Hotel Hale

What to expect

Hotel Hale turns the oldest building on Bathhouse Row into a place to sleep, and keeps the bathing part. The hotel has nine suites, and both the hotel and NPS say each one has a large soaking tub with geothermal Hot Springs water pumped straight in. That makes it one of only two ways to soak in the thermal water in a private room on Central Avenue; the other is the Mineral Water Rooms at the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa.

There is no shared pool, no bathhouse floor and no attendant. You run your own bath in your own room whenever you like, which is the point: no queue, no session times and no swimsuit rules. If you want the full attended treatment, it is a short walk to the Buckstaff Bathhouse; for a social soak in a swimsuit, go to Quapaw Baths and Spa. Visit Hot Springs says the hotel staff can also book massages, spa treatments and bathhouse visits for guests.

The building has layers. A Victorian bathhouse stood here by 1882, and most of the present structure was finished in 1892 to a design by George and Fremont Orff. A 1914 remodel enlarged it in Classical Revival style, and in 1939 it was redone in Mission Revival with stucco over the brick, a red tile roof and arched windows, which is the look you see today. In 1917 one of the hot springs was captured in a tiled enclosure in the basement, and it is still there. A thermal cave carved into the mountainside behind the building served as a hot room in the 1890s; it was rediscovered during a 1993 drainage project and is now a protected archaeological site.

The Hale closed as a bathhouse on October 31, 1978. A theatre and snack bar tried and failed in 1981. Visit Hot Springs says the hotel opened to guests in May 2019. Inside, the marble in the lobby, the upstairs hardwood floors and the skylight survive, mixed with mid-century modern furniture.

The rooms

The suites are named after Bathhouse Row buildings, and each is decorated differently:

• Hale: the largest suite, about 636 square feet, with brick arches, a panoramic view of Central Avenue and a free-standing thermal-water tub.
• Fordyce: a two-room suite with an upgraded king bed and a sleeper sofa; rated for four guests.
• Quapaw: two queen beds and a nature view; rated for four guests.
• Lamar: listed as ADA compliant, with French doors to a nature view.
• Superior: the most affordable room, mid-century furnished.
• Ozark, Maurice: nature views, French doors.
• Libby, Buckstaff: Central Avenue views; the Buckstaff has exposed original brick arches.

The room page lists a thermal spring water soaking tub for the Superior, Lamar, Ozark, Libby, Maurice, Quapaw and Buckstaff rooms and a free-standing one for the Hale suite. The Fordyce listing does not mention a tub, although the hotel’s home page says every room has one. If the tub is the reason for your trip, confirm when you book that room.

Rooms have wired internet and Wi-Fi, a 40-inch TV and morning coffee service. Maid service is on request only.

Prices and booking

The hotel does not publish fixed rates. Prices vary by date and appear in the booking engine on its website. What the policies do state:

• Booking window: no reservations more than four months before arrival.
• Occupancy: rooms are for two, except the Quapaw and Fordyce, which take four. Extra guests beyond two are $30 per person per night.
• Cancellation: with less than five days’ notice you pay for the whole stay unless the room is resold; with more than five days’ notice you are refunded less $35 per room per night.
• Check-in 3 p.m., check-out 11:30 a.m. Early check-in is by availability; a guaranteed early arrival costs a day-use fee. Late check-out may carry a charge.
• Smoke-free: no smoking, vaping, open flames, hookahs, cooking or incense in the building or on the grounds, with a $500 cleaning fee. NPS bans smoking within 25 feet of building entrances in the park.
• No pets. Service animals are welcome but cannot be left unattended.
• A lost key costs $35.

Call 501-760-9010 or email the hotel with questions.

Getting there

Hotel Hale is at 341 Central Avenue (AR 7), at the north end of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, next to the Maurice Historic Spring Area.

• From Little Rock: NPS gives the route to Bathhouse Row as I-30 west to Exit 111, US 70 west until it becomes US 70 Business (East Grand Avenue), right on Spring Street (which becomes Reserve Street), then right on Central Avenue. About 54 miles, an hour’s drive.
• From Texarkana: I-30 to Exit 78, then AR 7 north, which becomes Central Avenue.

Ask about parking when you book. Downtown street parking is mostly metered since 2025, and the city garage at 128 Exchange Street is a block west of the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center. The hotel says it is setting up a secured bike closet in the basement for cyclists; bikes are not allowed in rooms.

When to go

The hotel is open all year. With nine rooms it fills quickly on weekends and holidays, so book as soon as the four-month window opens if you have fixed dates. Late fall through early spring is the best time for long hot soaks, and downtown is quieter. Weekend brunch at Eden draws a crowd, so reserve a table.

Where to stay nearby

If Hotel Hale is full, the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa at the north end of the row has Mineral Water Rooms with thermal water piped into the tub, and its own bathhouse. The park’s Gulpha Gorge Campground on the east side of town has 40 full-hookup sites at $34 a night, reservable only on Recreation.gov.

Safety notes

• Water temperature: The thermal water emerges at about 143°F62°C in the park. Test the tub before you get in. Keep soaks short if you are not used to hot baths.
• Alcohol: Hot baths and drinks from Eden’s bar do not mix well. Soak first.
• Breathing the water: NPS says Legionella bacteria have been found in some thermal water samples and that inhaling droplets is the concern, especially for people with weakened immune systems. Ask a doctor if you are at risk.

Nearby stops worth adding

Step outside and the Dripping Spring is right next to the building, between the Hale and the Maurice bathhouses. A short walk north, the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn is the largest visible spring in the park, and NPS lets you touch the water. For free spring water to take home, fill up at the Hill Wheatley Plaza jug fountain. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, two doors away, is free and open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.