Lutzen has been our family place for years. We have enjoyed the family atmosphere, the pool, the arcade, multiple restaurants in the lodge, the friendly staff, the grounds and the nightly fires with s'more's. Sadly they are under new ownership, massively understaffed and display an attitude of we don't care. The condos have been outdated for many years. something we were willing to overlook with all of the other things we loved about the place. this year though the condos appeared especially worn and dated in addition to being in short supply of necessities. The couch was a thread bear, there were no dishwashing soap, toiletries and the general condition of amenities was poor. We discovered that the bridge from the condos to the lodge was out and there was no way to navigate to the lodge without driving a car daily/nightly. Some of the great amenities that enable adults and children to enjoy themselves were not available. I.e., the arcade room was uncapped with multiple games not working. The bar and Grill was completely closed which meant the only option was there massively expensive fine dining experience. There were no s'more's or fires. You were on your own for that! my son's bedroom had bugs and he was getting bitten up nightly. When we arrived at our 4 PM check in, they told us our room wasn't ready and they had no idea when it would be ready. As in, zero estimate. There were others in the lobby who had been waiting for hours. Another guest told us the same thing happened to him the night before and he didn't get a room until 9 PM. Unacceptable at these resort rates. Sorry Lutsen, we are breaking up. read more

I had the worst sleep of my life here. Let me explain: When I booked my reservation over 2 months ago, I mentioned in my reservation notes that I would like a pack and play/crib for my baby. I called the resort at the time I made my reservation and got confirmation that they have p&p's. At check in, the front desk receptionist mentioned "I see that you requested a pack and play?" I confirmed. He stated "there should be one in the room, but if not, call this number." There wasn't a p&p in the room & it was burning hot inside. I called the number that he listed, which was not in service. Then I dialed 0 & asked where the AC was located. He responded, "AC's are not included on the accomodations." Excuse me?! I knew the resort was older, but can't imagine sleeping here in the summer humidity. After asking "do you have a fan, at least?" He responded "there should be one in the drawer." Thank goodness they had that much! I then asked about the missing p&p. They told us they were working on it. 30 mins passed, I completed my baby's bedtime routine and she was rolling around, fussing, wanting to go to bed. Still no p&p. My husband went down to speak to the receptionist and the receptionist stated "they are trying to locate one in storage." We waited another 30 mins or so, wondering if they even had any after 1 hour. My baby was crying because she wanted to sleep and her sleep space wasn't available. By this time over an hour had passed. I went downstairs to the receptionist and asked again if they found a p&p They stated "we are working on finding one for you. They have to go into the storage unit." I responded, "you mentioned it would be in our room and I listed it on the reservation." He said, "I have no way of seeing the reservation requests until you check in." So no one looks through reservations ahead of time and makes sure they can accommodate guests? Before you suggest, why not just put her in our bed? Well, she isn't a graceful sleeper, and she thinks being near us = play time. By this time since my baby was in such a bad mood, we decided to bite the bullet and have her sleep in bed with us. We set her down & after an hour of fussing, rolling around,& kicking us, she finally slept. 3.5 hours passed since we checked in and we heard a knock on our door. Wes ignored the knock since we didn't want to wake our baby. A few minutes later, the room phone rang. This upset me. What if all of us were sleeping and the call woke our baby up after all the effort to get her to sleep? The common sense was just lacking. I picked up the phone and they said they managed to "locate" a pack and play and they said that "it's probably too late." Well, duh. 3.5 hours. I responded "yes, it is, she is already sleeping." They left it outside our door for the night. My daughter woke up crying a couple times throughout the night since she couldn't get comfortable and both my husband and I didn't sleep well at all. We didn't want to risk fully waking her up by opening the creeky door and setting up the pack and play while she was sleeping on and off. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends having your infant sleep in a separate sleeping space due to risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. So not only is not providing a pack and play in a timely manner unsafe, it's also morally irresponsible. All that aside, the pillows were so uncomfortable, I ended up sleeping without a pillow (!) because they hurt my neck. The bed was also too soft with no support and the material made both my husband and I very hot. Not a good combo with no air conditioning. Also, don't bother getting a lake view room, because the windows are covered with a really unattractive netting and you can get the same view from outside. The next morning when at check out, I asked to speak to a manager. Other receptionists there validated my concerns. They told me the manager wouldn't be in for another hour and they said that he would call me the same day. It's been 2 days and I never received a call from any manager from this resort. I overheard another unhappy patron mentioning she got locked out of one of the buildings one night and no one was answering her calls at the front desk. It's pitch black near this resort so I imagine that was terrifying! I could go on and on with more terrible things about this place but I will spare further details. Please listen to the negative reviews for this resort. I wish I did! TLDR: Isn't the whole point of booking a resort/hotel is ensuring EVERYONE in your family has a place to sleep? Think about it. Edit: unprofessional response to my constructive criticism. Should I bring my own bed to the hotel, too? Please attempt to remedy the situation before getting offended at my honest review. read more

Lutsen Resort - They can't guarantee a sleeping space. Isn't the whole point of a hotel to ensure EVERYONE in your family has a place to sleep? - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

