Black Bear Lodge Motel
Location: 781 Natural Bridge Rd, Slade, Kentucky, 40376, Slade, US
Star Rating: 2 Stars
Property Type: Motels
About this Property
Convenient Amenities
Enjoy the picnic area and barbecue grills at the motel.
Dining Options
Grab a bite at the coffee shop/cafe or visit the grocery/convenience store.
Comfortable Accommodation
Relax in air-conditioned rooms with amenities like refrigerators and microwaves.
When you stay at Black Bear Lodge Motel in Slade, you'll be in the mountains, just steps from Natural Bridge State Park and Daniel Boone National Forest. Book your stay now to experience the beauty of this scenic location!
Important Information
- Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
- Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
- Contactless check-in and contactless check-out are available.
Policies
Check-in: 04:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Instructions: The front desk is open daily from 9 AM - 7:00 PM. The check-in location differs from the property location. Check-in location: [769 Natural Bridge Rd., Slade, KY 40376]. If you arrive at the property after hours, you'll need to check in at an alternate location: [769 Natural Bridge Rd., Slade, KY 40376]. If you are planning to arrive after 8:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests will receive an email 48 hours before arrival with check-in instructions. The front desk is staffed during limited hours. For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation. Guests planning to arrive on the same day of booking must contact this property prior to 6 PM for check-in instructions.
Amenities & Facilities
- Wheelchair accessible
- Picnic area
- ATM/banking
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Smoke-free property
- Grocery/convenience store
- Free self parking
- Upper floors accessible by stairs only
Rooms Available
-
Room, 2 Double Beds
2 Double Beds
Entertainment - Satellite channels
Food & Drink - Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee/tea maker
Sleep - Bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower/tub combination, a hair dryer, and towels
Practical - Desk
Comfort - Air conditioning
Need to Know - Weekly housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- TV
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Microwave
- Private bathroom
- Satellite channels
- Weekly housekeeping provided
- Bedsheets provided
-
Room, 1 Queen Bed
1 Queen Bed
Entertainment - Satellite channels
Food & Drink - Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee/tea maker
Sleep - Bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower/tub combination, a hair dryer, and towels
Practical - Desk
Comfort - Air conditioning
Need to Know - Weekly housekeeping
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Coffee/tea maker
- TV
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Refrigerator
- Desk
- Microwave
- Private bathroom
- Satellite channels
- Weekly housekeeping provided
- Bedsheets provided
Guest Reviews
- Richard (6/5): - The property was great, right in the RRG and across the street from a BBQ pit and bar.
The only issue was the hotel room was infested with stink bugs. They did smell or really cause an issue. But they were there.
- Randall (6/5): - It was okay for a 1 night stay. The musty smell was quite stong.
- James (10/5): - Great little place. Loved the outdoor feel of the room. Just wished i could have stared longer.
- Kris (6/5): - Okay place. Getting run down
- Kim (10/5): - Loved the room!
- Carl (4/5): - The rooms were damp and the blankets and sheets felt wet. The blanket looked only halfway clean. Lots of cob webs
- Karyn (10/5): - Quaint and charming are the words for this place. It's a cabin and it's very cute and appropriately decorated. The room is not large but it's more than adequate for a night or two. Great hot water for shower or bath. Comfortable bed. TV was a little on the small side. But overall, we liked it a lot and it was very convenient for the Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge Park areas that we wanted to visit.
- Arthur (10/5): - Room was great, staff was friendly. Had a great night
- morlene (8/5): - The property was very nice and easy to get to. Staff was nice, we had issues with stink bugs in our room. That was the only problem
- Amy (4/5): - I was disappointed in the appearance - the pictures looked amazing but not so much in person. The towels were old and definitely not enough for two people. We were provided 1 adult towel for 2 people to shower. Also, one minuscule bar of soap to wash our hands and then carry to the shower. In addition, our coffee pot didn’t work - of course we were only provided 1 cup to drink out of. Guess we had to share that like our towel. To sum it up - cheap cheap.
- Tammy (2/5): - The location was good, the room had bugs and smelled of urine and linen looked like it hadn’t been washed in months, coffee pot had old ground in it for who knows how long…. Very noisy neighbors, very disappointed
- Susan (2/5): - We were dismayed by the broken down vehicles in front of the building. The outside of the building was unkempt, dirty with cobwebs. The moment we stepped inside the room we were assailed by the smell of urine. We promptly went back to the office, a quarter mile down the road, and dropped the key in the drop box. Would not recommend.
