Whitefish Riverfront Hotel, formerly The Pine Lodge — Hotel in Whitefish

So I don't like to leave negative reviews, but as I read the reviews when I book a place to stay I have to write this.

Silly me, I didn’t think that a “King Room River Side–Balcony–Sofa Bed” would be in a basement. But that’s exactly where we ended up. Instead of a balcony with windows looking out over the river, we had a ground-level patio on the pool walkway where we couldn’t even open the curtains because everyne walking by could look in.

[Update 9/13: They did refund the difference between the room I booked and the room I received at current online sale prices.]

When I asked about it, all I got from staff was a polite “sorry” and the explanation that they can’t guarantee floors. Several other guests told me they also thought they had booked balcony rooms, only to find themselves in the basement. I asked again as a few days in for sorry you booked one thing and got another. Nothing I can do but say sorry.

My biggest problem that the old website highly described a balcony room with a river view and I got a patio room with closed curtains. And the balcony was the ONLY reason I picked this place.

The staff are nice, but they don’t seem able to solve problems — especially the issue of selling “balcony” rooms and delivering something very different. The rest of the hotel was about what I expected, though it could use more attention to detail: the hallways smelled odd, surfaces weren’t very clean, and the few outdoor tables available needed to be wiped down before use. The old Pine Lodge had lots of outdoor seating, but that space is now an indoor bar.

Hopefully the pool area is the next on the to be repaired as everything seems to be on its last legs.

On the bright side, the limited complimentary breakfast was decent. The breakfast attendant kept everything stocked — scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, muffins, pastries, cereal, yogurt, and plenty of coffee and juice. The laundry is free, and so are the bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards, which is a nice perk.

Overall, this hotel feels more like a old slightly updated Holiday Inn Express.

Their sister properties nearby look much nicer from the outside, and for the price I hope they actually deliver what’s advertised.

Those going to the park - this took us about 30 minutes to get to our tour ride in columbia falls and another 30 to 45 minutes including waits to get into the park and past timed entry. So if you want to do a lot in the park and get there early - stay in Columia Falls, West Glacier, Corum or West Glacier.

If you don't mind the drive, then this is a great location, right next to Safeway and Starbucks, about 5 minutes into town where all the bars and restraunts are.

Whitefish Trail System - there's a trail right out side the hotel by the river . . . it goes to downtown and I think connects to the Whitefish Trail System and you can take that out past the lake. And further to several other trails. We liked the Swift Creek Loop and the Smith Lake Trail.

Do you need bear spray. We rented it and never needed it, although we did see two bears. One from our tour bus in the Park and one running across the road on the edge of town, it was heading to an apartment parking lot - it was trash day. So yes you need bear spray.

You can buy it here or rent it in town at the...

We booked this hotel for our vacation to Whitefish MT specifically for its pool and proximity to town both of which turned out to be a complete letdown. While our arrival started off well with a free shuttle ride from Doug who was fantastic and punctual everything went downhill the moment we stepped into the hotel.

Nowhere during booking were we informed that the hotel was undergoing major construction. And by construction I do not mean minor updates I mean the entire lobby was gone. Instead we were funneled through a makeshift lobby via a hallway and sliding door forced to navigate clouds of dust and loud machinery tearing up tile. It was beyond unprofessional and unsafe with dust thick in the air as we held our breath walking through.

To make matters worse the pool was closed and this was the only day in our schedule we could have used it. Had we known we never would have booked here. The staff was incredibly kind and understanding when we requested to cancel and find another place they were not at fault for this situation. In fact they handled it as best as they could but the reality is that this hotel should not be open right now.

What is most frustrating is that people have limited time off and choose where to stay based on trust that their money and vacation time will be spent on a good experience. It is incredibly disappointing that they continue taking reservations when they know guests will walk into a disaster. Because we were not warned in advance we had to scramble to find a new hotel last minute which ended up costing us $400 more for our stay. Had we known about the construction beforehand we could have planned accordingly and avoided this unnecessary expense and disruption to our vacation.

The fact that they continued to try and run a business during this is disgusting to me. It is selfish and completely unprofessional. It is absurd that the owner is still taking money from guests while the hotel is in this condition. At a minimum guests should be notified in advance but in reality this place should not be accepting reservations at all until the renovation...

We just returned from a 4-night stay at Pine Lodge and didn't want to leave! We travel frequently and this is easily one of the best hotels we've ever stayed in. Sooo much value here!

To start, the amenities go above and beyond. There are complimentary bikes, kayaks, and SUPs you can take out as long as you like. We took bikes several times, and the hotel is located directly on the Whitefish bike path with easy access to the lake. We even saw deer on the path! There are also free s'mores kits for the fire pits (a really nice thoughtful touch), and LOADED grab & go bags for breakfast/snacks. There seems to be some thought given to the fact that most people in Whitefish are heading out for active days, as offerings include fresh fruit, protein bars, peanut butter, and more. Toiletries are really nice Bath & Body Works Stress Relief items, again a thoughtful touch. Although we didn't need it, there are two free airport shuttles as well.

Next, in the midst of the pandemic, this place is sparkling clean and has gone to great lengths to keep guests and staff safe. Instead of breakfast and coffee being left out, the reception staff keeps it behind the desk and you simply request what you want. They're doing away with daily housekeeping, but you can ask for anything you need. We also witnessed multiple employees sanitizing common areas.

You also cannot beat the location! Downtown is a 7-8 minute walk, the lake was about a 12 minute bike ride, Safeway and a very well-stocked Town Pump are just next door for groceries and gas, the airport is less than 15 minutes away, and Glacier NP is only about 30 minutes.

Finally, staff is incredible - Lukas especially. Warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. In a time when many hourly employees do the bare minimum, this was a welcome surprise. We will...