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For our first time in Lutsen, we chose to stay at the Lutsen resort. We wanted to do some hiking at the state parks in the area and this location was in the middle of our destinations. Our room was nice. We had a lake side room with a deck. The many trees took away some of the view but also provided some nice shade. Our deck was a little behind the deck off the room next to ours but they were never outside when we were so it was quiet and peaceful. We had a king sized bed with a small sitting area. The bathroom had a jacuzzi and plenty of counter space. We used a tub a few times to soak aching hiking legs. Always had super hot water, very relaxing. While it was summer, nights could get a little chilly and the fireplace in the room was a great way to take the chill out. I also appreciated the ceiling fan in the room. We did take advantage of the s'more packets from the front desk for an evening by a roaring fire. Love that perk. We had a great stay and I would certainly recommend it to anyone but there were two things I wish they could correct. First is the TV. After a full day of hiking, we often wanted to come back and veg. The TV was small and had very poor reception (double images, fuzzy pictures). A nicer TV would be appreciated. Second, I know the pandemic had a tough effect on many businesses and hiring to full staff has been difficult, but it was a rather pricey room considering no housekeeping. While we could call and get anything we needed, it did take a call on our part. I would have appreciated even just picking up used towels and supplying fresh towels each day plus emptying garbage as a minimum. I don't need my floors swept and bathroom cleaned every day but fresh towels, especially after getting dirty and muddy from hiking would have been great. I hope your resort continues to thrive. It was a lovely stay and the location cannot be beat. read more

Lutsen Resort - S'more packet - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

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We were excited to see fall colors and spend a night at the Lutsen Resort. Paid $307 for one night - ok it's a resort. Pool is in desperate need of a deep clean. The queen size bed room small, dark and dingy. I believe the theme is rustic, which I'm good with, but this rustic theme I do not believe is on purpose. It is time for an update and if not then a deep deep clean. The bathroom needs a good scrub as well with at least the caulking redone. I like Lady bugs, just not families of them in my room while I try to sleep. The root beer, water, coffee, biscuits and truffles were complimentary- nice bonus. We were given 2 complimentary S'more packages for making at the legendary beach bonfire. We opened up the packages and the graham crackers were busted in many little pieces - wah wah... If you are there for a private romantic getaway be ware - so were our neighbors next door.. We decided on the way out to give breakfast a chance at the iconic resort's restaurant The Strand. The paper menus were nice and dirty. The host may have heard me ask my husband to switch menus, they came right over and gave us nice clean ones - and I'm not just speaking about a coffee stain. The food was good but it was not easy to enjoy due to the amount of flies we were shooing away. This caught the eye of our server, but she looked away. We were given 2 complimentary Mimosas - nice! The women's bathroom near the restaurant had not been clean as of 9a on our day of departure. I know we paid $300 for one night and not $3000. I know we were in the up north country so bugs and stuff should be expected. We had read about this resort and were just as excited about staying at the resort as we were about exploring the area. My 2 cents - save some cents. This was not the iconic place I read it would be. read more

Great north shore resort. Staff is very friendly. Edward is a Gem. I enjoyed the Lakeview and the general vibe. "The Strand" has the best food in the area. Highly recommend this location. Nice get away from the city!!!! read more

Lutsen Resort - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

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It has now been just over a week since our stay (8/12-8/14). The resort is beautiful, but the staff and owners of Lutsen Resort have poor regard for guest safety and absolutely zero security. We attended a family members wedding, and the resort, wedding, and reception were all beautiful. We turned in around 10:30pm from the reception and the 6 adults and 4 children returned to our townhouse up on the hill. The townhouse was a great fit for our needs, and we loved staying together as an extended family. The oldest child wanted a bed to herself, and decided to stay in the living room on the pull out couch. It should be noted that the townhouses, while spacious and large, do not have air conditioning. With the 10 of us staying in the modest townhouse, it got quit warm, so we cracked the windows of the townhouse to let the Lake Superior breeze in. At around 3:30am, my parents were awoken by the child staying in the living room, that there was a man in our townhouse. My mother, thinking she was mistaken, went into the living room to find a man standing in the living room. She immediately called the front desk which rang approximately 50 times before going busy. No machine, no operator, we were on our own. My father called 911, and my mother yelled and shouted at this man to leave as another man was attempting to crawl into the room. The child reported that she had heard banging on the window and woke to find this man taking the screen off of the window and crawling into the room. She snuck out to inform my parents of the intruder. As my father called 911, they informed him that the only Sheriff deputy in Cook County was stationed in Grand Marais, 20 miles away, saying "he's about 20 miles out, but he drives fast." The intruder was spooked and crawled back out of the window, and passed out on the porch in the back yard of the townhouse. 20 minutes later, the dispatcher had to call us because they did not know how to locate us on the Lutsen Resort property. They finally arrived, removed the man from our townhouse. We had no support from anyone at Lutsen Resorts, it was now 4am, and none of us could sleep. Upon checkout, we informed the clerk of the previous nights incidents, and when questioned what if anything the resort could do for us, we were met with, "Well, it wasn't the resorts fault was it?" While Lutsen Resort did not send this man to our townhouse, and did not cause the invasion, they could have been more helpful in the aftermath. Had they had someone on-call, or someone as a security officer, they could have better supported us as guests. Someone could have arrived to help us and worked as an advocate on our behalf to deal with this issue. Someone could have met the deputy to ensure they went to the right unit right away. We later learned from the sheriff that the intruder was also a guest at the party (we did not recognize him). This man was also a guest at the property. The sheriff informed us that he was severely intoxicated, and likely was served by resort staff who did not cut him off. What if this situation had been worse? What if this man's actions were malicious? What if any of the 6 adults or 4 children had become victims of a violent act? The Lutsen Resort seems completely disinterested or bothered. What would have happened if we had chosen to defend ourselves or reacted differently? The clerk at checkout informed us that someone from the resort would be reaching out. 8 days later we are still waiting for someone from Lutsen to acknowledge the situation or reach out at all. Until this event, we were making plans to return annually as the resort is beautiful, and the location is so peaceful, but we will never feel safe here. The child still cannot sleep through the night, and has had to seek professional therapy from this event. If you want to stay at a resort that has your back, and puts your safety and security at a top priority, stay elsewhere. read more