- Theresa (8/5): - Overl good e perience.
- Kenneth (8/5): - Was good.
A bit of black mold in the bathroom stunk up the place, Had to buy incense.
- Jan (6/5): - staff not available
- Jeremy (10/5): Black Bear Lodge - The Black Bear Lodge was cozy, clean and exactly what we needed for our trip!
- Connie (10/5): Kentucky trip - Check in process was easy, the room was clean and cozy. Neighbors were up late on balcony talking loudly, but after midnight they finally went to bed! Lol. We would stay here again.
- David (8/5): - Cozy and quiet spot. Nice person running it.
- Gertrude (6/5): - Not clean outside on patio. Web on the rail
- Jimmy (10/5): - Nice accommodations. 👍👍
- Margaret (8/5): - They now have Wifii. The place is simple, but they have everything you need. Feels like a cabin. We arrived late, but the receptionist texted me the instructions. The stores around close early.
- Sheri (8/5): - Great location for visiting Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park. Very quiet. The lodge room needs a table or shelf for more counter space.
- David (10/5): - Quiet off the main road. Enjoyed our stay and Karen was very eager to be helpful familiarizing us with the area
- Stacie (4/5): - The room smelled very musty, the bed was very uncomfortable. No wifi made limited phone access which is unsafe
- Ying Fang (4/5): - My key was locked in room. Front desk only work 9-5. No one can help me. I sleep my car.
No one pick up phone. Bad experience from me.
- Aaron (10/5): Looking for some adventures - Great motel tucked away ! I traveled solo for this trip and was very surprised with how much I loved it ! The cabin feel in the room was just amazing ! All staff that I came in contact with were very friendly and even made recommendations for trails I should see while I was there. Cell service was very spotty if any at all but a great way to disconnect! Bed was comfortable TV was great. Loved that each room has chairs outside to relax and enjoy the view. Food was not as easy to find many restaurants that were open. I would definitely stay here again ! Also, the Daniel Boone Coffee Shop where you check in is super cute great local shop and food was very good and reasonably priced.
- Danielle (8/5): - The bed was very comfortable. There was a smell as you came in, but got better after the air was on. There was dust on the lamp shades and bed frame.
- James (8/5): - This is an older property, but well maintained. The only negatives were a musty smell when we first entered our room and a finicky "smart" TV. We either got used to the smell or it disappeared when we turned the air on. The TV wouldn't let me sign into my Netflix account. It did however let me sign into Prime. Overall a great stay for the price.
- Melissa (2/5): - Was told check in was at 3, but could not arrive at property until 4. That was odd but not an inconvenience as we didn’t arrive until 630. Pulling into the property it was clear that there were people living there long term, one guy completing auto repairs in the parking lot. Upon opening our door the smell of mold and mildew was so overpowering we tried to open the window, but there was no screen. It was evident that the smell was an issue as they had a secondary fan plugged in, in an attempt to move the air. We sat outside for a half an hour with the door propped open, it still smelled. We left. Keys were returned to the box at 8:15 pm. I messaged property the same night and no response.
- wanda (8/5): - Very small. Had a bad smell but looked clean.
- Verified traveler (2/5): Not clean and it smells - The checking process was ok. I got to the room and it smells like an old storage room. There were urine stains on the toilet seat and the shower curtain had something black on it, mold or mud, not sure. At night there was a mouse in the room. Towels and linens were fresh and clean. I booked for two nights and checked out the first thing in the morning after the first night.
I am amazed by the other reviews that say it is a clean room, maybe they forgot to clean mine but the smell and mouse should be in related.
- pamela (8/5): - room was clean outside on the porch very dirty lots of spiders
- Grace (8/5): - It’s a cute motel right by the Natural Bridges State Park. There is a good pizza place, a Mexican Restaurant, a coffee shop, and ice cream shop nearby, as well as other shopping. Room was clean and had a fridge and microwave and WiFi. A little musty but ok. After hours (4 pm) your key is in a clear box in an envelope with your name on it in the front of a building that’s a strip mall which seemed a little too trusting to me. The office door is off property and is locked with a sign saying employees only. Beautiful area!
- Linda (4/5): - It was just average. Parking was convenient, but big potholes in the driveway.
- Selina (8/5): - Being a rustic lodge motel, it was pretty much what we expected…clean, comfortable, but very dark rooms.
- Kristie (10/5): - The room was spacious and clean. Air conditioning worked great on hot days. Slept well. Was off the road just enough to be quiet but still close to everything.
