Despite an excellent water park; it's overpriced for what you get, and I just wasn't all that impressed. The room I stayed in was one of the Lounge Suites, and while it had a full kitchen with an oven/stove, full size refrigerator, etc. I was not blown away. It was obvious on a number of the walls that the paint had been scuffed up and a poor job was done of touching it up. Not just small knicks here and there, but 1 1/2" tall by 6" gashes. Some other spots hadn't even been touched up. There was a beautiful African-inspired painting completely covering one wall, but it was partially covered up by the couch. Also, my remote didn't even turn the TV in the living room on or off. It would change the channels & volume, but that was it. I know you don't go to a place like this to sit in your room all of the time, but the TV was mounted so high that you had to crane your neck just to be able to watch it. The decor on the walls of the room as well as the fixtures were beautiful, and I did really like the way they decorated. Overall the resort is just too big for its own good. It took almost 5 minutes from the time I stepped off of the elevator until I arrived at my door. There were a few times where I thought to myself, "Oh yeah, I just left that out in the car...guess I'll get it when I leave the resort, because it's not important enough to walk over 10 minutes round trip!" It's just enormous, and if your room is in the third section, there just isn't a fast and efficient way to get back over to the main area. It can be somewhat intimidating as well, trying to find where it is that you want to go. Overall, I came here because it was for a conference on my company's dime, and I don't think that I would come back to Kalahari on my own dime. It's just not for me. YMMV read more

First night in this hotel my 8 year old found a pill that probably would of killed him. Being a nurse I knew it was a benzo. Took it to the front desk and was told sorry we will give you 100 dollars off your stay. Wasn't even looking for anything like that but still it was promised. Went down the next day to find out if was never credited to our account.....but they did fix it. Then went to the water park where my husband's underarmor flip flops were stolen followed by my son stepping in glass in the hotel hallway to get back to the room and the tv did not work. Horrible experience will not come back again! read more

Kalahari is a great getaway and our family had a lot of fun, but would give them closer to 3.5 stars if possible. Two reasons I docked them on the rating: The food is underwhelming to put it nicely and everything is overpriced because you're in the middle of nowhere...supply and demand strikes again 2.The water park has seen better days and could use repairs, although all rides were up and running...many of the repairs were aesthetic. We took our 14 month old and she had a blast looking at all the African decor and exploring the kid friendly zones for her age/height (Coral Cove, Kids Safari, Wave Pool and Lazy River). There are lots of families, but there're also some college age groups. All kids under 48" are required to wear a life vest, which at first was a bit awkward, but it turned out to be great. All in all though, a good time was had by all and we'll be back. read more

This is our fourth year in a row coming to Kalahari for an October weekend. We have never been disappointed. We usually purchase the family fun getaway package which includes two breakfast buffets for four people as well as two game token cards which can be used at the arcade. Great deal for this package!! The rooms are comfortable and clean. The arcade is awesome and it is easy to win many many tickets to cash in for prizes. The waterpark is clean and well staffed. There is certainly is something for everyone. We love our October weekends here and plan to come back next year as well. read more

This place like many others on here should really get 2 stars. The food quality is just disgusting, I came back to my room to find it not cleaned that to call people to clean it. Every day I had to call and get my room cleaned, yet nothing was really handled. Then I talked to manager of the hotel nothing was handed. She did not even have her facts right which is extremely disappointing since the manager of the hotel should know how the hotel is ran. Also all the food at this place, is cheap. I understand it's more kid friendly but this place makes the 1$ menu look appetizing. It was very disappointed. I will never come back to this hotel. Back to the quality the rooms themselves are gross, the hotel needs a complete remodel Badly. Also some reviews said it too, but many people that I was with broke out for the nirovirus. And I suggest for the price you should go look else where... read more

