Rooms horribly out dated so over priced - if you leaned on the bathroom sink, you could see it pulling away from the wall - had to plug the AC in & watch the dirt & dust fly out & land on the bed...on the up side...great staff & lovely views...can safely say I won't be back read more

beautiful views but horrible customer service/ waitress. waited over 5 minutes to even be talked to by said waitress. she was rude from the start when we ordered 2 waters and onion rings. it was like she was annoyed we weren't ordering more. and then when I approached the manager she was argumentative with why I was upset. the manager did not even apologize. would not recommend other then good views. read more

You come to Chestnut Mountain for the views of the Grand Olde Miss (Mississippi River) while taking advantage of the skiing/snowboarding in the winter or alpine slide in the spring. My mother always taught me not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I'll try my best to follow her guidance, but... My partner and I were given a room for our Galena wedding weekend by a family member. The staff is very friendly and accommodating, and since the resort is a bit off the beaten path, we had dinner at The Summit restaurant. Although the menu is very limited in selection, there's an A+ view of the sunset to take advantage on the huge outdoor porch. After the sun went down it became chilly and the desk receptionist brought out blankets out for those who were cold! Nice touch. While the two restaurants and lobby appear to have been updated, the rooms remain stuck in the 80's. Walking to and from my room, my nose itched and eyes watered from either the mold in the carpets or old smoke from when cigarette smoking was legal indoors. It's worth mentioning that there's carpet going halfway up the walls with noticeable stains, ew. We had a Double Queen Bed room that was extremely spacious with a table for four, TV, couch, desk, and two sinks (one within the bathroom, one outside---great when both of us needed to get ready to take on the day in the morning). Beds were fairly comfortable and luckily we had a second bed for extra pillows. With all this said, the decor and furniture is definitely outdated and simply old, and the shower head needed to be soaked in vinegar...badly! I wouldn't stay here again, would am always willing to come for sunset views with a drink in hand and a ride down the alpine slide. read more

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I absolutely love this place! They have it all, three restaurants, ski hill, hotel, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, ski shop and rental facility. It's not brand-new. They are constantly improving things! I only know of two other ski-areas in the Midwest that can come close to the amenities offered at chestnut. Lutsen and Granite Peak. Both of witch are considerably further for us to drive. Your expectations have to be in the right place you're in Illinois! not Colorado. Downside - short runs. Upside - nice steeps usually not found in the Midwest. Great for children, beginners or people of all ability. The scenery is incredible. It's about getting in the wind doing something you love! read more

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I get it, don't stay here, etc etc. But I got to snowboard for $35 with the beginner package! On weekdays only and I don't know how long the deal lasts. But it's pretty good - a lesson and rental, and access to beginner slopes. After 2 hours you can upgrade to full area access for $10. Where else can you ski for so cheap? Our instructor was super nice and encouraging! Everyone there was very nice and helpful. We had fun. Plus, the view of the Mississippi River is amazing. And the bright orange sunset. Wow. Seeing the prices online they seem pretty cheap in general. I don't know if it's generally cheaper in the midwest, but in PA it's $80 for a lift ticket during the holiday season, when they purposely jack up the prices -_-; So. Appreciate their price, for sure. So. Don't stay here. But if you don't, it seems like it could be a fun time! read more

I'm not a snowboarder nor can I be mistaken for one. I'm a complete newb when it comes to this sport. You'd think my history w/ skating would help out some but it doesn't really. All it does, I think, is make the learning curve more frustrating. What isn't frustrating, however, is this resort. It's very well laid out and they do a great job of moving people to where they need to be which I feel is a primary function of all ski resorts. The check-in and rental process execute like clockwork and before you know it, you're already paid, measured out for your gear and on the slopes in no time. I was afraid that since we arrived mid-day that all the snow would be compacted by the traffic but I found the snow rather to be pliable and soft which was a nice surprise. Since I'm a beginner, I stuck to the bunny which provided endless entertainment watching first-timers get EATEN UP by the rope pull there. I admit I almost fell the first few times getting dragged by that Rope-Of-Death but there were other people who would spontaneously BITE IT mid-pull and you could hear everyone collectively groan bemoaning the latest victim to the rope pull. N00bz beware - the rope pull on the bunny hill is a BEAST! +1 for being a driving distance (~3 hours) from Chicago. read more

