Symes Hot Springs Hotel

The Symes Hot Springs Hotel in rural Hot Springs, Mont., enjoys a stunning setting amid rolling hills and farmland. The historic hotel draws traveling families as well as locals who want to take a dip in the hotel’s hot pools, fed by underground springs thought to have healing waters.

But the hotel itself is a bit of a relic, and feels well past its heyday. There’s a certain charm to that crumbling, dated feel, but a few updates would be welcome: new carpet, paint and other cosmetic touches would go a long way.

Still, that adds to the storied feel of the place, and it’s certainly the sort of hotel you either love or hate almost immediately. They’ll give you your pick of 15 or so ratty robes to wear down to the pools, which vary in temperature but all smell deeply of sulphur. In fact, the entire hotel reeks of the mineral, thanks to the fact all of the hotel’s water, not just the pools, is fed from the springs. Brush your teeth, take a shower or even order coffee from the downstairs espresso bar, and your sinuses will be so filled with that rotten egg smell, it’s almost impossible to develop nose blindness.

So, take your sense of humor — and perhaps your own robe — to this offbeat spot.

Symes Hot Springs Hotel

209 N Wall St.

Hot Springs, Mont. 59845

406 741 2361