Lutsen Resort is needing some updating but the room was clean, the continental breakfast was wonderful and the scenery is beautiful. Guest services desks are often unmanned especially when staying outside of the main building. Overall it would likely be a three to four star review but something occurred during our stay that brought to light some serious safety concerns. On our first night here, we started hearing noise down the hall and then yelling. It was obvious there was a physical fight between a man and a woman. The man was screaming, cussing and threatening the woman and she could be heard crying. We attempted to call 911. YOU CANNOT CALL 911 FROM YOUR ROOM PHONE. No matter what you try, the phone will not dial 911. My husband called using his cell phone while I tried to get in touch with hotel staff. Although the desk at our portion of the resort was still supposed to be open, there was nothing but an answering machine. We kept calling, no answer. Law enforcement attempted to contact the hotel management to gain access to the building but they, too, got no answer. My husband had to got out and let the police in the building in spite of whatever danger was present with the domestic violence issue going on just outside our door. We were frustrated, law enforcement was frustrated. It occurred to us that if you had a medical/fire/police emergency and were unable to get downstairs to open the door, etc. you would not be able to receive police, fire or EMS services. For a family traveling on vacation, this made us very uncomfortable. We called the desk and visited the desk several times throughout our stay and were never able to speak to a live person about this issue, only answering machines. We never received any contact back from resort management. read more

Pack your suit case, load the car, get the groceries, grab the keys to your ride and DRIVE! A group of friends and I decided on a weekend getaway. Someone recommended Lutsen and the Sea Villas. I was a little skeptical at first, after reviewing the website photos, but I was all in for a fun weekend of shenanigans. The villas are located right on Hwy 61 and you could easily drive right by the entrance if your not looking out for it; granted we were driving in snowing conditions and a little tired fromt he 4.5 hour drive. The check-in desk is located in a separate building, that also houses the pool and hot tub. They also have board games and VHS movies; yes, you read that correctly, VHS MOVIES!!! We located our units and started unloading our stuff. Right when you walk in (at least my unit), the kitchen/eating/living space is a few steps down in front of you and there are 3 bedrooms on the second/third floor. Each unit has two twins or a single queen; I ended up with the room on the top floor. Not gonna lie, I was like a little kid again (well, I don't think I've actually grown up)!!! To get to the top floor, you go up a steep flight of stairs to find two beds tucked under the angle of the roof; which 4 windows looking out on to Lake Superior. I cracked open the windows to hear the soothing sounds of the waves and to keep the room from being an oven. The best part about the Villas is the view from the backyard. The lake is LITERALLY 50 feet from the sliding door. There was a place for outdoor bon fires (which was buried in snow) and you could walk right up to the water. This was my first time to the North Shore, even though I was born/raised in MN. You will absolutely love the experience that this place has to offer. Book a weekend trip, bring your family/friends and pack a ton of food (food is expensive in Lutsen). read more

Check out the menu before you go. Limited menu. 5 Entree choices - lamb stew, venison back strap, trout (bec they were out of walleye), stuffed squash or $65 ribeye. Ribeye was the only thing that sounded good but $65? And you paid an additional charge if you wanted a potato. We would have liked a pasta choice or a more popular meat choice. With that said I had a salad that was very good. The dressing was excellent. My husband had the squash, he said it was very good. The 3 -20 year olds with us looked hungry as we left. The building is beautifully decorated and the service was good. read more

After going there for many years, this was our first time back since new ownership and management. Unfortunately, what use to be wonderful memories became regretable ones. It explains why the place appeared nearly empty. While the on site staff was great, they appear underserved by management. Don't know if thats because of difficulties staffing the place, or they just look to survive by striping expenses. There are no longer the activities and especially for the kids that made the experience great. The par three course is unmaintained and the spa appears shuttered. The historic lodge looked worn and unvacuumed. Even their gift shop is sparce. Might be the only sparce gift shop on the North Shore, which is indicative. The dining room's food is good and the staff is great, but it's incredibly overpriced. Unless you think a $35 cheesburger is reasonable. Probably why the place was empty. Would avoid it with families. Their webpage's pricing's deceptive and on their call center they brag about there "historic red bridge." However, like the good memories, that's gone too. Despite poor managment, the staff is great and the place is beautiful. They and the lodge deserve better! read more