Chestnut Mountain Resort - Ski Resorts Near Me - Galena, Illinois

This review is strictly for the skiing. We really enjoyed skiing when we went here. The lifts are quick and runs good considering it is in IL. My wife had to rent skis and boots. The staff is very professional and quickly fit her with the appropriate skis and boots size. The prices are very affordable even on the weekend. It is really nice is a parking lot in less than 200 yards from the top of the "mountain". read more

We went on a family trip to Chestnut Mountain, and it was a fun 3 hour getaway for the family. The service is excellent and the staff is very friendly and helpful. We even got a flat tire on our way out and the hotel sent their wonderful maintenance guy to blow it up so we could make it down the mountain and get it repaired. I would highly recommend going. It is a fun getaway. read more

The Chestnut Mountain Resort is a great place to relax and enjoy the landscape views! Awesome amenities and restaurant/bar. The rooms are nice and the staff is friendly. read more

This is not the Ritz. So old, dirty carpeting, bedding, no cell service and free WiFi doesn't work. TV from early 90s and barely a good reception. The bathroom/shower was clean thankfully. Staff at the Summit restaurant were awful and the food was on par with Denny's. The view is gorgeous. We wanted to try the alpine slide but because of dew on the track it was closed. Make sure you ask about your room at check in. They tried to give me a stellar view of the parking lot. I made sure to get the river view. Still, in room 207, you have more of a view of the pool roof, but at least with some excellent photo shopping no one will know ;-) Will never return, except maybe to ski, but nah, probably not. read more

Chestnut Mountain Resort - Ski Resorts Near Me - Galena, Illinois

My son and I came to Chestnut Mountain to learn how to snowboard while I was visiting him over his Christmas break from school. We stayed at the lodge, rented all our gear there, and were both non-skiing, first-time snowboarders. I had a great time, my son had a great time, and we will definitely be back on my future winter trips to Iowa. My notes: - We snowboarded for 2 days, with a 1-hour private lesson to start each day. Our instructor (both days) was Eric, a local farmer who taught snowboarding in the off season - he was great! He spent a lot of time with my son to ensure that my son learned and had fun (which I was nervous about - the trip started with my son's declaration that he wasn't interested in learning to snowboard!). Upon our arrival, my son and I fell repeatedly on the bunny slope and struggled to get up its conveyor lift (we had a few minutes after getting all our gear on, and took a shot at the bunny slope before our first lesson). By the end of two days of snowboarding, with a one-hour lesson to start us on day one and a one-hour tweak lesson to start day 2, we were routinely going down the beginner and intermediate runs - frequently without any falls. We even did a difficult run at the end, although we both fell, just to try it. I could not have imagined beforehand that we would learn so much in only two days. We had fun for practically the entire two days, and I attribute it all to spending a little time at the start with a professional instructor, which allowed us to rapidly build skills on our own afterward. @Newbies - buy a lesson; ask for Eric. - We started on manufactured snow for day one, and got natural snow for our second day. It was nice to experience both while learning; the manufactured snow is not that bad. I would not avoid snowboarding due to the snow not being natural. - The resort was packed while we were there, occasionally making it tricky to work around others while going down the runs. I expect that every ski resort is busy over the Christmas/New Year holiday. There's not that much skiing and snowboarding in the area, and I was happy to share scarce resources with others who enjoy the same hobbies I do. - All the staff was friendly - the front desk, restaurants, gear rental, and instructors. Lots of kids around, the resort was definitely family-friendly. We didn't use the pool, sauna, or hot tub, but it's nice that they are available, even if they are a bit busy. - The other skiers and snowboarders were all nice. No one complained when they stopped the lift to let kids get on safely, or complained when someone came off the lift and immediately fell (may have been me). I don't know firsthand, but have heard that this can occur at some of the bigger ski resorts. Several times we saw a skier go down hard and sail down the slope, leaving their skis and/or poles behind, and someone else would stop, get the gear, and bring it down to them. - The room was clean and comfortable. We had a nice view over the ski runs and the Mississippi River. The food from the restaurants is fine, and they are convenient. - Some might find the prices a little high, but for a resort I think they were reasonable. When I take a family vacation to a destination, I'm not trying to save money. I want value for the money I spend, so that I can simply enjoy my time with my son. If you have a long drive to get to the resort and back home, it's well worth it to stay there and eat there - maximize your time on the slopes. I don't live near Chestnut Mountain Resort, but when I'm visiting my son in the winter in the future, you can bet we'll be going back! read more

