Just came back from kalahari sandusky. We stayed in the Deluxe wolf suite since we wanted to have a two bathroom option. We tried here for the kid friendly atmosphere. The steak and shake photo is actually the view upon arrival. Set the tone. First I was not impressed with the room. For something can fetch a high price during peak season I was not impressed with the condition. We stayed in 226-228. We had a patio walkout. Had to watch our kids as the rocks were filled with cigarette butts and garbage. Even as I was standing there I had 2 chips ahoy cookie wrappers dropped on my head. I realize it's not something they can completely control but trash and cleanliness is. I found candy under the bunk bed and there was tape residue in multiple places. The top of the Willie's sign as seen, mirrors and walls. It was to obvious to of been missed. Huge red stain by the pull out in 228 and another large red stain by sink in 226. This was stuff that I noticed just in normal interaction with the room. We also had requested a larger wheelchair and our attendant said she had our name on a larger one but someone must of took it. If my name was on it and only employees touched it this seemed to be a lack of communication. Off to the Waterpark. The toddler area was closed first thing for the rest of the day. Great. That blew that day for us. Kids were to little for the obstacle course and I know to much about bacteria in hot tubs. I surprised how many kids were in there. We used their life preserver for the kids. I get that it's a convenience but they are old, worn and need replacing. The towel check in and out was also strange. Never experienced that before but I guess whatever saves a buck. We got the wolf pass so we spent the day redeeming that. Last that helped us at build a bear was very nice and my 2 year old loved the experience. The magi quest seemed a little difficult for my 3 year to understand but we thought it was a fun option. The pool was open for toddlers and they had a great time. The buckets restaurant was in a weird location in my opinion. Watering hole was centralized and only had alcohol and not much options. Not a clear menu. Seems like the buckets and watering hole location s should be swapped. The food situation was odd too. Certain things are open at certain times or only till certain times. Dunkin was only open till 2 and didn't have all items to make desired food. Gitchie goomie was only open for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was hungry as wolf or buckets. Neither has seating but Gitchie goomie had a sign saying if you but from there you can eat in here...weird.. There was nothing for the kids to do outside. I realize the pool opens memorial day but when I walked by they had a bunch games inside that my kids couldn't play with since it was locked in the pool area. Tuesday they had an employee banquet in the outside pool area. So, pool area was open but not too paying customers.... if there was even some playground equipment or something that kids could.play with outside would be great. I LOVE ARCADES. We spent a good amount a time and money in there. I'm pretty sure we got ripped off because when I swipped the card it would display tickets and play points. Some games I swiped my card (the little toy machine by ski ball and the one with the arm that pushes disks) and nothing seemed to happen. I originally loaded 20 and got a decent amount of plays. Reloaded another 20 and it seemed to go really quick. So, Im not sure if some plays came out later but was to quick. Girls at redemption were to into their conversation about tik tok. We did the bowling also. I inserted a token into 3 machines and nothing worked. Last machine on the left was the only one working and seems I wasn't the only having issues as I found a token in one while I was trying to get the game to start. Staff I interacted were polite enough but you could tell it was a down season as lots of employees seemed to be hanging out together. Overall, my experience was lacking. read more

See all

We had such a great family trip to the Great Wolf Lodge. My boys are 6 and 2 and they both had a lot of fun. Our room was a great size. We had 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa. We didn't use the sofa as a bed but it was so nice to have the extra sitting area separate from beds. There was also our own small patio with two chairs which was awesome to hang dry our bathing suits. The bathroom was small but the sink was outside of it so that was ok. The water park was a lot of fun. Not huge but honestly I think a perfect size. A small pool for my 2 year old and even the 6 year old liked. The jungle gym/sprinkler area with slides lots of fun. And then 3 other areas. Clean. And awesome that could get a warm dry towel whenever you needed. Just had to scan them in and out with your wristband. The food in the water park was so good! We also visited the outdoor pool. It was shallow most of the pool which was perfect for us. Lots of seating around the pool. Great Wolf had different activities for us like craft, story time and dance party at night. There's an arcade inside with lots of games. Build a bear is also a store inside. We did not do the quest but did purchase a light up sword from that store. Thank goodness for Dunkin Donuts because there was only a single serve coffee maker in the room and that is not enough for us! Check in was a breeze. Then they offer a texting service if you need anything which was awesome. Check out you just had to text them! They make it so easy. Every staff member I came in contact with was polite. We really enjoyed our time at Athens Great Wolf Lodge Sandusky. read more

