Location is the only reason to consider Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The hotel rooms are akin to a budget motel. The cabins are basic, not just simple. The service at this Xanterra property doesn't come with a smile. The food at the adjacent restaurant and general store is mediocre, if not poor. There are no special programs for kids. There are no family-friendly facilities. But then again one doesn't travel to Yellowstone to sleep and eat in style and park the kids at a club. Bison and elk graze on the front lawn. The hotel is a short walk from the hot spring terraces. What's more, sleeping in Mammoth beats driving from Gardiner, MT for just a few dollars in savings. Family Travel Tips: Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel is located in the northwest corner of Yellowstone, a long drive from Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake. Spend a night or two in Mammoth and the rest of the trip at one or more Yellowstone hotels. The hotel is open mid-May though mid-October and late December through early March.