FREQUENTLY ASKED questions

Fourwinds Marina & Lakeside Inn is located at:
9301 S Fairfax Rd
Bloomington, IN 47401

We are a short 15-20 minute drive from downtown Bloomington, home of Indiana University and ~45 minutes south of Indianapolis.

118 rooms & suites with a variety of view, bed, and amenity configurations

Yes, our building has three floors, all accessible by stairwell or elevator.

Yes, with a lake view! While hours of operation vary by season, we service breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For more information, visit our dining section

To respect the guests who may have pet allergies, we are a pet-free hotel. If you see pets on the hotel grounds, they belong to our boat members who stay on their boats.

Not at this time; however, if you need something printed, please contact the front desk. We’ll be happy to print a document for you.

With the exception of special event dates, you may cancel your reservation penalty free prior to:

Winter: Up to 24 hours in advance
Summer: Up to 72 hours in advance

For a comprehensive list, please visit the amenities section of our website.

Yes, please see the attendant at the front desk

Guests can select Fourwinds_Guest free of charge – there is no password to access WiFi.

Yes, the out of state fee for guest entering park: $7 for residents, $9 for out of state upon your arrival. The hotel will reimburse this fee to you on you guest room bill. There are no hotel specific fees for parking.

Unfortunately, not at this time.

Yes – Uber, Lyft, and Taxi services are available.

Check-in is 4pm or later. Check-out is 11 am.

No. Our facility is 100% nonsmoking, even on the balconies. We suggest that smokers request a 1st floor lake side room for their stay. This will allow access to walk away from the building to smoke.

For a full list of in-room amenities, visit the rooms & suites section of our website. Information is listed under each individual room type.

Yes – please select an Accessible Room or give us a call and we are happy to arrange an Accessible room.

Yes

Unfortunately, not at this time.

Yes, please give us a call in advance and we are happy to arrange for a crib in your guest room.

Restaurant hours vary by season. Please refer to the restaurant section of our website for the latest information

We offer continental and full-service breakfast during the Summer months. In addition, we have a 24/7 on-site convenience store.

Unfortunately, not at this time.

No, reservations are not required for our restaurants the Tradewinds and the Windjammer

Yes, there is a $7 fee to visit the hotel restaurant, which the restaurant reimburses directly.

Yes, the hotel has approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting space, capable of handling all types of events including Weddings, Family Reunions, Corporate Outings, Sports Team stays, and more. Please visit the Meetings & Events section of our website for more information or to fill out an RFP. You can also reach our Sales Department at sales.fourwinds@bestinboating.com

Please contact us at sales.fourwinds@bestinboating.com or give us a call at 812.824.7697

You must be 25 or older with a valid driver’s license to rent a boat. Each party must designate at least one “captain” who must complete our Rental Boat Safety Course and attend our Safety & Operation Presentation when you pick up the boat. Reservations are made through our online booking system and paid in full at the time of booking. When you check-in on the day of your rental, a $500 security deposit is charged to a credit card and released when the boat is returned on time and in good condition.

Reservations are not required but recommended to ensure availability. Reservations can be made online at www.bestinboating.com.

We recommend that you arrive for your rental at least 45 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time to ensure an on-time departure. This will allow time for unloading your car, bringing all your passengers and gear down the dock, completing all paperwork at the check-in counter, going over the Operational Presentation with our staff and loading of all passengers and gear onto the boat. Also remember it is required that the renter and any guests at least 25 years old who want to drive the boat watch our Rental Boating Safety Videos and take the Captain’s Test before arriving. Rental times cannot be extended if you fail to take the Safety Course or for late arrivals.

It is important that you contact your rental company if you are going to be arriving later than you designated rental time. We cannot extend rental times due to late arrivals.

The best place to park is at the far north end of the hotel parking lot. From there, you can follow the path down to our building on the docks, behind the hotel. You may check out a cart from our staff to help get your boating supplies down to the rental boat dock.

Yes. The fee for Indiana residents is $7.00/vehicle, or $9.00/vehicle for out-of-state residents. Parking at Fourwinds is limited, so we ask that our renters bring as few vehicles as possible.

We are located at Fourwinds Lakeside Inn & Marina in the Fairfax State Recreation Area. From Bloomington, you can take Fairfax Road south all the way to the SRA gate.

The renter must have their driver’s license and credit card used to pay for the rental with them at check-in. Also, any additional drivers who have taken the Boater Safety Course must also have a valid driver’s license with them in order to get their Boater Safety Card.

We always recommend you bring a fully charged cell phone in case of emergencies. At each of our locations we have full-service ship stores packed full of snacks, drinks, ice, sunscreen, towels, water toys, and any other supplies you may need!

It is the renter’s responsibility to drive the boat themselves or assign someone in their group that is 25 or older to drive the boat for them. Whoever is going to be the driver must meet the age requirement, have a valid driver’s license with them and also must take our free online Boater Safety Course before they arrive for the rental. Multiple drivers are allowed as long as they all meet the requirements and are present for the operational presentation when the boat is picked up.