We booked a reservation on 2.29.24 for May 9/1 Night. They had a sale for $29 per person. It was recommended to down load the app so you could see your reservation and check out the other amenities. The app never recognized my reservation. Received the pre-check in email and completed the process the day before our reservation. Received a text from an unknown number with a link - did not click the link because it never said it was from Great Wolf Lodge. We arrived on May 9th and found a sign in the parking lot there was a fee to park there. Opened my confirmation email and never saw a heads up on this addition fee. Went to the Great Wolf Lodge website to see if there was anything on the website mentioning this fee. The fee was in effect May 1, 2024. $15 a night for the parking fee. they don't state what the $15 fee is for other than a parking fee. If you make a reservation right now you will not see the fee in your reservation and you won't know until you read the FAQ or arrive. When we entered the lobby we were greeted by Dakotah who helped with the automated screens. I mentioned to her that I refuse to pay this new fee. We booked in February and the fee did not exist. As of May 1st I had not received an email alerting us of this fee. She went to her manager and they agreed it wasn't fair and would waive it for us. She gave us a yellow card to put on our dashboard. She promised this would not show up on our bill at checkout. All other hotels I have been at I check out using the tv. At this location you can send a text saying OUT and you are checked out. Something told me to go to the lobby and check out. Good thing I did. Not only did they add the $15 parking fee but they TAXED the fee! So in total the fee is $15. The website says $15 not $15 + applicable tax. I asked why I wasn't notified of this new fee prior to arrival. Snotty Melanie stated "Corporate sent emails to everyone". Uh, beg your pardon, Melanie! We did not receive any notice prior. In fact the confirmation email states we prepaid the full amount and the remaining balance is zero! The manager, Rachel, arrived and said "Corporate" sent out notification emails..blah blah blah. No, they did not. I asked what the $15 covers. She mentioned it's a "security fee" and it ensures they cars parking their lot are guests if the hotel. This is not labeled as a "security fee" on the website. What happens when two vehicles show up for one room? She did not know. I asked if they check to see if each car is checked to ensure it is supposed to be there. What happens if there is an unregistered vehicle? She had no clue what happens. I also mentioned you cannot tax a "parking fee" in the state of Ohio. Rachel stated she was going to contact "Corporate" and circle back with me. We all know that will never happen nor has it happened as of yet. They couldn't even tell me who the CEO is for me to contact them to discuss this. https://tax.ohio.gov/help-center/faqs/sales-and-use-applying-the-tax-what-is-and-isnt-taxable/sales-and-use-applying-the-tax https://www.salestaxhelper.com/resources/state-sales-tax-guides/ohio/#:~:text=farming%20or%20manufacturing.-,Services,Landscaping%20or%20Lawn%20Care%20Services If you booked before May 1, 2024 and did not receive a notification of this new fee DEMAND they remove it from your bill at check out. If you have to pay this fee refer to the above links and demand they remove the tax of that fee. read more

Honestly? Pretty surprised. I'm not sure what I expected, but GWL was more. They had story time, dance parties, art/crafts, yoga, and other things throughout the day for kids of all ages to enjoy. We traveled with 3 kids total (5, 4, and 18mo) and they all had something to do! We spent less than we anticipated and 95% of the staff was friendly and very accommodating. If you have young kids or know young kids, this is the place to take them. All of the guest were super understanding and great too because their kids were also running around, trying to get places faster. All in all, we'd definitely go back. read more

Me & My Husband drove from Kalamazoo to Sandusky OH. The mission was to go to Cedar point but then it started raining so we didn't get to ride on any rides. That was a big disappointment right there. We booked a room with Wolf Inn Hotel and i swear when Myself and my Husband pulled up we were greeted by this very nice gentleman name Jeremiah when I say he was PROFESSIONAL. JEREMIAH I WISH EVERY HOTEL HOST was as Friendly and Concern about their guest as you was to us THANK YOU AND ME & MY HUSBAND DEFINITELY WILL BE BACK read more

