My husband and I stayed two nights as we were visiting Traverse City and wanted a hotel with a hot tub. Our kids are grown and I know that waterpark resorts are always super kid-oriented, but this particular resort could do better for all the adults that visit, whether alone or with their kids in tow. The waterpark hours are 10 am to 8 pm. Even the adults-only hot tub closes at 8 p.m. This negated our reason for staying here, as we usually like to hit the hot tub early in the morning or late evening after running around all day. On the one day that we braved the waterpark to get to the hot tub, we found the waterpark itself challenging to navigate around as you always seem to be walking in one attraction to get to the next. The adults' hot tub was nice, but again, it would have been nicer had we been able to use it more. It would be great if the resort added some "adults only" hours, either before or after their posted hours. All of the other waterpark features are geared toward smaller children. We also stopped in the game room which was way more expensive than any other we have been to. We had the breakfast buffet one morning. The posted price is $16.99 per person. We were charged $14.99 each but then were also charged $3.99 each for two cups of coffee and then were never given any refills despite being in the dining room for about 45 minutes. We got a pizza one night, and that was a great deal at about $23 for a huge pizza. The sweets in the shop next to the pizza place were delicious and fairly priced. All told it is a cute and clean resort if your kids are under 10, if you are okay with the limited waterpark hours, and if you have plenty of cash for all of the other things (arcade, Build-A-Bear, bowling, etc.) that your kiddos will want to do. As a side note, we were traveling for my birthday. The attendant that checked us in on arrival insisted I wear a second wristband which was red sparkles and read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and I obliged. Not once in the three days we were there did anyone acknowledge my birthday band. I, of course, did not care, but I am left to wonder if they acknowledge the kiddos that are there for their birthdays. Otherwise, I am unsure of the purpose of that extra wristband. If you are on an adult-only trip, stay somewhere else.
gtbkd
Stayed 2 nights in October mid week . Stay was great , room was clean and spacious , we had a wolf Den suite. What they need to work on is the check in. I was told on three occasions to come back one time at 1 when they assured me my room would be ready then again to come back in 15 mins and it would be good to go and then the same thing a third time . I understand that I was early and they don’t guarantee early check in but don’t tell me to come back when you know it won’t be ready .funny thing with all of it was that if I was willing to pay 59$ that Same room I waited for 90 mins was ready … lol Overall it was good but that check process needs to be worked on . Can’t Imagine what would happen if it was busy . One more thing that needs to be made aware is that the water park slides / areas are not open all the time . They said it was due to staffing issues but I call bs on that . If they can’t offer all the facilities due to staffing don’t charge full price for the stay.
U4001TWtylerb
DO NOT GO! HALF OF THE ATTRACTIONS WERE CLOSED! We went to celebrate our children’s birthday as a family. We left extremely disappointed and had sad kiddos on the ride home! Due to staffing shortages their biggest pool was closed including the lily pads, basketball hoops etc. AND the yellow slide which you can ride with family! It is so frustrating as it is very expensive to stay at the waterpark. I think the company has lost touch in understanding that for many families this may be the ONLY special occasion they can plan for their family within an entire year! My daughter loves frogs and was crying because she couldn’t jump on the lily pads. Due to many attractions being closed the lazy river was extremely full! We didn’t even feel comfortable going in it there was way too many people! There was not enough tubes available and I witnessed guests arguing over tubes! We have been loyal customers in the past however, after this experience we will be going to Zehnder’s Splash Village for our next family vacation.
William B
Out unit was in an area that was very noisy on and off with delivery trucks and a huge generator for 2 days. The water park was nice, but we only used the hot tub once, but still had to pay $35 every day even if we did not want to use the water park.
H1525XYrobertar
The bathroom in the room too small. Bees fly all over the balcony. Most of the stuff in the water park did not work. The food was nasty some of the the wand game did not work. I wanted a suvanire cup you did not have any after I paid for it and didn't get my money back. Most of the workers were not friendly. I will not return with my family
roadwearytraveller
This was our second time to the property and it had been a long time since we last visited so we decided to go again as a family. Positives: - MagiQuest and Golf were a blast. Super fun alternative activities to keep you busy - WaterPark is generally well run and in working order. The facility is very clean. - Staff are excellent. Helpful and friendly. MagiQuest staff in particular very cool. Negatives: - Place is a bit of a cash grab. Eat off resort if you can. Prices are very high. The arcade is more expensive than last time we went. - Our room shower was broken. Couldn't get hot water. Didn't want to move rooms as we didn't think much would be available anyway. -Extra authorization on credit card at check in. The rooms are pricey yet they do an additional 250 on your credit card on check in. This is to encourage you to put things on your room bill and stay on resort. It's misleading and hard to swallow especially with high cost rooms.