Lutsen Resort - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

This was my first time staying at the Lutsen resort and I wasn't disappointed. My husband and I went as a getaway during winter and we were impressed with the amount the amenities that were still available. They had a bonfire going throughout the day, ice skating rink and free rentals, free shuttle to the mountain, an amazing indoor hot tub and walking trails along the beach. The room itself was alright, the shower didn't drain well and was really loud, but everything else worked and was fine. Staff were wonderful throughout and there was an information booth available most of the day for planning activity. It was hard to find places nearby to eat, but luckily there was a restaurant inside the resort if you don't feel like driving a long ways. I would definitely stay again. read more

Lutsen Resort - Resort grounds - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

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Love staying at Lutsen Resort when on the North Shore. Lovely views of Lake Superior. The Poplar River Condos are great. Ours had a full kitchen, gas fireplace, plus whirlpool tub. This is the best place to stay when in the area! read more

Once upon a time it was a great family resort, a historic gem of the north shore. After 30+ years for us, that run ends. Pool and sauna haven't been cleaned or cared for in a decade. Rooms are remodeled and visually pleasing in photos, but not clean. They charge a nightly "resort fee" now (c'mon, this isn't Vegas), and started charging for all extra activities and shuttles. Food establishments are already sparse on the north shore, yet new owners closed the Pub and aren't reopening it. So can't even enjoy a beer and casual meal after a day on the trails or slopes. Rebranded the dining room with a "wine bar", there is no bar, so don't be misled. It's a really nice dining room that has wine bottles on the wall (and yes, the food is delicious) but only serves $90 entrees and $20 bowls of quick oats for breakfast. Finding help is hard everywhere, But fundamentally changing the course of this historic north shore resort is a sad turn of events by the new ownership. read more

This review is pending approval on Google as well, and also my husband posted a review about the incident below. TL;DR: Lack of security or support when someone broke into our rental unit, no follow up from the resort at all It's incredibly disappointing to have to write such a bad review for a place like this. We enjoyed the charm of the property and the amazing views, but our experience (or lack thereof) with the management during a crisis has tarnished the entire experience. We rented a townhouse for a wedding on the property for two nights. We stayed with my in-laws and had 6 adults and 4 kids in the townhouse. As a way to not have to share a bed with her sister, the oldest child opted to sleep on the pull-out couch in the living room. Additionally, with no air conditioning in the townhouses, we kept some of the windows open to enjoy the cool nights and the sounds of Lake Superior. The second night of our stay, around 3:30 am, my in-laws were woken up by the oldest child, who was sleeping in the living room, saying there was someone who broke into the unit through the window and was in the living room. She had been woken up by banging on the door and my in-laws bolted out of their room to find an adult man in the living room and another attempting to enter through the same window. My mother-in-law shouted at the intruders to leave and the one who had fully entered the unit exited through the window after his partner bolted. My mother-in-law immediately called the front desk and after 50+ rings, there was no response from the resort. There was no machine to leave a message, no one working the desk overnight, no security whatsoever. We were left on our own, with no assistance from the Lutsen Resort, to figure out how to deal with someone who had just broken into our unit. My father-in-law called 911 and the operator sent a sheriff from Grand Marais, over 20 miles away, and we waited almost 30 minutes for the authorities to arrive. When they arrived on the property, because there was no one from the resort to assist, my father-in-law had to direct the sheriff to where we were located on the property. We are very fortunate that the man was an intoxicated guest of the property and had no ill-intention. We informed the resort of the incident upon check out the next morning, to which they responded in a very dismissive way. While we are fully aware they did not send the man to break into our unit, there was no consolation, no acknowledgement of the trauma we experienced, and no effort to make it right because they provided no help or security for ANYONE on the property overnight. We were told they would reach out to us. It has been over 8 days and we have not heard anything from the resort. Meanwhile, the oldest child who woke up to a stranger standing in the same room as her after breaking in through a window has been dealing with sleep issues and seeing a therapist due to this incident. Lutsen Resort will leave you vulnerable with no security and no one to respond to your issues when you need it the most. read more

Still waiting for my refund can't stay there due to the fire have been waiting and getting the run around. Very poor customer relations

