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Hotel Review: The Historic Madison Yellowstone Hotel, Motel, and Hostel
- Alyssa
- Apr 14
- 12 min read
The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel, and Hostel is located in West Yellowstone, near the Montana and Wyoming state line. The hotel is rich in history, and has been around for over 100 years! Its location is unbeatable! It is within five minutes to the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park, and close to food, shopping, and a gas station. We stayed for three nights in the Lewis Lake room and paid $592.68 in total.
Getting To Yellowstone/The Historic Madison Hotel:
There are two airports that you can fly into when visiting Yellowstone National Park, the
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Montana, and the Yellowstone Airport (WYS) which is just outside the West entrance of the park. The Historic Madison Hotel is located in West Yellowstone, 90 miles from the Bozeman Airport, and just under 3 miles from the Yellowstone Airport (WYS). Both airports have their pros and cons, which we will get into below.
From the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport:
Flying into the Bozeman Yellowstone Airport is the most common route; the airport has more daily flights, has a large rental car center, and is more cost-efficient than the Yellowstone Airport (WYS). However, the airport is far away from Yellowstone National Park, it is 90 miles away and can take 2 hours to drive from the airport to West Yellowstone. There are a few transportation options from the airport to West Yellowstone; a rental car, shuttle, and taxis/ride-shares .
The park is huge, and you will not be able to cover even a sliver of it on foot or via bike. We highly recommend renting a car! The drive is not difficult and is mostly through the rural countryside. The roads are well maintained within the park, and there are easy pullouts throughout. The only part of the drive that was slightly nerve-wracking was wildlife sometimes blocking the road. The animals were aware of the cars and moved slowly through the road, it was easy to avoid them, or slowly go around.
We rented a car from Hertz at the Bozeman Airport, and paid $256.05 for three days, with full damage insurance on the car. Be prepared for a long wait at the airport rental car center! Most people from our flight were renting a car, and the line took over an hour and a half. We opted for full damage insurance, and we were covered if it got damaged in any way or stolen.
We were worried about the potential of wildlife causing damage, and figured it was better to be safe than sorry! Luckily, we didn't have any incidents with wildlife, though we did come across a large herd of buffalo blocking the road. As they slowly crossed right in front of the car, we couldn’t help but feel relieved that we had taken the extra precautions. It’s always better to be prepared for the unexpected in situations like these!
Shuttles, taxis, and ride-shares are also available from the Bozeman airport to West Yellowstone, for anyone not wanting to drive. Below is a list of companies offering services from the Bozeman airport to West Yellowstone, along with their prices, so you can compare and choose the best one for your trip.
Shuttles:
Old Faithful and Friends - $300 one-way
Karst Stage - $165 per person one-way
Taxi:
Summit Taxi - approximately $360
Bridger Taxi - approximately $331
Rideshare:
Uber - approximately $204
Lyft - approximately $212
What to keep in mind with ride-share:
Ride-share apps use surge pricing, prices can differ depending on the time of day
The cost of rideshare is one way, so budget at least double the prices listed above
From experience, getting to a popular rural place is easy, but getting back can be hard
Getting from the airport to Yellowstone early in the morning or late in the evening may be easy, but returning from Yellowstone to the airport could take extra time as most Ubers do not live in this area
Plan extra time on your return trip to ensure you have long enough to wait for pickup
From the Yellowstone Airport (WYS):
The Historic Madison Hotel is within 3 miles of the Yellowstone Airport. It is a 6-minute drive, 12-minute bike ride, or 50-minute walk to the hotel from the airport. Transportation at the Yellowstone Airport is limited, rental cars are available from two companies, ride-share is available but with long wait times, and taxis run in the area but do not frequent the airport. However, guests staying at The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel, and Hostel can enjoy a free ride to and from the Yellowstone Airport (WYS), on behalf of the hotel!
Rental cars are available at the airport, but there are only two companies; Budget and Avis.
A small economy car is about $350 for three days from Avis, or $250 for a mystery car from Budget, both without any added insurance. This is a little more costly than what we paid to rent a car for three days from the Bozeman Airport with insurance and fees.
An alternative to renting a car from a rental company is using the Turo app, which is similar to Airbnb but for cars. You can rent someone's vehicle through the app, and it works just like a normal rental car. We have used it in the past and had good experiences. Depending on the location, it can sometimes be cheaper to rent with Turo. The cheapest vehicle in the area on Turo is about $75 per day. Some cars on the app are even available to be dropped off at your hotel. You can find the Turo app here!
Ride-share is available in the area, but long wait times are advertised on the apps due to a limited number of drivers. The estimated wait time was up to 30 minutes with Lyft!