cfalcon6
Pro's - very clean, spacious kid cabin suite for large family (6), the grounds are well kept, great location -Traverse City is a great city to explore and experience. Kid arcade, bowling, mini golf, indoor & outdoor parks all great for families. They have cheaper food options on premises such as pizza or Dunkin Donuts, and a small market. *gluten free pizza available Con's- Not much to do for teens. Felt like a cheap Disney knock off with the songs and "animal ears" and activities in the front hall. Prepare to spend money unless you choose an "upgraded" package. Food is average and over priced. I advise going to downtown Traverse City for dining, but having the restaurants onsite was convenient especially after being tired from swimming. Everything has a separate additional cost if you don't purchase a package such as the mini golf, bowling, build a bear, arcade, etc. Stores have extremely overpriced merchandise as well. Luckily, there is a Target nearby. Staff didn't seem too knowledgeable or happy to be working there. This was our first and likely last experience with Great Wolf Lodge as it didn't thrill or overwhelm us, and cost us a small fortune for our two day stay.
BadenMom
We spent 2 nights here in July, had an enjoyable stay. We've only been to 1 other indoor waterpark to compare to. It's on the small side, I'd say it's more geared to younger kids, only 3 bigger slides that are more for teens. Never made to wait long in line (we were there midweek). The staff are excellent, from check in to housekeeping, all friendly and helpful. Was impressed at how many lifeguards were on duty at all times and how alert they were. Water Park was extremely clean, rooms were clean, nice balcony. Sure the hotel carpets could be replaced but who walks on them barefoot anyways. We didn't eat there or do any extra activities, we ate in town and explored the area more. Would return, it was the same price or cheaper than the hotels in town so the waterpark is a bonus to keep the kids happy.
DCSamSN
• Charged $35+/night for amenities • No coffee lids and only 2 servings of coffee • No housekeeping to even refill the coffee, etc. • Kids running up and down the hallways, slamming doors constantly • You claim it’s a resort, but it’s just a hotel. IMO, resorts have multiple buildings and not just one • The constant kids’ activities in the lobby when all you’re trying to do was go to your room • Elevators were always so slow and water all over the floor constantly • TV constantly went in and out of service
barnistabg
I don’t really have words for this type of place. First of all, it’s not really a type of place. I would normally go to. An organization we belong to had an event there so we had to go. It was everything I thought it was going to be which was gross. It is also unsafe. Almost every stairwell at the base has concrete that is cracked, disintegrated, and hidden under carpet. Carpet on the stairs are threadbare and slick. Elevators and end of floor broken. Carpets are ridiculously stained to the point where I don’t even think that they get cleaned once or twice a year. This place could clearly afford to clean carpets. The walls in our hotel room were dirty. Stained. The carpet had not been vacuumed when we checked in. It is a type of place where I am like, ”Do not touch anything.” Stiff sheets. Bedding in top gross. Carpet in room-gross. It needs a serious refurbishment & they need to commit to keeping the place sanitary. If you were somebody who had a family member that had any sort of sensory disability, this place is not for you. My eyes burned in the front lobby from the pine scent that they pipe into it. It is loud. There are flashing lights-it is just sensory smell overwhelmed & I wasn’t the only one who commented on it, everybody in our group was like oh my god this is too much.
Today we arrived after confirming multiple times the voucher we had used was good. They stated the amount owed was 181. The balance then stated 1000 for our 1 night stay upon arrival. After 45 min of calling the prior place we stayed at for the voucher code they came back and said we owed 1000. My husband stepped up and said just pay it. Allen the manager then stated he was not allowing us to stay. Not at any point did we get loud or do anything that would make us not in compliant with the great wolf lodge policy. Allen stated he was the be all end all in this. So 2 young kids in tow we left after a 4 and a half hour long drive. No one yelled or cussed we actually why the manager was looking into the information went and bought some pixie sticks in the gift shop for the kids. This was very dissapointing . I am contacting corporate. The prior stay was found after with the manager in Ohio. He stated that the room was looked at after for the bugs we found. So I was not lieing about the issues. As most people know traverse city doesnt have many other optio s for indoor water park.