I'm a fan because I've had some great experiences at Lutsen resort over the years, but my most recent visit fell short. The sofa bed in the Poplar River Condo that I rented was so sprung out that it was uncomfortable to sit on, let alone sleep on. I know these are tough times but if that sofa is advertised as accommodations for one or two more people in the unit, it's time for a replacement. I finally got a good night's sleep by requesting a cot, putting the sofabed mattress on the floor and covering it with the cot mattress and an extra foam pad that they included. I should add that the other party in my unit, who had the king bed, were very comfortable. Our unit was clean, kitchen stocked with nice dishes, utensils, and cleaning supplies (dish soap, dishwasher detergent, etc.) It's a real bonus to be able to cook your own meals, especially during Covid. One of the best things about Lutsen Resort is their activities desk. If you're a paying guest, you can kayak, paddle, hike, or take nature walks and classes at no charge. I've been kayaking on Lake Superior with them at least three times, and paddle boarding on Caribou Lake as well. read more

Save yourself the horrible experience. We arrived after a 4.5 hour drive only to find upon our arrival that the entire pool/hot tub have been closed for the weekend because management had negligently maintained the pool drains and the MN Department of Health shut the entire area down as a risk to public health and safety. We had stayed here every winter for the last 6 years, largely in part, because we enjoy access to the resort amenities including the pool/hot tub/sauna. We spent over $400 a night for a resort experience. This was more like a crack den in a bad neighborhood. We were lied to by staff who told us all the pools in cook county had been shut down - we made a few calls and both Bluefin Bay and the Aspen Lodge had their pools up and running. Lying to your customers is not hospitality and it's not how you earn your business. Then the manager told us "We feel we were taken by surprise also." As though this justifies their passing the "surprise" on to unsuspecting customers. Then when we voiced our displeasure at this treatment, Edward the manager accused us of becoming adversarial and threatened to call the authorities on us. Needless to say we left a few hours after check in because we could no longer no longer trust that the resort was capable of doing the right thing, and there was no was possibility we could relax when management is so openly hostile to customers . All this can be yours for $450 a night. Save yourself the pain and suffering and the money, do not stay here under any circumstances. read more

This resort is extremely pretty. We stayed here during a chilly April weekend. So this is off season. The resort has a pool, sauna, game room, restaurant, and bar. Then across the river you have the cabins that we stayed in. They are so pretty. The walk from the cabin to the resort is so much fun. They have a walking bridge over the river. The water is high right now because it is spring. It may be lower in July. At night they have bon fires on the lake, and free s'mores packages. We did not have the food here as both other reviews and the people we talked to on the resort all said it was really expensive. But they did add that is was good food. No free breakfast here. Would recommend staying here and will return in the future. read more

Lutsen Resort - Beach that anyone staying at the resort can access. It is very pretty. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

Great location, accomodations, and amazing staff! The only suggestion I would have is to offer a less expensive and more "typical" restaurant menu in addition to their current offerings for those of us who want a more economical and casual dinner. We opted to eat at several nearby restaurants instead of at the resort. The lakeside bonfire was great! I will definitely be back! read more

This place is a joke! One place to eat and they give the kitchen staff time to rest as everyone waits an hour to be seated on an empty restaurant. The bar has three people working and can't fill people's beer glasses. At 6:10 pm the guys next me been here since 5:45 one beer and hasn't ordered food yet. Only 1/3 of the runs are open and the reason is they don't have enough ski patrol. I understand that, but why are you charging me full price lift tickets. At over $100 a day CO, MT WY are such a better value and I can eat dinner. read more

So we decided to have a luxury meal on the north shore and it was well worth it. Best drinks and wine selection north of Duluth by far. The food menu had a local flair and everyone at our table was impressed by the service. Also, most importantly, everyone enjoyed there main entrees. While the meal was pricey it was well worth it ! Thanks and keep up the good work! read more

Lutsen Resort is the perfect getaway in an incredible location! The resort has a beautiful restaurant with great food, the staff are friendly, extremely helpful and accommodating, and there is so much to do in and around the area!! The restaurant has delicious food, great drinks, a beautiful setting, and stunning views of the lake. I also got a sneak peek of the new units they are building and the thoughtfulness behind the design is immaculate-- I can't wait to stay there when they're finished!! The rooms are a perfect mix of up north and modern vibes. At the resort, we enjoyed walking around the beautiful property and beach, playing games in the arcade room, listening to live music, swimming and relaxing in the pool and spa pool, and making s'mores by the bonfire. Nearby, there are lots of places to hike, a golf course, winery, and Lutsen mountain, which has the incredibly fun and exhilarating alpine slide and gondola ride. I would highly recommend staying here! We will definitely be back to enjoy the peaceful and fun area this winter, spring and summer too-- I know every season will provide a different and special experience! read more

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Room costs over $200 Temperatura 43 degrees Heating in the room ? Forget, after all is supposed to be summer! Any cheap hotel would do a better job Lutsen is good with snow for skiing and in hot summer days for lake activities Anytime in between do not waste your money read more

The staff were accommodating... especially Josef, our server at dinner. Now the rest of the story....this property is clearly 2 or 3 owners past the legacy family that took so much pride in their resort. All's that's left is a lot of worn carpet connecting rooms with the charm of garden sheds and the added attraction of hearing every word your nextdoor neighbors say and knowing every step your upstairs neighbors take. The restaurant is pricey and limited in it's offerings. Overall the only thing Superior about our stay here was the lake it is adjacent to. Once again the staff was attentive but they had little to work with. read more

