Sheila L.
I will make this review as honest as possible based on our 1st experience here. We checked in on Saturday afternoon, we were in Cabin 5 (Pines). We were told that our cabin had been cleaned but also told that their cleaning crew didn't show up for work on Saturday either. We brought our own pontoon and was directed on where to launch it. There was no mention that there was no turn around there so we ended up having to back back out, turn around back at our cabin and back back down the road to a very shallow (understandably so due to lack of rain this summer) and weedy boat launch. Once we unpacked in the cabin, we quickly realized that the cleaning was very minimal. The amount of sand that I swept from the floors confirmed the lack of cleaning. The bathroom had a consistent smell of old urine and the vinyl floor around the toilet is very discolored and soft. They also most likely didn't clean the shower as someone had left a used razor in the shower. The cabin was stocked with 3 rolls of TP, and bedding. I can't say when the bedding was last washed as it had a stale smell, clean looking though. I also brought my own bedding. The couch has a thread worn spot, the hide-a-bed was absolutely gross, full of sand and no bedding other than a awful pad on mattress. . The screen in porch would be nice if there wasn't holes in the screens, 1 hole was about 2 x 2. |Now understanding that the whole resort is about 100 yrs. old, I can understand nostalgia, but there is a clear lack of maintenance. The windows wouldn't stay up and we had to use what we found in the cabin to prop open windows (at the direction of one of the workers there), which also may take into account the broken kitchen utensils in the drawer. |Anything we took out of cupboards we washed before using, especially when we found mouse droppings in the cabinets (again to be expected when staying in the woods). |The carpet sweeper was so full of sand and hair that we did clean it out before running it over the carpets. |On Wednesday a storm came thru and knocked out power at approximately 6 pm. We had 1 small flashlight in our truck, and didn't find out until the next day that we could have come up to lodge to get a lantern. |I would describe the swimming beach as use at your own risk. It isn't real deep but it is where the ducks hang out and ducks were also in the sand box that little kids would use to play in near the water. Duck poop all over the docks also. The swimming slide is a definite safety risk. It is so wobbly and in fact, I hand tightened a couple of bolts that were visibly loose. We had to tell the grandkids not use it due to safety. The swimming platform is also a safety issue for slivers as it is weather/water worn wood.|The eaves on the cabin are in poor shape. There is a 3x3 size hole in the eave about the screen door and the rest of the eave is bent down to create a waterfall in front of the screened porch. |Now I understand that many families come back year after year and I'm sure that the owners love that. But as first time patrons, the lack of maintenance, cleanliness and lack of communication is evident. It was not very welcoming. |Lack of communication examples: Tell people bringing in boats that they have to back into boat launch, if the power happens to go out, tell your patrons that lanterns are available or drive around and offer to your patrons, tell your patrons that you offer free bait. Let your patrons know about the fireworks that were shot off. Maybe we would have come to watch or maybe we might have had a child or pet that was scared. Again, the lack of communication. |The lake isn't bad, but due to the water level being low, it is fairly weedy and many very shallow spots to be aware of and watch out for. |If you want people to come up to the lodge, then the lights should be on, not just a few dim lights, the games and juke box should be plugged in and ready to go. Make it inviting for your patrons, they may spend money on games and music. |Wednesday nights there is a sing-a-long in the lodge. We decided to leave 3 days early, on Thursday morning. When we went up to the lodge to pay our bill, we were told to come back in a hour due to the sing-a-long went late and the owners were still in bed. This was 11 am, we found someone else and said we are not waiting we are leaving now. So then was told to come up to the lodge. In the lodge the 2 females (owner's wife and DIL ?) were sitting drinking coffee and seemed like we were intruding. We were not asked if everything was ok, why were were leaving early, etc.|We knew that this wouldn't be a 5 star hotel, but in reading reviews, they gave no indication on the issues that I mention above. My only wish is that I had taken more photos. Again, this is an old lodge, but maintenance certainly should be foremost. |We will not be repeat customers. There is plenty of better maintained resorts in the area that we will happily spend our hard-earned money at in the future.
