It is a peaceful place to unwind after coming off Interstate 95. It is only for those who have time, committing an hour or two of daylight ,to enjoy the serenity of a flowing river with slow boats, plentiful wildlife, like birds, small alligators reportedly in grass areas across the river, turtles, etc. We enjoyed talking to the locals, people there to observe the wildlife and fishermen fishing on the banks.. The Resort is about 9 miles off I 95. Stay away if your trip is being committed to the hustle and bustle of travel. The motel rooms, two stories were well furnished, clean and well equipped with complimentary snacks, water, toiletries and refrigerator. The walls are thin and earplugs are provided. I had no trouble sleeping.y wife had some trouble at first.

The new owners of this property have put alot of effort into renovating this property, and that was evident from our arrival. Several of the first staff members we interacted with at the gas station/shop (Lauren & Mike) were extremely friendly and helpful in getting setup and answering a variety of questions. We quickly met Jud as well, and later his wife Dao who we spent some time with after hours barbecuing and chatting about life and the property's development. They even gave us some homemade cake on the way out of town two days later. The room was extremely clean with attention to small details, such as USB charging plugs in the bedside lights, flavored coffee creamers, a granola bar alongside the coffee, cold water bottles in the fridge, etc. The beds were very comfortable-- not too firm nor too soft. The longterm residents were friendly and welcoming and we had the chance to talk with a number of them. Fishing is easy right off the shore and docks with mudcat and bream surrounding. The shop has plenty of fishing gear, live bait, as well as other useful items (auto care, knives, clothing) all at reasonable prices. Plenty of drink and wine, beer, cooler options as well as food just in the shop, which you wouldn't find elsewhere very close. Nights were very peaceful and quiet, with no commotion or partying.

It's not that we didn't like anything, but we could see the property still in transition, which I suppose made us imagine the things that could or would be coming in over time. For instance, a large fountain with a planned fire ring and wooden seating was yet to be completed, and we could see its potential. A single bell tent was a foray into glamping near the shore, but wasn't yet fully set up. One of the smaller docks at the end of the cove was cordoned off as it needed repairs. We could see all the potential and chatted with Jud about this during our stay and look forward to seeing the progress in the future!

Property was perfect for our needs! Having family close by, this gave us a place to relax in between visits. The property is clean and reasonably priced. We had made several stays in Santee which about half hour away from our family making back and forth meetings kind of long drives. Also in Santee the clean hotels are over priced and the affordable ones are just gross! At Bell’s you have the convenience of the store, gas, and diner on site which our family met us there on Saturday morning for breakfast. The buffet was great! I did read that they offered a grab and go breakfast at the store if you were in a rush to leave out. If you slow down and have a moment to yourselves then the water is just steps from your room to cast a line. Lots of birds and wildlife to view as well. If your pulling a boat well boat the launch is right there and pretty sure you could get a slip cheap with your stay! My wife and I will definitely be back. Also for the fact that our family could visit us there and we could cook out and fish on the lake side. It’s definitely worth trying out.

On our next visit we will be getting a kitchenette room for the queen size bed. My wife and are both over 6’ tall and we didn’t quite fit on the full size beds in the regular room.

The location was great. Very pretty. Much better than staying in a hotel costing double the tarrif... to look at a car park. The lake and forest view at Bells Marina was fantastic.

The door to our room was difficult to open... perhaps WD40 would solve the problem. The staff, Candy, was absolutely great at sorting out the door issue. Saddly, had the door problem presented itself after the office closed we would have been sleeping in the car. Perhaps a note on the outside of hotel room doors giving clients a number to call in the event of an emergency would be beneficial... just saying.

Lovely view of lake. Very quiet as it was mid week. I imagine on weekends when all the adjoining RVs are occupied by fishing families that it has quite a different vibe.

Furniture, bathroom, bed are a little worn and could benefit from some updates. Our car was effectively locked in after 6 PM and we had to enter the very well stocked store and office through a back door by an employee who fortunately came out at that time. That was not explained to us when we checked in.

Our first time @Bell's, and we couldn't have been happier. Our room (all rooms) direct view of water, and beautifully kept grounds. Room decor was more like visiting someone home, rather than a "generic" hotel look. Beds were very comfortable. Hospitality?? Wow, Charlotte and Jud couldn't have be more Gracious. They called us by name each time they saw us. Everytime they passed us they would stop to be sure we didn't need anything additional for our room. They remembered it was my sister's birthday, and even though they were very busy with a special event, they took time to acknowledge her day with a cake and a song! The hotel is on Campground property, which was full, we enjoyed the people staying there and yet never felt our privacy was compromised. It is a gated campground (guests had a fob that automatically opened gate.) We made full use of the store, bait shop, check-in all at one site. Breakfast at Chrissy''s diner was convenient and yummy. All in all we decided Bell's is a hidden gem. We always travel with our Black Labrador, the extra pet fee was no surprise, a fee we accept gladly for a pet friendly accommodation. WiFi Hotspot worked great.

TV service was not great, but then we never asked for help with it. Basically we fished ate, and slept.

The bed was very comfortable. The staff is nice. The place is a little dated but it’s a good value, right on the lake and has other fishing spots nearby.

I wouldn’t recommend the dinner next door. It is extremely overpriced for the quality of food. The general store next door has some quick pickup food that was pretty good. There is another restaurant in town, but didn’t try it, and the fishing resort isn’t far from Santee.

We loved this one night stop on I95. It's just 15 minutes off the highway, in a natural setting on Lake Marion, great views from our room, birds everywhere, great fried catfish, very friendly to visitors of all kinds. It's not what I would call fancy, but everything was clean and good and working, especially the A/C, except the internet on the night we stayed, which I think was the entire area, not just Bells. Some of those roadside motels are real dumps despite their reviews, as we learned on the way north a month ago.. This place was cheaper than most, totally worth the extra 10 minutes drive, and totally worth the room rate.

The internet wasn't working. We persevered.

Just spent the weekend at Bells Marina . It was absolutely the most relaxing get away and I hated it to end. we will absolutely go back again. Everything was amazing, the hotel was quiet and had very comfortable rooms. The restaurant was also wonderful, the food is great, the portions are huge, and the price can't be beat. The Country Store had everything we could possibly need for our trip there and between the restaurant and the store we didn't have to leave the property once we got there for anything. The staff there is so friendly and so accommodating. One of the best things about this weekend was meeting Short Dog. He should be the Welcome Committee for the Marina and Resort. Not saying that the staff and owners are not wonderful cause they are but Short Dog went above and beyond to be helpful and friendly to everyone of the guest that were there including us. He is truly a keeper and an asset to the Marina and Resort. Thank you Short Dog for your hospitality. ❤️ Bottom line if you are looking for a place to get away and have some peace and quiet and be able to just kick back and fish, Bells Marina and Resort is the place to go. We will absolutely go back because we have found our favorite get way spot.

Not a thing except we had to come home. I would have stayed a week if I could have.

Nice quiet location right on the water. We were there for business so didn't get to enjoy the water activities, but it was a really pleasant view out the window of our room. Room was very clean and comfortable. Staff at the general store were welcoming and accommodating.

My husband is a bath addict and there wasn't a stopper for the tub so he had to shower instead - not his favorite thing.