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Reviews of Izaak Walton Inn

3.5 out of 5
Izaak Walton Inn
290 Izaak Walton Inn Rd., Essex, MT

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 94 out of 222 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 81 out of 222 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 28 out of 222 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 11 out of 222 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 222 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I have been visiting the Izaak Walton for most of my life and each time is special. Yes it might be an older building and have occasional problems related to age but the inn is possibly the most unique in all of Montana. The staff are always top notch and professional and the location is amazing!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

David, Great Falls

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Charming,quiet getaway excellent ski trails, restaurant is delicious.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Christina

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Prices have climbed steadily in recent years. We love the Isaak walton! Hope we don't get priced out of being able to afford to stay
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

2/10 Terrible

STEVE

The hotel doesn’t take Expedia so why did you tell Me I had reservations when I did not this is bad I will never use Expedia again. You need to fix this
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2022

4/10 Poor

Howard

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2022

6/10 Okay

Robert

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Almost had to beg for small bar of soap for sink. Sink was in bedroom not in bathroom. Bathroom had only a liquid soap dispenser in shower
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ann

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

8/10 Good

James

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This inn is steeped in history and is like going back in time to the 1940's. The rooms are clean, the premises delightful and the staff accommodating and friendly. The only down side is that the location is at least 1/2 hour from any services. The restaurant on premises is very good, but really the only option unless you travel. Be sure to bring some snacks to your room to tide you over. The only complaint we have is that we got a corner room on the second floor directly over the exhaust for the restaurant where the room smelled like a grill for late afternoons and early evenings. While we really preferred to have a corner room and are glad we did, the smell was an issue until it cleared out with the windows open around 11pm. Still, overall, it was a very good experience and we'd certainly recommend the Isaak Walton Inn.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

A.Helene

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice restoration of vintage lodge but that means small room, no heat in the spring, no wall insulation, restaurant was way over priced for very poor quality food.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Barbara

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Foldout bed was very uncomfortable but slept okay. Room with bed and foldout (futon) was bit crowded for a small room. Love ❤️ the deco and the lodge. May come back.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022

8/10 Good

Rebecca

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing location tucked into the mountains. Several trails nearby and the staff was very friendly. Great spot halfway between East and West Glacier.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

2/10 Terrible

Nancy

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Tiny room. No a.c. or fan. Radiator very hot. No t.v. no wi-fi. Staff not welcoming. Had to drag all luggage up flight of stairs. Not "rustic" or historical. Like a boarding house
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Alixandra

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was so beautiful! Our rooms were clean, the staff were so nice, the lodge was beautiful, and the food was fabulous. I loved it and would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

John, PORT LUDLOW

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff was very helpful. We were allowed extra time in our room to accommodate our train arrival and departure. Food was excellent. Spa temp was perfect.
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

8/10 Good

Darlene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer, SPOKANE

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
They allowed us to check in very early which was wonderful since the train dropped us off at 840am.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Jon, Whitefish

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful area great staff, unique and cozy getaway
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Rita

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved the homey feel and old artifacts. Great wall hangings. Staff was super friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

6/10 Okay

Kathleen

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

Jing Luen Allen, San Jose

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The historic inn is at a railroad yard with several modified train cars on the property as guest rooms. We stayed in the main building. The staff was friendly and helpful. The restaurant serves a full menu. Our room was simple and small which is common in that area. It did provide us a comfortable space for our stay. One negative thing was that we could smell food from the kitchen below. Overall, it’s worth considering if you’re visiting Glacier national park.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
This hotel includes a lodge, formerly housing for railroad workers, and outlying cabins, some of them converted rail cars. It is a charming place along the tracks with a playground, green lawn with chairs, and an appealing lobby and porches. Our room in the lodge, although small had been nicely restored and modernized. Unfortunately.,there were many problems. In September 2021, with Corona raging, no staff member wore a mask. Our room was uncomfortably warm the first night. The next night, we discovered that: the radiator, set for off, had nevertheless come on. The front desk was frequently unstaffed, leaving guests waiting. The restaurant has a virtual monopoly in the area. and it shows. Prices are very high and food quality uneven. The first night, we made a reservation for outdoor seating. When we arrived, we were told that, due tof a large party. we would have to sit inside. After complaining, we were finally seated outside, where the space turned out to be more than ample. At breakfast I was told that the oatmeal I ordered from the menu was unavailable. How do you run out of oatmeal?! When I ordered the eggs with two biscuits from the menu, the order arrived with only one biscuit cut in half, and the server became huffy when I called the discrepancy to his attention. That evening, a half hour before closing, we ordered decaf coffee. The waitress said she would some, but then another staff member appeared and said that only regular coffee was available--how cheap!!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

