My favorite place in the world, no exaggeration. Lakeside is a Chautauqua which is a sort of…read moreprotected town overseen by a community board in order to preserve its historic charm. The entire town is filled with small cottages old and new. People usually will rent a cottage here for a week in the summer as a vacation home. My family has done this for 40 years. We owned a house within the gates for over 30 years as well. The community is shimmering with kindness. Everyone traveled by bikes and golf carts within the gates, if you forgot your bike I'm certain someone will lend you one for the day, or you can rent you golf cart from Syphred cycles. The town is entirely gated and guarded 24/7. You must purchase a day pass to enter the grounds. The result is that the town is extremely safe. I have been allowed to wander to grounds and ride my bike around alone since I was 5 years old. There are quaint candy shops and other nice stores to shops around. Several tasty restaurants and a beautiful Pier and beach. tons of stuff for kids to do including 3-4 parks, shuffleboard, and an amazingly beautiful lakefront path. I come here every year for 4th of July so this town holds some deep nostalgia for me. I have brought tens of friends here over the years and it is indescribably lovely. I'd advise anyone to come to Lakeside

Enjoyable and relaxing. Quiet atmosphere but filled with things to do! Lakeside is very enjoyable…read morein the summer and wonderful place to take a deep breath. Costs $20.00 per adult person and $5.00 for parking. Lakeside community is beautiful and quaint. Step back to the 1950s and enjoy life with swimming, shuffleboard, horseshoes, sailing, sand volleyball, basketball, nightly music, shopping, and dining. Dry community so no alcohol. We didn't see many people of various ethnicities and races other than white. Enjoyed walking on docks, visiting shops, shuffle board, Hawaiian ices, lunch at The Hotel, and walking all around. Wonderful day!

We recently stayed at the Red Fern Inn, in the Kelly's Island suite. We had a wonderful stay,…read moreand I can't say enough about the staff, the amenities and the comfortable vibe of the Inn. The decor is so interesting and tasteful, perfect for the area. The kitchen was equipped with full size refrigerator, microwave, toaster, stove/oven and all the other items you could need. We had two children with us, so it was great to have a fully stocked kitchen. Bonus - they have a winery on the property, Rocky Point Winery. It was so fun and convenient to be able to go downstairs and order a glass of wine (beer/mixed drink), enjoy a tasty snack and sit at the lovely patio and garden areas. It has a nice selection of gifts to purchase at the winery as well. As I mentioned, the owner and staff were so accommodating and responsive. I highly recommend the Red Fern Inn for your next stay up at the "islands".

Amazing spot nestled in the cutest town of Marblehead. They…read morehad a great selection of wine and amazing outdoor seating. It's such a great spot to come and have a nice glass of wine, or 5.

A nice little community along the lake, with cute houses, cool little shops, a nice park in the…read moremiddle. We went in September, as things wind down for the season. Entry was free, but in season there is apparently a charge. Parking is tight all around, but there are a few street spots and a big lot at the park right by the "business district." Many golf carts on the narrow streets. Lots of dogs, and kids, and people just strolling and enjoying the weather and public art, etc.

If you haven't tried dining at Hotel Lakeside since 2015, then you should definitely try it. Hotel…read moreLakeside's Dining Room has had several operators over the years, but in 2015 the operator from Avery's in Marblehead began operating the dining room. Avery's is a local favorite, and they have really improved the quality of food and service at the Hotel. The Sunday brunch is great, and they have very good perch meals. They are only open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but the views of the lake make this a great stop!

Rooms were clean, looks like things have been remodeled recently such as wood floors. A/C in every…read moreroom. Bathrooms are small but adequate. Not a bad place for a "Fisherman's Cottage. Rates are reasonable. Beds are comfortable. I would come back here but I didn't have a chance to look around in the area to see what else is available. Close to Big Bopper's restaurant & Channel Grove Marina. Good fishing from the docks in this area.

Absolutely fantastic for the price!! 74 bucks gets you a clean room with two queen size beds and…read morethe beds are sooooo comfortable! Great little lakeside motel and great location ! Near the lighthouse and minutes away from all attractions. I will def come back ! Oh it's walking. Distance from this cute neighborhood pub staff is so friendly too!

Lindy's is so cute! We really enjoyed our stay here. It's very clean and comfortable, incredibly…read morewell maintained, beautiful views, and everyone was so kind! We would absolutely recommend this stay to anyone in the area.