Staff is incredibly rude, and extremely unhelpful. The rooms are unbelievable hot, and there is no A/C. And almost everything is broken and needing to be fixed. If I could give 0 stars I would. DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!! read more

I highly recommend the Lutsen Resort. It is an amazing place to get away & relax. The stunning views of Lake Superior, cozy lodging & fireplace, fabulous food & excellent service of Don (our bartender) just can't be beat! It's a great place for families with many activities offered regardless of the season. read more

I stayed with a group at the Sea Villa Townhomes near Lake Superior (2.5 miles south of the resort). Check-in is not located at the main resort building but in a separate building near the villas. As soon as you walk toward your unit, there is wood stored right outside the entrance door for the wood-burning stove. Upon walking in to the unit, you can feel that space is a little tight. I was faced with stairs leading up to the second floor. Before the stair, on your left, a little walkway leads to a bathroom on your right and a kitchenette on your left. The kitchen opens up to a living area and dining area (not very big) with an open feel. Outside of the living area is the access to the "backyard", which is technically Lake Superior (only 50ft away). The second floor house a master queen bedroom with its bath, another bedroom with twin beds, and a separate bathroom. The loft located on the third floor reminded me of summer camp days. If you're claustrophobic, I don't recommend you sleeping up there. To get to the loft, you have to go up a steep flight of stairs to find 3 twin mattresses. I hear that it's the warmest room in the unit and the boys had to crack the windows open to let some of the air in. You can also hear the waves crashing on the rocks, especially at night. It reminded of ocean waves back home. In the backyard, there is a bonfire and bbq pit. I'm sure the summers are a great time outside, especially seeing how close you are to the lake! To be honest, I expected a more updated sea villa but our group has a blast nonetheless. The kitchen was stocked with utensils and cookware, the bathrooms with towels and toilet paper, and the living area with some games! We spent cozy nights around the wood-burning stove and of course, a little bit (or a lot) of booze. read more

In November we wanted to use our gift card to book a room, they said they had to bill our credit card and we would be reimbursed in February when we stayed there. You guessed it, they claimed to have never billed us. It is on my November Discover Statement. Do not buy a gift card from them. read more

I'll always have soft spot in my heart for the Sea Villas, since my partner proposed to me there. Good things: Location, Location, Location--if you want to be on the Lake. Yes, it's a bit of a drive into Grand Marais, but it is quiet at night and you're so close to the water you can just about hear the waves. You wouldn't think privacy would be good in a town home, necessarily, but we hardly ever saw a neighbor. It was very quiet. The unit we rented-- a one-level-- was furnished (of course) and had a little wood-burning stove and a very workable kitchen, too. Did I mention the stunning view of Lake Superior, and the fact that you can walk about 15 feet and be on the shore? I'd give it five stars-- because truly, I love the place and would eventually like to buy one of the villas-- but they lose one star for high prices. The only way we made it work was that we DID eat at home a lot, and saved our pennies the rest of the year. Though we didn't take advantage of it, I believe guests of the Lutsen Sea Villas can also take advantage of the indoor pool and other resort-y stuff on the premises. read more

A group of friends and I stayed at one of the Sea Villas for new years and had a blast. The cabin itself had plenty of beds, a wood burning stove and a beautiful view of Lake Superior. One evening, we made use of the fire pit behind our unit to stay warm while we enjoyed a cold brew right on the water. There was a jacuzzi, sauna and pool located at the check-in lodge just a short walk from our place which was a great way to unwind after a day of skiing and outdoor activities. The resort provides free shuttles to and from the ski slopes that are located right by the main lodge which was super convenient. On the days that we wanted to save money, we drove over to the main lodge where they offered free rental equipment for snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Other members of our group enjoyed relaxing in the main lodge where they could play board games and sip hot cocoa by the fire. Spending time here was a great way to ring in the new year! read more

