told to drive to our room. We don’t understand the directions and end up getting lost because it was up a hill and the only sign was for a church no street signs or anything. So we finally find it and it’s cabin style rooms which I liked but it was very outdated and could have been cleaner. The best thing about it was the location is walking distance from the natural bridge, but for $ 100/​night I expected a lot nicer.

If I could give this hotel no stars, I would. Absolutely the worst experience I have ever had at a hotel. To start we showed up and checked in, received our passes and tickets vouchers that we purchased in one of their package deals and were sent up to our room. Showed up to our room to find that not only did our keys not work but there were guests already in the room. Back down to the lobby we go to find that reception sent us up to the wrong room so we get that all figured out to be sent on our way with our correct room and keys. Get to the correct room to find that we were given a double not a king room, by this time I was pretty agitated so we head back downstairs to address. Now back story, we initially had preferred a king cottage rather than a hotel room but when booking we were only given the option of a double cottage or a king room at the hotel — we went with the most expensive king option for the comfort factor. Now back to the lobby and reception apologizes but states that when they did the night audit the night before that they ran out of King rooms and that was noted in my account — so I booked a week ahead of time, still didn’t make the cut to get the correct room but to make matters worse was never told ahead of time (even initially at check in) that this was the case. We were pretty much told that they had nothing else to give us but that they would discount the room to make up for the mistake. I’m still upset but this helps some.
We come back up to the room to actually check it out and it is horrendous! Cheap linens, small and uncomfortable beds (2 grown adults in a double), old and worn décor, terrible wifi, 10 channels, and poor lighting. When I read the website I was led to believe there was gorgeous views at this hotel — far from the fact. The room was extremely hot and the AC unit is so prehistoric there was no figuring out how to turn it down — we were stuck suffering through the heat. The bathtub is extremely mini and the door in the bathroom was busted up with a massive gap from where the door should touch the floor.
So after going through the debocle of checking in we head down for dinner — $ 50 for buffet for 2 and the food was only mediocre. Beef brisket was tough and dry, mac and cheese was not good — really the only good part of dinner was the Mahi Mahi and the dessert (oh and the wine, you have to be pretty special to mess that up though). I do give the wait and bar staff 5 stars though, they were very friendly and helpful.
After a terrible night sleep we head down to breakfast hoping for a improvement in the food — still mediocre. I could have gotten better at Ihop or even Waffle House. Came back to the room to find our check out bill — our bill that did not include the discount that the hotel promised PLUS they authorized our card the night before for the total amount prior to the discount — still waiting to see if that inconvenience drops off.
Historic isn’t the correct description for this — more like archaic. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to my worst enemy. Next time I go anywhere near that area I will be paying to stay in Lexington.

Very disappointing stay in the hotel. Contrary to amenities listed on web site no coffee maker in the room, no hair dryer, no hangers in the closet, no microwave in the hall kitchen, flat, musty pillows and a shabby peeling paint balcony that looked out over noisy Hwy 11 and a parking lot (mountains in the distance though). Horribly overpriced at $ 160 a night! Ala carte breakfast prices were out of sight… oatmeal with milk, toast and coffee came to $ 12, but the buffet was $ 14…guess they were trying to steer people to the buffet! However, hotel reception staff were very friendly, as were dining room servers. The visit to the park and the hike up the trail to the Natural Bridge and the falls were wonderful, though. We moved on to Lexington for nicer and less expensive rooms at the Best Western after just one night… so glad we did. Be sure to visit the park but stay in Lexington!

Upon check-​in the hotel Decour is in keeping with the time. Very well-​kept and clean.
The staff seemed to be very busy and attempted to be extremely polite under the circumstances in which guests were trying to check in
The gentleman in front of me attempting to check in with a reservations
was told by the hotel staff that the hotel had overbooked the hotel and the gentleman did not have a room available for that night and they sent him to a Nother hotel down the street
When I checked in at 4:30 I was told I could not check in until 2030 minutes later due to the rooms are not ready for checking I asked when check-​in was and she said 4 o’clock even though it was 430 they need it 30 more minutes to prep the room.
So I highly recommend when you book a room in this hotel that you call prior to leaving your current location, call to ensure your reservation is still available.
When I booked a room I chose the family package that included for people in the room with for breakfast coupon for tickets to walk the natural Bridge and four tickets to walk the tour of the conference which came out to be an excellent purchase price and worth it.
Dinner and breakfast at the hotel was buffet style service was excellent and the food was very reasonably priced and delicious.
The hotel rooms are marginal the beds are extremely soft.
Staff and local people that we spoke to in the area were all naturally polite and courteous.

