Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [420]
Consisting of three distinct lodging options at the same convenient location, the Buffalo Bill Village has something for everybody. The Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn are similar to their chain brethren elsewhere, while the village of historic cabins offers a rustic exterior and a more Western feel, with modern conveniences. The chain motels are priced nearly identically and have similar amenities (the rooms at the Holiday Inn won awards after a 2004 renovation, but the Comfort Inn rate includes continental breakfast). The one- and two-bedroom cabins at Buffalo Bill Village are simply equipped—with a bed, phone, and TV—and surrounded by plenty of room for the kids to roam around. Also here is an Old West–style boardwalk where you can shop for curios or sign up for tours and river trips. The property has an outdoor heated pool and several restaurants.
The Irma Hotel
1192 Sheridan Ave., Cody, WY 82414. ☎ 800/ 745-4762 or 307/587-4221. www.irmahotel.com. 73 units. A/C TV TEL. Original rooms $96–$119 double; motel $69–$92 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Buffalo Bill did a lot for this part of Wyoming, including building this charming old hotel, named after his daughter, in the heart of town. Cody hoped to corral tourists who got off the train on their way to Yellowstone, and one of his lures was an elaborate cherry-wood bar, a gift from straitlaced Queen Victoria. You can still hoist a jar on Her Royal Majesty's slab in the Silver Saddle Saloon. Antique-furnished suites bear the names of local characters from the town's early days. The Irma Suite, a corner unit, has a queen-size bed, a writing table, a vanity in the bedroom area, a small sitting area with TV, and an old-fashioned bathroom with a tub/shower combination. The traditional rooms are more akin to those in a roadside motel. The large restaurant serves excellent prime rib and a summer breakfast buffet. Every summer night except Monday, a gang of mustachioed gunfighters draws crowds as they fire blanks at each other on the porch along 11th Street.
The Mayor's Inn
1413 Rumsey Ave., Cody, WY 82414. ☎ 888/ 217-3001 or 307/587-0887. Fax 307/587-0890. www.mayorsinn.com. 5 units. $100– $155 double; $205 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V.
This two-story A-frame, built in 1905 for Mayor Frank Houx, found itself in the path of the wrecking ball in 1997. Before it could be demolished, it was sold and moved on a truck to its current location, just a few blocks away. It's now one of Cody's best B&Bs, with rooms such as the Yellowstone, featuring a lodgepole-pine bed frame and black-and-white photos of the park's early years, and the Hart Mountain Suite, with romance and floral decor in spades. There's also a fully licensed bar and a good restaurant. Breakfast here is a hearty treat, featuring sourdough flapjacks and buffalo sausage.
Pahaska Tepee Resort
183 Yellowstone Hwy., Cody, WY 82414. ☎ 800/628-7791 or 307/527-7701. Fax 307/527-4019. 48 units. $93–$140 double. DISC, MC, V. Closed Oct–May.
Buffalo Bill's hunting lodge, only a mile from the east entrance to Yellowstone, bore his Lakota name, "Pahaska" (long-hair), when he opened the lodge in 1905. Near the top of the beautiful Wapiti Valley along U.S. 14/16/20, Pahaska is a popular stop for visitors to the Yellowstone area. The cabins are scattered on the hill behind the historic, colorfully decorated lodge. Accommodations have limited amenities and might best be described as mini-motels of two to five rooms, each with a private entrance. Some bathrooms have only showers, some tubs—it's best to ask in advance.
Where to Dine
INSIDE THE PARK
Each dining room at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Old Faithful Inn, and Lake Yellowstone Hotel has a distinctive ambience, with solid, if none too adventurous, cuisine and servings aimed squarely at a hiker's appetite. For reservations, contact Xanterra Parks & Resorts (☎ 307/344-7901). The atmosphere is festive and just elegant