G9759BTrichardp
Nice place to take the kids! Gave a 5 star because it was fun, kids loved the water park. Not perfect though. Other things to do before and after park closes. Make sure you have room on credit card though! Two nights works best. One night and plan on spending sometime the depart day. We did the extended checkout, so we didn’t have to rush that day. Not sure if I can recommend the breakfast buffet or not. Value is fine, the offerings are plenty, however, the sausage and bacon (a different supplier is recommended in my opinion). Eggs are like many other hotels. My kids didn’t think they were eggs. They ran out of items at times. Rooms are roomy and kept up. Need some updates to today’s technology. The wristbands with the chip is a good idea though. Overall satisfied, everyone had a good time.
Aylin D
The kids (7 and 11) loved it. They could do everything in the waterpark and enjoyed the magi quest. They skipped all the lobby activities (maybe just a little on the old side for them). For the cost, it would go a long for GWL to make a few small changes. Nightstand and USB port on both sides of the bed. More benches throughout and water bottle filling stations all over. Obviously it also badly needs updating. These things would have made our experience so much better. The staff was all great and the lifeguards especially seem to take their job seriously.
NorthOntNl
The resort is nice and clean. The waterpark is smaller than other GWL properties we have been to. There was no big line ups as it was not srping break in the USA which was very nice and the lifeguards are a little more relaxed compared to othrer GWL properties. Our kids enjoyed themselves very much. A warning - DO NOT INVEST in the food credits. The food is mediocre at best, and highly overpriced. The GWL property itself is located within city limits and it is nothing to go to one of the many restaurants nearby for better and cheaper food. We found ourself scrambling to blow our food credits on junk just to spend it as we couldn't get our family of 6 to eat another crappy meal in the restaurant.
nkC7719IL
Room unclean. Wet towels and wash clothes hanging in bathroom, from previous customers. Bed sheets were clearly not changed, there was freshly spilled coffee in the sheets. This was disgusting. Not geared for preteens or teenagers. The hotel does not accept cash anywhere! Kids could not spend money at the gift shop, arcade, bowling alley, candy shop, ice cream, without parent tagging along with a credit card. Ridiculous, to think I would hand over my credit card to a 12 & 13 year old.
My husband and I stayed two nights as we were visiting Traverse City and wanted a hotel with a hot tub. Our kids are grown and I know that waterpark resorts are always super kid-oriented, but this particular resort could do better for all the adults that visit, whether alone or with their kids in tow. The waterpark hours are 10 am to 8 pm. Even the adults-only hot tub closes at 8 p.m. This negated our reason for staying here, as we usually like to hit the hot tub early in the morning or late evening after running around all day. On the one day that we braved the waterpark to get to the hot tub, we found the waterpark itself challenging to navigate around as you always seem to be walking in one attraction to get to the next. The adults' hot tub was nice, but again, it would have been nicer had we been able to use it more. It would be great if the resort added some "adults only" hours, either before or after their posted hours. All of the other waterpark features are geared toward smaller children. We also stopped in the game room which was way more expensive than any other we have been to. We had the breakfast buffet one morning. The posted price is $16.99 per person. We were charged $14.99 each but then were also charged $3.99 each for two cups of coffee and then were never given any refills despite being in the dining room for about 45 minutes. We got a pizza one night, and that was a great deal at about $23 for a huge pizza. The sweets in the shop next to the pizza place were delicious and fairly priced. All told it is a cute and clean resort if your kids are under 10, if you are okay with the limited waterpark hours, and if you have plenty of cash for all of the other things (arcade, Build-A-Bear, bowling, etc.) that your kiddos will want to do. As a side note, we were traveling for my birthday. The attendant that checked us in on arrival insisted I wear a second wristband which was red sparkles and read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and I obliged. Not once in the three days we were there did anyone acknowledge my birthday band. I, of course, did not care, but I am left to wonder if they acknowledge the kiddos that are there for their birthdays. Otherwise, I am unsure of the purpose of that extra wristband. If you are on an adult-only trip, stay somewhere else.
