Take advantage of a firepit, a garden, and a playground at Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect. For some rest and relaxation, visit the sauna or the hot tub. In-room WiFi is available to all guests, along with an arcade/game room and laundry facilities.
Reviews
9.29.2 out of 10
Wonderful
Popular amenities
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet friendly
Air conditioning
Add dates for prices
About this property
Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect
Tucked beneath the shade of a sprawling old tree and just moments from the water, this thoughtfully updated retreat was designed for families to slow down, reconnect, and enjoy time together again. With plenty of room to comfortably sleep up to 11 guests, this home is perfect for family vacations, fishing weekends, reunions, tournament getaways, or simply escaping the nonstop pace of everyday life. Outside, the spacious yard invites everyone to unplug and enjoy the simple things again. Kids can run and play beneath the trees, challenge each other to badminton, or shoot hoops old-school style in the yard while grandparents relax nearby. As evening settles in, the stocked fishing pond becomes the heart of the property, where stories are shared, fish are caught, and sunsets reflect across the water. Inside, the home combines warmth, comfort, and thoughtful details throughout. Guests enjoy strong Wi-Fi, smart TVs with Alexa integration, spacious sleeping arrangements, and inviting gathering spaces designed to make everyone feel at home. The primary suite offers its own private retreat after a day on the lake or exploring Hot Springs. Relax in the whirlpool soaking tub tucked into a quiet alcove, dim the lights, and let the day melt away. The steam shower creates a spa-like experience perfect for eucalyptus or lavender oils and a little well-earned stillness. This home also holds a special place in the owner’s story. It was the very first property JB personally renovated and transformed into a guest retreat. What began as a modest home slowly became something much more through years of hands-on care, thoughtful updates, and attention to the little details that make a stay memorable. From relaxing spa features to unexpected comforts like heated bathroom touches, every addition was made with guests in mind. JB believes vacations represent something valuable: hard-earned time, meaningful moments, and the rare opportunity to step away from busy schedules and reconnect with the people who matter most. That belief shapes every stay here. Because your time away should feel worth every moment.
Two bedroom House with fenced in yard, covered patio area, located at the Joplin Inn at the entrance to Mountain Harbor, just 1 1/2 miles from Lake Ouachita. by RedAwning
Mount Ida
Two bedroom House with fenced in yard, covered patio area, located at the Joplin Inn at the entrance to Mountain Harbor, just 1 1/2 miles from Lake Ouachita. by RedAwning
Located in Royal, this vacation home is in a rural area and on a lake. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Hot Springs National Park and popular attractions include Magic Springs and Crystal Falls and Garvan Woodland Gardens. Traveling with kids? Consider Extreme Fun Spot and Funtrackers Family Park. Jet skiing and kayaking offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with horse riding and hunting nearby. Visit our Royal travel guide
Is Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 50 lbs per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.
How much is parking?
Onsite parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect?
Check-out is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect located?
This family-friendly Royal vacation home is located on a lake, within a 15-minute walk of Ouachita National Forest and Lake Hamilton. Extreme Fun Spot and Funtrackers Family Park are also within 6 mi (10 km).
Have a question?
AI iconBetaBeta
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
Reviews
Old Bear Family Lodge ~ Fishing Pond ~ Spa Bath ~ Where Families Reconnect Reviews
9.2
Wonderful
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
9.2
Cleanliness
9.6
Location
10
Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 29 out of 38 reviews
10 - Excellent
29
Rating 8 - Good. 6 out of 38 reviews
8 - Good
6
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 38 reviews
6 - Okay
0
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 38 reviews
4 - Poor
2
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 38 reviews
2 - Terrible
1
Reviews
Verified review
10/10 Excellent
James
20 March 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
The property was well maintained and in a quiet area but close enough to the city. My family enjoyed it very much and plan on staying there again.
Great place to stay. House was amazing and has plenty of room for all of us. Was located not far from town and not far from downtown Hot Springs. Neighborhood was quiet. Beds were super comfortable. Will definitely rent again if we come back to hot springs!
Large property in the country. Quiet neighborhood. Great location about 10 minutes from Hot Springs. Easy to get to. Clean well kept property. Highly recommend.