This was our first visit to Kalahari Ohio, having been to The Dells twice before. Wisconsin is far better. The water park is average. Much more distraction from the arcade than WI. OH reminded me of Great Wolf Lodge which is less a water park and more amusement in general. Biggest water park drawbacks were overcrowding and long lines. Admittedly, our visit was during a summer weekend. Also, no outdoor water park is a big minus. Also, the WI Dells park seemed cleaner. The hotel rooms are ok. Of course you pay the resort premium. I expect overnight resort guests should receive more perks for this; e.g. an allotment of fast track line passes. But, no such luck. If you do stay overnight, bring your earplugs. The late night, wee hours hallway noise is terrible. Loud running, roving partygoers run the place at night. We brought this to the hotel's attention three times and it's clearly not their priority to fix. We will visit WI Dells again, however not Ohio. read more

Pure happiness.. what can I say, candy hut is amazing, waterpark is amazing, other places inside the resort are also amazing. I have not had a bad experience here yet, and been here about 20 times in last 6 months. One thing sticks out is pizza pub.. favorite pizza of all time, and the really cool thing is the chick taking orders at front remembered my order from 6 months ago perfectly, even down to the style cut I prefer (4 cut).. seriously give this woman a raise! Wow, entire family loves it. read more

This place is well worth going too the pools and activity very fun place for the whole family

THE WATER PARK IS GREAT. Clean, well supervised, many chairs, well laid out. No complaints. We will be back. Terrific water park. The rest of it is a mess. After the water park we avoided all the arcade garbage and concession stands--not easy with a 7 year old. We went to the IVORY COAST RESTAURANT. Don't do this. Just don't do this. read more

$500 for one night for my son and I....the buffet is pure shit...and overpriced. Everything was dry and not seasoned....never coming here again read more

You are going to pay up the Wazoo but is so worth it. Next best thing to Disney World. The food at the buffet is amazing they have activities threw out the day for kids such as cookie decorating. Coloring contest. An awesome arcade. Candy store and even story time. The rooms are beautiful. I can literally see zebras out my patio. Oh and the mini zoo is better than a real zoo! read more

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Great stay! Clean room, great staff, overall fun stay. Restaurants in hotel are pricy but having that many options at the hotel made it all worth it. read more

A wonderful place to go ok priced rooms are more because of the water park passes included but the beds were amazing soft plush beds showers were nicely tiled and layed out well we were on the first floor across from the arcade I'm sure the food is good at the resort but it is expensive 9.25 burgers and fries there are plenty of places to eat outside of the resort. The water park is huge and lockers are Available there is a hot tub which is awesome after running around with family. But this is the third time we have Been there and every time I have more fun so take a day pack up the car and take a drive to the kalahari u won't be sorry! read more

Kalahari - Two room family suite 1st bed room - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

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Nice place, though our oven is broke, patio door sticjs, broken chair on patio. Can't seem to find anyone when ya need them. Guess its calling time. Other than that...lots to do, pretty fun. Though it'd be nice if they had some sort of handicap driveable carts or something. Way too much walking and I have 2 bad feet. :-( I must say I like the Kalahari in the Wisconsin Dells much better! The outdoor waterpark here is nothing compared to theirs. read more

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A completely disappointing experience. As I stand here in the lobby with countless other families, after the stated check in time, none of the rooms are ready. Nobody is happy. Kids are unhappy. Moms are unhappy. Dads are frustrated. I'll never come back, and will spread the word that they are happy to take your money, but unhappy to provide you with what you paid for. read more

Great resort. 2nd time here. Don't worry Kalahari if you have some guests that can't figure out how the arcade machines work. As for the other 99.8% of us out is a great experience. For customers who have a history fit for something so insignificant, they should go eat some more sprinkles. read more

