Here is our review of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs after our most recent stay.
The Crescent Hotel is best known as one of America’s most famous haunted hotels, but there is much more to this historic property than its ghosts.
Set high above Eureka Springs in the Ozark Mountains, the Crescent is a grand old hotel with beautiful grounds, several restaurants, a spa, a pool, activities and some wonderful views.
We’ve stayed at the Crescent and spent quite a bit of time exploring the property. Here’s what we thought about the rooms, restaurants, activities and what it’s really like to stay there.
Review of The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs
We have another post that will tell you all about the ghostly history of the Crescent Hotel, but in this post we are going to focus on what it is like today!
After years of decline, the Crescent was restored and revitalized under its current ownership while retaining much of its historic character. Since then it has become a great place from which to explore the town of Eureka Springs and enjoy the beauty of the Ozark Mountains.
We found the Crescent to be a lovely place with a stunning hilltop location. Its signature crescent sculpture greets you at the entrance, the public spaces are grand, and we found the service warm and friendly.
Do be aware that this is an old hotel, and in many ways it feels old. It hasn’t been renovated in a way that erases all the signs of age…and honestly, that’s part of its character.
If you prefer sleek, contemporary hotels, the Crescent may not be your style. But if you enjoy historic hotels with personality, beautiful grounds and a strong sense of place, that’s a big part of its appeal.
Rooms at the Crescent Hotel
The rooms come in a variety of sizes and configurations.
We stayed in room 202, a King parlor room. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view) we had no ghostly experiences.
The decor has darker woods, old fashioned furnishings, carpets, curtains. It is very pleasant but has a very different feel than most modern hotels.
Some of the rooms also have balconies with very nice views overlooking the grounds and the mountains.
More Information about Eureka Springs
Dining
There are several dining options in the hotel.
- The Crystal Dining Room serves breakfast and dinner. We did not have dinner there but we really enjoyed the breakfast buffet.
- The SkyBar Gourmet Pizza is really good! It is on the 4th floor of the hotel so it has great views from the balcony. You can choose to sit inside or out.
- We happily enjoyed the Frisco Cantina Food Truck. They have changed their menu since we were there and now have a bar with beer and frozen drinks as well as street tacos and chips and salsa.
- Top of the Crest is a great place to get a snack or a drink with a view. Try to come here at sunset!
New Moon Spa
The New Moon Spa and Salon is said to be one of the finest spas in Northwest Arkansas. You can choose from a variety of services.
Some of the products from the spa are also in your room. I loved the lotion!
Frisco Sporting Club
The Frisco Sporting Club might have been our favorite area of the hotel!
You can just relax in the pretty surroundings here or you can participate in games, do a little hatchet throwing, listen to live music, have a drink or a snow cone and so much more. We loved it!
Activities at the Crescent Hotel
One of the things we really liked about staying at the Crescent is that there was usually something going on at the hotel. Activities varied while we were there from family games on the back porch to a guided history tour.
However, things change throughout the year, so check the hotel’s current activity schedule before your stay.
The Ghost Tour at the Crescent Hotel
We took the ghost tour and it was so much fun!
You get to hear stories about the hotel’s reported ghosts, learn about some of the sightings guests and staff have described, and visit the infamous morgue from Norman Baker’s hospital days.
I had no ghostly experiences while on the tour but honestly, there were moments that I felt a little chill down my spine!
I highly recommend taking the tour during your stay at the hotel.
A Few Other Things to Know
- The Crescent offers a complimentary shuttle for hotel guests, which makes getting around Eureka Springs much easier without having to worry about downtown parking.
- A daily resort fee applies and includes things like Wi-Fi, shuttle service and resort programming.
- Check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out is at 11:00 AM.
- The Crescent is pet-friendly, and there is also a dog park nearby.
- The resort pool is open year-round.
So, what did we actually think about the Crescent Hotel?
I like that they haven’t renovated the character out of the place. The wooden stairs still creak, the hallways can be a little dark, the furnishings are nothing like standard hotel furniture. Basically you can tell that this is a genuinely historic building.
But I do think that it is important to go in with the right expectations. She may be a grande dame but she is not fancy and bejeweled.
Even so, we sat out on the back balcony one evening with drinks from the Skybar and watched the sun go down over the whole valley, and I remember thinking, okay, I get why people keep coming back here.
The Crystal Dining Room is genuinely beautiful too. One of my favorite rooms in the hotel. It has high ceilings and tons of natural light.
My one gripe: the water pressure and temperature in our bathroom had a mind of its own, hot one minute, ice cold the next, no matter what we did with the knob. Not a dealbreaker, but if you’re already a little jumpy from the ghost tour, a shower that turns on you without warning does not help.
Would we stay at the Crescent again? Absolutely. For us, the history, location, beautiful grounds and sheer personality of the place far outweigh its quirks.