This review is for the Sea Villas. We booked two nights in the Sea Villas for $275 a night. Even though a bit steep, we figured it was worth it for 2 romantic nights in a 4 star style Sea Villa. After our 4 hour drive, we arrived around 9:00PM, the front-desk help was very polite and very helpful. She gave us maps for the area, maps to our room, and general recommendations on what to do in the area. Even though the lobby area was old and musty, I figured that we were in for a treat when we got down to our Sea Villa. As we drove down the dark road, even with a map, there were no lights lighting the small signs on the townhomes, but with a little turning around and walking up with our phones as flashlights, we found our stop. When we entered the room (outdated & lacking charm), we were quickly overcome with the musty, dusty, mildew smell throughout the "rustic" unit. We opened all the windows and walked out back for some immediately needed fresh air. We walked back in and attempted to locate the A/C to get some air moving through the unit. After looking for the A/C without luck, we called up to the front desk, and they informed us there was none. We were so tired, that we are going to just stay the night, and try and figure something out in the morning, but sadly after about 15 minutes the mildew got to me in the form an asthma attack... It was just too much too handle, I was going to have to leave or sleep in the car. We called up the front desk, and explained our situation, and asked for a full refund ($630+ in total). They had to do some calling to a supervisor, but did get it done. Now 10:00PM, we checked out and ended up driving the full 4 hours back to the cities. I spent $85 dollars in gas, miles on my vehicle, and 8 hours of my time to waste less than an hour more of my time in this awful, old, overpriced, health risk. I would HIGHLY recommend you avoid this location like the plague that it is. read more

Great family resort. Lots to do, relaxing , trails are great too. Gondola ride fun too

Cons: Not for the summer!!!! The rooms need air conditioning!!! It was incredibly hot to the point of not being able to sleep. There were also toooons of bugs. We could not open the balcony door as tons of Mosquitoes and moths would come in which would not let us sleep. If I wanted heat and mosquitoes I would have camped outside and saved $250+ a night! Also we payed for a lakeview and was very disappointed with the view as it was mostly trees with like 2 inches of very far away lake. Overall will not repeat and will not recommend. We payed extra for the fireplace which, i was hoping to use, but did not know there was no air conditioning (what hotel doesn't have air conditioning?) Based on the pictures I was expecting the jacuzzi tub to be separate from the bathroom, but it was just in the bathroom. Definitely NOT the experience I thought I was getting. Pictures on the website showed jacuzzi tub not in the bathroom. The website should be updated to include more accurate versions of the room you will stay in and what it actually looks like. Also there was a wedding that day so there was no restaurant and no drinks served so we had to go out of the hotel to buy a drink! Really? Overall we were so disappointed that we only stayed one night out of 3 that we had planned. There was also a sign that the hot tub in the pool was not working... probably staying in a tent outside would have been more enjoyable, cheaper and come with better views! Also Lakesuperior is too big to warm up, so it was just too cold to actually enjoy it even in July. Definitely will be staying on smaller lakes where kids can actually get in the water next time. If you try this hotel I would recommend it in colder weather where you don't have mosquitoes or need air conditioning!!! Pros: Clean, nice fires at night! Near good hiking trails. read more

I took advantage of the stay two nights get the third free and got the cheapest room possible- lodge with no lake view. We were so impressed for what we got for our money. The main lodge and lakeside view is picturesque. The lobby is great to hang out, sit by the fireplace, play ping pong or just read a book. The pool, hot tub and sauna are perfect after a day on the slopes. Their recreation crew does a great job in providing free programing and activities- free on-call shuttle to the mountain, campfires with s'mores, morning yoga, hiking tours, snowshoeing tours. (In the summer kyaking, fly fishing and soon to be biking tours.) Each day our room was cleaned impressively well and the staff always went far and above what we asked of them.They even sent us an article of clothing that was left behind in our room afte we checked out. Word of advice- Food around is incredibly expensive. We were thinking we might have saved money had we gotten a cabin with a kitchen. Otherwise, bring a cooler / slow cooker with your own food/ snacks. We are already wanting to go back. read more

In the winter, it's a ski resort. In the summer... My parents used to drag us kids up here every summer for family vacay because they felt that "camping" in a 60 foot RV was too "rustic" for their tastes. My parents were wowed by the fact that our suite always had a hot tub. We usually used it once during our week-long stay. There were tennis courts, and we played tennis out of sheer boredom, because there was literally nothing else to do. My step mom and step sisters usually went into Two Harbors or Duluth looking for places to do their hair or nails, or to seek out the same tourist junk and knick-knack shops year after year after year. Sometimes, if my brother and I were really lucky (about once every other year maybe) we were allowed to head up to Gooseberry Falls for a hike with our father, who was happy to get away from the the fudge and quilt shops, so there usually wasn't too much yelling. If we were extra lucky, we might get to stop at Betty's Pies, those being the days when it was still this quaint little dive and not a mega yuppie tourist attraction. One thing my brother and I did do often was hike down the beach as far from the resort as we could and light drftwood campfires. It allowed us to pretend that we were in nature, and that the tennis courts and luxury suites were miles instead of minutes away. One thing I do look back on fondly is thinking that it was in these moments that I actually learned how to be nicer to my younger brother, to treat him with respect and actually enjoy his company. For that reason alone, Lutsen gets three stars. As you can see, my tastes run a certain way. If you need tennis courts and hot tubs to augment your appreciation of waves lapping against the beach of Lake Superior in the full moon light, then you need to switch your SSRI...or head up to Lutsen! read more

