Sylvan Lake Lodge at Custer State Park Resort

There are two groups of cabins, one by the lodge and one by the lake. (You can also stay at the lodge.) There are pros and cons for both cabin areas. The pro of a cabin by the lake is... you are right by the lake! The con is you are far from the lodge and have to drive there. The lodge is the ONLY place that has wi-fi. There is a general store by the lake, with some carryout food options. But the main restaurant (pretty good food, though not super cheap) and small bar are in the lodge. We stayed in one of the housekeeping cabins near the lodge. (So we had to drive to the lake.) It was more like a regular hotel room than a cabin, which was fine. Two beds, a small bathroom, fridge, and microwave. Picnic table and fire pit outside. Our TV didn't work very well, but that was OK. We were pretty happy there. The views are stunning from the lodge cabins. Best cabins for views are 407, 409, 410, 408, and 411.

If you want to be treated rudely, look no further. If I knew how we would have been treated, I would have definitely booked somewhere else. If you want the employees to mumble under their breaths and blow air out at you like a buffalo when you complain, this is the place for you. You had to flush the toilet several times and the shower and bathtub needed some attention. I have never had a hotel door room like this one, it had a window in the top part of door that looks like it was painted over. There were no closets and limited storage areas also. The elevators closed fast, so be careful. This is not what I expected for $200.00 a night. If you think you will be allowed to check in a minute earlier than 4 p.m., think again, this was the case for us and other guests. If you do not find a parking spot next to the hotel, you will have to walk an incline to get to the hotel main entrance. On another note, the path from the hotel to the path around the lake is steep and dangerous. Save your money and go elsewhere.

First off, Sylan Lake is the most beautiful place ever. There really aren’t a lot of hotels to stay at so you’re a little limited. I’d recommend camping if you can since it’s so beautiful. We spent two nights in this lodge. We were told it was recently renovated which was nice. Upon getting in our room we could tell that the main room part was updated and looked nice but the bathroom wasn’t updated at all. Why wouldn’t you just do the whole room? The shower looked super old and gross. You could barely close the bathroom door when using the toilet because it was such a small space. We were on the 2nd floor and told the elevator wasn’t working. Thankfully we’re young and can carry our suitcases but I saw lots of older people staying there and that was probably a big inconvenience for them. I also noticed there was no hairdryer in the room which is weird. I went to the front desk to ask for one and was told they were all checked out. How do they not just have one in each room? Overall not super impressed with this lodge.

Always a beautiful place to stay! The views are amazing and the food is delicious. The staff is so welcoming and friendly especially Odalys, who we have seen several years in a row and always makes us feel at home. We will definitely be back!!!

Mixed feelings. You can't beat the location in the heart of the Black Hills. Whatever you do, do NOT book a single room. We had one the first night and it was cramped and ugly. We upgraded the other nights to a regular room with a real queen bed and a view of the woods. Much more comfortable and comparable to Marriotts. There effectively is NO WIRELESS except for the lobby and it's spotty there. Food in the restaurant is good, but not exceptional. Food service suffered all week from lack of staff. No chance of eating there without reservations days in advance. This is not really a hotel - it's a lodge run by state employees in a state park. They're friendly and helpful, but don't expect concierge service.

Absolutely beautiful location, some of the best views on the planet. We had great meals during our 3-night stay and the drinks and bartender were great! The hostess at the dining room was the worst, ear buds in the entire time, looking at her phone and basically doing as little as humanly possible. Waiters were great and each meal experience once seated was a treat. Very few king beds available but we did just fine with the two queens, great shower and bathroom. It is rustic but you are in the hills/woods so if you're looking for chandeliers and caviar this isn't the place to go. If you love the outdoors and hiking and breathtaking vistas this is your place.

Shower was the tiniest I have ever been in. The towels were the smallest...was were the meager bathroom accessories. They are obviously trying to cut costs and managing to charge excessively. A bad formula. Cabin was very very very far from lodge and dining

Numerous features did not work during our 4 day stay. First, the elevator was broken. We stayed on the 2nd floor and were on 10 day vacation from Georgia, so we had a heavy bag. The manager was in his office, and no help was offered in getting bags up the stairs. The internet only worked in the main lobby, not the room. This is 2023, not 2003. The internet should work throughout the facility. The ice maker on our hall did not work requiring us to take the ice bucket to the "front desk lady" for refill from a different source. We had a room with two queen beds and the reading lamp between the beds did not work. On reporting to the "front desk lady" I was told maintenance would have to be informed and it might take a few days. On the third day, the "custodial staff lady" heard of this problem and came up and fixed it within 5 minutes. Apparently the beds had to be pulled out from the wall and a small switch which was barely visible was in the OFF position. The "custodial staff lady" (Chevy) was the high-light of the trip from a staff point of view. We had a balcony and the door to the balcony would not lock. ALso the door to the shower would not close completely. For the money they charge, I expect EVERYTHING to be working ... sounds fair to me. Cheers.

We spent two nights in the lodge portion of this property while visiting Custer State Park. The lodge experienced a fire a couple years ago and the rooms were rebuilt and only recently reopened. The rooms were very nice and our view outside a balcony was wonderful. We were able to go outside the room and see the Blue Moon one evening, along with several other guests. The lodge is conveniently located to Sylvan Lake, which offers numerous hiking trails, a general store a small beach and many hiking trails. We hiked Sunday Gulch, it was awesome. Highly recommend getting a room in this lodge if visiting Custer!