I am not a water park fan, so I'm already a little biased, but this place was not great. I had to come here for an event one of my kids was involved in. If we were not all vaccinated, I would have run in terror. From the moment we arrived in the parking lot it was wall-to-wall people. It was seriously the most people I have seen anywhere in a year. I didn't see any mitigation strategies. The women at the quick check-in counter was super nice and helpful. I highly recommend doing as much as possible on your phone to check in/checkout. The line at the registration counter was always obnoxiously long. Finally on the evening of our penultimate day when I was wondering why we didn't have a coffee pot or why housekeeping had not come- I read the smallest blurb on the in room pamphlet that said "high touch objects" had been removed from the room, and to put dirty towels/sheets outside your door in a bag. Great. The coffee at the little cafe was like $3. It's fine when you really want your morning coffee, but we literally had the room furthest away from anything. Anytime we had to go to any part of the resort we were walking 1/2 mile. Seriously. I had my pedometer on my watch. We mostly ordered in or left the resort to eat. The food was pricey for what it was. If I have to come again I will pack more drinks and snacks and definitely bring breakfast foods and even sandwich stuff to keep in the fridge. The actual room was fine. It could be updated for cleanliness though. It always felt humid and constantly having wet suits and towels that could never dry was annoying. The water park was also fine. The lifeguards were all nice and helpful, but I wouldn't put my trust in them if I had little kids. It was just too crowded. There was only one place to get towels which is also kind of annoying, especially if you didn't know where that one place was. My kids didn't like waiting so long for some of the slides. The lazy river and wave pool were my speed. The hot tubs seemed kind of gross. For the size of that resort, the fitness room was so small. One of the treadmills didn't work at all the entire time we were there. The fitness room had a huge thing of wipes and clean towels though which was nice. read more

Kalahari is everything you could ask for from a indoor water. I came here for the half day pass with a friend and we got the tickets for about $10 bucks cheaper. That was a bummer being the park opened at 10 and we got there at 5pm and it closed at 9pm. But I knew that was the case being I attended here all the time I just wish it was cheaper cause that's what turns a lot of people away who I've always asked to come here with me say. But the park is always great this trip I got to see all the new rides and slides outside. The body slides are sick and spicy the one that drops out from under you is probably my favorite. There was a big tube one that almost want 90 degrees on you and that one was pretty sick to I must say. All the slides here are pretty good and the park was pretty slow the day we want. We rode every slide in about two hours. I would say that's pretty dang good timing. A few things to mention is the food here is dumb high and the drinks are high to. That's just a given at any type of place like this but it's still good to mention. Also the wave pool here sucks it's nothing like a place that's dedicated to strictly the wave pool so it's hard to say. Overall I would return here again on a regular bases. read more

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This is the dirtiest, grossest, resort I have ever stayed at. THIS WEEKEND I attended Kalahari Resort for a cheer camp. Everything was fine until one of our cheerleaders started finding bug bites all over her body. We asked the Kalahari employees to check the room she was staying in for bed bugs. We were then told that all of our rooms were cleared and there were no bugs to be found. More girls continued to get bitten and it wasn't until cheerleaders were sent to the urgent care that the resort told us there were bugs in our rooms. To make matters worse while we were trying to have a good time in the water park there were MULTIPLE cockroaches that ran past us while we were in the hot tub. They have broken. pipes throughout the water park with CUPS under them collecting the water. I am HORRIFIED by my experience and I will never attend Kalahari Resort EVER AGAIN! read more

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We went to the indoor waterpark and the zoo (safari outdoor adventure park). The waterpark had some fun rides such as the wave pool, lazy river, and slides. They had many lifeguards and other staff that were fairly friendly. We went in the morning on a Monday, but it was still crowded with many other customers. The zoo was small, and we walked through it quickly. The combination cost for these two places was $150 for two adults. The cost of a locker was $20 with $5 refunded if you returned the key to the desk. I do not regret going to Kalahari, but based on the amount that it cost and the amount of fun that I had, this trip will be my last. Other things that they offer, which we did not purchase, are hotel rooms, restaurants, arcade, and spa. read more

Everything was great! Very little to complain about as they have everything available, but be prepared to pay for it. Hard to be budget conscience and keep kids happy - you'll have to pick one. read more

