Are you looking for the best hotels in Gardiner MT? Perfect! We are going to show you the 8 top rated hotel options available in Gardiner including cheap and luxury hotels, lodges, cabins, inns and motels.
Instead of trawling through randomly listed hotel search engine results, use our research and data driven guide to find the best hotels in Gardiner for your visit based on location, value, previous guest ratings and our own personal experiences.
Here’s how we will break down the best hotels in Gardiner Montana to help you find the perfect place to stay:
- Our Yellowstone experience
- Why stay in Gardiner?
- Gardiner hotels map
- 8 best Gardiner MT hotels
Let’s find you the perfect Gardiner hotel for your trip to Yellowstone National Park!
*Please note this guide contains affiliate links. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the free content we provide! Read more in our disclosure policy.*
Our Yellowstone Experience
We have been lucky enough to explore Yellowstone on two separate occasions in the last few years and we can’t wait to go back for a third trip in the near future.
Yellowstone is widely regarded as one of the very best US national parks to visit and we can’t argue. It is just so unique, vast and interesting.
We stayed mostly in park run lodges the first time we visited Yellowstone. However, during our second visit we decided to stay at accommodations outside the park, namely Gardiner and West Yellowstone.
In Gardiner we stayed at two really excellent places called Yellowstone Gateway Inn and Yellowstone Riverside Cottages. Both were superb and are included in this guide.
We have written extensively about Yellowstone on our sister site Where Are Those Morgans. Head over to our Wyoming travel guides page after finding your hotel for help planning your itinerary.
Why Stay In Gardiner MT?
With so many places you can potentially stay in and around Yellowstone National Park, why would you choose a hotel in Gardiner?
Well, there are several benefits to staying in Gardiner:
- It is the closest place you can stay to the north of the park that isn’t a park run lodge or campground. Attractions in the north include Mammoth Hot Springs and Lamar Valley.
- Hotel prices are competitive because there are many independent options.
- There are several fantastic mid range budget lodging options available.
- Gardiner is a much quieter place to stay but it has plenty of dining options.
- It is easy to access from Bozeman airport or Billings airport.
In our experience, we would say that West Yellowstone is the most popular place to stay near Yellowstone because it is closer to the center of the park.
However, Gardiner is also a popular place to stay because it is near the popular wildlife area of Lamar Valley. It also works perfectly for the first or last night on your Yellowstone itinerary if you are staying at different hotels each night for better efficiency.
Is Gardiner A Good Place To Stay For Visiting Yellowstone National Park?
Yes, Gardiner is a fantastic place to stay when visiting Yellowstone. It is small, quiet, close to the park boundary, has good restaurants and great hotels.
Gardiner worked for us because we spent a day driving across from South Dakota, arrived into Gardiner later in the day, spent the night and then woke up early for Lamar Valley the next morning.
You can use Gardiner as a base for your entire trip to Yellowstone or you can stay for one night before moving to another hotel in a different area of the park.
Should You Stay In One Hotel Or Move Hotels Each Night?
We are often asked about whether staying in different hotels every night or the same hotel throughout a trip to Yellowstone is the best way to visit the park.
Here is our typical response:
- Staying in different hotels each night is better for efficiency, seeing more of the park and limiting driving.
- Staying at the same hotel involves less organization and less packing but means more driving.
Would you prefer to book one hotel and relax once you check in, knowing that you can focus on the park?
Or do you prefer to travel efficiently and get a better feel for a place by staying in different areas?
There is no right or wrong way to visit Yellowstone. In the end it all comes down to hotel availability, cost and whatever you are most comfortable with.
Want to see the best of Yellowstone?
Read our complete guide to the best things to do in Yellowstone National Park on our sister site Where Are Those Morgans next!
Are Hotels In Gardiner MT Expensive?
When you visit a national park that receives over 4 million tourists each year, you know accommodations are going to be booked up a long way in advance and prices are going to be above average.
Compared to lodges inside the park, you will find that hotels in Gardiner MT are generally more affordable and have far more availability throughout peak visiting seasons.
The good news and the bad news about staying in Gardiner is that most of the hotel options are similar in price. So instead of having a range of cheap, mid range and luxury hotel options, you will find mostly mid range budget hotels in Gardiner.
How Much Will A Room Cost?
You can expect to pay between $200 – $300 per night at a quality hotel in Gardiner, MT from May through September.
This means Gardiner is excellent for couples, solo travelers or families who want a quieter place to stay and are traveling with a healthy mid range budget.
In comparison to Gardiner, you can stay in both cheap and luxury hotels in West Yellowstone with a wider range in nightly prices, which is one of its biggest draws.
How To Book Cheap Hotels In Gardiner MT
Booking your Gardiner hotel in advance is the easiest and quickest way to save money.
We very highly recommend you check prices at all Gardiner hotels listed below because the prices fluctuate heavily throughout the year.
Usually we have no issues separating out cheap, mid range and expensive hotels by putting in several dates of travel in the future. However, Gardiner is an exception because what is typically the most expensive hotel is actually the cheapest hotel on certain dates.