Everything was great. Place was clean, neat, and arranged well. It worked. Quiet area for the stay…read more We will be back for another weekend off

Our stay was so amazing here. The owners are very sweet and friendly and their fur babies are…read moreadorable. Room was comfortable and clean. Had everything we needed. Super close to the Marblehead Lighthouse. They have many outdoor sitting and eating areas and a fire pit for your use. We walked over to the water and found lots of fossils embedded in the limestone which was so fun. Did have a nasty neighbor, Mr. Dorko, (I identified him through social media and property tax info) come over and yell at us about property lines while my daughter was playing in the water. He also used a bright spotlight to shine on my adult daughter while she was sitting by the water around dusk on another evening. Other than the a**hole neighbor, very highly recommended! We'll definitely be back!

Do not ever stay here. This is a historic hotel that is in great need of TLC. We were so looking…read moreforward to our stay, but found it to be dingy and dirty. Our first room was very small and cramped, had black moldy caulk in the shower, spiders on the ceiling, one window had NO window covering, rotting spot on wall, a "full" size bed that felt like a single bed. We had to ask for a sheet to hang over the exposed window. We asked to be moved to another room. The lady at the front desk gave us pushback even though it was slow season and hardly anyone was there. My husband insisted and they moved us to another room. It had a little more space, a queen size bed that was clean and bathroom was nice and clean. The rest of the room UGH! Gross, dirty air conditioning split that looked like it had not been cleaned for years, MANY spiders and bugs in every ceiling corner, stained light shades, dusty ceiling fan. One thing I need when traveling is a clean room. Elbow grease, paint and regular maintenance would go a long way helping this property. This is the worst hotel we have ever encountered. This was our first visit to Lakeside. I am sad for the Lakeside Community that the hotel is in such disrepair. The historic hotel deserves better. We ended up leaving and staying at a hotel in Port Clinton. It was a relief to be out of the Hotel Lakeside.

As much as I love Lakeside, I have to give Hotel Lakeside a thumbs down. While I realize it's…read moredesigned to be a step back in time, it still needs to be functional, safe, and clean. We had a hugely disappointing experience with a bed that creaked loudly every time you barely moved (no sleep for us), no hot water the entire time we were there, topped of with an unclean bathroom and dusty fan. There were no grab bars in the bathroom (despite the advanced age of most of the guests), thin towels, and dirty carpet throughout the hotel. No hangers in the wardrobe and a very tiny dresser with minimal storage. There were literally no shelves or flat surfaces in the bedroom or bathroom for storage other than a shared bedside table. The hotel maintenance staff did address the issue with the bed, however, the bed was left pulled out in the middle of the room after repair and felt like an unfinished project. The hotel was understaffed and those who were working were overwhelmed and unprepared to help patrons. I'll be back to Lakeside as it holds a special place in my heart but won't stay here. Makes me sad as I can see that if the original hotel continues to decline, it will go so far down that it will be razed at some point. With as many people who enter Lakeside and the cost to enter the grounds, I know the Association can do better than this.

clean and comfortable! came for a fishing trip with a bad hip and slept great on the mattress!…read more William W

Stayed for a weekend fishing trip. As soon as I got there earlier than my fishing group, I pulled…read moreoff to the side of the driveway on the gravel and asphalt before I started parking in the unit we were renting. The property manager, Steve, proceeded to drive a golf cart and yell at more than 3 times to pull my car off the grass in a span of 25 seconds. Ultimately threatening to throw me out of the facility. He also verbally attacked my brother and nephew the next day as we had to temporarily move some stones so my brother could back/pull-out his boat. The party renting the unit next to us was also berated and corrected by this Steve person and their unit flooded one night because of rain.

If you stay here its like the1800's. There is no bathroom or TV, BUT the bath areas across the hall…read moreare all brand new and super nice. Its right downtown so perfect for putinbay fun. it was $214 for TWO rooms for the night. my biggest complaint? The room wreaked of cigar smoke. The should have never offered this room until it was free if this smell. we stayed here last year and it really is fun to be right downtown.

I think most of the reviews here nailed it so this won't be long. Victorian charm, beautifully…read moremaintained, comfortable beds, friendly staff, pastries and coffee for breakfast. Our cab driver told us this is the only place his family stays when they come to visit the island. We were there on a weekday so the place was very quiet and I never saw any other guests on our floor. The toilet stalls are very small, and there's one and sink and two shower stalls to share (for men, at least). Not a problem midweek but I'm not sure how that would play out on a crowded weekend. I couldn't get the Wifi to work in our room, the signal was too weak. But it is available in the lobby and maybe it's better in other rooms.

Stayed here for a quick weekend road trip. Staff was welcoming. Pool and hot tub was nice. Room was…read moredated with some stained ceiling tiles in the bathroom and a musty kind of smell. Breakfast had a good mix of carbs and proteins.

We got booked in early, some janitor made fun of me for being an annoying person even after they…read morewere told I was autistic, the pool was nice but very bad echoes, and the ice machines stink, service was fine, DONT EAT THE SHITTY EGGS AT BREAKFAST. Someone at the McDonald's across the street is wired.