Cottage Court is a retro-styled motel that can be found in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is located on the edge of Hot Springs National Park. The national park is one of the biggest reasons visitors spend time in Hot Springs, but there are also botanical gardens, a water park, and a number of mountains to explore. Cottage Court has become an adopted home for several cats, which can be found roaming and lounging on the property during the day and night. The eight rooms at Cottage Court are pet friendly, though the owners ask that guests let them know ahead of time if they are bringing any pets along with them when they make a reservation.
Cottage Court has a total of eight rooms available to the public, with another two currently unavailable but under construction. Each room is individually decorated and varies in room size, bed size, and, with several of them, bed count from the others. There are three double queen bedrooms, two deluxe rooms—one with a king-sized bed and one with a queen-sized bed. No matter which room is chosen by patrons, each room comes with a microwave, Keurig coffee maker, access to the Wi-Fi, and a television with Netflix and Hulu. All of the rooms come with a private bathroom, as well. Breakfast is not served at Cottage Court, although the owner explains that they plan on doing grab-and-go types of food for their guests in the future, as well as potentially doing a specialty sort of meal on the weekends.
The two buildings still have the same design that they had when they were first built. The buildings have a 1960 brick look that is accompanied by a neon sign with the establishment's name. The sign glows with a retro turquoise and hot pink illumination that compliments the buildings and their colors. The decorations inside of the buildings are set up with the intent of resembling the 50s and 60s, but with modern touches.
Outside of the building, there are several courtyard areas where guests can spend time relaxing and sitting outside. There is also a 1956 Spartan Trailer parked on the property that guests are able to observe. While it is only used as a visual aesthetic, there are plans in the near future to likely turn it into something guests would be able to use, such as a bar location or even a lodging space. There are several cats that have adopted Cottage Court as their new home that can sometimes be found on the property. These cats tend to be friendly and enjoy seeing the people that visit Cottage Court.
Beyond the property lines of Cottage Court is the city of Hot Springs. From where the establishment is located, the main street of Hot Springs is within walking distance, and the national park's main attractions are close. The hot springs that the city is known for are natural thermal pools that can be found in several places. There are also a number of hikes that visitors can take to get to some of these natural hot pools, as well as a few rivers, lakes, and mountains. For guests that want to stay closer to the town, they can visit the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, which is southeast of the property and has its own hiking trail. At the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, guests can take an elevator to the top of the observation tower and get a view of the town and all of its surroundings. A more relaxing place to visit in the vicinity is The Garvan Woodland Gardens, which are botanical gardens located on the other side of town.
The owner likes to recommend several different places to eat to guests that want to eat out. One of the first ones she mentions is called Deluca's Pizzeria, which is described as a southern Italian restaurant that also serves a variety of beer and wine. Deluca's Pizzeria has won several awards over the last few years. One honor they have received is being featured in 'Arkansas Times Best Restaurants' in 2019. 501 Prime is another recommendation, which is a steakhouse near the center of town. A third option she gives is called Rolando's Restaurante. Rolando's Restaurante serves Latin American dishes and offers a bar and an outdoor patio.
The goals at the Cottage Court are to create an environment that is welcoming and relaxing to their guests. The owners do their best to create an atmosphere that is personable and enjoyed by everyone, no matter what their background is or reason for staying at Cottage Court. To do this, they try to greet everyone that comes through their doors and get to know their guests. They want to be involved with their guests and try to give them a personable experience. When they arrive, a text is sent to the guests with information regarding their room and other things that they may want to know. The owners attempt to talk to their guests on a daily basis to ensure they are having a good time. Lisa and Andie, the current owners of Cottage Court, explain that they love to see their guests interacting and hanging out with each other.
There are a couple of policies that guests should be aware of when making reservations at Cottage Court. One thing worthy of note is that they do allow guests to bring their pets with them so long as the visitor lets them know ahead of time. In order for guests to do this, they require a 25 dollar fee per night, per pet. They also ask that the pets be current on flea and tick protection. Finally, it is asked that guests provide proof of current vaccines. If the pets are going to be left in the room alone, they should be kenneled, and if they are going to be outside, they should be on a leash.
Outdoor recreational activities tend to be the more popular things to do among guests that are visiting the area. Due to the location of Hot Springs, they are surrounded by the Ouachita Mountains. Hiking trails can be found in many spots of the city. Some of these hiking locations can take guests to places like Lake Ouachita, the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, or the lakes known as Bethel and Dillon Lake. The best season of operation for Cottage Court is commonly found to be during the spring and summer, although their numbers show that they are busy many other times of the year as well. There is no usual demographic of guests, the owners see a wide range of ages, all the way from 18 to 92 come through their property.
Cottage Court first opened its doors in 2017. The current owners of the property purchased the two buildings in 2016 and spent the next year renovating and upgrading them. While Cottage Court has only been open for a few years, the buildings that make up the establishment have been around for a much longer period of time. While the exact date is not very well known, it is estimated to have been built sometime in the 1950s.
Ever since it first opened, it has been a motel and has had rooms available for visitors to rent. The motel ran for a long time until it eventually closed down. Then in 2016, the owners purchased and began renovating the property. Due to the long history of the building, Lisa did her best to maintain the historical aspects of the building while still adding modern amenities like updated plumbing, adding electrical, and repainting the walls. The Cottage Court has found a place on the National Historical Record.
The buildings are currently run by three sisters, two of their names being Lisa and Andie. They report that before they owned the property, it was owned by a trio of sisters as well. Making a good experience for the visitors of the Cottage Court is one thing that they enjoy doing. Maintaining the building and renovating it was an enjoyable experience for them, and they continue to do so in hopes of creating a pleasant space for their visitors. Several future plans for Cottage Court include hosting events, renovating the office, and putting in a new store that will sell things like shirts, mugs, hats, and the like.
609 Park Avenue
Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901
United States
Bed and Breakfast
Lisa & Andie
