We love the accessibility of the lake and being able to walk around outside instead of being cooped up in a hotel room. We went fishing and the store was a very short walk filled with all your fishing needs, snacks, drinks, and other merchandise. They also have biscuits for breakfast and pizza.

Our room was upstairs, and the water from the ac unit pooled up in front of our door, so we had to walk through the water to go into our room. The bed could have had better support or a thicker mattress because you could feel the bars of the frame through the mattress.

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!

This place was completely amazing. It was quiet and beautiful. The view from our room was to die for. The room was quite comfortable and well furnished. The staff were kind and helpful. It was nice to get away from the concrete jungle. There are options for everyone from glamping to RVing to the motel where we stayed. Excellent place to decompress before going back to school.

The bed might be too soft for some people.

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 happened to find this amazing little gem on our way to Gatlinburg when we decided to split up our drive! The room was amazing, bed was so comfortable and we spent our time in the yard taking in the views of the lake. Staff was so nice. We walked around the property and ended up ax throwing and taking in the peacefulness you the property!