The Duck Inn Lodge — Hotel in Whitefish

Hidden Gem of Heartfelt Hospitality

We just had the loveliest stay at The Duck Inn — a place that truly embodies the soul of personalized, thoughtful hospitality in a world full of impersonal hotels. While the exterior initially felt a little more modest than expected and the riverbank slightly wild, those first impressions quickly faded once we experienced the warmth and intention behind every detail.

From the start, the check-in process was wonderfully modern and smooth — we received a text before arrival that allowed us to upload our ID and license plate info, then received a keycode for easy entry. It felt like a perfect blend of self-service freedom and classic bed-and-breakfast charm.

And then there was Todd, who truly made the stay shine. He clearly has a deep respect for the sacred art of hospitality — the way he lit up while describing his grandmother’s egg casserole recipe (zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, and more!) was just one example. Breakfast was served with care: yogurt parfaits in charming tins, fresh flowers on every table, great coffee, and a beautiful view of the river with ducks paddling by.

We stayed in the Belton Suite, which our kids adored. The layout gave us all a little space, the AC worked perfectly, and the shower had a nice wide entry — small things that really added up. The kids loved the board games in the common area (Candy Land, chess, Chutes & Ladders, and more), and we appreciated the homey touches that made it feel more like a welcoming guest home than a hotel.

We also met Alex, who was equally warm and even Bear, their sweet hypoallergenic dog — another special moment that added to the sense that we were truly guests, not just customers.

Yes, there were a few details that could use a little polish, but it’s easy to look past that when you realize the heart behind the place. Todd shared that they’d only recently taken over management and that his family runs similar inns in Lake Placid. It’s clear they are building something truly special here.

The Duck Inn is the kind of place you remember not because it was flashy, but because it was REAL — full of care, personality, and people who genuinely love what they do. We’re grateful for the experience and hope others will give it a chance. Todd and Alex, you’re doing something beautiful...

The room wasn't bad except, the bathroom window was only 1/2 covered so the people in the travel trailer or walking by could see you naked!! The windows are not opaque or anything. Luckily I travel with black 55 gallon garbage bags and clothes pins. So I had to make a covering for the window. And there was a large spot over the shower that was leaking and was mold, the bathroom door did not close properly! The location wasn't bad but not really walkable to find things. The next morning the problems began....we went for the breakfast. It was advertised as organic and really hyped up on their website. It sucked!! There were only very soggy waffles, some yogurt with fruit and granola in them, juice and coffee. There was oatmeal you could make. There were 6 to 8 people who came down at the same time. There wasn't but too soggy, waffles.So one of the ladies that was with another group was asking where the people were that it was supposed to be in the kitchen. At that point, we were told that he had been gone for about ten fifteen minutes.We proceeded to wait, he's still not showing up.So the lady who was with a group of four decided to go into the kitchen.If no one was going to be there to make the breakfasts, she was going to help. And I was looking for honey to go on to my yogurt parfait. So another ten to fifteen minutes passes by the lady is finally found.All the stuff and she's proceeding to make waffles.The owner, the one working there and not sure who he is comes in and loses his little mind. According to another person that stayed there, he had been gone for a total of almost thirty minutes.And it's breakfast time.The prime time when he should have been there, taking care of his guest. He basically goes off on the woman while i'm standing there.Telling us that we were not allowed in the kitchen and she's explained to him there was no food and he got very rude and said, well, it's complimentary so I don't have to do this! Well what we ate was horrible from that moment, the service, or should I say lack of service and the attitude was just more than I was willing to put up with. So save your money go somewhere that isn't run by this little guy with an attitude! It was the worst experience of our entire trip! We left there and went to Canmore...

I have very conflicting feelings about the Duck Inn. I stayed there in September of 2012 and had a beautiful room. When we checked in we were told that our tub was broke. Which was one of the main reasons we were staying there. So I asked if we could have another room or if we could get a discount. The young lady at the front desk said the manager would have to approve the credit. At that time, we couldn't cancel cause we would not get our money back so we ended up staying. The room itself was very nice, it had a large floor AC unit which was kind of ugly but I guess AC is better than no AC. Also we were missing blinds on our sliding glass door. Enough so, that people could look in like a window with no curtains. Which made both of us very uncomfortable. The bed was comfortable and the room was clean. More conflict comes when we went to check out. I spoke with Becky, she is the best part of the Duck Inn by the way, and she said the manager credited our card and it should show up in 10 days. Three weeks later I checked my card and still did not see the credit so I called the Duck Inn. This time I spoke with Sandy who told me " I do not have time to check on that right now, if you want your refund you need to send an email." Which I did. After no response from the email, I called back a week later and spoke with Becky again. She said that she would leave a note for Sandy. Still have not heard from her or seen a refund. Also the Duck Inn claims to be on the beautiful Whitefish River when reality is it's more of a muddy creek and we were told when we checked in that chemicals had been dumped in the river so it was not safe to go by the water or touch the fish, which may have two heads. Seriously. The Duck Inn would be a very nice establishment if the tub had worked, we had proper privacy, the noise could be turned down a bit, and the customer service from Sandy was rude. If I were to stay at the Duck Inn again, I would make sure Becky was working, the tub worked, the blinds were installed in the room, and you do not...