Kalahari - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

This place is not bad. There is the water park inside that offers a ton of play time for the kids however there isn't much for the adults to do while the kids are getting wet. Yes there are bars but even they get boring after a while. Let's talk food. Aside from having issues with proper food handling procedures they also have a problem with attention to some details, the food is bland. I am not even sure if the cooks there understand that salt and pepper can do wonders for food. I would have to say overall it's not bad. When it's dinner time tho drive out of the resort and make a right at the light. You will find a variety of places to eat that are slightly cheaper but more flavorful. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Kalahari over our winter break, and overall had a great time! The place was a bit pricey, it was easy to get ripped off-- our room was not ready upon check in time but they said we could use the waterpark, but where were we going to put our stuff? We had to buy a locker key that cost $20 for 1 day! (RIDICULOUS) but we ended up enjoying the indoor water park and later that night the arcade-- we ended up winning a lot of stuff that was actually worth having. Our room was very nice, and we didn't have any problems, so overall I would give this place a 7/10 read more

First and last trip! been to other water parks in the area that were nicer, cleaner, and less expensive. This resort was way over priced for what you get and everything is an "extra". We got... Poor service Poor quality food Moldy showers Run down facilities Moldy, cracked water park indoor & outdoor Moldy rafts Water tubes that left scratches on my children's back & legs Rude staff members including the front desk They pack in the people and don't care what happens after that. They do not have adequate staffing- most are young and have no authority. read more

All I feel about this hotel is meh. I love the kalahari in the wisconsin dells so maybe I was putting it up to those standards. This one is supposed to be newer as well but did not look like it. The room was alright. The beds were somewhat comfortable but mine was so squeaky whenever I just moved. There were also like 3 spiders in the room which I hate. Maybe they should do some better cleaning in the corners. Our room was pretty far from the water park too which was a pain. The waterpark was alright. No big slides or anything fun outside, definitely aimed toward small children. The slides inside were ok, lines moved so slowly though for most of the tube rides. Only hot tubs are indoor/outdoor ones which is strange. One of those was cold, colder than the wave pool water and the other was fine but it was packed and never really anywhere to sit as well as kids splashing around like crazy. The food court was ok but they need to figure out that line situation. Overall would probably save my money and stay somewhere else if I ever come back read more

It really should be a 2.5 but I cannot pick that. Here goes; Pros: Great concept, good location Cons; Piss poor room claning, had shower drain not work, left over food from prior guests next to our bed yet it was quality checked by, who a blind man. Place still struggles with ongoing maintenance. Food quality and pricing. $14 and $24 plus $4 each topping with no toppings included, seriously..... The buffet is good but 20% overpriced even for a resort. I tolerate this place for my kids but other that spend your money at a true resort that is managed like one. read more

Nice clean resort but today is a mess for most guests. Check in line is hours long due to technical problems. Total fail. read more

Kalahari - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

I have a 2 year old and found that this place is really designed for kids 5+ and obviously teens and adults. It's pretty cool, but all of the tables and chairs are REALLY annoying. Also the prices are outrageous. With my little guy I would rather go to splash universe in Dundee, mi that caters towards a younger crowd for a fraction of the price. read more

Great park overall, beautiful decoration, great water rides. However employees have questionable attitudes. Its as if not a single one actually wants to be here. Loved the Jaccuzzi bar but bartender barely acknowledged us (it wasnt busy). I realize most people working here are students but when the staff genuinely looks as if they all hate the place, it really takes away from the experience. Bought a seven dollar drink (hummingbird) from the jaccuzzi bar and one could have sworn there was absolutely no alcohol in it whatsoever. Also, stay away from the buffet. 20 dollars per person for extremely mediocre food. This place should either cut prices or invest in increasing quality of staff, food, and drinks. If you have a family and have plenty of cash to spare, I suppose you might have a good time here. But, if youre strapped for cash, there are plenty of family friendly places to go besides here. read more

This is not directed to the water park itself, this is directed to the hotel portion. I stayed at the hotel, Thursday the 10th 2021. The bed sheets were covered in hair and black and yellow stains. We asked for the beds to be changed and becuase of covid they just set the down in our room and 4 out of the 6 new sheets they bought were stained in black and yellow stains. Meaning we had to touch those nasty stained sheets. There was no back to the tv remote and the remote only worked at certain angles. We decided to get away to the claw machines were all super week so it made us even more disappointed, the one VR was heavy and kept ripping out my hair. We tried talking to the manager to get some form of money back and she couldn't and offered arcade tokens. Overall our experience was a 1/10. read more