- Ronald (8/5): - The main issue was not enough towels. There is sone pealing paint on the outside. The drive on the wsy in has sone nasty potholes.
- Colleen (2/5): - When I went to the room there was someone already in the room. So I had to go back to the place up the road that handles the property to get a different room that was smaller. The bed was strange, when you sat on one side the other side popped up. Then during the night a rat was in the room and got on the nightstand and took my medication that was in a daily pack. And whoever was upstairs was stomping or marching late at night and very early in the morning. It was a miserable night without much sleep. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to contact the company who is in charge because they don't answer the phone, it's a automatic system that never allows you to leave a message or talk with someone. And there is no cell service or Internet service in the area. I've called several times since leaving the keys in a box outside the office a few days ago.
- Shelia (8/5): - Comfortable beds, clean rooms. Close to Natural Bridge. Only problem was the TV in one room was a smart TV that we could not get anything to work on
- Amy (2/5): - The smell of intense urine prevailed strongly in this room mixed with a strange chemical smell. We placed our belongings, tried coming back later in the evening and realized we could not fathom staying in the room. We packed up and found other lodging. We did not bother contacting the rental company, there is no way in hell they did not about the issue. Furthermore the room was tiny and more than rundown.We stay in many mom and pop hotels and this was not a typical experience. Room 103
- dena lee (10/5): - It was a clean quiet motel. Waking distance to local places and a 2 minute drive to others.
Close to hiking areas and very beautiful area
- Ashley (6/5): - The property was plain but pretty. Very few amenities. My biggest complaint is that I woke up with bites all over me. I checked the beds, but didn’t see anything. I liked the rustic feel but not sure I would stay here again because of that.
- Jessica (4/5): - Charged my card before we arrived, despite my choosing to pay at the property at check in. The card on file with Travelocity is not the card I planned to use for this visit, and now the transaction has caused banking issues. The listing was not very detailed, I needed a handicap accessible room with two beds. The only rooms with two beds are upstairs (no elevator.) When I asked to change rooms to accommodate my disability the woman at check in was extremely rude and condescending, telling me I should have read their website. If you’re going to list on a third party, the company needs to ensure the listing is accurate.
- jody (8/5): - very humid. floor was wet. Blanket was wet. Had to leave door open to dry room out...2nd day asked for a dehumidifier and they brought one. Did a greatjob.
- Joe (10/5): - Nice option in the gorge.
- Marijo (2/5): - Likes nearby attractions. Dislikes, smell of our room so much that we bought a candle
- brigitte (6/5): - It was fine for a night stay. Check in is not at the hotel. With no phone service at all in that area, I didn’t see the message about check in.
- Stephanie (10/5): Perfect location - Great property. The room was nice. It was right across the street from the general store, bar , BBQ restaurant and gem mining.
- Sara (8/5): - I have stayed here a few times and love it! Was a little louder this time. Still enjoyable though! Love the price and placing. Thank you!
- Meredith (8/5): - What a fun vibe to this hotel. Away fromnthe road, quiet, and it feels like a cabin!
- Melanie (10/5): Great stay! - Fantastic location. Friendly staff
- Deborah (8/5): Bear Necessities - The property was just as described. Be careful when pulling in the entrance because the drive was deeply rutted.
This is the first time I've ever stayed in a place that did not have ice available. Luckily I was able to drive back down the road to the coffee shop that was still open and buy a couple cups of ice.
The room was clean and the bed was comfy. Unfortunately Direct TV was not working so we had no entertainment other than listening to the guy upstairs walking around most of the night.
I would definitely recommend staying in the upstairs room if they are available. Mainly because if you have no TV as a distraction you'll be listening to the upstairs guests.
If you visit bring a cooler so you have ice if you want something cool to drink.
If you want a comfy bed and clean bathroom and only need the "bear" necessities this is a good place to visit for a night.
- Keith (8/5): - Property was well fine and dandy. Unfortunately a garbage truck took out the dish TV line so we did not have TV the last three nights were there.
- Amy (6/5): - Room was clean. A few minir issues noted above.
- Jon (6/5): - Smallest bar of soap I ever saw for two day use for two people. The room was nice, but the beds not that comfortable.
- Curtis (10/5): - Clean and comfortable. no wifi.
- Kevin (4/5): - No communication. after finding the place to receive the key,there was 0 communication on where to leave the key at departure.a phone # given ,but no cell service anywhere near the place.
- Darlene (10/5): - It was rustic but clean and fairly quiet.
