Buyer Beware:
Don’t Get Gouged at Yellowstone Hotels

Lower Yellowstone Falls at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Photo by Charles Pannell

If a visit to Yellowstone National Park is in your future, be sure you’re dealing with the official lodging concessionaire when you make your in-park hotel reservations. Otherwise you could get stuck with unnecessary booking fees, or even end up with a room outside the park.

According to Xanterra Resorts — the only official Yellowstone lodging concessionaire — some unrelated internet reservation sites charge non-refundable booking fees to reserve rooms at Xanterra Yellowstone properties — a fee that you’ll never incur if you book directly with Xanterra. Additionally, some Yellowstone lodging websites are very misleading about their property locations, and many travelers arrive to discover that their hotel is located near the park, instead of in the park like they thought.

According to Xanterra, these problems often begin when travelers do an Internet search by typing in key words such as “Yellowstone Lodging.” Some of the web sites that pop up are direct links to single properties located somewhere outside Yellowstone. Others advertise “all” Yellowstone lodges but then link to cabins and lodges in gateway communities. Many of these sites charge non-refundable booking fees, include inaccurate rate information and have misleading lodge descriptions.

And although many of the in-park lodges have wheelchair-accessible rooms, it’s essential to deal directly with Xanterra to get a room that fits your access needs. Otherwise you may arrive to discover that your access requirements were not passed along and no accessible rooms are available. Always deal direct when reserving an accessible room.

For more information about Yellowstone in-park lodging, visit the Xanterra website at www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com.

Yellowstone offers a wide range of options for wheelchair-users and slow walkers, from accessible trails and picnic areas to scenic drives, geyser viewing opportunities and even accessible backcountry camping. For more information about wheel-accessible activities in Yellowstone National Park, as well as details about accessible in-park lodging options, consult the Summer 2011 issue of Emerging Horizons.