Customer service is excellent here! Good quality food at competitive price-lots to do for all ages. Innovative and clean. Here for a convention-loved the water park! read more

Took the kids for a weekend getaway. Nice clean facility, and I like the wristbands very convenient. There's a great selection of slides and rides. They even have a hot tub bar for grown ups that goes all the way outside, I didn't try it maybe next time. I'll definitely be coming back to this place. read more

I've been going here for 3 consecutive years and I love the place. Yes, some restaurants can be expensive but that's expected at a very popular water park. Also just a heads up do NOT open your windows if you have a room 20-ish mosquitos normally come in though them and it can be a nuisance, read more

Calling Kalahari is like a Saturday Night Live skit. And if you ever get to a person, chances are they will transfer you to someone else who probably can't help you, and who will have different information than the previous person. We have gift cards but you can't buy day passes online with a giftcard (they want your credit card info and claim they'll credit you when you arrive - ha!). Several people on the phone told us they sell out so we need to purchase online. Another rep said they never sell out. So frustrating! While it is fun once you're there, I feel it's over priced and so annoying to deal with. read more

Haven't been in awhile as I had a bad experience the first time... Happy to report this time around was much better! Clean! Room was clean and updated! Great Atmosphere! I'll be back! read more

I've been to the Kalahari 4 times and already have my reservation for my 5th year attending Colossalcon for the first weekend of June. I've stayed at the resort for 4 days at a time and each one has been fantastic. I'll base this review off of last June of 2016 as a 22 year old that dresses up like anime characters in a tropical setting. Checking in is a breeze, and the atmosphere of the staff is really pleasant. I especially appreciate it since Colossalcon happens in conjunction with Bike Week, making it one of their busiest weekends ever.The entire Sandusky strip is just packed with cars and people--it's insane and it's enough to give you a migraine. At check in, I had a really friendly guy tell me where my room was and then immediately directed me to the people who helped carry our stuff inside the resort. The staff helped me from the car into the check-in line and even to my room. I felt so guilty for having him carry all my stuff to the room and offered to help him the whole way there. He just pushed the cart full of suitcases and bags and told me not to worry about a thing. I gave that guy such a fat tip. I think his name was Mike. Mike if you're reading this, I love ya, buddy. The rooms are pretty clean, as is the bathroom and I really appreciate how they come around and ask if we needed towels and soap and weren't greedy with either. When a hotel gives away soap like it's Mardi Gras you know you're in a good place. I also beamed at the extra makeup wipes and garbage bags for us cosplayers who have a metric ton of makeup and garbage. Really sweet of them to do that. Both the fridge and microwave were clean and running without problems. I think that the water pressure in the shower seemed pretty low but when the entire state of Ohio is using the shower at the same time that particular weekend I think there's nothing you can really do about it. Not really the fault of the Kalahari. My only complaint would have to be the prices of the food. I'm not talking about the restaurant or the bars, no, I'm talking about the $8.00 I paid for a caesar salad that tasted like something that was scraped from the bottom of a sewer, rinsed with warm water, and then was later served to me with 3 cups of oil. And maybe some cheese. That just blew my mind. But that abomination of a salad was from the little kiosk, you know--the one with the blended drinks next to the candy and ice cream bar. I felt like I was going broke when I bought some water. Water and a salad was going to have Discover Card call me. I just knew it. I mean, I get it, that's what you pay at a resort but at the same time....I hated that salad. Screw that salad. I did, however, have a fantastic croissant. I'd gladly pay $8.00 for that croissant any day of the week. Waterpark was nice. No complaints any time I was there. Though I did bring a gopro into the waterpark to film my friend's wacky antics and I distinctly remember a lifeguard telling me I couldn't use a gopro. I mean, she was really upset that I had that gopro. She pointed me out twice and whistled angrily as I helplessly floated by on a raft, confused as I hid the gopro in my shorts. Just picture that for a second. It was a riot. I think maybe she was just camera shy because all the other lifeguards were all smiles and waved or shaka-bra'd at me and generally didn't give a damn. No worries, mate. It's Colossalcon. I love the Kalahari it's just such a fun place especially when we're treated with such respect and kindness. Mike, the guy who helped me with my bags, he was super interested in what cosplay and anime was, and even if he wasn't he feigned interest so well he made the 4 minute walk from the car to the room seem like we were throwing back drinks at the local pub. I really hope Mike gets a raise or something. Give him a golden hat or maybe a giraffe pin for his shirt. I don't care, just make Mike happy. I can't wait for 2017. read more