Uber From Yellowstone Airport to Madison Hotel:
Wait time: estimated 10 minutes, long wait warning
Price: $10.95
Lyft from Yellowstone Airport to Madison Hotel:
Wait time 5-30 minutes
Price $12.79
We did not use ride-share while we were in the West Yellowstone area, and did not see any driving around while there! I would recommend having a backup transportation plan if you plan on using ride-share, in case you cannot find a driver.
There is a taxi service that runs throughout the Yellowstone area called Yellowstone Taxi. They provide service to the airport and throughout Yellowstone National Park. A ride from the Yellowstone Airport to the Historic Madison Hotel is estimated to cost about $16. You can order a ride from Yellowstone Taxi here on their website.
If you do not plan on renting a car for your trip to Yellowstone and are staying at The Historic Madison Hotel, take full advantage of the free ride they offer to and from the Yellowstone Airport (WYS)!
Check-in:
We got to The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel, and Hostel around 7:30 PM, and found abundant street parking outside the hotel. The earliest check in time for the Historic Madison hotel is 3:00 PM, and guests must be at the hotel before 10:00 PM to check in! The staff leaves every night at 10:00 PM, so no one will be there to help you check in if you get there after. The hotel is attached to a gift shop, but there is a separate entrance for hotel guests checking in.
We had to sign and initial a few things before we could get the keys. We were told that housekeeping would not be provided, parking behind the hotel was prohibited, we were only allowed to park on the street, and to absolutely not lock the back door. After the paperwork was signed, we went over more information about the hotel. There was a small coffee bar with free coffee and hot chocolate for guests to use, board games and a small sitting area with a tv in the lobby (whoever gets there first gets to pick what you watch), and that noise was pretty much inevitable in the historic building.
We were also given a map of Yellowstone, and a small crash course on must see places to visit. We had a few places circled on our map, good view points, where to spot wildlife, and must see attractions. The check in process was very hands on from the front desk. They seemed to really want us to have the best Yellowstone experience, and went out of their way to spend some time with us to make sure we knew where to go, what to see, and how to make the most of our trip.
Room Details:
This is a small hotel and hostel with only a few rooms. Each room is different, and only 6 of the 12 rooms in the historic building are traditional hotel rooms with attached bathrooms. The other six rooms are hostel rooms, with only a bed. There are shared bathrooms and showers at the end of the hallway.
For our stay we stayed in one of the traditional hotel rooms, specifically the Lewis Lake room, which had a king bed and attached bathroom. The room was small, but cozy feeling. It made us really excited for Fall, with its warm color scheme and wooden interior. We stayed for three nights and paid a total of $592.68.
Since this is a historic hotel, and historic room, there were some signs of aging. The bathroom had some mold issues, and some of the things in the room had seen better days, like the small window ac unit that was holding on with nothing but a few pieces of tape and a dream. But to be completely honest we were sort of expecting things to be like that, the room was half the price of the Holiday Inn down the street, and the building has been standing for over 100 years.
In keeping with the hotel's historic charm, there are no TVs in the hotel or hostel rooms within the main building, though you will find them in the motel rooms located behind the hotel. This wasn’t much of an issue for us, as we primarily used the room to sleep. The lack of distractions allowed us to fully embrace the relaxed atmosphere and focus more on our surroundings.
When we arrived at the hotel we had to sign a paper agreeing to not bring in any of our own bedding, and this raised a red flag for us about the potential of bed bugs. When we got to the room, one of the first things we did was check the mattress, and it was clean, no sign of bed bugs, or any other unsightlies. It was a relief to know that we wouldn't get eaten up by bugs in the night!
The bed, along with being free of bed bugs, was surprisingly comfortable! The mattress was a perfect medium firmness, soft enough to be comfortable, but not too firm where it is like sleeping on the ground. It also was not springy like some hotel mattresses can get. It was amazing to come back after a long day out at the park hiking to a soft, comfortable bed. The blanket on the bed added to the coziness of the room. A light quilt to keep away the brisk morning air, but not too heavy to make us sweat through the night.
There was a small vanity in the room, with a bench tucked underneath. On top was an ice bucket, tissue box, and two plastic cups. The vanity looked to be an antique and fit perfectly with the style of the room.
There was also a small dresser with a mirror, but the drawers did not open. We normally like to put our clothes up in the dresser in our hotel rooms, but couldn’t. Next to the dresser, was a small accent chair, and this was really the only seating area in the room.
At the foot of the bed there was a wooden log bench. We stored our luggage on the bottom rack, but could not comfortably sit on the top half. We even had a debate amongst one another as to whether it was a bench or for luggage. I am personally team bench, although there really was no way to sit on it without being uncomfortable.