This review is for The Mountain Inn. Not a fancy place. Nothing spectacular about this place. Just 4 walls, a roof, a bed, bathroom, and TV. That's it. It's located up Ski Hill Road off 61, near the ski hill (probably why they call the road what they call it). I had the Mountain Queen room, which had 2 queen beds, and a wet bar with a fridge, sink, and small microwave. There is a spa here, which consists of a hot tub and a sauna. Hot tub works good. The sauna, however...not so much. The front desk is not staffed 24/7, and it opens at 4 for check in time, so don't come before 4 because there will be nobody there! If you don't care about fancy, and you just want 4 walls and a roof to put your stuff in and sleep, then this is a good place for you. read more

For the past two days, we have had cool showers around 4:30 pm. I am guessing that a lot of other people are showering at the same time. If we shower in the morning, we can get a hot shower. The fridge door and the potholder had tomato sauce on it. I had to dock a star because of this. read more

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Lutsen Resort is the perfect north shore resort! We have always had great accommodations, from the Log Cabins, to the Townhouses, to the Poplar River Condos. The staff, especially the Activities Desk staff, have made a really good stay even better. We highly recommend staying at Lutsen Resort. read more

The Lutsen Sea Villas are awesome. We've been going there about once a year for about 10 years. We've been there for our 10th anniversary, 40 and 45th birthdays, we've done thanksgiving up there, and many other special occasions. We do most of our own cooking there, which we enjoy. If you want fancy, this is not for you. That is not what Lutsen is about. If you want an intimate experience with Lake Superior, and don't care that the interiors have not been updated in some of the units, then this is most certainly the place because the decks are about 10 feet from the shore, the layout promotes privacy, and people who go here for the most part understand it's not a place to party (at least loudly). It's pet friendly, and there is a central pool, hot tub and sauna that are newer. Everything is clean, though we have had shower drainage issues a couple of times which they promptly responded to. If you want to fancy it up a bit, you can go the main lodge which has a formal dining room and the food and service is excellent. Nothing is cheap there, so if Las Vegas is more of your scene you may not understand, and you might feel like you paid too much. But if you know what it's about, and appreciate it, you will feel like you got what you paid for. read more

We've been here daily during our stay at the lutsen resort in 2015 and 2017. The New Years buffet is absolutely amazing... so much good food and dessert. We want to do this buffet again. Breakfast food is decent with decent to higher prices but nothing special. The servers are very attentive typically. read more

We recently stayed at the Poplar condos 8/24-8/27. It took 2 days to make a reservation. I read off their website the kind of room we wanted, King suite with balcony and a "stunning" lake view. We were in a basement unit with a small deck which faced a berm and a sliver of a lake view. Far from a balcony and lake view. The first thing I noticed when we walked in was the smell of garbage due to the 2 large garbage cans in the entry way, probably so we could empty our own garbage. (no housekeeping services). The floors and carpets looked like they had not been swept, vacuumed or cleaned for months. The carpet in our room was gross. I'm glad I brought my slippers because I did not want to walk on it. They only served dinner from 5-9 in the overpriced restaurant. (bring food) As many of the local restaurants are not open or have shut down. They gave us a slip of paper with options for breakfast but some were closed and some only take cash. On our final night after a fun day hiking at some of the beautiful state parks I filled my jetted tub to take a nice hot bath. I filled it to 3 inches above the jets but could not see where I would turn it on. My husband and I tried every switch we could find and nothing. The next morning when checking out I told the desk clerk and she said she didn't know anything about the tub but a maintenance worker commented that you have to fill the tub above the "little silver button in the tub". The tub was filled to above that but nothing. No comment from either person. Total disappointment and will not be staying at Lutsen ever again. read more