Went for a cocktail and was completely ignored today. Only two tables and no one at the bar but we were invisible. Very rude staff. Won't return won't recommend read more

LOL, good luck with this place. I tried booking a room here for my family and I for a day or two of skiing. Every date I clicked on either said they do not allow check in on that date or they do not allow check out on the checkout date I selected or they have a 2 night minimum for other dates I selected. What a scam, they are simply forcing people in to 2 and 3 night stays. I am so pissed off I will not even ski here now, I'll drive an extra 30 minutes and Ski Sundown across the river in Iowa(it's better skiing anyhow) or I will drive up to Devil's Head in Wisconsin which again is a further drive for me but better skiing anyhow. Not sure why Chestnut's ego has gotten so big that they are requiring 2-3 night stays...I hope you fuckers have another warm dry winter with no snow and you go out of business. read more

Such a fun place to spend a family day in Galena!! We did the Alpine slide with the kids. They loved it! We enjoyed the fall colors. The place is well kept. Parking is accesible and free. Bathrooms were clean. We will definitely come back. read more

Our room was newly renovated and was at least 6 times nicer than our other friends that were here. We skied during a weird hot spell and it was 56f. The snow was available everywhere but is starting to turn into sloppy mess. The staff is friendly and spent extra time helping my girlfriend find the right boot even after changing it 3 times. read more

Chestnut Mountain Resort - Hanging out at the shack halfway down old main - Ski Resorts Near Me - Galena, Illinois

Beautiful view for dining. We went during early June. Basic bar type menu. Great service.

There aren't many places to ski within a few hours of Chicago. Chesnut was one of our go-tos for its variety of runs. If you choose to stay overnight, I recommend the Irish Cottage. The accommodations are much better and less expensive than Chestnut. Unfortunately, we won't be going back to Chesnut because they (including their marketing manager) refused to honor our Groupons because in their words, they would take a loss due to the percentage taken by Groupon. How that's my problem, I don't know. They chose to offer the deal with the terms set by Groupon. It's appalling that they would renege on the terms and treat customers that way, given that we were prepared to spend several hundred dollars on skiing for the weekend. read more

We did not actually end up staying at Chestnut because of the appalling lack of customer service and frustration during the booking process. Be forewarned - the property will charge your credit card immediately. This is not made clear on there website. Also be aware that there is apparently a two night minimum stay. The website will let you book one night, but don't try and change your reservation from two nights to one, because they won't let you. That's what happened to us. So then I cancelled the entire trip. This was on Monday and we were scheduled to arrive Friday. Guess what? We lost our deposit. You have to cancel 7 days before arrival. I was told that if they were able to book the room, we'd get our deposit back (there was an event in town and every hotel room in a 30 mile radius was booked). Well, I tried to book a room online every day for the rest of the week and was unable to. So they either did book the room or they made it impossible for anyone else to do so. Either way, I think our deposit should have been returned. And finally, no one at this property has the faintest concept of what hospitality is. The two employees I spoke with were unfriendly, unhelpful and unpleasant. All in all a truly horrendous experience. read more

This little excursion was enjoyed during a bender of a weekend so I was two sheets to the wind by the time I hit the slopes (not three sheets mind you). Just want to put that out there.... I hadn't boarded in *years* and we were just there for the afternoon so I spent most of my time getting tangled up and trying to stay out of everyone's way. That being said I have no valid opinion on the quality of the hills. I will say that the check-in/check-out process was a cinch and I was pretty impressed. And the bar was pretty sweet. Okay that was a crappy review but what do you expect from a drunk? read more