Paradise Rental Boats offers a free Boat Rental Safety Course on our website that must be completed in order to operate any of our rental boats. There are two course available to take. The Power Boat Safety Course applies to all rental boats except WaveRunners. The PWC Safety Course must be taken by anyone planning to drive a rental WaveRunner. Both courses can found at www.bestinboating.com/safety

Absolutely! We go over an instructional presentation educating our customers on the detailed operating procedures, local boating laws and regulations, navigational markers, as well as Boater’s safety and etiquette. By law, any guests who want to drive the boat must be at least 25 years old and complete our free Boaters Safety Course online before arriving.

Life jackets are required by law for all children 12 years old or younger and anyone operating or riding a Waverunner, or participating in watersport activities (waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, or kneeboarding). Paradise Rental Boats also requires any guest who is mentally or physically impaired, elderly, medicated, intoxicated, or those who are not strong swimmers to wear a life jacket at all times. Every boat in our fleet is equipped with all required safety equipment.

Each rental boat leaves the dock with a full tank of fuel. Upon return we will refill the fuel tank and the renter is responsible for the amount consumed.

We will issue a voucher credit based on the amount of time lost that can be applied towards a future rental. One or more of the following weather conditions must be present at the time of reservation in order for Paradise Rental Boats to issue a voucher credit: heavy rains lasting more than 45 minutes; lightning; tornado warnings; high winds; or another condition that would be considered unsafe for boating. Refunds cannot be issued due to inclement weather.

Changes to an existing reservation, boat type, rental date or time must be made at least 48 hours before the reservation date and time. Canceling your reservation will ALWAYS result in a cancellation fee. The cancellation fee amount will depend on when the reservation is cancelled. Any cancellation made more than 48 hours before the reservation date will result in a cancellation fee that is 10% of the total reservation amount. Any cancellation made less than 48 hours before the reservation date will result in a forfeit of the total reservation amount and cannot be credited towards future reservations. Changes or cancellations cannot be processed online so please call the location in which the reservation was made to make these arrangements.

Hookahs, tiki torches, grills, fireworks, and anything else that heats up is not allowed on the boats. Smoking of any kind is prohibited and the renter will be charged for any damage caused by smoking burns to any part of the boat. DJ equipment, large speakers and pets of any kind are also not allowed on the boat. Finally, illegal drugs of any kind are not allowed on the boat or on Paradise Rental Boats property and failure to follow this policy will result in immediate removal from our facility.

We rent 1-person & 2-person tubes, water skis, kneeboards, and wakeboards. Check with the rental office to see what water toys can be pulled behind the boat you are renting.

No pets of any kind are allowed on our boats. Service animals are allowed if proper documentation is provided.

Yes. While alcohol is permitted on the boat, Paradise Rental Boats has a zero-tolerance policy for the consumption of alcohol for the designated driver / captain of the boat. The designated captain / driver must also comply with federal, state, and local law enforcement requirements. Failure to comply with these policies will result in immediate termination of the rental.

Yes! We sell night crawlers on the Gas Island/rental boat dock.

A fishing license is required if you plan on fishing. Fishing licenses are purchased directly from the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) online. We do not sell fishing licenses at any of our facilities so please purchase one online from the DNR before you arrive.

The water depth depends on the time of year as rainfall varies periodically effecting the lake level. All shallow areas are well marked and as a general rule if you maintain a 100ft distance from all markers and shoreline you will always be in deep enough water to safely operate the boat. One of our dock attendants will go over this information with you at the time of the rental and explain the shallow water markers.

Most insurance providers will cover rental cars but not rental boats. You would need to contact your provider for specific details. We do offer a damage waiver you can purchase that will give you coverage on the rental boat if it is involved in an accident with another boat, where the renter is not at fault.

You can take the boat anywhere on the lake where boats are allowed, unless otherwise restricted by Paradise Rental Boats. A rental attendant will explain any restrictions or prohibited areas during the rental presentation. Also be aware that some of the larger boats may not fit under certain bridges depending on the lake level. Please check with the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) for current lake levels and bridge clearances.

Only our 35′ Destination Yachts, and 40′ Island Voyagers have restrooms.

Yes, all boats are equipped with Bimini tops or roof covers that will provide shade to around half of the boat. Our Waverunners do not have any shade.

No. Grills and cooking devices of any kind are not allowed on any of our boats.

No, but they are fantastic for tubing. Our smaller pontoon boat can pull a 1-person tube and tri-toons can pull a 1-person or 2-person tube.

Yes. Every person in your group regardless of age or size count towards the listed capacity limit. The passenger capacity limit on each boat is not flexible and we will do a head count before every departure. Any group found to be over capacity will not be allowed to leave the dock. Picking up additional passengers at a different location and exceeding the capacity limit will result in immediate rental termination.

Yes, hotel guests have a private parking lot for their boats/trailers. We also have a boat ramp for your use during your stay.

Transient slips depend on marina supply. Please give us a call at 812-824-2628 to inquire

Yes, we have our own service department open Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday 9am to 3pm. The service department also includes a ship store for your boating supply needs.

For more information, please visit our marina site here