- Laura (6/5): - Unfortunately I can’t give a great review. The staff was very friendly and helpful, however, the grounds needed some work.
In the parking lot is an old, dirty RV and another car that has flat tires and is full of trash. The upstairs landing, where my room was had seating to enjoy the view but the area was full of spider webs on the railing and on the lights and bird poop in front of our door. It would have been a really nice spot to hang out if it had been cleaned, it wouldn’t take much.
Inside, the room was very clean but the pillows were as flat as pancakes.
- Rachel (6/5): - I liked the location and the people, everyone was friendly. The room was clean, the A/C was cold, the shower was nice with good water pressure. My only complaint is the mattress was uncomfortable. And I needed more towels. The BBQ restaurant across the street was good but didn't open until Thursday. I would stay there again but next time I will bring extra towels and pillows. I had a great time in Daniel Boone National Park. Thank you.
- judith (4/5): - This place was unique, but old and had a stale odor. It still had carpet on the floor. Bathroom was small. No where to sit in the rooms except on the bed. Several of the chairs outside, broke when we sat on them. We stayed here 3 nights, and we wouldn’t have if we would have had somewhere else to go. There was a Sasquatch convention or something going on, so everything was busy. We had booked 2 months before and weren’t aware of that. We were doing the Red River Gorge cave kayaking and Ruby Falls etc., and the motel was very close to the attractions. We assumed that everything was priced that high in the area. It was not what we expected for the money, and even though we didn’t see any live bugs inside, we did clean up several dead ones on arrival.
- stacie (6/5): - It's a good location right off the highway. Easy to get to all the sites around the area, just no internet access, no cell service. Makes it hard to stay in touch with family.And parking lot is not motorcycle friendly at all.
- Salvatore (8/5): - Enjoyed the quiet rustic setting
- Vaghinak (10/5): - Everything was great
- ALAN (10/5): - Very quite and really cool place
- Michael (10/5): - The rooms were very nice. It was a peaceful place to stay.
- Jess (10/5): - Great stay!
- Trisha (10/5): - Rustic and awesome.
- Luther (8/5): - Road from highway to bridge (very short distance) was very bumpy. Tiny bar of soap - bring your own. Heat and A/C worked well.
- Verified traveler (6/5): 3/5 - Power went out and there was no backup power so we spent about 4-5 hours shortly after arrival with no lights, no air conditioning, no tv, and no hot water. Was hopeful that we would be contacted by management to offer an amendment to our reservation in exchange for the services we paid for but did not receive. Unfortunately did not hear from anyone. The next evening we came in to take a shower and there was again no hot water. Took a cold shower and it felt like there was cleaning product still in the bathtub. Very slick-slippery once water in the tub was turned on. Dropped my phone and had to retrieve it from under the bed and was met with what could only have been months of dirt and dust that clearly hadn’t been swept in some time. Beds were comfortable, and there are hangers for your clothes. Coffee is provided in the room as well as at the building for check in down the road. Location is great if you’re visiting any of the local parks areas. You must let the cashier know you are staying at the black bear lodge in order to get your free coffee at the check in building. All of the local shops close by 8-9 so make sure you check them out earlier in the day.
- Mark (4/5): - No top sheet on one bed. Linen questionable. Quite noisy at night.
- Verified traveler (8/5): Great central location in gorge - The location of this motel is ideal for spending days in and around the gorge. It is a no frills, few amenities motel. The bed was sleepable and the shower pressure and temperature where excellent. If you're going to be in and out of room to go hiking and climbing and just crash for evening it's perfect.
- Marian (10/5): - It was a nice comfortable, homey stay in mountains. Cabin feel.
- John (8/5): - Great location for hiking at Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge!
- Sinan (6/5): No wifi, mobil3 network spotty - No wifi or mobile network was a hug3 ket down
- Mary (6/5): - No WI-FI zero bars inside room and maybe 1/2 bar outside. Property needs to be updated.
- Laurie (8/5): - If you want an "upnorth in the woods" experience, this is your place. It's cozy.
- Harold (10/5): - very pleasant stay and close to great restaurants and sites
- Lawrence (10/5): - very nice room and nice ckeck in
- Tracie (8/5): - Unique motel, not a lodge. It is a basic no frills room. Linens and bathroom area was clean., which is most important. Floors could be cleaned bit better. Overall good for a short get away.
Check in lady was super sweet.
