Yellowstone offers many different opportunities for lodging. If you feel adventurous, you can camp inside or outside the park. There are hotels located within the park, which gives you the benefit of being able to get to things faster, but they are more expensive. If you are planning to stay inside the park, plan to book at least a year in advance as they do fill fast. If you don’t mind going through the entrance gates every day and want to save some money and enjoy more dining options, staying outside the park is a good option.
Outside the park, most people stay in either Gardiner, Montana or West Yellowstone, Montana. You can also stay in Cody, Wyoming but it is a long drive to the main area of the park. If you only have a few days here and plan to mainly spend your time exploring the geothermal hot springs, I recommend staying at West Yellowstone as you will be closer to everything. If you want the best chance of seeing animals, plan to spend the mornings in the Lamar Valley or Hayden Valley. Gardiner is much closer to these areas and is a better option.
If you want to splurge and stay inside the park, there are lots of different options and you can’t go wrong. Think of what you plan to do during your time here and stay in the lodge closest to that area.
If you are staying here for several days, consider switching hotels half way through. You will learn that Yellowstone is a lot of driving and this will help cut down on that.