Snowy Owl Inn

I completed my 6th stay here on Labor Day weekend 2024. I have been staying here twice a year around Memorial Day and Labor day for the past 3 years. I use the hotel as a base for my White Mountains day hiking. It is very convenient to all the trailheads in the Sandwich Range Wilderness area along Highway 49 and Sandwich Notch Rd and the Waterville Valley trailheads along Tripoli Rd. Its also somewhat convenient to the Pemigewasset Wilderness, whether you enter it from the south side on the Kancamagus at the Lincoln Woods trailhead, or the north side at Zealand Notch with travel time being around 30 minutes and 45 minutes. The close proximity of the hotel and its parking to the Town Square is a huge bonus. After a long 8-11 hours of hiking from sunrise to early evening, it's nice to park, get some takeout at the pizza place and walk back to the room without having to make an extra stop. As others have said, the hotel is a bit worn and dated, but that's fine with me. I don't need magazine cover worthy rooms with the latest modern decor and accessories. If this is what you want, look elsewhere. If you want a clean comfortable room, then yes, give this hotel a try. Improvements have been made over time, but since its business is largely seasonal and not owned by a billion dollar corporation with unlimited cash flow, it won't happen overnight. I have stayed in both the classic and premium queen rooms. I am a light sleeper, so I prefer the premium rooms since they are on a wing of the hotel made with thick concrete floors, so activity in rooms above cannot be heard at night. The classics are in a wood framed section, so sometimes people moving around in rooms above can be heard. After 6 stays now, I only have 2 suggestions for future improvements. Replace the worn out blinds with blackout curtains, and put brighter lighting in the rooms. Overall, I have not been disappointed with any of my stays. I am looking forward to returning next year for Memorial Day weekend.

We had a group of five adults that needed a place to stay overnight on a roadtrip between ME and VT. We wanted to hike at Franconia Notch and made this reservation without knowing anything about the area. I saw a few reviews had me concerned that the accomodations were remote and outdated. We were pleasantly surprised to see that it was part of a resort complex. There was so much to do with the Freedom Pass, but unfortunately we were just there for a quick stay. We did enjoy the breakfast, which was nothing fancy but worked for all of us. We would have loved to have stayed longer. The building is older, but it is clearly being taken care of- and the new owner told us about his plans to continue to improve the place. There was a slight mildew smell- which often comes with older places. We didn’t complain about it- but the owner did tell us that he has plans to replace the carpeting soon. I would love to return!

Third year in a row staying at the amazing Snowy Owl. Under the ownership of Innkeeper Sean, this place gets better and better! The staff was friendly and super responsive, the ambience cannot be beat, the location is perfectly situated smack dab in the center of the Valley and the room was comfortable and well equipped. I LOVE the deep soaking jacuzzi tub! The food in the restaurant is wonderful, it has a sweet little bar with an amazing barkeep who mixes drinks with flair and creativity. The continental breakfast every day has all that you could want and the deal offered to guests for a full breakfast is the best deal in town. LOVE LOVE this place and will continue to come back for years to come!

We have stayed in various resorts, off and on, in Waterville Valley for over 30 years. First time at the Snowy Owl and until it is updated, the last. The best part of the stay was that the room was a quiet room and the price was reasonable, but beware you will get what you paid for, The configuration of teh room was very irregular. The Main Queen bed had less than six inches clearance on the left side. Getting up in the night was a challenge. Full bed was in an alcove and had a window above the headboard with only a venetians blind. A 5AM sunrise brough the full dawn into the room. The couch was in another alcove a good 10 feet from the TV which faced in a different direction. It was a sofa bed which when you sat on it you sank to the floor. The bathroom was tiny and quite dated. The continental breakfast was minimal and we did not return for a second visit even though it was free. The Inn has plenty of potential and hopefully the new owner will update everything . It is in a great location and with some $$ could become a place to go back to at some time.