- Robin (4/5): - No internet which I knew in advance. Looked cute on ad but when there a bit of a let down. Place was dusty, especially the air conditioning unit, behind bathroom door. Old dried up coffee filter left in coffee machine. Som kind of dead black bug on floor. Person that cleans doesn’t take pride the property
- Tom (10/5): Enjoy - We were so comfortable and slept like babies I
- William (4/5): - While the room was adequate, it was small. The a/c unit was noisy, and the spare blanket was dank and nasty (we didn’t use it). There was never any mention that there is no Wi-Fi, a pretty standard expectation. That would not have been an issue if there were cell service, but the hotel is in a dead zone: 150 ft away from the room and we’d get 2-3 bars. Finally, they say “no pets”, but the folks in the room next to ours had a little dog that yipped regularly. We spent more of our down time at the coffee shop down the road (a gem, btw!) than in our room. Not a great lodging experience, I am afraid!
- Brandy (10/5): - It was quiet and clean, centrally located. Will definitely visit again.
- Kristin (6/5): - Good place to stay. However when we arrived it was after hours and everything was closed. We had no toilet paper and had to use old paper towels from my car. The property does not have wifi and service is spotty. They tell you that though but it made for a bit of an inconvenience while trying to see if places were open for toilet paper. The place was clean and everything worked.
- Kirk (10/5): Explore easily - Great location to go out and explore.
- Marcia (8/5): Wet Weekend in the Red River Gorge - A friend and I embarked on an extended weekend in the Red River Gorge; while the room worked well for the two of us, the weather did not since we were there during the huge deluge. Consequently, we made the decision to leave after one night in case the waters kept rising and we would be unable to return to Michigan. The area was beautiful, and I'd love to return on an albeit much drier time.
- Christina (10/5): Best place to stay. - This is my second time staying here. Perfect location and I love the rustic looking rooms, adds to the experience of being outdoors. The rooms are very clean and comfortable. I will be back. The price is very reasonable too!
- Lewis (8/5): - We stayed 3 nights. This was our base for exploring the Red River Gorge. Very centrally located! Conveniently located close to dining, hiking, and other adventures!
- Aleksandr (8/5): - outdated furniture (some areas are broken), bathroom, appliances. No WiFi internet in the area with weak 4g reception. No breakfast area.
Missed entry to the site due to lack of sign visibility after the dusk.
- Caroline (8/5): - We were a little concerned when we pulled up and saw the truck with two flat tires that had been there for a while and the neglected state of the property. However we were pleasantly surprised with our room. It was clean and perfect for just needing a place to shower and relax after a long day of hiking.
- Kristie (10/5): - The room was very clean. We slept really well. Was cute like a log cabin room. We were able to walk across the road and get food and listen to some really good music. The location is great close to the highway and there is a very quaint coffee shop breakfast place very close. The parking is great.
- Cynthia (6/5): - We had two rooms and were dissapointed because it was more like a 1 star hotel. There was a huge crack in the exterior wall of 210 that we could see sunlight through. Bedspeads were old and fased. There was no ice available. No cream, sugar, or sweetner for coffee. Each room for 4 people had only 2 towels. I did go to their store for a cup of ice and was told i would need to buy a bag. I try to understand the poor condition of the rooms inside but coupled with poor amenities I can't give this hotel more than a 1.
- Verified traveler (8/5): Almost Perfect - Room was great and had incredibly easy access to everything you would want to see in the area! The only unfortunate part was that the walls were very thin and not very soundproof, so we were woken up at all hours of the night from noisy neighbors. Other than that, the place was great! Rooms were clean and appeared exactly as described, would recommend to others.
- Cameron (10/5): - Very cozy room, decent area with some places around it.
- Kobe (10/5): - Cute, quiet easy to access. Great location with good food and drinks nearby. Watch out for the large hole in the driveway where the lane meets the bridge.
- iris (10/5): Very nice stay - It was so cute and cozy. Will definitely be coming back. I loved that they provided a small box fan since i always sleep with white noise. Everything was clean, and working, and best of all-you felt safe. The only thing i must say is the beds are on the firm side, but thats a preference thing so still 5 stars from me👍 OH YEAH, there boone dinner has really nice workers and fast service. Loved it all!!
- Tammy (10/5): Awesome place to stay - Awesome place to stay! Just what we were looking for. Will definitely be back! Thank you 😉
- Jessica (10/5): - I didn't have too high expectations for this property. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Clean room, comfortable bed, nice shower. Property is nice right off the main strip. Would definitely stay here.
- Sandra (10/5): - Good location to the park and walking distance to BBQ and coffee
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