This is a great place. The bunk room for the kids was perfect. The fishing was so fun. If i had to complain about anything is that the outdoor furniture was not clean especially the table on the back porch. Of course we had a broken oven but they got there as soon as they could
We brought our crew of 7 down...with five kids ranging from 12-20, plus 2 dogs. The house had tons of room for everyone. We loved the fact that we had three bathrooms and three showers so getting up and around every morning was easy. The kitchen was big and both the kitchen table and dining room had enough seating for the whole crew. We took advantage of the space and had several meals in. The host was great as well. We arrived in town early and reached out to see about an early check in since we had the dogs with us. They were able to accommodate, which made life easy! We also had an issue with the dishwasher one night after dinner, but they responded and fixed it quickly! Great service and much appreciated! Would definitely recommend!
The overall stay was pleasant. The house was big enough to comfortably fit the 11 of us. The game room was a lot of fun and they have puzzles and other games available!! The slot machine doesn’t work-it’s for show, according to the owner. The fishing pond didn’t appear to have any fish-not even minnows-which disappointed my oldest grandson that was looking forward to fishing while there. I recommend you bring washcloths since there were only 3 available! Also bring a kitchen towel and dish detergent if you want to wash dishes by hand. They had 3 dishwasher detergent pods available but if you’re like us, you’ll need more than that if you cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The location was very quiet and enjoyable!!
The house was located in a great area. 15 to 20 min from down hot springs baths area.
The land was wonderful, lots of land and privacy. My husband caught small fish in the pond for fun. We did build up the fire pit one night and had a very small campfire for marshmellows which was really fun for us.
It was to cold outside for us to really enjoy the land or add-on room to the house with the gameroom. The slot machine is for show.
The house was huge, plenty space, big enough for 5 adults. Never an issue with space. Loved all the couches in living room so we where able to all sit in there at one time and watch a little tv. Loved the large dining room table so we all could eat together and play board games.
Even though the other days we were not at the house much besides to eat breakfast and sleep I enjoyed it. 3 bathrooms was great as well for larger family, very useful especially for the shower area.
The house is older. The house was clean.
They left some extra knives for us and had enough kitchen supplies since they knew I was cooking thanksgiving dinner. Very thoughtful.
Kim
We absolutely loved the charm and family feel of this property. It was a little weird but wonderfully comfortable at the same time. We would recommend it especially under the mission statement of “families reconnecting”.
Could use a few more cooking supplies but we managed with what we had or went and bought more and left for next guest . The beds were very comfortable . A very relaxing stay for our time there . We will be back for this was our second stay .
The stay was nice . We needed a place to stay and go to Lake Ouachita daily on our trip . I told my husband that it stated that there was a pull through for our boat/trailer but there is a volleyball net in the pull through, although it worked out okay. Thankful we rented a slip at Safe Harbor to keep the boat in a slip. Wish the oven had a second shelf, it would have made cooking a lot quicker. There was plenty of room and the beds were comfortable. A small sauce pan was the biggest pan besides a big pot. Was thankful there was aluminum foil there, the baking sheets were rusted . If we come back for a stay I would come back .
This was a great house for us! It had plenty of room on the inside and great outdoor spaces for the kids to play. I liked that it was a bit out of town but not to far away.
We thought this place was super cute. We want to pick it up and take it to our area and live in it! Clean, had everything you needed, extra things to do outside, convenient location, and just good energy all around. Great communication with owner. 10/10!
The house was very spacious with plenty of sleeping space. Love the fact that there were 3 bathrooms so we didn’t have to fight for time in the shower. There were indoor and outdoor games for the family to enjoy. Host responded quickly and providing help with anything needed.
We came down for our yearly family vacation and had an amazing time. The house is a close drive to Hot Springs and to the surrounding lakes. There are also numerous hidden water fall locations all around this house so we were able to keep the adults, teen, and small children busy all week. The owner was so helpful and assisted us with anything we needed. We would absolutely rent here again and would 100% recommend this home!
This place was super comfortable for us. I really liked the many things to do outside such as horseshoes, basketball, etc. I really wished we’d brought our fishing poles but hopefully we can stay there again sometime. This place was very clean and had a lot of room for us. We were very satisfied!