The entire place is just OLD, the wall paper is peeling, there's water damage & most likely mold on the ceilings and walls. The entire place needs a serious makeover. STAFF / SERVICE: Overall, I thought almost EVERY single person we dealt with (reception desk, bartenders, wait staff) was NOT very friendly at all. It felt like we were inconveniencing them by asking them a question, or waiting to be seated. It wasn't a "regional" thing either, like in Spain where the service is slow. The personnel in general just wasn't very friendly. I expected way more from the only nice ski resort in the area. The only 2 exceptions were our waiter at the more upscale Sunset Grille restaurant, & the masseuse Lauren/Laura(?) was AMAZING. FOOD & WAITSTAFF: Sunset Grill - this is their upscale, fine dining restaurant. They said reservations required, but the place was 2/3 empty at 7:30pm on Friday, so they sat us without a reservation. Food was decently priced, we both had steaks for $25 which included a soup or salad and a side item. The food itself was just average, I had to salt everything, &the portions weren't the largest. This is probably a great restaurant for the area, but by Chicago standards, it was just average. However, there's a really nice view from the restaurant. Our waiter was nice and attentive. Alpine Restaurant - this is their more casual restaurant. Service here was AWFUL. 3 waitresses were up at the front counter talking to each other, and it took several minutes before one of them would look up and seat us. Along the back of the restaurant is lower level seating with a really nice view of the slopes. We ate here twice, and our waitresses both times were unattentive and s-l-o-w. We had to wait for our menus, then wait for our order to be taken. We had to ask multiple times for refills on drinks & it took forever to get our check, & then again to get our change back. Food - meh. We had their breakfast buffet in the morning which was your standard buffet far - scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, toast. When I went up to get food, it was half empty! They do not stock it well and a line of probably 5 people formed before everything got refilled. Dinner was standard, not bad, but not spectacular. I had a burger and fries and it was okay. The poor service made for a bad dinner though. Mountain Top Cafe - this is your standard ski slope cafe. Lots of awful food for you - pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, fries. They do have some healthy options of hot soups and cold pre-made sandwiches & salads. They have a nice little coffee bar in the middle. As with all ski places, do not go during peak lunch times, you won't get a table & the line for food will go out the door. Prices are a bit high but what do you expect, they will charge what they want, and you'll pay whatever it is, because you're hungry! Lots of people brought their own food though, which is smart. SPA: As mentioned above, Laura/Lauren the masseuse was great! One of the BEST massages I've had in my life, & I've had my share of massages in much bigger and better facilities. The room itself is a bit scary, there's a teeny tiny office area in the front about the size of a coat closet that's just a desk and 2 small chairs. Behind is the massage room, it's kind of cluttered, but also kind of cute with little pictures and draped fabric. She talked too much, but her technique was amazing. She used the right touch on those sore areas that you get from skiing. I would go back and experience all the sh*tty service and food just to get another massage from her. Prices are not low though, they're about the same as what you'd pay at a decent spa in Chicago. I think it was probably $75 for a 60 minute standard massage. OUR ROOM: We got the Suite that sleeps 12. It was soooo dated and dingy looking, I walked around in my shoes the entire time b/c I didn't want to get my socks dirty. Everything just felt dirty. If you have a big family or group of friends, you should totally book this room because it would be really cheap divided up. The funniest thing is that while it sleeps 12, they gave us probably 20 bars of soap, and only 2 bottles of shampoo & conditioner! We got our monies worth & took every bar of soap home. SLOPES: I'll keep this part short since I don't particular care for skiing. Prices seemed decent for skiing, and the people in the rental area were quick to get you in and out. They have one teeny tiny bunny slope, you get down it in 5 seconds, but then wait 5 minutes to even get on the tow rope. there is 5-7 longer runs. The Blue run was just fine for me, in fact I thought it was TOO long, but the 3 people I was with who are seasoned skiiers thought all the runs were too SHORT. If we come back we'll probably stay somewhere cheaper or just make it a day trip and not have to deal with the sh*tty service and dirty facilities. Oh and we'll bring our own food too! read more