We've been coming to Waterville Valley for almost 20 years and used to stay at the Snowy Owl Inn until the new ownership in 2006. We loved our experience prior to 2006. Unfortunately after the new ownership the place went downhill thereafter and we stopped going. We recently stayed there in 7/2022 and were pleasantly surprised with how much the place has changed with the new ownership. So may upgrades and renovations. We especially loved how the owner bakes cookies himself that he keeps at the front desk for his guests. You can feel the much needed TLC that the old owner was lacking for so many years.

Went here for a hockey tournament with my son. Was greeted very nicely by the hotel staff and check in was very easy. Breakfast in the morning was sufficient (mostly cereal and bagel/toast) but more than enough to get the day going. Coffee in the lobby at all times was a nice treat. Our team was able to reserve an area to eat together and play knee hockey which was nice. They were a little strict on the 10:00 quiet time but I am sure that they were just trying to make the non-hockey guests comfortable. The room was clean and though this seems to be an older place, the owners seem to be working hard to restore it to its past glory. Overall, this was a nice place to stay and would certainly return for another visit.

I had to come back and write a second review for Snowy Owl. Back in 2018 I wrote a review and vowed never to come back........but let me tell you this little story. We visited as mentioned in 2018 for hockey tournament and said never again (That review was called "Very let down by the run down!!!...but fast forward 4 years and the new hockey team my son is on said tournament time and Snowy Owl.....I was like no way, count us OUT.....a few weeks went by and another family appealed to us to give Snowy Owl another chance. You see, what I didn't know was that a new family had bought it and was making all kinds of improvements. So although wary we agreed to give it another try. Under this new management you could not only see and feel the improvements, but the staff was amazing. Snowy Owl did a 180 and totally redeemed themselves in my eyes. Room was clean, food was good, drinks where great (thx Kyle). We even got an inside tour of the progression of the restoration of the old pool area, to the soon to be wedding venue. (Awesome idea). Just can't say enough about what new ownership has done to turn this place around. Bravo, my hats off to the family and team of employees who I saw early morning through night doing all kinds of roles. We even had one of the owners come to our room to check if we needed more towels. What?!?!? Yup....Keep up the good work and if you, like me, was a reviewer in the past that berated this place, I beg you to give the new ownership a call and take a chance and re-visit the Snowy Owl. You won't be disappointed.

I had to come into town unexpectedly and booked the Snowy Owl Inn for its proximity to the ski resort and a friend's home. I would describe the Inn as well-worn, but a bit tired. However, everything was in working order. The only downside was that on the first night a group of young hockey players were staying there as well, and they were rather loud and boisterous, even for hockey players, until very late. Too bad their parents and/or coaches didn't control them better. At some point, the staff should have asked them to tone it down, since no one else did. Oh, the pastries and coffee were more than adequate.

I was a returning business guest. I stayed here July and August 2022. My room was not yet renovated but it was HUGE, with a full kitchen and adjoining bedroom with the biggest jacuzzi tub ever. Seriously, it was like a 4 person hot tub. The views off the back were lovely and the location was very quiet given its' Town Square-adjacent locale. And the babbling brook could be heard from the room (the windows open and let the cool night air in). They were in the middle of renovations to what will be their new wedding venue--which looks to be fantastic and lovely. Yes the hotel is a bit dated but to me being "dated" was a big part of it's charm and appeal--I LOVED the 70's era details that still remain in the rough pine walls, sunken firepit n the lower level bar area and HUGE 2 story fieldstone fireplace in the soaring lobby. It is a very "vintage alpine vibe" and I hope the remodel keeps these details. The front porch, with its' inviting wicker furniture, was a wonderful place to sit at night or catch a cool mountain breeze during the day. The AC works great, water is plentiful and pressure in showers is great and most rooms have mini fridges. The staff is outstanding--friendly and attentive. And the food for both dinner and the generous FREE continental breakfast (cooked breakfast is like 8 bucks btw and is HUGE) was top notch. With large rooms, great staff, amazing food and a location that is steps away from Town Square, the Snowy Owl Inn is a great choice for families and budget-conscious travelers who appreciate getting great value. The plans are underway to turn this into a destination wedding center (the Innkeeper has a sister property in Massachusetts that is an award-winning and well known wedding locale) which makes this Inn not only a great choice for solid value now, but a luxe "up and comer" for future!