The Lodge at Gulf State Park

We were supposed to be on the beach earlier this month, but it didn’t happen. I was thinking about staying at The Lodge at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. It’s one of the least Hilton-feeling Hiltons, built with an emphasis on eco-friendliness.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The design was meant to, compared to other typical facilities, reduce energy usage by 32% and interior water use by 35%. About 3/4 of the construction waste was recycled, and the makeup of the building materials consisted of 15% recycled.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

We had a room with a king bed and two bunk beds…the kids love this setup.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

It was adequate with enough storage; not the kind of plush where you say to yourself “I can’t wait to get back to the room!” but a clean design and really straight-forward.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The only thing that we didn’t especially enjoy: the balcony was really small, and the chairs not particularly comfortable.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Our view, though, terrific:

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The outdoors common area:

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

A view of the hotel and conference center from the beach:

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

This is pre-Covid, so pics of the breakfast may be different than what they’re doing currently

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

…and an omelet chef on duty, who did a pretty great job:

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Foodcraft, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

'Porch Talks with Margie Nell' by Caroline W. Sayre, The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Hilton, Gulf Shores AL

Feeling really good about staying here.  They’ve achieved “SITES Platinum, LEED Gold, and Fortified Commercial Certification, becoming the first SITES hospitality project in the world and the first certified Fortified™ Commercial Building in the world.”