We had such a lovely weekend here! We received a discount for booking ahead of time. It just so happened to be a rainy weekend.. perfect for an indoor water park visit! We were immediately greeted by the desk clerks - they were smiley and overall happy to help us. Check in was quick & easy. The kids even received little wolf ear headbands to wear. As we walked to our room, it was a trek. I feel like we were put allllllll the way on the other side of the building.. it was okay, we got some steps in. When we walked into the room, it was very inviting! The tv has a fireplace video playing in the dark. I felt warm, even tho it wasn't real. This small gesture made us feel welcomed! The soaps are the cutest, little paw prints. Even the rooms were clean & beautiful, we loved all of the wooden accents. The water park was clean and not very crowded. I only have two negatives.. one: I had was, there were underage people in the adult only area. This wasn't being monitored enough. Some parents let their teenage kids in, which invited additional teenagers to come in. Most adults left the area at this time. Two: the game room is really expensive. The credits go fast for what they cost.. we did let the kids play for a little bit but we will skip this part next time. We came for the water park anyways. We had ate at the restaurant - we didn't want to leave the property. Their side salads came in a mason jar, it was really fresh and delicious. We also all ordered burgers - everything was fantastic and reasonably priced. We plan on making another trip soon! Especially since winter is coming up fast. read more

Great Wolf Lodge - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

See all

Great spot for a quick young family vacation! The water park, and various activities make this a great spot for a family with mostly young children. Several slides and water park attractions. There is even a hot tub area for adults as well. Outside of that, the hotel has an arcade, Magiquest adventures, and several daily programs for kids to take part in. The only thing to be aware of is that all items seem to be geared towards kids 12 and under. There isn't much to enjoy for older kids, so that is definitely a limiting factor. Additionally, I couldn't see anyone staying here longer than a day or two and not running out of things to do. It's a great, and affordable spot; but not one that would last for a long time. read more

See all

Went to great wolf lodge Sandusky, best 3 days of my life, went in the pool- reviews say kids poop and pee and puke in this place, but it's great. foods a little pricey- but had the best breakfast sandwich of my life at Dunkin'. If you go in the summer take your kids. Because there's free events. You can choose one of these two games called magi quest and shadow quest. Shadow quest is longer, and there's less things to do, and magi quest has more things to do and takes about 3 hours to complete in one day. Best. Vacation. Ever! read more

For as expensive as this place is to stay, the rooms are barren, and very bland. The sheets on our bed were top sheets not even fitted sheets. It seemed kinda dirty. The staff was pretty rude unfortunately. The drinks were super expensive and didn't really seem to have any alcohol. The food was not good, and again very expensive. Obviously this is a kid friendly and kid oriented hotel which is great but wish they would have some better options for adults. Or at least make it feel as if you're getting your moneys worth. read more

We booked a three night stay for my sons third birthday at a reasonable price. We had never been to a GWL before so we didn't really know what to expect.. and honestly the reviews of this location were pretty rough. We paid for the birthday package which was almost $100 and it included decorating the hotel room door, a cake, a pizza, game card, balloons & party plates & napkins. When we got there (after a 2.5 hour drive) the lady at the front desk was super nice and welcoming. We walked all the way to our room and our bands didn't work to unlock the door. So with three kids, we had to split up and go back to the front desk to get working bands. Strike 1 I guess. After being in the room for a few minutes, my husband said "didn't we pay for the birthday package?" I'm like yep sure did! There was NOTHING in our room that we paid for. I headed down to the front desk again to find out if maybe we got the wrong room or something and after she walked away and radioed someone she came back and told me that they had us down for the next day? Weird. Anyway, she refunded me for the birthday package and sent us some balloons and vouchers to our room which was nice. We got the family fireplace suite and the fireplace did not work. I told someone at the front desk as we were leaving and she said "they don't turn on anymore. There was an incident with a kid bumping his head on it so we disconnected all of them" weird but okay. Maybe that should be noted in the room listing. The water park itself was decent! Plenty to do for the kiddos. Everything closes at 9p. Everything. So don't think you can get the kids to sleep with grandma and head to the bar for a drink and a snack lol. Mostly everything was pretty expensive but the wolf pass was a decent score just so your kids are able to get the full experience. We ended up checking every box on the pass while we were there. The magiquest was pretty fun too but when it's busy, it takes a lot of time to complete the quests so we didn't get close to finishing. We will probably end up at GWL again but probably at the Traverse one next time. The kids had a lot of fun so that helped make the experience better but they really do need some work at this location. read more