The most important thing to remember is that prices at hotels in Gardiner will be highest in the summer months, on weekends and especially during holidays.
Therefore, we recommend visiting Yellowstone in shoulder season months if you want to pick up the cheapest Gardiner hotel room rates.
Here are our relevant guides to read on our travel site Where Are Those Morgans:
- Spring – 10 key things to know about visiting Yellowstone in April
- Fall – 10 key things to know about visiting Yellowstone in October
Hotel Tax In Gardiner, MT
Bear in mind when booking your hotel in Gardiner that you will pay hotel tax, which is officially known as Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), and city tax.
We have mock booked a room both direct and with Booking.com at each hotel in the list below.
Every hotel has 8% hotel tax and 4% city tax added to the base price for a total of 12% in taxes.
So let’s say the basic nightly room cost at a Gardiner hotel in shoulder season is $200 for one night, your total cost is going to be $224.00.
- When booking your hotel using Booking.com look under the price for includes taxes and fees. This means the price you see is final and will not be subject to further add ons.
- Conversely, if you see text reading something like +$30 for taxes and fees, that means you will pay the hotel room cost + the additional 12% fee for bed tax and any other fees associated.
Tax is nothing new to Americans who are used to paying tax on pretty much everything.
But for international visitors this is something to be aware of so you avoid any nasty surprises when you come to pay!
Where To Stay In Gardiner MT
Gardiner is a very small community, so you are never too far from the amenities no matter which hotel you book.
It really doesn’t make a difference if you stay on the northwest or southeast side of Gardiner because there are sidewalks allowing guests staying in hotels to easily access all parts of the community by foot.
There is a grocery store in the center of Gardiner, which means you can buy food to cook in your hotel if you choose a room with kitchen and prefer not to eat out every day.
You can book hotel rooms with views over the Yellowstone River and distant mountains which is about as good as it gets in Gardiner.
If you are visiting Yellowstone with the dogs, you can stay at either the cheap Super 8 or the luxury Yellowstone Gateway Inn as the only 2 pet friendly hotels in Gardiner MT.
Note: Super 8 is not included below because it is rated a little lower but Yellowstone Gateway Inn is in our list (see hotel #8).
Gardiner MT Hotels Map
Let’s take a quick look at an interactive Google Map showing the locations of the 8 best Gardiner MT hotels featured in this guide.
Map key:
- Green stars – Cheap hotels in Gardiner MT
- Red stars – Mid range budget hotels in Gardiner MT
- Blue stars – Luxury hotels in Gardiner MT
Click or touch the map to activate.
Zoom in and out, move around the Gardiner area and see exactly where each lodging option is located.
8 Best Hotels In Gardiner MT
OK, let’s take a look at each of the best hotels in Gardiner Montana.
We have hand picked the top 8 Gardiner hotels by compiling and comparing previous guest ratings, location, value for money and our own experiences in the area.
Hotels are listed in order of average nightly cost within three price range categories; cheap, mid range and luxury.
You will find 2 x cheap hotel, 4 x mid range hotels and 2 x luxury hotels. Each represents a top rated hotel within its price category.
As mentioned earlier, this has been one of the more difficult places to gauge prices because of such significant fluctuations throughout the year.
Use the suggested price category as a guide, but be sure to check prices at all hotels to see if the higher end lodges are running cheaper for your dates of travel.
Let’s kick things off with the best cheap hotels in Gardiner MT!
1. Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.5 / 10
- Google – 4.5 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, seasonal indoor swimming pool, laundry
- Location: West side of Gardiner
Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites is a highly rated cheap hotel in Gardiner MT. Prices do vary, but on the whole this hotel is often cheaper than the others in this list. The inn is set on the edge of town so it has wonderful unobstructed views and it even has an indoor pool open in the summer months.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites. This hotel is a great place to start your search for Gardiner hotels thanks to lower costs, excellent staff and a quiet secluded location.
>> Book Hotel: Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites
2. Yellowstone Big Rock Inn
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.7 / 10
- Google – 4.4 / 5
- Price: Cheap $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, rooms with kitchens available
- Location: West side of Gardiner
Yellowstone Big Rock Inn is a highly rated cheap hotel in Gardiner MT. Rooms are priced at the upper end of cheap, but it has very good reviews and lots of them. It doesn’t have any special amenities but it has a solid location and you can book a room with basic kitchen if you prefer not to eat out.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Yellowstone Big Rock Inn. This hotel is a popular choice for young families because rooms come with two queen beds at very reasonable rates.
>> Book Hotel: Yellowstone Big Rock Inn
3. Absaroka Lodge
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 8.2 / 10
- Google – 4.3 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking,
- Location: East side of Gardiner
Absaroka Lodge is a solid starting point for the lower end of mid range budget hotels in Gardiner MT. It doesn’t have any amenities but it does have killer views overlooking the Yellowstone River from every guest room. The central location is near perfect for accessing any of the restaurants in Gardiner.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness and location the highest at Absaroka Lodge. It doesn’t quite have the high guest ratings of hotels listed below, but if you can find rooms at cheaper rates here you really can’t go wrong.