Stayed 2 nights in October mid week . Stay was great , room was clean and spacious , we had a wolf Den suite. What they need to work on is the check in. I was told on three occasions to come back one time at 1 when they assured me my room would be ready then again to come back in 15 mins and it would be good to go and then the same thing a third time . I understand that I was early and they don’t guarantee early check in but don’t tell me to come back when you know it won’t be ready .funny thing with all of it was that if I was willing to pay 59$ that Same room I waited for 90 mins was ready … lol Overall it was good but that check process needs to be worked on . Can’t Imagine what would happen if it was busy . One more thing that needs to be made aware is that the water park slides / areas are not open all the time . They said it was due to staffing issues but I call bs on that . If they can’t offer all the facilities due to staffing don’t charge full price for the stay.
DO NOT GO! HALF OF THE ATTRACTIONS WERE CLOSED! We went to celebrate our children’s birthday as a family. We left extremely disappointed and had sad kiddos on the ride home! Due to staffing shortages their biggest pool was closed including the lily pads, basketball hoops etc. AND the yellow slide which you can ride with family! It is so frustrating as it is very expensive to stay at the waterpark. I think the company has lost touch in understanding that for many families this may be the ONLY special occasion they can plan for their family within an entire year! My daughter loves frogs and was crying because she couldn’t jump on the lily pads. Due to many attractions being closed the lazy river was extremely full! We didn’t even feel comfortable going in it there was way too many people! There was not enough tubes available and I witnessed guests arguing over tubes! We have been loyal customers in the past however, after this experience we will be going to Zehnder’s Splash Village for our next family vacation.
Out unit was in an area that was very noisy on and off with delivery trucks and a huge generator for 2 days. The water park was nice, but we only used the hot tub once, but still had to pay $35 every day even if we did not want to use the water park.
The bathroom in the room too small. Bees fly all over the balcony. Most of the stuff in the water park did not work. The food was nasty some of the the wand game did not work. I wanted a suvanire cup you did not have any after I paid for it and didn't get my money back. Most of the workers were not friendly. I will not return with my family
This was our second time to the property and it had been a long time since we last visited so we decided to go again as a family. Positives: - MagiQuest and Golf were a blast. Super fun alternative activities to keep you busy - WaterPark is generally well run and in working order. The facility is very clean. - Staff are excellent. Helpful and friendly. MagiQuest staff in particular very cool. Negatives: - Place is a bit of a cash grab. Eat off resort if you can. Prices are very high. The arcade is more expensive than last time we went. - Our room shower was broken. Couldn't get hot water. Didn't want to move rooms as we didn't think much would be available anyway. -Extra authorization on credit card at check in. The rooms are pricey yet they do an additional 250 on your credit card on check in. This is to encourage you to put things on your room bill and stay on resort. It's misleading and hard to swallow especially with high cost rooms.
Pro's - very clean, spacious kid cabin suite for large family (6), the grounds are well kept, great location -Traverse City is a great city to explore and experience. Kid arcade, bowling, mini golf, indoor & outdoor parks all great for families. They have cheaper food options on premises such as pizza or Dunkin Donuts, and a small market. *gluten free pizza available Con's- Not much to do for teens. Felt like a cheap Disney knock off with the songs and "animal ears" and activities in the front hall. Prepare to spend money unless you choose an "upgraded" package. Food is average and over priced. I advise going to downtown Traverse City for dining, but having the restaurants onsite was convenient especially after being tired from swimming. Everything has a separate additional cost if you don't purchase a package such as the mini golf, bowling, build a bear, arcade, etc. Stores have extremely overpriced merchandise as well. Luckily, there is a Target nearby. Staff didn't seem too knowledgeable or happy to be working there. This was our first and likely last experience with Great Wolf Lodge as it didn't thrill or overwhelm us, and cost us a small fortune for our two day stay.
We spent 2 nights here in July, had an enjoyable stay. We've only been to 1 other indoor waterpark to compare to. It's on the small side, I'd say it's more geared to younger kids, only 3 bigger slides that are more for teens. Never made to wait long in line (we were there midweek). The staff are excellent, from check in to housekeeping, all friendly and helpful. Was impressed at how many lifeguards were on duty at all times and how alert they were. Water Park was extremely clean, rooms were clean, nice balcony. Sure the hotel carpets could be replaced but who walks on them barefoot anyways. We didn't eat there or do any extra activities, we ate in town and explored the area more. Would return, it was the same price or cheaper than the hotels in town so the waterpark is a bonus to keep the kids happy.