If you’re looking for modern-​day opulence & amenities, it’s probably best just to pass this one by. But if you’re into vintage 50’s era luxury with a subtle «Heeeeere’s Johnny!» vibe, the Natural Bridge Hotel is right up your alley.
Clear efforts to modernize the facilities are generally evident throughout, and hints of its former glory peek charmingly through. Our third-​floor room was sparse but clean, and the king bed was surprisingly comfy to sleep in. The A/​C worked great, which felt fantastic after a long hike through the Natural Bridge park area. (Here’s a pro tip to the hotel management: at $ 120+ a pop, I’m pretty sure you can replace those 20″ CRT room televisions with flatscreens. Not a deal-​breaker for us. But still.)
We ate at the banquet hall breakfast buffet in the morning, which was overall pretty good. My wife is gluten-​free, and our server was both knowledgable and accommodating in providing food she could eat. If you go buffet, go for the grits (salty, peppery and tasty!) and the potatoes (little chunks of well-​seasoned goodness). Avoid the biscuits (overlooked and hard) and sawmill gravy (flat and under-​seasoned).
As long as you’re not expecting modern chic accommodations, its nearness to a «7^th Wonder of the New World» makes the retro luxury of the Natural Bridge Hotel worth an overnight stay, at least.

This review is ONLY for the restaurant. We had lunch there before going to the Natural Bridge.
We ate in the tavern. It was small and quaint and lovely. The staff was friendly and polite. They did manage to put 2 tables together to handle our party of 5, which was handled as if it was very out of the ordinary. They actually thought of putting us in the big dining room which appeared to be set up for Easter Brunch (Easter was the next day); it’s obvious they handle large crowds for special events like that. I bet it’s good.
One of those 5 people in my party is my handicapped mom… It should be noted that there is nothing convenient about getting from the car to the table, or to the restrooms from the table if you have mobility issues. They lose a star for that.
The menu is limited — I think it had 6 things on it, but everyone found something they wanted (no kids meals or anything… two of the people in our party were kids). [If you don’t think they should lose a star for planning for and accomodating guests with mobility issues, then maybe you would think they should lose a star for their limited menu.]
I found it odd that the prices were not on the menus… none of them. Luckily, the prices for lunch were $ 8 – 10, so we found that reasonable.
The food took FOREVER to get there. FOREVER; and they were not busy. They loose a star for that.
My turkey club did NOT arrive as described, although it was good. The pork sandwhiches were reportedly not very good (they were very sweet). The hamburgers also were good but did not arrive as described in the menu. It’s odd, really… the menu is only half a dozen options and it is printed, likely each day based on what they have available in the kitchen, and then they don’t make the sandwiches like they describe? Bizarre.
Anyway, by the time we got the food, we were starved and rushed, so we were not sending anything back, we ate what we got and we left.
Overall: I would be willing to try them again (mostly because there are limited food options in the area) but I wouldn’t be excited to just pop in for lunch. Maybe the next time we visit it will be for one of their big meals that they obviously plan for well in advance.

Very bad and very disappointed! We been for every Easter and this was the worst. The food was prepackaged and the presentation was terrible. We sat without drinks threw dinner. Wait staff was understaffed. Will not bring our party there anymore! Very embarrassed

Wow, this place is awful. We stayed for a night in the «veranda wing» it’s probably the third most awful places I’ve ever stayed (the worst was when I was dirt bagging in college, and the second worst was a place that was infested with bed bugs).
The room smells awful, the windows didn’t open, the drapes were not properly hung, the closet is stuck, the wall paper is stained, the paint peeling, and there’s the bonus mold in the claustrophobic stand up shower and the dead bugs on the floor. Ohhhh, yeah.
On the plus side, there’s solid WiFi.
The food is equally awful. Tasteless and processed. Oy!
This would be the last time I let Jenny talk me into a «historical hotel.» I hate old crappy hotels that get away with its crappiness by labeling itself «historical».
The only other possible good thing about this is the natural bridge, but it cost an arm and a leg to see it. Totally totally not worth it.
Absolutely would NOT recommend.