Crater Lake Lodge - Inside the Park

We stayed two nights in a lake view room, as part of a California and Oregon road trip. The lake is stunning, and as the only accommodation for miles it’s the only place to stay. The room was comfy, though not the cleanest, but it was peaceful and quiet, with amazing views over the lake. The main areas of the lodge itself, don’t seem big enough for the number of rooms. The main lounge/bar does not have a huge amount of seating, and people were standing or sitting on windowsills! The restaurant obviously has an issue with trying to fit everyone in. The first night we’d booked a table for 7pm, and were finally seated just after 8! Food wasn’t great on the first night, the second night it was definitely better, and Breakfast was ok. We’ve stayed in several National Park lodges, so know what to expect - food is always hit and miss. Not that it should be of course! The main reason for staying is of course to enjoy the lake, and the trails around it - and that was all amazing.

The view of Crater Lake is awesome from the Lodge but, the bed was hard, there was no air conditioning and you can't reserve a table for dinner before you arrive. The weather was unseasonable hot and it made sleeping very difficult. But there aren't really any viable options unless you plan to camp out. So make sure the weather is cool when you go and make sure you get dinner reservations as soon as you arrive - because otherwise you might not be able to eat there.

The room was charming and the bed was super comfy. The restaurant had great service and delicious food. Loved the porch/patio where we could enjoy a nice beverage and gaze out over the lake - beautiful sight!! The room had a dormer window and slanted ceilings around it so you had to be careful not to knock your head! No AC but the temperature was comfortable. I had to keep the windows closed to keep out the moths - had more than 20 of them in the room until I got rid of them all! But all in all, a very nice stay.

View of Lake: 5 stars Historical Lodge Architecture : 5 stars Restaurant staff and food and general experience: 4 stars Hotel upkeep and from desk customer service: ZERO stars • Just one employee at the front desk checking in long line of guests at 4 PM -- and she was training a new employee. Some guests had to wait half an hour to check in. • At 5 AM when I went to make coffee to start our big day at this "bucket list" location, I saw that I had FIVE DECAF coffee pods and no regular coffee. (Someone at the front desk was able to give me pods at 5 AM, but still this was disappointing at a $300 hotel.) • We specifically asked for housekeeping at the front desk, and they took our room number. When we returned from a full day outdoors, no service had been done. When I relayed this to front desk, I was told, "We prioritize incoming guests." Basically, "You weren't that important, even though you specifically asked for housekeeping." • There was a towel on the floor of the main room in the lodge FOR THREE DAYS (see photo). Does no one see it? I mentioned it to a waiter in the restaurant on our last day, and she promptly took care of it. • There was a collapsed porta-crib in the elevator area for at least two days (see photo). • Rooms are pretty basic, but that was fine. Taking care of guests is easier to remedy than remodeling rooms. For $300 a night, this is unacceptable. The restaurant, however, did not disappoint. It was easy to get in for a good breakfast (arrive early!) without a reservation.

Crater Lake Lodge is a majestic looking lodge overlooking the deepest blue lake one can imagine. Unfortunately due to the switching of concessionaires in April, our reservation was inadvertently cancelled without my knowledge. I learned of this when checking in so I was crushed because the lodge was fully booked. Tim, one of the managers worked hard to make it right. In the end, we were able to enjoy one of our nights with a wonderful lake view and we were able to hike Garfield Peak in the morning right from the lodge. Thank you Tim! It's important to pay attention to wildfires in the summer, but I would highly recommend staying at the Lodge. It is a wonderful base for an adventurous or relaxing vacation. Plan ahead and book a year in advance if possible. If you plan to eat at the Lodge restaurant or take the boat to Wizard island, be sure to book those early in the season.

Crater Lake is amazing, and being able to stay on the rim, seeing the Milky Way at night, and sunrise over the crater the next morning, is out of this world. Our room was small but clean and comfortable. That said, there is one key thing we wished we had known ahead of time is that the restaurant TAKES RESERVATIONS so if you just show up, you might not get to eat until 9:30pm if at all. Make sure you make a dinner reservation WELL IN ADVANCE of your stay! That said, the food was good, and they do let you order drinks and appetizers in the lodge lobby area. The roads around the crater just opened up like two days before we arrived (late June/early July), and one stretch STILL was not open even then… so be prepared for that or come in July-August. It’s a spectacular piece of history and we’re glad we were able to get a room for one night here!