>> Book Hotel: Absaroka Lodge
4. 406 Lodge At Yellowstone
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 9.3 / 10
- Google – 4.7 / 5
- Price: Mid Range $
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking,
- Location: South side of Gardiner
406 Lodge at Yellowstone is a highly rated mid range budget boutique hotel in Gardiner Montana. From what we can see when looking at costs, it appears as though the lodge retains the exact same nightly price throughout spring, summer and fall so you will pay the same price no matter when you stay.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at 406 Lodge at Yellowstone. Guest suites are huge and feature kitchenettes, it is near the park entrance and it will be among the cheapest place to stay in the area on certain dates of the year.
>> Book Hotel: 406 Lodge at Yellowstone
5. Park Hotel Yellowstone
Guest ratings:
- Hotels.com – 9.6 / 10
- Google – 4.9 / 5
- Price: Mid range $$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, laundry, barbecue facilities
- Location: Southeast side of Gardiner
Park Hotel Yellowstone is an exceptionally well rated Gardiner MT hotel with superb guest reviews and comments. Rooms are decorated with care and feature kitchenettes, the hotel size is small and intimate but has a lovely atmosphere, and the prices for rooms vary from cheap through mid range.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Park Hotel Yellowstone. It is located almost next to north entrance to Yellowstone but still within walking distance of the restaurants in town. This is one hotel in Gardiner you should definitely consider.
>> Book Hotel: Park Hotel Yellowstone
6. Yellowstone Basin Inn
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 9.1 / 10
- Google – 4.7 / 5
- Price: Expensive $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, barbecue facilities, rooms with kitchens available, breakfast included
- Location: 7 minutes drive northwest of Gardiner
Yellowstone Basin Inn is the best place to stay near Gardiner MT. It has superb ratings and comments, it includes a fantastic breakfast and it is located in a secluded area with stunning views. It is 5 miles from town so you will have to drive into town for food, but there is no city tax added which is a nice perk.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities, value for money and location the highest at Yellowstone Basin Inn. Families can book a three bedroom stay and couples can book a room with kitchen if looking for a quiet escape. Definitely one to consider at reasonable rates.
>> Book Hotel: Yellowstone Basin Inn
7. Yellowstone Riverside Cottages
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 9.1 / 10
- Google – 4.7 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, rooms with kitchens available
- Location: Center of Gardiner
Yellowstone Riverside Cottages is one of two top rated hotels in Gardiner MT (see below for the other). It is located in the center of town right on the Yellowstone River and we can tell you from experience that it is a wonderful place to stay in Gardiner. We booked a cottage and it was excellent.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, cleanliness, facilities and location the highest at Yellowstone Riverside Cottages. Ratings and comments are endlessly positive, you can book rooms for couples or families easily, it is cozy and it will surpass your expectations.
>> Book Hotel: Yellowstone Riverside Cottages
8. Yellowstone Gateway Inn
Guest ratings:
- Booking.com – 9.2 / 10
- Google – 4.8 / 5
- Price: Luxury $$$
- Amenities: Free WiFi, free parking, rooms with kitchens available, pet friendly
- Location: Center of Gardiner
Yellowstone Gateway Inn is the second of two top rated Gardiner MT hotels. We booked a one bedroom suite here and it was a magnificent experience because we essentially had an entire house with a full kitchen. It is also happens to be the only highly rated pet friendly hotel in Gardiner.
Reviewers rate staff, comfort, facilities, cleanliness, value for money and location the highest at Yellowstone Gateway Inn. It takes a clean sweep with countless positive comments and there are rooms for both couples or families to enjoy. This is definitely more expensive but it is well worth the splurge.
>> Book Hotel: Yellowstone Gateway Inn
Best Hotels In Gardiner FAQ’s
Let’s take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions about where to stay in Gardiner, Montana.
What is the best cheap hotel in Gardiner MT?
Yellowstone Village Inn and Suites is one of the best cheap hotels in Gardiner MT thanks to a seasonal indoor swimming pool, high ratings, a good location and of course cheaper than average nightly rates for the area.
What is the best luxury hotel in Gardiner MT?
Yellowstone River Cottages and Yellowstone Gateway Inn are the two best luxury hotels in Gardiner Montana. Neither are your typical 5 star luxurious accommodations but they are both fantastic places to stay.
Top Hotels Near Gardiner
- Cody – 8 best hotels in Cody Wyoming
- Jackson – 8 best hotels in Jackson Wyoming
- West Yellowstone – 8 best hotels in West Yellowstone
Our Most Popular Best Hotels Guides
- Las Vegas – 25 best Las Vegas strip hotels ranked
- Los Angeles – 25 best hotels in Los Angeles
- NYC – 30 best hotels in New York City
- San Diego – 20 best hotels in San Diego
- San Francisco – 20 best hotels in San Francisco
We hope this guide to the best hotels in Gardiner MT helps you book the perfect hotel for your visit to Yellowstone National Park!
Please let us know if you have any questions about any of the hotels in our list of best places to stay in Gardiner MT by commenting below.
Happy Booking,
Mark and Kristen
Best Hotels Anywhere
Find this guide helpful? Hit save below to pin it for later!