My new favorite Midwest Ski Hill because of its steeps! Warpath, Eagle & Mine Shaft are all black diamond runs with steep slopes of 24 to 45 degree drops. FANTASTIC for the Midwest!! The blues here would be considered blacks at most other Midwest ski hills / resorts. This is a FUN day trip or weekend get away ski hill for intermediate to advanced skiers!! The one green run, Old Main, is very busy with novice skiers. Chestnut Mountain is not a great hill for the beginner or novice skiers due to its single green run. They do provide a gentle slope for beginners in the "Rookie" area at the top of the hill. Its very short with very congested chair lifts. The lodge has a Swiss alpine architectural design and is appealing from the exterior but worn on the interior. The so called edelweiss rooms are supposed to be renovated (6-7 years ago...). Enjoy the skiing & set low expectations of the lodge & you'll be in a good frame of mind to have a fantastic time in the hill!! One last thought, views of the Mississippi River & bluffs on the West Bank of the river are gorgeous!! KEEP ON SKIING!!! My comparative ski hills for this assessment include: Alpine Valley (Elkhorn, Wi) Granite Peak Cascade Devils Head Tyrol Basin Crystal Ridge (now The Rock) Little Switz Sunburst read more

We were very disappointed in the hotel. The hallways and rooms had a terrible odor of wet/unclean carpets and mold. The bathroom was small, and while clean had hair in the bath/shower. We were told that the reservation included breakfast, to find out it required an additional prepayment of $20 per person. The restaurant was over rated; we ordered a roasted beet salad, the beets were raw and the salad dressing was out a "bottle. My husband slipped on a wet floor in the entry way, which had been mopped and no sign posted "slippery, wet floor" put out. When reporting this to the front desk, the customer service rep. shrugged and said "oh well". This hotel needs a major revamping to compliment the amazing view it has of the Mississippi river. read more

**A non-wintertime review** Chestnut saved our trip. My husband and I were supposed to stay at some nearby cabins but no one was around when we wanted to check in and were thus stranded. After calling Country Inn and Suites and finding out they were completely booked (on a Sunday night), I began to panic. I did some frantic searching and found that Chestnut was nearby. Hoping they were open off-season, I called and was able to book a room for the night. It was a little hard to find at night. Your GPS will tell you you've arrived when you really haven't. There are big signs, though. Follow the arrow and when you think it's been a bit too far, keep going. It's there, I promise. Follow the signs, not your GPS. We stayed in the Edelweiss part of the resort. I was a little worried before we entered our room because of the pictures and descriptions of the rooms. However, our room was great. Maybe it's been upgraded since those pictures/reviews or maybe just this side was, but it was clean, modern, and super comfortable. We slept so good. We also had a view of the hills and Mississippi (which I paid an extra $10 for but was so worth it). The next day, the owner of the cabins we were supposed to stay at, texted saying he forgot about our reservation. With that, I extended our stay at Chestnut because I was so satisfied with it. Bonus: You get a $15 breakfast voucher, per person, each night you stay. The restaurant is fully lined with windows so you have a great view while you eat. You also get to order your breakfast (pancakes, eggs, waffles, skillets) -- no continental here! What a value this was. Our room was $120/night, which is not too bad in itself, and when you factor in the breakfast voucher, it's a hell of a deal. And the food was good too. Extras: game room with a few arcade games, including pinball; an indoor pool with windows facing the outdoors, making it a great view when taking a swim; dark skies at night which are great for stargazing! This trip could have ended badly, not having a place to stay and all. But it ended up being awesome. I would definitely stay here again. Now, I don't know how crazy it gets during ski season, but I'd recommend checking it out if you're looking for a place to stay. read more