LOUDEST PLACE EVER. We paid top dollar for a lakefront condo only to have the noisiest upstairs neighbors who banged and thumped and screamed and blasted their television with all the windows open all day and night. The front desk did nothing to mitigate the issue. We ended up spending thousands of dollars for an incredibly unrelaxing trip to the north shore. We definitely won't be back. read more

Run, don't walk, to another hotel! My girlfriends and I have been coming to Lutsen Resort every Winter for 6 years. Even back when I lived in Texas, I would fly up to Minnesota and we'd stay here. Needless to say, we were loyal customers. We booked a room a month in advance and our group of 4 made the 5 hour drive up to the resort yesterday. Upon check-in we were advised that all of the pool facilities had been inspected by the State of Minnesota Health Department the day before, and that they were ordered to shut them down immediately to make updates to bring them to code/compliance requirements. We pay triple what other accommodations in the area charge for the RESORT experience. Lutsen RESORT. Without access to the pool, hot tub, or sauna, we were left with an old hotel room for $460/night (total). We emailed the Resort Manager, Edward, advising that we were disappointed that we weren't told that all of the resort amenities were unavailable prior to making the 5 hour drive up - we would have rescheduled or found another location. We requested a refund so that we could leave and drive the 5 hours back home. We had already lost the day off of work to drive up, gas money, time, and the annual vacation we had been looking forward to all year. Edward offered a $100 dining credit but refused to provide a refund or to allow us an early check-out. He additionally threatened to call the authorities if we "became adversarial with other guests or the front desk" after we advised that we will be sharing our experience with others (happy to share the emails as evidence, upon request). We never intended to cause issues with the front desk or other guests - but we are going to advise others of our experience in a calm and factual manner, which we have every right to do as consumers. We paid (almost $1000 for one weekend) for services/amenities which we were not provided... then we were denied a refund... then were treated like garbage by the manager. Your establishment neglected to keep pool facilities up to date - your "guests" should not have to be punished for that mistake. We checked out and left anyhow. Edward told me over the phone that I should just file a dispute with my credit card - obviously, that's what I'm going to do. Thanks for nothing. Last time we came to Lutsen, we were put into a room that had been very recently varnished. They had clearly just finished the job and had not even put the decor back in the room. It was not comfortable or cozy - and the fumes were extremely strong. They were clearly fine with putting us in a sub-par room, taking our money, and seeing if we'd just take it. We requested a new room and were accommodated. We learned that the hotel was under new management, but figured we'd give Lutsen Resort one more try this year. Massive disappointment. Lutsen Resort used to be booked, full of happy people - especially on the weekend. This Friday night, the lobby was empty. The parking lot had 2 cars in it. The new management (and people like Edward) have run the reputation of this place into the ground. If you treat guests like crap, they don't come back. Their friends and family don't come back. There is a cumulative effect and eventually your business suffers. We were loyal customers, and now, won't be returning to Lutsen Resort again. Neither will our friends/family members. I hope this review can help others from the wasted time, money, and disappointment that we experienced. read more

We spent three days in the lodge. The location is breathtaking! However our first night the room wasn't cleaned and there was plenty of dust. Couldn't leave windows open which we had wanted to do with the fresh fall air as we had so much noise! Then there was the constant vibration in the bathroom from whatever was running below. There was a pipe in the room making noise vibrating all night as well. Having said all of this I would return but would choose to stay in a condo elsewhere onthe property. We had friends come for one evening and their room in a condo was clean and very nice! I'm shocked at the little difference in cost as our room was not worth the price at all. I typically do not have to post such a negative post but felt it was necessary. read more

Lutsen Resort - Dust in room - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

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We stayed at Lutsen Resort because we were going to a show at Papa Charlie's and wanted to be close. We did really love the fact that the resort runs a shuttle, so we didn't even have to worry about getting ourselves to and from Papa Charlie's. However, when you take away the whole being at a ski resort thing, I just really felt like the room was overpriced and not that great. This is a review for the Resort -- not the Sea Villas. Not sure why they are grouped together here on Yelp as they are two separate locations near each other. The resort itself is going for "lodgy," which is fine. Lots of wood, fireplaces and such. Furnishings in our room were wood and log cabin themed. The people were super friendly and helpful. And the lake view is indeed amazing. The resort is older and I would say dated is a fair word. Our room was right near the stairs so we had a lot of traffic coming and going, and the walls are really paper thin. When we arrived, there was a gentleman playing music in the lobby -- nice right? Except that our room was right above the lobby and it sounded like we were still in the lobby when we got up to our room. For the record, the guy was good, so it wasn't that we were annoyed by the music. But if I'd been wanting a nap or it had been late and people had been making noise in the lobby, this would have been really annoying. The carpet was old and stained. There weren't enough outlets and a lot of the items requiring an outlet were plugged into power strips (like the kind you'd have in your home). There were at least two in our room. The bathroom was clean but also older, dated and in a bit of disrepair. The beds were old and springy with clean linens but not luxurious linens -- no duvet or plush blankets. Not superbly comfortable but not the worst I've slept on either. Certainly not impressive. I did like that you could actually open the windows in the room and get some fresh air. And like I said above, the view was lovely. As an aside, the shower has those dispensers of shampoo, conditioner and body wash right in the shower -- no little bottles and no bar of soap. I was really glad I brought my own shampoo because I hate using hair products I can't identify. But, on the plus side, the towels were nice and thick -- way better than most hotel towels. In all, we paid a lot of money to stay close to our destination. I realize fully that sometimes you pay for convenience. When it's a ski resort, you always overpay. But given that we paid about a third less to stay in a really comfortable room at a Days Inn the night before, I guess I just felt like it was a bit overpriced for what we got. read more