We had a great time celebrating a friend's birthday at Great Wolf Lodge. We all stayed for two nights and had time to enjoy the water park, as well as purchasing wands to work on the quests throughout the building. Originally they sent another guest to our room shortly after check-in, but I think it was mostly because one person made all of our reservations, so they got confused about which rooms were filled or not. I think the people who walked in on us got an upgrade for the inconvenience, so yay for them. Hubs and I enjoyed a little time at the bar on Friday night, and the bartender was knowledgeable and entertaining. The lobster bisque was delicious, and the blue drink with the pineapple was tasty as well. I wish I'd tried the 'wine cooler for men' that he served to another patron, but we didn't end up visiting the bar again. Overall, I think I expected the water park to be a bit bigger, but the kids especially had a great time, and that's enough for me. read more

Our 9 month old daughters first trip to an amusement themed park or resort. She had a blast splashing in the kiddie pool and taking in all the sights and sounds. I thought ever staff member we encountered from the from desk to the room service was exceptional and very nice. This is a great place for kids from 0-12 I would say. Very nice and reasonable. read more

Great Wolf Lodge - Pool area - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

I grew up going to cedar point and I wanted to take my kids for their first visit. I decide to make it a two day trip and add a water park. It was last minute and castaway bay was booked so I ended up here. My kids are young and love to swim so I thought this would be a good place for them as they've never been to a water park. They had a blast playing and I enjoyed it too. I can't swim so I don't care for water activities but this was bearable for me. Unfortunately the room was trash! I would not recommend staying over night. The rooms are terribly old and run down. They're doing construction which would have been nice to know about beforehand. They didn't even send me a room confirmation until AFTER I checked out. Although they had me in the system when I checked in on time I still was not happy about that. The room had ants everywhere. The furniture was old. The carpets were gross. I was so glad to leave. I would maybe go back for a day pass but I would never stay here again unless they do major renovations. read more

I bought a day pass, for the day. I have 5 kids and I get that's a lot. But, my 3,2,&1 year old and I were all in the kiddy pool area. Some other kids were mixed in too, playing with ours which of course is 100% okay. But, my 2 year old wouldn't get off of the pool grates, which she did everytime I explained to her no. It's not like I was letting her purposely do it. My 3 year old asked me to help fix her life jacket, and as I did so my 2 year old was sitting on the pool grates again. While, my husband had my 4,&6 year old at the bigger slides, the life guard came up to me and told and I quote. " you need to learn how to control your kids and control them" very rudely. I almost wanted to cry. It was our first real time out together, since I lost my 3 month old last May. It's not a fun thing to hear, while grief makes you feel down at the same time too. I feel like he could've approached me nicer, but I was correcting her each and every single time. I wasn't just letting my children do what ever they wanted. read more

All the staff were SO attentive to the customers. Everyone was quick to offer advice or give suggestions to the facility. They always had something to do for the kids that was scheduled and on time. The pool area was clean and the rides were fun everyone was willing to help. They had multiple life guards in the pool area for safety. I loved my stay even housekeeping was helpful. I had a great time here I definitely suggest more than one day. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I decided we needed a little mini getaway prior to christmas and booked a room at Great Wolf Lodge on a whim for a weekend in December. We arrived Saturday night around 8pm and checked in to our room and received winter wolf ears at checkin. We were surprised at how pristine our hotel room was and delighted by the Christmas tree, decoration, and children's book that was provided. There were snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, lighted garland, and more. It was amazing and such a surprise. Next, we headed to the Gitchigoomie Grill for dinner where I had a make your own burger and an "orange you glad I didn't say banana" cocktail. The burger was great and the cocktail was potent. Our server was incredibly polite and sweet. Following dinner, we relaxed in our room and had a wonderful sleep. The next morning, we enjoyed a family style breakfast at the Gitchigoomie grill that was sufficient. We went into the water park around open time on Sunday and got a couple slides out of the way prior to it getting busy. We mostly spent our time in the lazy river and the Manitoba Springs hot tub, which had a very nice 21 and older section that was not crowded and was hidden away under artificial rocks. It was very spacious and relaxing. We were a little disappointed by how small the lazy river was. But overall, we had a lot of fun. Keep in mind, we are 2 mid-20's "adults at heart", but we did feel the park was definitely kids-centric. However, we enjoyed ourselves. read more

