We were put in adjoining rooms with our kids. We were in town for a funeral this is close to the location read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Woke up to this - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

Just a quick stop to check out the elusive jackolope. Located in front of the lodge. You can jump up on him for a quick ride too. A fun stop to get a quick picture. read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

In September, 2025, we traveled from Illinois to the Black Hills by way of Mitchell, SD. We usually choose a chain hotel so we can use points and have familiarity with the product. That wasn't possible so we looked on the web and found the Thunderbird Lodge where we stopped and asked to look at a room before committing. We were very pleasantly surprised at the hotel itself and the reasonable rate, particularly when compared to some pretty awful nearby hotels that took the opportunity to price gouge. At the front desk, staff, in our case the manager, was pleasant and accommodating from the very start. He not only showed us the room but pointed out all the available amenities from an ice machine, a larger than average luggage trolley, a cooler with beer, wine and incidentals for purchase and a hot tub. The 2-queen room was large and clean. Bathroom sink and faucets appeared new and were spotless. The vanity mirror provided great lighting. It was notable that the toilet seat was wood and substantial instead of the cheap and flimsy plastic so many hotels favor. The shower stall was dated but clean and adequate. The queen beds were had a variety of pillows, very comfortable linens and made for a great night's sleep for our taste. There was bedside lighting and there were outlets for charging electronic devices. There was a larger than usual refrigerator, which is great for travelers with leftovers. A microwave was available, as well. Outside, there was plenty of parking. There were picnic tables where travelers could relax and read or chat with other travelers. Staff readily accommodated us by moving tables together for a large group that gathered. They also would wander by periodically to be available if anyone needed anything, never causing any distraction. There was a steakhouse adjacent and walkable from the Thunderbird. We didn't dine there but a large party from the hotel did and gave it good reviews. Other dining options were within walking distance and some within driving distance. Coffee, liquor and groceries were nearby, as well. The Corn Palace is in downtown Mitchell - a fun place to check out. There are other historical sights, too, if time permits. The next day, we were a couple of hours from the hotel when we received a phone call from the hotel manager to inform us we had left a valuable belonging in our room. We weren't in a position to turn around at that point. The manager agreed to hold on to it for us so we could retrieve it on our return trip. It was refreshing to know we had a good, clean place to stay on our way back. We stayed in a different room and were equally as satisfied as we were with our initial stay. The only recommendation we would make is that housekeeping minimize conversation and door closing noise so early in the morning. If we ever head that way again, we'll plan to stay at the Thunderbird Lodge. They take very good care of their patrons and their property. read more

Decent place to sleep. Nice breakfast variety. The waffle maker and yogurt selections were a great bonus!

Definitely one of the most unique places to stay overnight on the big trip and most unique places I've stayed at period. When you pull in there is a rideable Jackalope and booze for sale in the lobby, pretty random but very cool. The Staff were very nice and accommodating. Thunderbird Lodge allows pets even though mine wasn't along for the ride, this is always welcomed, and this isn't a mainstream staying experience like a Marriott for example. There is a decent breakfast offering, sauna and hot tub that could fit 2-3 people so don't forget the swim wear. My only criticisms are that the rooms (which were well made and clean by the way) looked a bit outdated like I was in a 70's movie. All the room needed was one of those vintage 25 cent vibrating beds and we'd be set. The curtains were a bit shabby too. Overall though Thunderbird Lodge was great. Cool name, good accommodations, OK room, nice staff and a few places to eat nearby. read more

See all

Very clean with kind attentive staff. I stayed with my family for three nights . My room was always clean and ready when we arrived back at it. Wonderful price. The hot tub and sauna were amazing. I will stay with them again if I'm eve in Mitchell. read more

I'm puzzled at all the rave reviews this lodge has. It was a dump. Friendly staff. Plenty of parking. Convenient to the highway.

