NPR Reviews Provided by
K Bar S Lodge

A true gem in Keystone SD!
User:
Benjamin B from:
Published Date: Jun, 3, 2023 Travel Date: May, 1, 2023 Rating: 5 This is the finest Choice hotel I’ve ever stayed in.beautiful serene setting, comfortable and cozy accommodations, on-site bar and restaurant. A tremendous value you should not miss!
Only one negative. The website indicated the bar restaurant was not open until June 1. We decided to grab dinner in Keystone before checking in. Much to our surprise the bar restaurant was open. I would suggest you phone the Lodge before your arrival to verify what amenities are really open since obviously the website isn’t being updated as often as it should.
Subratings:
- Value: 5
- Location: 5
- Service: 5

The ONLY place to stay in Keystone
User:
AGracey from: Long Island
Published Date: May, 21, 2023 Travel Date: Aug, 1, 2022 Rating: 5 I'm not sure what took me so long to write this review, but here it is. We were here in August of 2022, it is excellent. I'd say that is by far the best place to stay in the Mount Rushmore area. You need to go there with the mindset that (as my friend thankfully told me) there's nothing fancy there. There are a few hotels in Keystone, which are basically on one of the two main roads and have a building and parking lot. K Bar is up the road a bit and has beautiful grounds and a big parking area and Oh, a view of Mount Rushmore.
Pay the extra money and stay in one of the Mount Rushmore facing rooms. We were on the first floor and had a nice little balcony to sit, stargaze, admire George and bit of Teddy and some very nice scenery. To be fair, the rooms are a bit dated and basic but they're clean and seem safe. There's places to charge your phone near the bed which was handy.
They include breakfast which is nice. It has the basics like cereal, bagels, waffles, yogurt and a few different hot offerings each day. It's on the other side of the lobby building, so you do have to walk bit but nothing ridiculous. There's lots of nature everywhere is nice. The lobby has coffee and tea which is nice.
They have weddings down on the large lawn which seems nice and you can hear the train whistle from the hotel. There was a wedding going on one night while we were there, it was more crowded than the other nights, but we were able to park no problem and had lots of people say hello as they passed our balcony.
I would stay at K Bar again without a second thought. Highly recommend!
Subratings:
- Value: 5
- Location: 5
- Service: 5

Great stay, Mountain View
User:
Gator58 from: New Port Richey, Florida
Trip Type: Couples
Published Date: May, 13, 2023 Travel Date: May, 1, 2023 Rating: 5 Very clean & quiet. Easy checkin, our room had a great view of Mt Rushmore. Close to Custer state park, Crazy horse and Mt Rushmore the town of Keystone has shops and restaurants and the Presidential wax museum. A nice breakfast with the usual eggs, pancakes etc also a fire pit in the evenings. Neatened in the mountain you can’t go wrong here

October stay
User:
rebecca b from: Conway, South Carolina
Published Date: Oct, 24, 2022 Travel Date: Oct, 1, 2022 Rating: 4 Overall we would stay here again, as it was a unique experience. However, we did encounter some flaws during our visit. One of the beds had black grease stains on it, so we had to sleep in the bed closest to the hallway. We were staying in the off season, so luckily it wasn't too noisy in the halls, so this wasn't a huge issue. We had a live cricket in our bathroom, but I suppose the Lodge is in the wilderness. I did not like that dogs were allowed in the breakfast area. For instance, in the same area that guests were getting their eggs, next to them was a woman with her dog on a leash- and giving himself a good shake while near the food. Breakfast staff didn't seem to think this was an issue. The woman who checks guests in is nice, but tells every-single-guest to go to the Powder House for dinner, and even pulls out a full menu and flips the pages for you. Suggesting a place is one thing, but her forcefulness almost made us feel like we were being sold a used car. The pancake machine in the breakfast area also needs to be fixed. The machine gives you two pancakes, however they were borderline raw, and I had to microwave them, because they were ice cold. I'm assuming this is a frequent issue, because the microwave was full of pancake debris. Parking could also be very limited, forcing you to walk quite a way to your room. Also, if you stay on the ground level in the main house, you have to go up one floor to find an ice machine.
We did like that they offered coffee all day long, and their coffee was very good. We also liked that the room had a Keurig coffee machine, and the deck which overlooked George Washington's profile was a once in a lifetime experience. I think we expected a bit more for the price, but would definitely try this place again.
Subratings:
- Value: 4
- Location: 5
- Service: 4

Great Escape
User:
skier259 from: Spearfish, South Dakota
Trip Type: Business
Published Date: Oct, 22, 2022 Travel Date: Oct, 1, 2022 Rating: 5 This property is a true escape from the daily rigor. Beautiful scenery, beautiful property, great room! The view from my balcony was incredible! I was able to see George on Mount Rushmore and especially enjoyed the evening when they put the lights on George. The staff encountered were all friendly and helpful. The breakfast was delicious and the snacks during our meeting were tasty. Love the chocolate chip cookies. I am looking forward to a return visit. Travel safe…