• Charged $35+/night for amenities • No coffee lids and only 2 servings of coffee • No housekeeping to even refill the coffee, etc. • Kids running up and down the hallways, slamming doors constantly • You claim it’s a resort, but it’s just a hotel. IMO, resorts have multiple buildings and not just one • The constant kids’ activities in the lobby when all you’re trying to do was go to your room • Elevators were always so slow and water all over the floor constantly • TV constantly went in and out of service
I don’t really have words for this type of place. First of all, it’s not really a type of place. I would normally go to. An organization we belong to had an event there so we had to go. It was everything I thought it was going to be which was gross. It is also unsafe. Almost every stairwell at the base has concrete that is cracked, disintegrated, and hidden under carpet. Carpet on the stairs are threadbare and slick. Elevators and end of floor broken. Carpets are ridiculously stained to the point where I don’t even think that they get cleaned once or twice a year. This place could clearly afford to clean carpets. The walls in our hotel room were dirty. Stained. The carpet had not been vacuumed when we checked in. It is a type of place where I am like, ”Do not touch anything.” Stiff sheets. Bedding in top gross. Carpet in room-gross. It needs a serious refurbishment & they need to commit to keeping the place sanitary. If you were somebody who had a family member that had any sort of sensory disability, this place is not for you. My eyes burned in the front lobby from the pine scent that they pipe into it. It is loud. There are flashing lights-it is just sensory smell overwhelmed & I wasn’t the only one who commented on it, everybody in our group was like oh my god this is too much.
Restaurantji Recommends
Today we arrived after confirming multiple times the voucher we had used was good. They stated the amount owed was 181. The balance then stated 1000 for our 1 night stay upon arrival. After 45 min of calling the prior place we stayed at for the voucher code they came back and said we owed 1000. My husband stepped up and said just pay it. Allen the manager then stated he was not allowing us to stay. Not at any point did we get loud or do anything that would make us not in compliant with the great wolf lodge policy. Allen stated he was the be all end all in this. So 2 young kids in tow we left after a 4 and a half hour long drive. No one yelled or cussed we actually why the manager was looking into the information went and bought some pixie sticks in the gift shop for the kids. This was very dissapointing . I am contacting corporate. The prior stay was found after with the manager in Ohio. He stated that the room was looked at after for the bugs we found. So I was not lieing about the issues. As most people know traverse city doesnt have many other optio s for indoor water park.
Nice place to take the kids! Gave a 5 star because it was fun, kids loved the water park. Not perfect though. Other things to do before and after park closes. Make sure you have room on credit card though! Two nights works best. One night and plan on spending sometime the depart day. We did the extended checkout, so we didn’t have to rush that day. Not sure if I can recommend the breakfast buffet or not. Value is fine, the offerings are plenty, however, the sausage and bacon (a different supplier is recommended in my opinion). Eggs are like many other hotels. My kids didn’t think they were eggs. They ran out of items at times. Rooms are roomy and kept up. Need some updates to today’s technology. The wristbands with the chip is a good idea though. Overall satisfied, everyone had a good time.
The kids (7 and 11) loved it. They could do everything in the waterpark and enjoyed the magi quest. They skipped all the lobby activities (maybe just a little on the old side for them). For the cost, it would go a long for GWL to make a few small changes. Nightstand and USB port on both sides of the bed. More benches throughout and water bottle filling stations all over. Obviously it also badly needs updating. These things would have made our experience so much better. The staff was all great and the lifeguards especially seem to take their job seriously.
The resort is nice and clean. The waterpark is smaller than other GWL properties we have been to. There was no big line ups as it was not srping break in the USA which was very nice and the lifeguards are a little more relaxed compared to othrer GWL properties. Our kids enjoyed themselves very much. A warning - DO NOT INVEST in the food credits. The food is mediocre at best, and highly overpriced. The GWL property itself is located within city limits and it is nothing to go to one of the many restaurants nearby for better and cheaper food. We found ourself scrambling to blow our food credits on junk just to spend it as we couldn't get our family of 6 to eat another crappy meal in the restaurant.
Room unclean. Wet towels and wash clothes hanging in bathroom, from previous customers. Bed sheets were clearly not changed, there was freshly spilled coffee in the sheets. This was disgusting. Not geared for preteens or teenagers. The hotel does not accept cash anywhere! Kids could not spend money at the gift shop, arcade, bowling alley, candy shop, ice cream, without parent tagging along with a credit card. Ridiculous, to think I would hand over my credit card to a 12 & 13 year old.