10/10 Excellent

Rick

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Staff was unfriendly and unhelpful.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness
Very cool place! They need to vacuum or replace the carpets at the entrances.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Didn't like driving the long dirt road to the family cabins area
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Pamela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very cool Train Themed Inn
This is a very cool hotel with train theme that is the most it has going for it IMO. It has no elevator so we had to haul our luggage up 3 flights.The staff was helpful but the stairs were very hard on us with our physical handicaps.the room was extremely hot with no temperature controls the small ceiling fan was inadequate.We opened the window but stilll did not sleep well.No fridge or coffee in the room.There is nothing nearby it is very secluded which is lovely but the restraunt is VERY expensive and there are no other options around.It is an hour drive to Glacier National Park.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was a beautiful atmosphere and with the history of the hotel, it was fine. Rooms a little small but to be expected. We would go back for the service and ambiance of the place.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Gordon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Vacation
All was great untill the time for food, don't expect R&R food, square plates food over cooked and not hot small glass coffee cups. Need to get back to basics and not be fancy smancy!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Quiet, historic inn in beautiful wooded setting next to Glacier National Park. Comfortable, not plush, great staff.
Stayed 1 night in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Izaak Walton is such a cool hotel! Pretty much in the middle of nowhere but right where you want to be for excellent hiking, fabulous views everywhere you look, a great bar (shout out to the fun bartender who made me an excellent old fashioned), a better than it has to be restaurant (great daily specials and super friendly wait staff), helpful manager, interesting history- all very cool! Be aware of what it isn't- not a boutique hotel with in room hair dryers & bottled water, which is fine with me because see above! I'd go back in a second!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very clean.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent stay.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2021

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
The lobby was a lovely place to rest after cross-country skiing with a drink. You had to order from the check in desk and the staff brought it to you. The bar and the game room were closed, and the room we stayed in (2nd floor) was really cold. Nothing made it warm and it's really cramped, so we stayed three days but mostly ended up hanging out in the lobby since the room was small, cold, uncomfortable.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
It’s an older building but in good shape. The staff are very friendly and willing to help if you need something.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2020

10/10 Excellent

Felix

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jo, Nashville

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I love this Hotel! It was the best vacation I've had in years! It's quite intimidating at first because wifi doesn't reach the rooms, there are no in-room phones or tv's, and Tmobile, AT&T, and Verizon have no signal at the hotel. However, once I was past day one, I loved the disconnection. It allows you to fully unwind and detach from all the craziness in our world. The onsite diner has amazing food (try the Huckleberry Peach Pie), the gift shop is stuffed full of goodies, and the bar lounge in the basement is superb. The live music events on the lawn allow you to kick back and relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. You won't be sorry staying here!
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I really enjoyed my stay here, which was a short get-away for a couple days of hiking and photography. The area is gorgeous, with hiking, river rafting, fishing, and snow activities in season. Wildflowers were going crazy when I was there in late June. I'd gladly use this as a base for a car tour of GNP. I am a train enthusiast who really likes the fact that the BNSF Railway mainline rolls by the front (back?) of the hotel. That being said, they aren't so frequent or noisy that it should bother anyone and they don't use their horn. You can also request to be on the river-side of the hotel, which would be quieter. In my case they actually moved me to the track-side at my request. The staff at the Inn is super friendly, servers quick and efficient, and another thing that impressed me was the food. Everything I had was literally cooked perfectly--from breakfasts to bar food. I didn't have one of the steaks but I will next time.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2020

10/10 Excellent

Krista, Fairfield Mt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved my stay! The skiing was awesome!! So nice to be able to step back in time and out of all the crazy of modern day! Stay rustic!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fun place to stay and great cross country trails out back. Dinner and breakfast were great.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Tracy, Conway Arkansas

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place was amazing!- gorgeously decorated with original period railroad paraphernalia- so interesting - we arrived late at night because of a storm that delayed us- when we got there the restaurant was closed- being in the middle of nowhere , with nothing open for quite a ways, the woman that runs the restaurant went back in and got us some of the seafood chowder that is a daily item on the menu- which , btw, is the best I have EVER had! We had breakfast the next day , even the breakfast was delicious- The chef for the hotel restaurant came out and talked to us for a bit and even gave me some secrets to the chowder! Very happy with the inn and want to go back soon and stay a lot longer-
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019

10/10 Excellent

JohnHarrington, Shelburne, Mass.

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Helpful staff. Village is not very pretty, but there are some trailheads within a few miles' driving distance. The National Forest trails aren't well-marked, so you should probably have a map.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2019