See all

Great indoor water park. Kids enjoyed the build a bear and magic quest more than the actual water stuff. Our room was clean and the kids loved the bunk beds. We had a blast with the wolf pass and everyone on staff was super nice. Glad we were able to make the trip read more

My family and I decided to stay here for the week after memorial day. They had an excellent special so the basic room was $100 a night. We stayed 3 nights.we all had a great time. My 9 year old son loved the water park as did my 5 year old daughter. My daughter did some of the other activities like craft time. The staff is very nice. The water park is very clean and plenty of staff and life guards. There is an outdoor pool as well. The rooms are pretty nice and larger than a regular hotel room. There are plenty of on site food options, but I only ended up eating at dunking doughnuts. They have in room microwaves and refrigerators good for pop and snacks. Hotel is right by Sandusky mall, and Meijers in case you need to shop. Cedar point was a short ride. There are many great food options nearby to check out as well. read more

The staff here is absolutely amazing! I love this location; we've been many times and will keep coming back. The kids absolutely love the themed rooms read more

Very expensive for such a small water park. I knew it would be crowded for a weekend but whoa very crowded. Had to wait in line for 45 minutes to check in just to be told our room wasn't ready.. Do not order food from the restaurant it's over priced. Order grub hub or something like that. Our room was very clean and the beds where comfy. All in all I will not come back here again. It's too small and they pack people in like crazy. read more

My family had so much fun when we stayed last month. Pros: 1)The free activities for the kids were surprisingly great! My daughter liked the fun directors. Shout out to Jessica and Christina for making her feel so special. Magiquest was fun. The gentlemen working there was also great. Our room was clean as were the main areas. We loved the waterpark. The pool party was fun and creative too! We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food in the dining room. Cons: the refrigerator in the room did not get very cold. My daughter likes a certain type of milk and I was worried about it staying cold. Also, the locker rooms at the water park were nasty. The rest of the property was so clean. I don't know what happened there. All in all it was wonderful and I would highly recommend it to others. Oh and I loved the texting system where you can ask questions from the front desk. It was so nice to get an answer to a question without having to go to the lobby. Plus I am sure free up the receptionists to help people check in. read more

The rooms and water park were very clean and well maintained. I've been to splash lagoon in Erie, while it is bigger, I actually liked Great Wolfe better just because of how well kept it is. There are different activities to do with kids beside the water attractions like Magic Quest, Dance Parties and Story time. We only stayed 1 night and the kids were more interested in the water park area so we did not take advantage of these. We did not eat on-site besides getting coffee at dunkin donuts. I would visit again with younger children. My older kids would have liked more thrill water attractions. read more

See all

Our kids like great wolf. This one is smaller than the mason Ohio one. But it's perfect for our 7 & 5 year old. We are always done after one session in the water park. Nothing is shiny or fancy, like I would never walk barefoot in our room, but it's fine. Had a $99 Sunday night special. After taxes and resort fee it's like $155. Fair. Bbq chip nachos were weird Pizza was grosssss. Very much cheap cafeteria style. Ice cream is pretty good. For breakfast we always bring a box of cereal and buy milks at the Duncan donuts on site. We LOVE that they don't sell peanut products. Makes it feel so much safer for our allergy kids. read more

Naw it trash and had roaches and trash everywhere and they don't clean the rooms thoroughly and I would not recommend for children 13 and up. read more

We took my son here for his first visit and he loved it. I had read a mix of reviews, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was so pleasantly surprised! Our room was immaculate, and no issues. The beds were so comfortable, and we had enough towels in our room. I mention these things due to a recent stay and it was a nightmare. This resort was great, we were on the first floor, and even had our own patio. The resort comes with a mini fridge and microwave. It's within walking distance to Meijer (same parking lot), so we got a few groceries (soda, milk, cereal) to cut down on costs. This resort wasn't crowded, clean, and staff were very nice and accommodating. We will be back! read more

See all

This is a tough review to write. One on hand you have the hotel and water park which are awesome. The kids had a lot of fun and want to return as soon as we can. Then you have the hotel restaurant. The service for dinner on a Wednesday night was absolutely terrible. After waiting for 45 min to get our order i got to enjoy soggy fries and a cold hamburger. You know they are in trouble when the Chef is serving food at the tables. We saw at least 3 other tables just get up and leave. This is not a place to go and spend 75 min for dinner without the wait for a table. My suggestion is to stay at the lodge but 100% go out for dinner. There are plenty of places within a mile or so to eat that will treat you better and definitely have better food. read more

It is wonderful place to visit! The water park is awesome!! I definitely recommended this place.

