K Bar S Lodge, an Ascend Collection Hotel — Hotel in Keystone

We enjoyed a peaceful 4-night stay in June at K Bar S Lodge in Keystone. For us, it was a perfect location, close enough to the places we wanted to visit but far enough from town to be quiet and relaxing. | |Upon arrival, we checked in at the main building and didn't have a reason to go back until our departure. Staff were welcoming, friendly, and efficient.| |The main building has some rooms, but the majority of the guest rooms are in four other buildings. South-facing rooms have a side view of Mt. Rushmore -- Washington and Jefferson profiles. Rooms on the other side have a hillside forest view. Any room would be good, but we did enjoy the Rushmore view from our balcony morning and evening. | |Our king room was large enough to feel at ease. The sink with vanity outside the bathroom is convenient for two adults to prepare for the day. Bedside tables are large enough to accommodate a sleep machine. The room has a small refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker that we used for meals and snacking in the room and on the balcony. A small table with two chairs was useful. One upholstered chair and adequate lighting was appreciated. We enjoyed pleasant balcony time with a second cup of coffee after breakfast each morning and with evening snacks.| |The building on the far side of the main building had both a pub and a breakfast room. We appreciated the good breakfast options provided each morning and the spacious dining area that could get crowded if the hotel was full. A Road Scholar travel group was present on a few mornings; it was pleasant to talk with other travelers and learn about their experiences. A couple of evenings we were too tired to go out for dinner, and we found it convenient to order takeout at the pub. Food was good.| |The housekeeping procedure was convenient and easy -- just put the tag on the door handle outside the room with checkmarks for the requested services. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful.| |The Black Hills region of South Dakota is gorgeous. We recommend a stay at K...

This lodge is in a great location, short walking distance to Keystone stores and shops, a quick 8-10 minute drive to Mount Rushmore! The grounds are beautiful with spectacular views from your patio. (Bring binoculars to get a good profile view of Washington) All patios are facing the west, so keep that in mind as the sun sets. The staff was very nice & welcoming. The Pub at KbarS was very convenient, little pricey, but convenient! I had a pretty good juicy hamburger and a few beers while watching the sun set with the beautiful American flag whipping in the wind.

After that you may be wondering why I’m only giving three stars… the rooms were clean, but very outdated, bed wasn’t all that comfortable. The walls are super thin, request an upstairs room because if you get a 1st level floor you’ll hear the guest walking above you and hopefully your neighbor next to your room doesn’t snore, because you’ll hear that too. My room was on the bottom floor next to the outside door, so I heard that thing slam all day and night. Room service doesn’t tend to your room during your stay, which wasn’t that big of deal, just hang a checklist on door and they’ll provide you with what’s needed. During my stay they were resealing the parking lot so they had a good portion of the parking spaces blocked off, so parking was cut throat in the evenings/nights. I didn’t want to lose my spot so I couldn’t go see the lighting of Rushmore in the evening because I didn’t want to have to park way at the bottom of hill at the entrance of the lodge.

So overall, I don’t believe the price of this lodge was worth it. You’re paying for the view more...

When our family planned a road trip from our home in Kansas City to N. Utah, we stopped for three nights of sightseeing in Keystone. We booked the K Bar S Lodge through the Choice Brands website and had a fantastic stay! We couldn't be happier with the resort and the staff.

First, the location is perfect. The main street of Keystone is crammed with hotels, bars, and gift shops and is quite a traffic jam. The K Bar S Lodge is about 1/2 mile down a side road, easily accessible but isolated. The side profile of Mt. Rushmore is visible from any of the balconies (Washington and a side profile of Lincoln). Easy access to Keystone, Hill City and Mt. Rushmore without the tourist traps of main street.

Second, the rooms were clean and property well maintained. We especially enjoyed the glass gazebo where breakfast is served and they have a nightly bonfire. The rooms comfortably held our family of 6.

Finally, the staff and management were exceptional. As we were traveling during the Covid-19 scare, the staff took the risks seriously and clearly precautions were taken. Surfaces were sanitized regularly, meals were served 'To-go' and room services and extras were requested via a form and dropped at our door. Professional execution.

We would give special thanks to the Manager, Jordan, for taking time to make sure everything met our expectations. He came to our room and helped reset our AC, and followed up later to make sure we were comfortable. We could tell that he really takes an interest in each and every one of his guests and really added a special touch...