Putnam Lodge - Cross City (FL)

5 /5 jljcam: Wow! Who knew such a gem existed one hour from Gainesville, Lake City and Cedar Key? We attended a funeral in Cross City Florid last week, and decided to stay at the Putnam Lodge. The Chiefland hotels didn’t look very good and the history of this lodge pulled us in. What a delightful surprise! It was built in the 1920’s in the heart of the timber boom. It was the perfect place for tourists to stop on their way to find that perfect piece of land south. The pecky Cypress and the lodge is gorgeous! The staff was very attentive, the owner who is so charming had poured her time, money, and love into restoring the building. The restaurant was top-notch! I had the ribeye with homemade mashed potatoes. Wonderful young man in the kitchen who learned his skills working as a teenager! Top notch! We enjoyed walking through the lodge, reading about its history, and simply looking at the beautiful building built in the 1920s. There were spacious large staircases, beautiful hallways and a perfect room with everything we needed. What a refreshing change from the chain hotels we have stayed at throughout the country. It felt like a bed and breakfast without the breakfast. It was kind of magical for us. The beds were very comfortable, the linens weren’t that sweaty polyester, and the pillows were just perfect. We stayed in the haunted room, but saw no ghosts, only a spacious closet with the lovely tubs that lean back. It even had an overhead fan, sheers, blinds and block out curtains. We both had a lovely nights sleep! The lodge has an event room, and a beautiful outdoor space with a 20’ x 20‘ fountain. I sat outside, relaxing, listening to smooth jazz and listening to the birds the owner kept. Even though we were in Cross City for a sad occasion, it brightened the weekend and I’m still having wonderful memories of staying in this lodge. It was magical for us and I hope you will consider staying there on your next trip anywhere near Cross City. Let’s support these historical gems.You will not regret it.

3 /5 Brad Gosnell: Nice restaurant with a pleasant and helpful staff. The rooms are surprising to see that you have to st the temperature for the room in the hallway. I guess it is one temperature for all guest. Not more than a handful of TV choices but I guess that’s not what you are there for. Beds are comfortable. Kitchen sink was a little dirty. One thing I was disappointed in was the darker haired woman that checked us in. She gave us a wrong key and was not at all helpful or friendly. Seemed like she needed to be doing something else. You would’ve liked some information about the LODGE

1 /5 Karen Gilbert: recently came with a large group to the Putnam Lodges Christmas Dinner. This was supposed to be our groups end of the year Christmas celebration, so we splurged and bought the $75 per person tickets To say we were disappointed was an understatement. It was a terrible experience. The wait staff was very inattentive and walked around like they hated being there..Not friendly at all….I had the OssoBucco and it was very good, but the mashed potatoes were like potato soup. It was supposed to start at 6 pm and we were the last to be served around 7:30 pm. Some people finished before we got our food. We were so hungry we resorted to stale donuts, that were on the dessert table. No chocolate fountain as promised. I’m still shocked at how bad our dining experience was. I think we could have gone to McDonald’s and had a better time.

4 /5 Mike Cav: Stayed at Putnam Lodge last week as we were passing through the area. The Inn is beautiful very old building with much history. Check in was easy. Our room was small but fine for overnight stay. Room was clean. Keep in mind the building is old so doors may not latch well or electric outlet might be limited. There is a restaurant attached to the lodge and several people were there for dinner. The Lodge provided a small Continental breakfast ( coffee, pastry, etc). Owner was helpful.