Do not waste your money. For $650 a night....disgusting dirty room (wiped mine down), out dated, over crowded, empty hand sanitizer stations everywhere (watched kids try to use them).....unsafe lazy river, they allow children to swim under rafts and horse play. Run as fast as you can.... read more

Awful service! Very slow and non compassionate team. However, Good activities for young children. Food in the restaurant dismal to say the least. Service in the restaurant incredibly slow and uncaring. Prepaid for breakfast, waited half hour for table ok but... sat down waited 15 minutes waitress walked by 3 times to say be with you. No drinks no menus, called hostess to get refund for prepay and she sent us to front desk. The front desk gave the refund but said "it happens"!!!First time here and definitely the last!!! read more

First time going to a GWL and we had a blast. Our room was clean and we had plenty of room for 2 adults and a child in the double queen bed. My daughter loved all the extra activities, especially the outside and indoor dance parties. The pizza package was well worth the money and was nice to grab and eat in room before story time and then bed. Staff was very nice and the life guards were super attentive. The only thing is it is pricey and the arcade is a total rip off in my opinion. Other than that we can not wait to return! read more

See all

The staff at great wolf was amazing, they were helpful and kind! The water park was great, the room was comfy and fun. My wife and I thought the rooms could use a little updating as in for technology and being able to charge devices, no use ports or at least not in our room. Other than that, everything was great and we would highly recommend great wolf and coming back again! Oh, I almost forgot the arcade was awesome our kids just loved it as much as the water Park! read more

I do not recommend this business. The children are all left unattended. They're jumping splashing and swinging through the hot tubs and the lazy river. Employees don't care so us parents who came with smaller children are unable to enjoy themselves. And on top of that I was racially profiled. I was told since my drivers license had a void in it because of a recent last name change I couldn't buy an adult beverage unless I had the paper copy with me. I walked up four flights of stairs brought back the Michigan temporary drivers license. And the notarized document from the court with my name change they flipped through all my paperwork and said they had to see if they could accept my paperwork. So I stand there for about 20 minutes waiting on a manager and they sent an African American man who also looked at my paperwork. And he told me yea I lived in Michigan but I can't accept this because of the void. Have someone else from your party who's 21 purchase your drink. I told him right then and there that I was reporting them. Because that's definitely illegal!!! You mean to tell me I can buy anybody a drink and they would never know. I hate it here very ghetto I do not recommend!!! read more

The waterpark was great for our 5yr old. We also enjoyed the slides and hot tub. The rooms were a bit dirty. Wall had a splash of pop or poop not sure what it was. Also there was a hole in the carpet where someone had scraped or drilled into the concrete floor...weird. The food was stupid overpriced! As well as the beer. read more

Great Wolf Lodge - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

Well after visiting a few weeks ago, I thought I might let the experience sink in a bit before writing a review. Now that I've had a chance to think about it I've settled on 4 stars. 5 stars since everyone had a fun time, 4 for the water park, 3 stars for the hotel itself. Once we arrived and got the lay of the land, I fully expected Chuck E Cheese to jump out any second from behind a dark corner in the hallway and yell "Gotcha!" Alas, he was nowhere to be found thankfully. (It really has that kind of vibe at first - I wouldn't be caught dead in a Chuck E Cheese to help explain my disdain for that operation.) We got a fireplace suite, which was pretty cool. It was 28 degrees in March so coming up to the room and turning on the fireplace was pretty slick. The room itself was average - it really needed a coat of paint and wasn't dirty, but I've stayed in cleaner hotels for much less than we paid. Speaking of paid - we had to move our reservation by a single day due to a family emergency. GWL generously charged us an extra $60 per night for that right. Gosh, thanks guys! We did not play any of the ticketing games (take that Chuck E) and we didn't avail ourselves of any onsite dining. We are familiar enough with the Sandusky area to figure out where to eat. We came for the 84 degrees and water. The indoor water park was really cool and since GWL is geared toward the 5 to 12 (at most) set, this worked out great as my crew all falls into this range. The lifeguards were superb - on par with lifeguards at Splashin' Safari at Holiday World if anyone has been there. Eyes and bodies moving, always on the lookout, rotating positions. I never once felt insecure taking my eyes off my kids. As others mentioned - kids starting at 12 likely will get bored. I watched a lot of tweeners who really looked like they didn't want to be there. Others have mentioned newer and better GWL parks and they are probably right, but my kids had never been to an indoor water park and had no point of reference. So all good there. They do have an adults only hot tub area which is nice - but there was some serious PDA with a couple I saw one day. I have kids...and...I get it...but...really? Here? Thankfully it is walled off and they were (sort of) out of view. Anyhow, to my upper Midwest peeps...stay classy. I did leave my cell phone at the bar one evening after getting some beverages for the wife and I - the barmaid tracked me down from my receipt and got it back. Much appreciated. If we were going to do this again we would only do one night - you can access the water park at 1PM day of check in and stay all the following day at the water park if you like and use the lockers. One day really is enough for this place. The primary reason for the 4 star rating was that everyone had fun. This was their spring break and it was all they talked about for a month after an extremely long and very cold Indiana winter. I think it's easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of the hotel, experience, value, etc. but judging how everyone spoke about it and were asking if we could go there again it was worth it. We all really just wanted to get away from Indiana in any direction and this fit the bill just right. I think I would probably look around next time for something different but this was fun to do once. read more