If I could I'd give this hotel a zero at this point. I have stayed at this hotel over 150 times. I made my reservations online, said the time that I was going to show up. I was traveling and couldn't answer a call from the hotel and they gave my room away . read more

We stayed in Room 66 on 10/7/2023; $88.69 for the night. It was an attractive room with wood paneling and exposed brick. The clerk told me the room number in the lobby with other patrons behind me in the lobby. The room had a fridge, microwave and coffee and an actual armchair, which was a nice touch. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom efficient. The property does have a whirlpool and sauna that I was unable to use. There was a strong food smell in our room that we couldn't identify, and this is why I always travel with a candle. Loved the Jackalope outside! Grade B. read more

See all

Worthless breakfast. People that work there don't speak English very well. I was also overcharged for checking out before 11 o'clock for an extra day. Surrounded by construction workers and very noisy. read more

HIDDEN GEM!! OMG. We got stuck in a whiteout blizzard and couldn't make our Hampton rez in Rapid City. The Mitchell Hampton was sold out, so we asked the front desk for recommendations. Thunderbird topped her list, and rightly so. The owners could not have been nicer or more accommodating. Decor is definitely dated, but price reflects that, and it's clean with nice cotton sheets, and had every amenity we could want. Microwave, coffee maker, luggage rack, closet with coat hangers, boot mat, desk with office chair, Flat screen TV with 75 channels, and the sink is separate from the toilet. Literally tix ALL our boxes. Plus they have a whirlpool and sauna (did not try) and a beer cooler and a Hampton-worthy breakfast! read more

See all

The cleanest hotel we have stayed in the last 9 days. The Bed was comfotable,room quiet and staff pleasant. read more

If you want a no frills bed, breakfast, tv, and good water pressure at a reasonable price this place is for you! They even offer alcoholic beverages and laundry on property. If your gonna complain about the dusty carpet, having to figure out the AC, or the fact that the freezer needs to be defrosted then this place is not for you! The young lady who checked us in was friendly and helpful. We also had property in the bed of our truck and it was not bothered. read more

See all

Well, this was once my favorite place to overnight when doing a cross country run. But I have not been here in a few years and it has been sold to individuals who obviously do not love it as much as the previous owner. It is no longer the gem it once was. Dirty carpet, broken chairs and a bed that is firmly resting against an ancient baseboard heater, which is likely some kind of safety violation. On the plus side- a clean bathroom. I am quite sure I will never stay here again The price was about the same as I paid for a nice room at a Hampton Inn the night before so there you go. Last, as an added bonus, there is garbage and tons on dog s**t right out front on the grass. read more

We usually stay in Hilton's but they were all booked last night. We found the Thunderbird on Hotels.com and were very pleased with the accommodations. Andy and all the staff were very nice. The room was clean and had everything we needed. The continental breakfast was nice to wake up to. We would stay here again! read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

They told us pets ok, then charge you per pet and 125$ cleaning fee even though pets left ZERO MESS. they are NOT pet friendly and unless you want to pay extra 150$ for being pet friendly.... DO NOT STAY HERE! WHAT A DISGRACE!! read more

Great find on our way home. Not fancy but clean. Hotel is older but room, bathroom and bed were clean. Bathroom sink separate from shower which was nice. Micro and fridge in room. Breakfast was fine with waffles, cereal, breads, fruit, hard boiled eggs, and yogurt. My husband is picky and said he'd stay here again. read more

I felt like I was a character in the movie, "Cars"! This motel is adorable and the cleanest place I have ever stayed! Conveniently located right off of the interstate and within walking distance to a 24 hour diner and many other quick places to eat. The rooms are older, but do not let that pull you away. I travel lots and this place is as clean as clean gets. The owners are kind and helpful and I felt very safe, as I was traveling alone. I look forward to staying at the Thunderbird again soon! read more

Stayed here based on reviews. Stayed twice, going back and forth across country. Great place: clean, friendly, quiet, staff very nice and professional, price great and location perfect, right off I90. Amenities great: refrigerator, microwave, breakfast, water, plenty of towels. All in all a great find. Andy was very nice! read more

Gambled on this because I am from out of town and it totally worked out. Yes! Stay here! I was super impressed with how well kept it was. There was not even dust in my room. The house keeping team is spot on. The price was great as well. You can tell the staff cares. Though the building is old, a lot of the interiors details are super well kept. Wish there was a hotel like this in every city to be honest. You can't beat the price and quality. read more

Very clean accommodations. Owner Andy is very friendly and goes to nth degree to help his patrons. Steak house and a Chinese restaurant within very close walking distance. Public hot tub. Very reasonable rates. Coffee in room. Plenty of towels. read more

