Hotels in Gettysburg
This list of my favorite hotels in Gettysburg includes options for every traveling situation from budget travel to travel with pets.
I confess that I never stayed at any of them — I live nearby! But I did visit each of the places listed here and check them out for you.
My favorite visit was to the Best Western Gettysburg Hotel right on the square. On the day that I walked in and talked to the staff, Abraham Lincoln was sitting in the lobby having a discussion with some guests! They said he only comes on special occasions, but you could ask about it when you make a reservation. The 6 floor building has been a hotel since 1797, and there are historical photos behind the front desk. The Best Western has 96 guest rooms and 26 suites, some with fireplaces. There’s an outdoor pool, business center, fitness center, high speed internet, cable satellite TV, meeting rooms, and a ballroom. It also has the Centuries on the Square restaurant, serving breakfast and dinner, and McClellan’s Tavern, serving lunch and dinner. There are a few 15 minute parking spaces out front in the square, but they have more behind the building.
One of the special small hotels in Gettysburg has the feel of a bed and breakfast because it consists of only 11 suites. It’s the James Gettys Hotel just west off the square, within walking distance. If I were going to spend the night, out of the hotels in Gettysburg I’d probably choose the James Gettys because they have a kitchenette with a full size refrigerator and a two burner stovetop. I follow the fresh, traditional Weston A. Price diet, as you may know from reading my section about Civil War foods, so I appreciate such appliances! Also, its location would allow me to walk to the Saturday downtown farmers market and stock up on ingredients. The hotel serves a large, tempting continental breakfast delivered to the room (including fresh cantaloupe on the day I visited) and provides fresh flowers. The rooms are nice and quiet without too much traffic noise. Children under 12 can stay free with parents.
Another great hotel for staying in town, and the best pet-friendly hotel since pets stay free is the Travelodge. It’s located across from the bus tour center where you can pick up the town trolley, and it’s near the Jenny Wade House and Hall of Presidents. There’s plenty of parking, and you can park close to your room. They have free high speed internet, cable TV, and serve a continental breakfast. Like most hotels in Gettysburg, they have different rooms depending on what size bed and level of luxury you want, ranging from standard double beds to the presidential suite with Jacuzzi.
If you want to stay at one of the hotels in Gettysburg closer to the battlefields, Quality Inn at General Lee’s Headquarters just north of town is the place. It was command central for the Confederate Army. The museum and gift shop are right there, and there’s also the Appalachian Brewery and Restaurant. Rooms have an exterior entrance, so you can park at your room. The hotel has an outdoor pool and serves a continental breakfast.
UPDATE 2014: This property has been purchased by the Civil War Trust. In early 2015, they will raze all modern buildings and restore the site to become part of the National Park Service. The process is expected to take 9 to 12 months once the restoration phase begins.
For a location just outside of town, the Hilton Garden Inn is a friendly place. They serve free cookies to guests every night! And to make up for it, you can use the fitness center or check out a Stay Fit Kit to exercise in your room. There’s also an indoor pool. They offer complimentary high-speed internet and wireless access and satellite TV. There’s also a little convenience mart next to the front desk incase you forgot something like your toothbrush. It’s also conveniently located near a gas station, grocery store, several fast food chains, a satellite bus tour center, and just up the road from Wal-mart. There’s no complimentary breakfast, but you can purchase the all-you-can-eat, made to order buffet at the in house Great American Grille restaurant. They do on site catering and wedding receptions or meetings for up to 70 people.
If you want to hold a large, elegant wedding reception or meeting, choose the 6 floor Wyndham Gettysburg (pronounced “wind-um”) in the Gateway Gettysburg shopping center (which also contains the Courtyard Marriot for budget travel economical accommodations) northeast of town. Walking into the Wyndham Gettysburg and seeing the pink backlight behind the front desk took my breath away! Even the carpeting is very fancy. It’s one of the the newest hotels in Gettysburg, since it opened in 2006. They have 248 rooms, 11 of them suites and 13 of them handicap accessible. Each room comes with a 27″ LCD flat screen TV, high-speed internet access, cordless speakerphone, and fancy ergonomic desk chair. They also have an indoor pool, restaurant, and lounge. What makes it great for meetings or parties is the separate outside entrance and parking on the side of the building by the ballrooms.
The super spot for meetings, and largest conference facilities in south central Pennsylvania, are the Eisenhower Hotels, Conference Center & Resort located southwest of town near Boyd’s Bear Country. It actually contains two connected hotels, Eisenhower I and Eisenhower II, for a total of 307 rooms. The indoor pool is in Eisenhower I. When I visited, I heard a girl in the lobby of Eisenhower II ask her dad where the pool was. His answer says it all: “About 20 minutes from here around 14 corners.” It’s a large place! The rooms have free high-speed internet, and there’s a business center with computers, fax, copier, and internet available. The Allstar Events Complex is behind the hotels in Gettysburg with plenty of family activities such as go-carts, indoor games, and outdoor sports.
If you want something simpler than the hotels in Gettysburg, try camping. Most of the campgrounds have internet, pools, and sports, too!
Facebook Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.