It's great so long as there is not a problem, then you're out of luck. My wife and I have been going to Lutsen Resort for about 40 years, it's a beautiful place. However, it has changed, and not for the better. It's under new management and it seems they no longer care about their guests. We paid for a room with a fireplace that did not work. We called the front desk to report it and were told someone would be right over. 40 minutes later we called again were told the same thing. About two hours after we first called the maintenance guy showed up, tried to light the pilot (which I had already tried), then exclaimed that he'd never seen that before and acknowledged that it didn't work. He assured us he would let the front desk know the fireplace did not work, and we expected they would rectify the situation somehow. We never heard back from the front desk and were not offered another room. By then we were hungry and didn't want to spend any more of our limited time trying to resolve the issue. We're not unreasonable, we understand that stuff happens that can't always be resolved immediately, but we don't expect to be ignored. The next afternoon we stopped by the front desk and told them we expected some type of adjustment for the inoperable fireplace we had already been charged for. They couldn't do anything for us so we asked to speak with the manager. We were told he was not in at that time but would call us the next morning. Nobody called. We stopped at the desk to check out and again asked to speak with the manager who again was not in. The front desk person stepped away from the desk and returned a few minutes later and offered us breakfast in the dining room. We explained we were checking out and couldn't use the offer, had it been a day earlier we would have. We asked to simply credit our card with the value of breakfast but they would not do that. They gave me the business card of the manager and said I could call him. I have left three voice messages but no call back. It appears their approach is to just ignore the customer until they go away. It seems the days of talking to the manager are gone, and if you have an issue the front desk can't resolve you're just out of luck. They charge you for the entire stay when you check in so they already have your money and you are powerless. Lutsen Resort is now managed by the same company as Superior Shores and it appears that management is now decentralized so there is likely never a manager on site. And they don't return phone calls. We also received a survey to rate our stay and I asked on the survey to be called, but have not been called. It's a shame that after 40 years of enjoying Lutsen Resort to have this experience and be treated this way. There is no loyalty. It's a beautiful place, and if all goes well then it's fine. But good luck if you have an issue as they will just ignore you until you give up, and charge you for it too. read more

The food was awful I had the walleye it was tasteless however the service was good and I think the prices were a bit steep when I told them about the walleye all they did was take 25% off the bill I don't think that I would ever go back to the Lutsen resort fine dining establishment read more

This place was disappointing. The overpriced room was small and not terribly clean. There were no walking trails from the hotel -- you had to drive to access one -- and the beach was not useable because of rocks. Although many of the clientele were older there were no bars in the shower. The only bright spot was the restaurant which, albeit expensive, served excellent food (although the service was sometimes slow). read more

I absolutely loved this resort! It was a great getaway for the weekend. There were beach bonfires every night and the employee running the service desk at night was very friendly and accommodating. I am definitely coming back! read more

Extremely run down and cheap rooms. I stayed for three nights and never once had not water to shower or wash hands. Maintenance told me the place was filled to capacity and people were using too much water. Their resolution was to shower in the women's locker room. I had to walk through the entire hotel to shower. These showers had plenty of hot water. It's a real problem they need to fix. For $179.00 a night, they offered little to no amenities. I had to ask for more toilet paper and Kleenex. They were out of Kleenex for crying out loud. My tv was very out of focus and the volume controlled itself. I'd be watching and suddenly the tv would go to full volume. I asked for another and never received one. Old carpet, tiny bathroom and it was so hot I had to leave the window open. I adjusted the radiator but the temperature never changed. Never again!!!! read more

We stayed here for a birthday weekend road trip and were in love with the resort! It had been quite the drive leaving the cities and finding ourselves in heavy traffic and less than stellar road conditions (and sub zero temps). We arrived around midnight (true to our nature) and the staff was amazing! We went up to our room which was very cozy and comfortable, went back down and sat by the fire and enjoyed the conversation with the staff. We were treated like we were the most important people on property and were very impressed. It was recommended we watch the sunrise, so we set our alarm for a few hours later got up and watched the sunrise....WORTH IT! We then went back to bed for a few hours got up and enjoyed the breakfast buffet. It was delicious! We realized we didn't plan timing correctly and needed to check out in 20 minutes (but we needed to shower) and the staff was more than accommodating since they were not at capacity. Unfortunately, we found the water wasn't getting hot (or warm) we called and the one lady who wasn't quite up to speed recommended we use the locker room showers (REALLY!). We knew we were headed to a casino so we were not worried and just dealt with our stank. This resort is great though! Location is perfect! Lobby is amazing! The staff treats you so well and the price you pay is great! I would love to return! read more

This review is for the Sea Villa Townhouse. Just over 2 miles away from Lutsen Resort, a nice selection of pet-friendly townhomes of various sizes, with a full kitchen, deck, green space, and shared fire pits right on Lake Superior. Honestly, read Joyce B's review - she did an amazing job of describing. All I would add is that the staff is non-intrusive (cleaning service only on request), and for a pet friendly condo it didn't smell. May depend on the unit. Overall, a fine choice for a resort on Lake Superior. read more