Great place at a great price. The rooms are clean, they have a hot tub and sauna that is open late. The AC blows cold and the TV's work great. We paid about $70 for two adults and 2 kids and I thought it was a great deal. The breakfast was good in the morning and the facility was kept up well. read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

Great stay price was awesome cruising threw Mitchell would recommend this place. Bed comfort no smoking room Check in quick and very friendly family owned read more

Good clean, quality motel. Friendly staff. Frig, microwave and coffee maker. Hot tub. Breakfast & laundry. It has free wifi, but it is one of those places that has a security screen you have to login into and put in the password. As is sometimes the case, i had to call 877-275-9444 when it didn't work, and the tech had to let me on. But as you can see, it works now. Little motels don't need to pay for crap services like this, but they don't know that. In any case, i highly recommend this motel. read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Office entrance. - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

Older hotel but very clean with a great location. Staff was very friendly and room was clean .They also have a nice continental breakfast I would recommend this hotel for the price . read more

Excellent location just off I 80. Clean, moderate price with helpful pleasant staff. We would definitely stay here again.

Called to get a quote for a room for one night with one person and a service animal. Apparently they charge you for service animals here so the rate was like $94 from the pictures this is definitely not a $94 MOTEL room. read more

This hotel has the potential to be really adorable and vintage but in its current state it's lackluster. The grounds are fine, the front room is older, and the staff was helpful. They give you false hope because your key is an actual key with a sweet vintage style key chain, but once you open the door it's a poorly remodeled room, with a bad paint job and looks like it was slapped together so they could charge more for the rooms. The worst part is the A/C units are wall units that lead to a smoking area so even though your room may be non-smoking you most definitely will be breathing in smoke all night. Even as we checked in there were people smoking outside our door and cigarette butts all over the floor and even in the door jam. Breakfast that was served was not, only having toast and orange juice. We hope the owners have the opportunity to put some love into this place again. Best part of our stay was the jackalope statue out front and the totem pole. read more

We were sort of skeptical when we booked our room from the road and then SO pleased when we got in. The hotel was rated really high on a booking site but had the least expensive rate listed for Mitchell on a same day booking- could that be right? YES! They had a dog friendly room for us (note, not all rooms are dog friendly so if you're a non-dog-friendly kind of person, you can have an always-dog-free room). Our room with a King bed was huge, very clean, had a big mini fridge with a working freezer section (we really appreciated that), a clean microwave and very big TV. There was also a comfy easy chair which made a nice change from sitting on the bed. We didn't hear any noise from the other rooms and it's off the highway enough that we didn't hear much street noise either. It was a very good sleep. Breakfast was exactly what you would expect. Toast, bagels, cereal, coffee, etc. The selection was nice though and the donuts were brought in fresh from a local bakery (those ran out quickly). Right across the parking lot was a nice American diner and you could get a big hot breakfast there for cheap if toast wasn't going to cut it. They did have snacks in the lobby for sale and everything was really reasonable, kind of surprisingly reasonable. Also inexpensive and decent Mexican (crazy huge portions though!) was just up the street so we did that for dinner. In short, it made me wish that every night of our long road trip could be a Thunderbird Lodge night. We stayed at LOTS of Super8's on the 9 day trip and this was by far our best economical stay. read more

Dated but clean. Stayed one night. Very dated but the price reflects that. Bed was comfortable but the lighting in the room and bathroom and vanity is very dim. Towels are thin, small and scratchy. We weren't expecting much from this budget motel and we didn't get much. Have had much better budget hotel experiences but have also had much worse. If all you're looking for is a place to crash at a budget price this will do the trick. read more

Overall I was satisfied with our stay here. I've stayed at many expensive, top of the line hotels and this room is much bigger, has better tv channels, great working air conditioning, free wifi, comfortable beds, nice shower and it is clean. The furniture and overall decor is a bit dated, but it all works and for less than $85 a night.... a very good stay. A great, place to stay if you're traveling through the area. one tip from my 13 y/o daughter.... with rolling eyes, "dad, they don't have shampoo or body wash like you said they would !" lol... oppps. read more