The bathroom was small, but got the job done. There was a small toilet, sink, and shower with a low tub. There was a window in the center of the shower wall, and we were afraid we were mooning the entire town every time we showered. I have been in cleaner hotel showers, but I have also been in worse. There was some mold/mildew around the window, and the grout lines of the shower, but it looks like they had at least tried to clean it. The shower head was clean, and so was the floor of the shower/tub.
The shower curtain was a little discolored at the bottom, and I hated when it touched me in the narrow shower, but that is a personal problem. There were some provided toiletries in the bathroom, like a small 2in1 shampoo and conditioner, body lotion, and a bar of soap. We ended up having to use the 2in1 because we forgot our shampoo. It did dry my hair out, but for a 2in1 it could have been worse!
The toilet was incredibly small, with a narrow seat and a tiny opening, making it feel like we were using a child's toilet! It was a bit uncomfortable, but given the size of the bathroom, a compact toilet made sense. While it wasn’t ideal, it was a practical solution for the limited space.
Once we had stayed a full day at The Madison Hotel, we realized why they went over noise in detail at check in. The walls are thin, the floors creak, the stairs creak, the doors creak, everything creaks! We were late to wake up the first day, and we could hear everyone getting up early to head into the park. Voices from the hallway, footsteps, doors, everything was audible inside our room. Most times I can sleep through anything, but I did wake up a few times from the noise. Elijah, who is more sensitive to sounds while he sleeps woke up frequently.
Since we woke up later than everyone, we were also up later than everyone. In the evening as we were relaxing in bed and talking, we got a loud knock on the wall behind us. We were apparently being too loud for the guest next door, but did not think we had been that loud at all. The walls in the hotel are very thin, and noise travels well. We recommend bringing sleep aids like ear plugs if you are sensitive to noise.
Property:
The hotel is located within walking distance to multiple restaurants, shops, and even a gas station. We could step outside the hotel doors and in ten steps reach a cafe and a gift shop. It's in a great spot in West Yellowstone. Not only is it close to food and shopping, but it is just a few minutes away from the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park. We were able to get to the park gates in under five minutes.
There is a shared space in the lobby of the hotel that guests have 24/7 access to. There are multiple seating areas, board games, and even a tv for guests to use. There are multiple taxidermied animals like bison and elk on the walls, and even a full size bison near one of the chairs. It was scary at night with all the animals staring at you!! It was also loud to go down there in the evening, the stairs creaked loudly, and with no other noise, it seemed very loud.
Extra Benefits:
The Historic Madison Hotel offers a coffee and hot chocolate station, a small dining/work area, and even a shared fridge for guests to use on the ground floor. There were multiple different flavor options for the drinks, and a bunch of disposable cups, bowls, and plates.
Guests of the hotel were also given $10.00 each in food credit to the Timberline Cafe, next door to the hotel. To redeem the coupon you have to have both the coupon and room key to the hotel in order for it to be validated. Guests of the hotel are also given a small discount on items in the hotel's attached gift shop, when they show their room key at check out.
Check out:
When we checked into the hotel we were informed that there was no need for us to do a formal check out at the front counter. Everything had already been solidified when we checked in, and they did not need anything from us. We were told where we could find a key drop off box near the back exit of the hotel, or that we could drop the keys off at the front counter on our way out.
Check out for the Historic Madison Hotel was at 11:00 AM, and we did not feel any pressure from housekeeping or staff to get out of there any sooner. We were able to have a slow start to our morning, pack up our things, and head out just before 11.
We parked on the front side of the hotel, so we opted to just drop our keys off to the staff at the front desk as we exited. It took no more than a few seconds to hand them off, and like that we had checked out of The Historic Madison Hotel.
Summary:
In total we paid $592.68 for our three night stay in the Lewis Lake room, and enjoyed a king sized bed, and private ensuite bathroom. There were a few signs of age and wear in the room, like a window AC unit holding on with tape, some mildew in the shower, and a dusty carpet, but despite those things we still found ourselves charmed by the historic hotel.
The Historic Madison Hotel is a quaint hotel with an abundance of history. The hotel has stood for over 100 years, and has seen countless guests. With age comes a few dings, and some dust, but it also creates a charming and cozy atmosphere. I cannot think of a more fitting place to stay when visiting the country's oldest national park. It felt like we were being immersed in history during our stay, and made us appreciate the landscape, and wildlife tenfold. We both agreed that we would stay here again when visiting Yellowstone, and think this hotel would be even better in the cold weather!
Do you think a stay at The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel, and Hostel is worth your wallet? Let us know below!
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