Talk about history! From gangsters to presidents, anyone who is anyone has stayed here (read for yourself when you go). The atmosphere puts you at about backwoods living meets luxury. Walking into this log-cabin style hotel, you enter a great lobby with a wood-burning fireplace. In the lounge area surrounding, you have your selection of board games to play while looking over Lake Superior. It is a great place to hang out with a glass of wine on a dark winter's eve. The bar area is very comfortable as well. The food matches the quality of the fancy restaurant across the hall, but has a casual feel. There is always a mix of local regulars and hotel guests. Great for conversation and not overly expensive! By now, you can guess that the rooms match the feel of the rest of the hotel. It is like your own little log-cabin room. They do have a TV, but you will most likely find other things to do. Try to get a room with a view of the lake! After a long day of skiing, we enjoyed some time in the pool, hot tub and sauna (where we actually took a little nap). I can only imagine what it would be like to wade in the lake during the warmer months! However, in March, we had to be satisfied walking along the shore (and pier) looking at the waves crash on the ice-covered rocks. It is relatively close to great restaurants. You may have to drive 5-10 miles, but it is well worth it! My only complaint is that it is not immediately on the Lutsen Mountain, so we had to drive to go skiing. (Petty, I know. However, if you want ski-in, ski-out, this is not your place.) Whether you need to ski or just to get away, this is a great place to do so! Give it a shot. read more

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We had our wedding at Lutsen back in July - I am very late in posting my review, but really wanted to make sure to do it because we were THRILLED with everything about our wedding! Our coordinator was Ana, and she was SO accommodating and helpful the entire time. She helped with so many things that I would have had no clue how to coordinate. The grounds were quite amazing to host all of our guests with many options to choose from, and all the locations we used for our events were so great! Everything was seamless and smooth. The food for dinner was really great! So many great options to choose from, and all of them very up to date with current trending appetizers and such. It was hands down the best place we could have hosted our wedding on the North Shore. Being from Los Angeles, we had high expectations and truly, we had such a great experience with Lutsen combining both an amazing level of service and the really great tranquility and character of the North Shore that I got to share with all of my friends and family from all around the country. Thank you so much, and we are always looking forward to our next visit! Lutsen will always be very special to us. read more

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My wife and I have been here twice. Both times were wonderful experiences. The staff is friendly, the lodge is charming, and the setting is beautiful. The lodge is tucked under Lutsen Mtn nearby Superior Ntl Golf course. There is a river running through the property directly into superior along with some wonderful beach front. Both visits we stayed in the poplar condos. They are equipped with a fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and microwave/kitchenette in the smaller rooms. There was plenty of extra space for the pack n play they left us for our daughter. Food at the dining hall is top notch. Seasonal specials and fresh fish highlight the menu, but the breakfast buffet is worth having. A no frills buffet, you should expect good food. Bacon, biscuits, gravy, pancakes, eggs and other assortments of fruits are all wonderful. We will be back again. Thank you for the memories! read more

Lutsen Resort - Polenta stuffed pork loin from the dining hall - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

Way overpriced, paid $300 a night for a lakefront condo with the family for a weekend. Was extremely disappointed with the one room unit that contained two small beds that were too short for my legs to fit on. I'm 6'2" and could not lay straight. And then not even a couch in the unit, we had to pull a chair off the deck for us all to huddle inside. Tiny TV with terrible reception and no channels, loud banging ceiling fan in the unit underneath us keeping us awake all night both nights. Our family doesn't get away much so I don't cheap out of rooms because I want to have a fun and memorable experience with the family. I figure at over $300 a night I would be safe, but I was really disappointed in the old, outdated, cramped space. I literally felt claustrophobic in there. The people working there are nice though. I would have felt ripped off at $150 a night, and with resort fees and taxes our bill for 2 nights was over $800.00. Sad. Also misleading and false advertising regarding photos of the room on their website. Disgraceful. read more

Cons: We chose Lutsen resort because it had been great for our needs when we stayed 4 years ago to go skiing. It had a decent enough casual restaurant with delicious Swedish meatballs. But they changed out the casual dining with a 5-star fancy restaurant with very expensive food and it did NOT taste as good as it costed. The meatballs weren't good at all. What bothers me about this new change is that's the only dining option with them, so you either pay an arm and a leg for breakfast, lunch, & dinner, or you have to leave the resort to sort through a tiny handful of other resorts and their restaurants. We ended up going 21 miles up to Grand Marais for one of our meals, which tasted great, but I didn't want to have to drive 25 minutes for dinner! Also the style of the dining does NOT at all match the style of the resort. Not only that, but when we did eat at the resort hotel we were still hungry afterwards and wanted to order a pizza later but the resort is in the middle of nowhere. Be aware that there are not elevators (that I know of) and there isn't AC. If I ever stay again, it will be in the winter months. Pros: They did offer little s'mores kits for around the fire, had bonfires every night, had a great beach for agate hunting, have a small game room (costs $ besides the ping pong), had shuffleboard, a fire going in the lobby, live music on Saturday nights, had guided kayaking trips ($45/pp), and mountain biking. The service was good, almost too hands-on at times and almost a bit creepy, but nice! My advice: (not the resort's fault, of course) but bring your bug spray!!!!!!!!!! Bathe in it. read more