I took a trip with 3 other people here Friday to Saturday. Friday wasn't as busy as Saturday was and the lines weren't nearly as long. The staff went around to tell people that they needed to wear their masks while we were in line for put put but most of the staff were not wearing their masks the right way. It's no big deal to me if someone isn't wearing their masks but this family behind me (mind you they were not standing 6 ft. Behind us) asked us very rudely where are masks were after a worker just told us that we could get masks at the front desk. Drinks are very expensive, the tall alcoholic drinks are $35 and a shot is $10. read more

Our family had a blast! Kids are 2 and 6 and loved every second. The staff went above and beyond, all the way from check-in desk to room service and general employees. Staff always smiled and said hello to us and the children. The room was very clean and cozy. The water park was also very clean as well. Life guards were great with the small children and it was nice to know we had an extra set of eyes watching them. Food is always really good, very fresh and the candy hut is awesome. It is really hard to believe anyone could write a negative review on this water park. We can't wait to come back. Thank you Kalahari staff and making our kiddos spring break. read more

Kalahari - Spring break 2016 - Resorts Near Me - Sandusky, Ohio

Took the kids over holiday break for the first time and was underwhelmed. The food was overpriced and the alcohol was way overpriced. The staff was semi-friendly and not very helpful. The slides are very entertaining but the long lines equated to about a 20-30 minute wait for a 20 +-second ride. The room, itself, was nice. My son banged his head and we took him to first-aid, only to find out they weren't prepared and had to get ice for his head from the bar. The arcade is plentiful and entertaining. The kids loved it at the end of the weekend, though. All-in-all, it's an amusement park with water slides. read more

First time visitor - its OK - I have experienced much better and nicer resorts. First experience when you get to the resort - GOOD, you like it. Check In Experience - Excellent. Front staff is polite, gives you time - listening and explaining - and courteous. When you get to the Room - Crap, this is what I paid for? We were in a Nomad, 2 queen size bed and a sofa sleeper. Beds are horrible, Cheapest mattress you can find on the planet is what you will sleep on. Room was smelly - Bath Tub and sink clogged up - had to request service. TV in the room at a nice high location, only if you can have the remote to work. I requested remote replacement and neither did that work. And when it would work - getting to the channels was like rocket science! Water park and Pool Area: Welcome to Tattooed America :-) Pools and the area overall - clean and plenty of towels - BUT the water is WAY OVER CHLORINATED. We were there for 4 days, and each day after the pool our bodies would be itching - I mean real itching! Pizza Pub pizza: I've had better Pizza! However, the workers working behind the counters were awesome. I can't say enough about'em and praise them. Will I go there again: Don't know! For $2000+ I do shop around and put some more and upgrade my experience somewhere else. Food is expense! All you can eat Breakfast Buffet - $14.99 and all you can eat dinner Buffet - $24.99. Unbelievable - and crappy food. Just because they thrown a lot of different stuff/crap as selection in the buffet - doesn't mean its good. We spent $150.00 just on Dinner at this buffet and walked out feeling stupid! Kalahari & the Nelson Family - your employees helping you run the resort are awesome, hope you are paying them well - otherwise the over all experience was shitty! read more