Great Wolf Lodge - Whoosh...nothing like 800 gallons of water at high velocity to wash cares away! - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

Here is my review of Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky OH. In order to put this trip in perspective, I am going to break it down by the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY !!! First the UGLY - When we arrived, the lobby was extremely busy and the check in process is very slow. The area looked like a gaggle of homeless people with carts full of property and suitcases. People all over the place sitting on the floor and every other location a butt could locate. Why you ask...... Well no ones rooms were available so many arriving guests were being told they had to wait and would receive text notification when there rooms would be ready. Many folks, like us were waiting over two hours for our room to be ready. I actually felt very sorry for the on duty manager, he had a line of folks very pissed waiting to get a piece of him. Finally after almost 2 1/2 hours, we got the text that our room was ready. So we made our way to the room and upon arrival, you could tell that housekeeping not only "threw things" together, but that the room was not cleaned as well. The floors still had popcorn from the previous guests, the beds were tossed together with the sheets unmade and the room smelled like someone had been smoking in or outside the room. The final straw was when my wife grabbed the ice bucket and it still had water or melted ice from the previous occupants. Needless to say, she marched down and stood in line with the other upset folks to speak with the manager. Now the Good - When my wife made contact with the manager BRAD, he was very nice and apologetic. He listened to my wife's concerns and started to try and provide resolution. He gave us credit on our bill and told her that he would be stopping down to check the room and to bring us a fresh, clean ice bucket personally. Like clock work, he arrived, apologized again and told us to contact him if we had any further issues. To our surprise, the next day, he also called the room and wanted to make sure things were going better and to let us know he was the manager on duty and to call us if any further issues came up. So if anyone from management reads these posts, please take not that BRAD did a fantastic job and saved the day in my opinion for us. More good - because the wait for the rooms was becoming such an issued, the staff was trying to keep people occupied by walking around and providing fresh baked cookies to those that wanted them and I have to tell you... They were very good cookies like ranking up there with the Grandma seal of approval...LOL. More good - THE LIFEGUARDS here ROCK. We have gone to many a water park and I can tell you that Great Wolf Lodge has some to the best attentive Life Guards we have ever seen. Those that have never been here will pick up quickly that they have this down and must be very picky about whom they hire and the standards they require. I never see the guards distracted, messing with there phones, etc. They are always watching and paying attention to the areas they cover. The staff here also has always been friendly and easy to deal with. Most are all smiles and ready to help any way they can. The water park is also very well laid out and easy to navigate. If staying for more than one day, on day two, you will feel comfortable with the layout and for most older kids, kicking them loose to wander and enjoy the park while you kick back and relax. More good - They have added a Dunkin Doughnuts to the mix in the lobby, which is great. This gives you another option for food and drink vs the VERY overpriced Gitchigoomie Grill. Don't get me wrong, the food is not bad there, just very expensive for the food selection they offer. Now The BAD - While the Great Wolf Lodge brand is designed to be a very comfortable one, this lodge needs updating. The rooms are not in the greatest of shape and a lot of the amenities need repair, cleaning or updating. The carpets are worn, the beds (at least in the room we were in) are broken down and in need of new mattresses. Don't plan on a warm and cozy sleep. Another in our party had a whirlpool room to which the tub would not work. After calling the front desk they sent someone down, whom ended up getting under the tub, whacking something with a hammer trying to get the thing to work. I know that you can not have a perfect time at most hotels, but keep in mind, with an average nightly rate of $300.00 per night, I am not trying be a hotel snob, but at that cost, I think I expect more. More Bad - Or at least a suggestion.... The lobby doors make no sense... The outside entry doors have automatic sliding doors, which makes sense for those lugging in carts and kids..... But then you come to two double manual doors that you have to physically open.. So after you make it past the first set with your loaded cart, you have to hope that someone can hold the door open for you to make your way in with your load........ Makes no sense... Also work on the check in process. read more