After excitedly planning our wedding, making payments, securing down payments on photo/hair/makeup services, guests getting hotel rooms booked, and getting final details squared away, Lutsen Resort told us it was "best to cancel our event altogether" the month before our wedding. Their reason for cancellation can only be due to the fact that we were having a small wedding and it wasn't worth their time for the money they would be making. The general manager was rude, unprofessional and breached confidentiality by not blind copying email addresses of customers in various email correspondences. We were denied be given menu prices when picking out food due to the fact that they claimed cost shouldn't be a factor when picking out a food and beverage experience for wedding guests. Considering we have loved traveling to Lutsen Resort the past four years, the experience completely ruined this resort for us. We would never recommend booking here based on the amount of unprofessionalism we have experience the month prior to our wedding. Save your money for a resort that conducts better business practices. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to stop at this beach quick and ended up running inside to go to the restroom. We walked by the restaurant and it looked nice so we asked if it was okay to stop in since it was 30 minutes until it closed. We got so lucky. We have never experienced better service before. We felt bad keeping the staff late but our waiter and bartender Christopher couldn't have made us feel more welcome. He went out of his way to make sure we felt comfortable and we're enjoying our time. We were on this trip for our 1 year anniversary and they went above and beyond to make sure we felt celebrated. Will absolutely be going back and staying at this resort. We have never felt so appreciated. Thank you Christopher and Drew for making our last night of our trip so special! read more

This review is for the Sea Villas of Lutsen Resort. We had made reservations at the lodge and asked if any Villas opened up to please inform us. Well three days later we got the call a unit had opened up. We grabbed it and are so happy we did. We stayed in a one story unit which has a queen sized bedroom, a pull out sofa in the family room and a loft with two singles. The loft is accessed by a carpeted ladder. My nine year old twins thought the loft was awesome and cool! This turned into their hangout for three days and nights. The decor is rustic yet modern. Our unit had a dishwasher, full sized refrigerator, granite countertops, ceramic top stove and microwave oven. Wifi ran about 10mbs and the kids never complained. We made lunch here daily and had dinner on two occasions. The one other occasion was at the lodge and is in my review of the restaurant at Lutsen Resort. Dinner one night was burgers and dogs on the Weber grill just outside our patio door. There is a pool in the building where you check in and my wife and kids put it to good use on a daily basis. I spent every morning with my cup of coffee lakeside enjoying Lake Superior's sights and sounds. Our final evening I made a fire in the fire ring which is about eight feet from the Lake. S'mores on the shores of Lake Superior are highly recommended! All in all it was a great time getting away and we were all sad to leave. We are looking forward to our next return. read more

Lutsen Resort - Morning coffee enjoying this wonderful view at the Sea Villas at Lutsen Resort. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

I wish I could say that our stay was a positive experience, but we left so disappointed that will do no plan to return. The property is pretty and historic, and the location is ideal. But the spaces are seriously lacking in quality, the service is mediocre at best, and we left our long weekend angry and wanting to just go home. We chose to stay in the condos. The views of the lake and river were very pretty. But the room itself was subpar at best. The first thing we noticed is that it was uncomfortably warm in the room. We came to realize that the fireplace, although not running, was still hot to touch, and was emitting heat the entire weekend. I called to see if we could turn the pilot-light off or possibly turn on some A/C, and neither were options. We didn't want to spend any time in the room during the day, and slept horribly at night because it was just too warm, even with the windows open an 60 degrees outside. The first morning we had a wedding to attend on-site. It was a morning wedding that started at 9:30. The provided iron was broken. The entire water contents leaked all over my husband's pants and then stopped working. His pants were completely soaked and un-wearable for the wedding. Luckily he had some backup shorts (no ideal wedding attire!), but no functional iron for them. When we called about this to the front desk their response was, "We'll see what we can do." The freezer provided in our room was dysfunctional. By day two, all of our contents had thawed. There wasn't an ice maker anywhere near by, so we had to walk all the way back to the resort to get ice. We even called to see where it was located, and the staff member didn't mention the machine was broken. We got all the way over to the main lodge to find it broken, and we had to ask for ice from the kitchen. Our dinner at the Strand was also subpar for the $200 bill. We had to ask for basic things, like silverware. And our fish was plated in a puddle of olive oil. It was bland and awkward to eat soaked in oil. The waiter didn't even ask why we didn't finish it. Perhaps they were understaffed? By the end of our stay, the toilet seat had completely broken off and was lying on the floor. The siding of the Jacuzzi was held on by Velcro and was coming off. And the closet collapsed and all of our clothes and hangers were on the floor. We also found the garbage/recycling very awkward. They placed a sign on our fridge that said "Please recycle". But they would not provide a recycling receptacle. We had to walk across the property to take our own recycling, and separate it ourselves. Really?? They can take our trash but not recycling?? And our entire experience ended with an extra fee! We had signed up for a morning activity at 8am. What we didn't realize is that the said-activity was 3 hours long, and that we wouldn't be back in time to check out of our dumpy room. I called that morning to explain this, and they had the audacity to charge us an extra $20 for canceling our activity. In the end, our stay cost us well over $800. I can easily say it was NOT WORTH IT!! If you want a better experience, I would go up the hill to Lutsen Mountain. You might not be on the lake but you get an amazing view of it. read more