Everyone was nice but I did not care for this resort for a few reasons. I'm being generous giving 3 stars. 1. Warning if purchase kids private ski lessons. We went to check on them to find them with a different instructor. He said our instructor went to get ready to take them in for hot chocolate. What? We paid for lessons---NOT a break not to mention our kids do not like hot chocolate. Didn't notice any improvement from last year's lessons which were great at Andalusia Snowstar. Waste of money. 2. There were SO many snowboarders that it was annoying. They should have their own hills as they fly by you and cut up the snow. Not a fan! 3. Anybody can do anything anywhere. Kids took off skis and played in an area by trees. Someone was using a snowboard as a sled to go down a hill. I observed one mom running down hill with her son on skis. Then they came up lift (she didn't have lift ticket though). Another female ran down hill with her toddler (no skis - just ran down hill) and then went up lift. Not sure if lift ticket. Visitors just walking around skiers area everywhere with shoes (not skiers). It was strange and annoying when in your way. No rules! 4. Food was okay-good but overpriced!! read more

The hotel and pool were nice. The room I was unhappy with. We found bed bugs. We were moved rooms but we're unable to sleep because we felt itchy and uncomfortable. I complained to the front desk the next morning they said they couldn't do much because we booked through Expedia. They offered free breakfast but we declined. Today I called Expedia they refunded me $27.00. Very disappointed. read more

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This resort is pretty basic and it's nice for beginners like me. We had a group rate so we paid $61 for the ski rental, lift ticket and a lesson. We also got a $7 meal ticket. They have a good amount of trails for beginners/intermediates (not sure for advanced) and I always have a good time. The resort isn't too packed so you don't run into people often =P The rentals are not in the best condition and be sure you check everything over. I overheard that a lot of people were returning their snowboards because they were faulty. We ate lunch in the cafeteria and it reminded me of food in junior high (which I love). The line moves fast and you can get up to $9 worth of food for only $7. I got a sloppy joe + fries, very yummy! I would come here again and if you don't want to eat in the cafeteria, then there is a restaurant as well. read more

I probably shouldn't be writing this review, because I did not go here to ski. So fair warning, this review is more about my stay there this past 4th of July weekend, rather than it's skiiing facilities. First the bad: Again, I'm sure this is a good thing if you are looking for a ski lodge, but since I was not, I didn't realize how far this place is from actual downtown Galena. It took a good 20 mins to get to the resort, which would have been fine if I had been prepared for that, but I was so tired that all I wanted to do was get to my destination. So just beware for those who are looking for a place close to downtown Galena. The resort itself was also very dated. I actually normally don't care much about stuff like that if it's a lodge-type of hotel, but the beds were EXTREMELY uncomfortable. I really felt like I was sleeping on a rock, and i spent the next day cracking my whole body. Onto the good: I would think that the place would be extremely crowded in the winter for the ski slopes, but this 4th of July stay was very nice because it was pretty much empty - so there weren't any crazy kids running all over the place, and the restaurants were not crowded. Our large group of 10 had a wonderful time sitting out on the back patio until midnight just chatting and enjoy the beautiful evening. So would I come back? Actually, I'm not sure - I probably would if I came back to Galena with a large group again, mainly because there are slim pickings for other lodging in Galena! But if it were just my husband and I? probably not - the more romantic weekend out would probably best spent closer to downtown Galena and at a B&B. read more

Resort is old and showing it age. Old bathroom and carpet, wall air conditioner had an issue-cycled non-stop all night even in 60 degree weather-obnoxious to listen to. And NOT disabled friendly. No elevator. Definitely do NOT do the Segway tour here unless you like wasting $. You will spend an hour training just to get 20 mins on the trail. And $25 for 2 people for a very quick Soaring Eagle ride felt like a rip-off too. But the view is beautiful and the ticket for the pontoon boat ride includes the Alpine Slide is well worth the $. Food was good too. read more

I stayed here last Thursday to Friday with my boyfriend and was attracted to this place because of the midweek special ($89 per night) and the spectacular views of the Mississippi River. Immediately after entering the resort, the heavy musty air was the first thing that I noticed (which lingered into the hallways and into the rooms as well). However, check in was a super easy process and the room was large with two comfy queen sized beds and a view overlooking the river. The air conditioning in my particular room was lop-sided and didn't do a good job of filtering out the musty, humid air. Besides that, the alpine slide is a MUST! It's so fun and the unlimited ride price of $25 ($20 after 5 PM) is well worth it. The staff were also very friendly so that was another plus. However, I was disappointed that the game room was barely maintained as half of the games were "out of order". The pool was pretty nice--we were the only ones in there around 8:30 PM so of course that's a plus! The water was nice and the hot tub wasn't too bad either. Besides this place smelling like it hasn't been aired out in 50+ years, I enjoyed my stay. The cleanliness was up to my standards and the views were well worth the price in my opinion! read more

