The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa

The honest review

The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa sits at the geographic and historical heart of Hot Springs, right on Central Avenue across from Bathhouse Row and Hot Springs National Park. For a family with curious, history-interested kids, this location is almost impossible to beat: you can walk to the bathhouses, the national park visitor center, the downtown strip, and the malted-milk-style shops along the main drag in under ten minutes. That location score is real.

The twin cascading pools on the Mountainside Pool Deck are the property's most family-relevant amenity. They're genuinely fun — multi-level, with plenty of depth variation — and open from roughly March through October. A separate year-round hot tub gives parents a place to land after a long day of sightseeing. On hot Arkansas summer afternoons, the pool deck is where the resort earns its keep for families.

The thermal bathhouse on property is a legitimate piece of the Hot Springs story. For tweens and adults, doing even a basic mineral-water soak here connects the trip to the destination's 19th-century reputation as a healing resort. It's not a waterpark experience, but it's a genuinely memorable one that distinguishes this property from any chain hotel.

Where the Arlington pulls its punches is in the rooms themselves. With nearly 500 rooms, this is the largest hotel in Arkansas, and recent guest reviews are honest: many rooms show their age in the form of dated carpeting, older wallpaper, and fixtures that have not been renovated in years. The hotel is reportedly working through updates in phases, but as of 2025–2026 reviews, your experience depends heavily on which room you land in. Booking a higher floor or specifically requesting a recently renovated room when you call ahead is worth doing.

For families, room fit is the primary concern. The standard rooms are not large, and while suites and connecting rooms are available, you'll want to confirm availability and layout when booking rather than assuming. The restaurant on property is convenient for breakfast, and the buffet format works well for kids. Parking adds cost — valet is the primary option at $25–$30 per night, which stings over a multi-night family stay.

The surrounding area does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is about four miles away, Garvan Woodland Gardens suits younger children beautifully, and Lake Hamilton boat rentals are a short drive. The Arlington works best when framed as a home base for exploring Hot Springs rather than a self-contained resort. Families who value walkability, historic character, and that dual-pool setup will get real value here; families expecting modern renovated rooms at a resort price may leave disappointed.

Bottom line: book it for the location and the pools, go in with calibrated room expectations, and this quirky historic landmark delivers a Hot Springs stay that feels specific to this place — which is harder to find than it sounds.