Hello fellow yelpers me and the girlfriend stopped In Mitchell, South Dakota for the night we were both exhausted from the drive the desk clerk was very informative and helpful and gave us a discounted rate as we would have if we checked in through the online website the room was clean of course we got a smoking room because I like to smoke and we stayed the night they allowed pets plenty of parking and close to the gas station if you want to walk down there and help stretch your legs and get something to drink or eat definitely will go back to there if i pass that way again. The reason for the four stars because there's not enough paved parking. read more

Thunderbird Lodge - Looking at the main road. - Hotels Near Me - Mitchell, South Dakota

Great value. Nice, clean accommodations Jacuzzi, sauna.....restaurant and small grocery mart that shares the lot is open 24 hours! This place is a great find. read more

My wife and I have nothing but praise for our stay in this establishment. The night clerk was very kind and friendly. We were able to get a room where we could back up our truck to the door. The room was very clean and warm. The bed was quite comfortable and we had a very good night's sleep. The heating unit kept a steady temperature all night. The breakfast was enough to get us on a good start for the day ahead. The morning clerk was also very friendly. I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a good nights stay at an economical rate as we called several of the hotels in the area that were much higher. read more

Great room for $50. The room had comfy beds, fridge, microwave and plenty of space!

Didn't stay here but don't trust the Internet prices. On a Sunday night, usually the weekend rate is OFF. When I was not successful booking a supposedly "available room" on the Internet, I called, thinking the website had a glitch. After being put on hold for a several minutes after explaining I was having problems on the website, I was told they were charging a flat rate (at over $30 more than the Internet rate - on their own website). Really! I stayed at Comfort Inn, the one with the waterpark feature inside instead, at a better rate and a better room! Even though yelp shows this motel at $ (one) and Comfort Inn at $$ (two). It's just the opposite. Before tonight, Comfort Inn was not listed on Yelp.... So, the hour I spent at the rest stop searching the net for a good room at a fair price paid off (pun intended!) read more

Maybe we are lucky, but we had a super nice room with reclining chair, two tables, nice decor, comfortable beds, fridge and micro for about $50 with one of the Hotel coupon books you can pick up at truck stops. It was clean, large, quiet, and more like we would expect from the level of say a Best Western. Maybe there are lesser rooms, but this one was great! Nice hot tub, typical free continental breakfast, coffee in the room, very friendly service desk staff. We enjoyed it! read more

I made a reservation for the Thunderbird Lodge online, and checked their website to be sure that they were dog friendly beforehand. When I arrived at 10pm at night from a day of cross-country driving, I was distressed to find out that the room I had booked was among a few in the hotel NOT open to pets. The Thunderbird Lodge website did NOT indicate this as a potentiality, and the woman at the front desk offered no refund, and no help other than suggesting I keep my 14-yo dog in the car overnight in humid, 80 degree weather, and advising me that I wouldn't find a room elsewhere in Mitchell. She explained that if they could book the room that evening, I'd be refunded, and while it may seem unlikely that a booking would occur that late at night, this was during Sturgis, when many bikers are road-tripping, and I encountered other late arrivals as I checked into the Days Inn across the street. All that said, I checked several times after I left and she did NOT turn off the "No Vacancy" sign in front of the hotel. I called the next day, and a week later to speak to the manager about getting a refund, and left messages that were never addressed with a return call. Clearly terrible service, and no real interest in redressing this misleading gap between their online branding and their actual accommodations. read more

August 2016: Wife made arrangements on the road for THUNDERBIRD Lodge. I was not sure what to expect, but anything was better than the Best western. Well, it turn out to be a GREAT place to stay for the price. The staff, incredible! So friendly and accommodating. Rooms: clean, spacious and comfortable. Wifi great! Free breakfast: donuts, cereal, coffee, bagels, oatmeal, etc.. It was good. read more

We stayed at this motel during the time they getting rid of the bedbug infestation, with newly purchased heaters/fans designed for BedBugs. To verify the problem, we asked the front desk clerk if they had bedbugs, and they said no. The following morning we asked the owner about it, and he denied it too. Contrary to their lies, we witnessed housekeepers, other workers, and the owner- Matt going into the "clean-out" room, removing linens, flipping over mattresses, inspecting, etc., while talking about the bugs. The next day, they'd do another room. The owner was seen in and out of these rooms as well. It turned out that they were to fumigate every room, which is like 44 rooms. If the owner can't be trusted, and lies for the sake of money, why stay here? No adjustments were ever offered, or any sort of apology. read more