For the skkiing/snowboarding I would give this five stars, because it is very nice, fairly large mountain with lots of different routes, and lifts. There is also a smaller bunny hill where you do not take the lift, there is simply a tow rope. Next to the park for the little kids there is a very small hill with a little "magic carpet" That you can ride up to practice. The problem is the resort. There is a pool, and 2 or 3 resturants, but the rooms have very thin walls and because of all the people leaving the mountain at different times the noise levels are high and it can be hard to get to sleep. I would definately love to come again, but I am going to have to stay somewhere else in order to completely enjoy my stay. read more

My wife, 10-year old daughter and I stayed overnight at the Chestnut Mountain Resort near Galena IL on December 26th. Room review: The hotel room was pretty worn, but I kind of expected this because I assume a lot of young people stay at this hotel and can be rather hard on a hotel room. The bed and bathroom were clean though. Right outside our room there was a fan of some kind mounted on the ceiling. It made a lot of noise, but fortunately I couldn't hear it from inside the hotel room because the blower on the heater drowned out the hallway fan. I slept soundly though. Food review: The main reason I wrote this review was due to the food. This resort has 4 places to eat. We ate dinner at the Alpine restaurant, which is a nicer establishment than the grill on the first floor. I had the blackened walleye with sweet potato chips. My wife had a barbecue pork sandwich with sweet potato chips and my daughter had the macaroni and cheese (kid's meal). We were really disappointed with the food. The Diet Pepsi I had tasted really flat. It was a fountain drink. The blackened walleye sandwich was okay although my meal and my wife's meal were served in a basket instead of on plates which seemed odd since this was supposed to be a nicer restaurant than the grill downstairs. My daughter said the macaroni and cheese tasted funny. I assumed she was just complaining so I tried it and it did taste odd. I can't really describe it, but she didn't eat much of it and I couldn't really blame her. My wife didn't care for the sweet potato fries, but her pork sandwich was good. The next morning we had the option of eating the breakfast buffet at this restaurant or stopping at McDonald's on the way home. We decided to eat at McDonald's. The skiing was great. Great snow and not overly crowded. read more

I went on a Friday early December. Great when it's not crowded. Snow machines everywhere! Bring your goggles! Great deals! $15 lift ticket!! Not far from Chicago easy 3 hour drive. read more

This is a summer review.... nice spot for a wedding, for sure, but the place itself, as it is a ski resort, is pretty run down, and has that musty/moldy air about it. The rooms are really dated and there is a bit of an odor. Not quite worth what they charge in my opinion. read more

Chestnut Mountain Resort - View from the "wedding spot" Gorgeous! - Ski Resorts Near Me - Galena, Illinois

I most recently went skiing here twice this past winter. I had a really great time. Didn't take any type of lesson or anything and just kind of caught on. Started out on the bunny hill. Glad they updated the lift there. It is now what the call a magic carpet instead of just a rope to grab onto to. They have a great hill that I love called rookie's ridge. I really like that one because I hadn't been skiing in about 9 years so I needed some practice. It's between the bunny hill and the next biggest hill called old main and its not as long. I only got as far as old main and didn't want to try anything bigger. Had a great time skiing. I also had to write a review about the hotel because I couldnt believe all the bad reviews!! It looks nice and maybe they just remodelled because this place didn't smell or have peeling wallpaper like other people said. We went on a Friday and our room was nice, clean, and had a great view. The pool and hot tub were nice but a little small but we were pretty much the only people in there the whole time. On the weekends there is a waitress that takes drink orders in the pool room which is awesome. We went to the bar and it was really nice. Great drinks!! To eat we got a margherita pizza and some cheese sticks and they were amazing!! When you check in, they give you $10 off tickets for breakfast for each person in your room. The breakfast is served in a sit down restaraunt and everything on the menu is under $10 so our meal was free. We chose the buffet and coffe for $8.95 per person. Not a large selection. Standard breakfast buffet food but they did have some delicious fresh fruit too. We also went down the Alpine Slide which was fun. It was my second time doing that. There was a bunch of annoying kids on a field trip going down at the same time but the lady told us they would usually be closed on a Friday if the kids didn't have the field trip so I guess it was better than nothing. read more