Great Wolf Lodge - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

See all

We had a great time here. I don't know that I would need to stay here longer than 24 hours but the 20 hours we stayed was a thrill. My 5 year old had a blast! After about 3 hours or so he was able to do everything on his own without me having to go up with him all the time, this is great because those darn water slides tired me OUT!!! I would always make sure the life guard saw me waiting for him at the bottom though so they wouldn't think he was a lone wandering kid (which I saw a few of). One of these lone wandering kids even told the lifeguard I was his mommy, nope! My one is enough. Anyway, the life guards were super attentive. They are constantly moving so that they stay alert. I have never seen such attentive lifeguards. While not a substitute for parental watch, it definitely makes me feel a little better knowing they have staff to help in case it's needed. On the super big water slide the ones that are blue and yellow/green, the blue one is super fast, and loved that you could do this in a double tube. Oh the rooms were very nice and comfortable making this place even better. All in all, great fun and can't wait to do again. read more

At anywhere from 300 to 700 dollars a night, this lodge is pricey. The good at minimum your room will comfortably sleep 4 to 5 and at the higher price can sleep up to 8. In addition, the cost of the room includes passes to the indoor waterpark, which you can use when you are checking in and when you checkout. We booked the kids cabin suite, which included a king bed with TV and inside the room had a little cabin with a full bed and a bunk bed along with its own flat screen tv. Only complaint about the room would like two baths. The watermark is better than I expected, a decent size wave pool, about 6 to 8 slides. A separate kiddy pool for toddlers and a huge play area obstacle course for the bigger kids. They have life jackets there for children who have not learned to swim. Also a separate adult area to escape the kids. Each section has a lifeguard, which adds an extra piece of mind. The lodge is definitely family oriented, Santa was available for Christmas wishes, there is bed time stories, and scavenger hunts throughout the holidays. They have a pizzeria, ice cream shop, bistro grill, and full bar located in the lodge. The prices are not horrible for a resort. We only had the breakfast which was reasonably priced and tasted ok. read more

So we are back again for another visit meeting family in town. Overall, I feel this place is okay. Our kids are older now (7, and almost 9) and I feel like this park is "done" very quickly. After visiting the larger water park down the road this just doesn't even compare anymore. The perks of this one is this park is smaller so it is easier to keep up with kids moving in opposite directions. However, it doesn't take long until you have done all the slides here. Also, comparing to the Williamsburg location this location is much smaller and offers much less. The rooms are okay (bed a little hard) and our room wasn't cleaned throughly as we had clothes left in it from the person who last stayed there. They do have a small microwave and fridge. Bathrooms are teeny tiny and hard to change clothes in. What was most disappointing during our stay this time is that when we were in the arcade my son had his game card stolen from him while playing air hockey. It had been purchased just minutes prior and the only thing he had the chance to play was one game of air hockey. My husband checked with the arcade desk and no one had turned in it. They also weren't able to cancel that card and reissue another one even with my husband's receipt. My son had $20 on it and was in tears over it. We eventually shelled out $5 more and got him a new card with less money on it...but frustrating that it was taken. read more

My daughter who is 18 and epileptic had a Grand Mal seizure by the pool today. I immediately found a nearby lifeguard and they called 911 and also had a team available to help her get to the ground before paramedics showed up (which was within minutes). I'm so grateful for their quick action and knowledge! Thank you so much! They followed up with a call a couple of hours later. read more

they yell at u if your out your room at like 10:30 when the curfew is 11 the water park is the smallest water park i've ever been to!!!!