Went here on 10/28/2011 This place is great! Came here with the fam on what seemed like a warm (at least for December) morning. I got such a surprise when I walked into the ski area and saw that it was a WINTER WONDERLAND. The skiing was exceptional, my instructor was really nice, and it was overall a really fun time. There were only two bad parts about this trip: 1) The prices - 1 day on the slopes comes down tho about $100. 2) The food - the eating arrangements were cramped, but the food tasted nirmal. read more

I didn't stay at this hotel, which I guess was a good thing reading all these reviews. However I did go to this facility for the Alpine Slide & the Eagle Soar Zip Line & w/ that I had a good time. There were 2 employees that I must mention, because of how nice they were. The 1st employee was Kara who was working the Alpine Slide, she was pleasant & very helpful. I had a slow ride down the slide & went back to tell her about it. She then proceeded to show me the sleds (or whatever their called) & showed me how to tell which one is good. So, she found one that was good & let me go again! Talk about customer service! The 2nd employee was Brad, who was working the Eagle Soar Zip Line. He was great! Very nice & helpful, that was another good customer service experience. I would go again for the attractions; if there were more. I would have went on the Segways, but the cost was a little too much for that. There should be a package deal if you are going on other attractions. I would recommend the Eagle Soar Zip Line & the Alpine Slide. read more

If you're learning to snowboard Amber is a great instructor. She is encouraging and helpful. The bartenders, Jamie, Jose, and Flow are great. And the food in the restaurant is very good. I love every visit here. read more

My boyfriend and I spent such a beautiful afternoon on a free ski lift ride and walk around the grounds of the resort while he played a round of disc golf. Afterward we had an incredibly delicious bloody mary at the bar inside while continuing to take in the view of the Mississippi. It was the end of our trip to Galena and we were reluctant to leave. We had such a truly memorable day - I won't be forgetting the afternoon we spent here for quite some time. read more

Overall this resort is amazing. I have come here many times over the years and have had great experiences every time. The restaurants are great, supplying many excellent food options, friendly service and great views. The resort offers many amazing amenities, including skiing, boat rides, indoor pool, and zip-lining. The rooms are nice and quaint. They went through a renovation a number of years ago and you can really enjoy the new improvements! read more

This is a great place to go skiing outside the usual ski resorts in Wisconsin. It's about 3 hours from Chicago and in my opinion considerably more scenic than WI. We decided to make a little trip out of it and rented a cabin at Amber Creek vacation homes. We arrived saturday morning w/ 16 of us which gave us a pretty measly $10 group discount on each rental/lift ticket, but included a free lesson w/ it. Weather was decent in the mid 20's and a bit overcast. I decide to play it safe and throw on a pair of ski's although now part of me feels like I should have snowboarded to take advantage of the free lesson. Being an intermediate skier, I pretty much stuck to the green and blue trails. I'd say I went down Old Main (green) and Moser (Blue) for 90% of my runs as many of the other blue's were way too advanced for me. Don't let the 'Blue' designation fool you, some of them are pretty freakin steep! The food for lunch was pretty mediocre, other than the chili which was deliciously hearty and chunky. The brat was just okay and nacho chips were stale. Overall I had a great time. There seemed to be a pretty diverse mix of families and people in their mid to upper 20's and above. If you're an intermediate or beginner skier and want to go somewhere within driving distance from Chicago, this is the place to go. Don't forget to make a trip and stay in one of the cabins in Galena, they are amazing and a lot of fun w/ a big group. read more