When we arrived the gas fireplace wasn't working, the washer and dryer were out of order, a light bulb was burnt out and there was a field mouse in the hallway. They didn't bother giving us coffee for the 2nd day so we had to drive to the main lodge. When we arrived, they said their coffee machine was broken, so we waited 20 minutes for them to make a pot. Call me old-fashioned but I expect things to be in working order and rodent-free if I'm spending $250+ per night. Unfortunately, I'll be discouraging people from visiting until they can get it together. Maybe they will at some point, it's a beautiful location. read more

I stayed in the lodge. No A/C units in any of the rooms and when it's not stayed in all the windows are closed so it smelled awful and was extremely uncomfortable when we arrived. The fan sounded like a tortured squirrel so we had to ask for a different one. After 1AM the room cooled down and maybe I'll go to bed soon. I'm here for a wedding and if I had the choice I would stay anywhere else. It's a poor excuse for a hotel or lodge and very overpriced for what you get. read more

This review is for the lodge. If I could give it a negative review I would. The room was tiny. There were water stains in the knotty pine ceiling. No refrigerator. No microwave. A noisy neighbor that kept us awake til after midnight. Our view consisted of looking directly at windows that were looking directly at us. Our view also consisted of a huge roof. All of this bliss for $185 a night. Lutsen properties have seen the last of us. Oh yes, a bathroom that needed remodeling 50 years ago. Quaint can be nice. Rustic can be nice. But in this scenario it is ridiculous. read more

The restaurant choices at the resort are just not that great. We came here for a wedding. Night one we tried the Pub. Burger was just mediocre and under seasoned. Wild rice soup was thin, salty, very small portion. Second night was the wedding dinner. That was not so great either. Theme here is under seasoning. Salmon over cooked, skirt steak over cooked and again lacked seasoning. The highlight were the green beans but nothing special. Roasted potatoes were just standard. Don't come here for the food that is for sure. We were lucky to have stayed at one of the town homes so we could buy what was available at the convenience store and cook our breakfasts. For what you pay here to stay the food is less than desirable. read more

Spoke with a guy named Bob on the phone. We received several gift cards from family members for Christmas, and although they said they included a message, none was sent by the resort. I called to try and determine who sent what, but Bob was unhelpful at best. In addition, calling the toll free number gets you stuck in a loop of ads and "free offers." I pointed this out, and Bob hung up on me. Rude. We went there before and they were nice and very personable. We are planning on returning again, but I will not be speaking with Bob again! read more

This review is purely on the customer service at the mountain. The skiing and views are great. Unfortunately, the management is not at all interested in making things right with the customer. I do not recommend buying lift tickets online or expect that they will work to fix mistakes for you. I was over charged by $250 but they used final sale disclaimers as an excuse not to work something out. I feel ready to take my skis, friends, family and money elsewhere. read more

We stayed in Poplar River room last week. Views are fantastic & location can't be beat. The resort has tons of amenities, and the food in the pub is pretty good (Swedish meatballs were yum!) Breakfast buffet was "eh" for the price. For the rest of the week we decided to go to Cascade. Best $6 pancakes ever! The rooms are a little dated but well appointed & it was nice to have fridge, & a patio. Unfortunately the beds were like sleeping on a concrete floor. To be fair, I'm used to sleeping on a pretty soft mattress. But this thing was 20 years old and so uncomfortable I had to ask for 6 pillows to create a "mattress topper". It was that, or find a new hotel because I didn't want to be tired and miserable the whole trip. So if you have back issues or anything of the sort, stay in the Sea Villas. I heard they're much better! read more

Got jobbed out of breakfast that we paid for. We booked a two night stay at the place up the road on a Livingsocial deal, the Mountain Inn, which was not a bad experience by any means. It is owned by the same people. The clerk there was very friendly and helpful, and the room was clean and acceptable. Part of what convinced my girlfriend to buy the deal was it included breakfast vouchers at the Lutsen Resort. We were told the buffet runs until 11am each morning. First morning, the breakfast buffet was lackluster, but had a decent variety. Service was quite inattentive. Second morning, we get there at 10:30, only to find out that day the buffet had been shut down early to prep for the Mothers Day buffet, and we had not been given any advance warning. Despite the fact that the vouchers clearly stated the value of the buffet (10.95 each) can be applied to any other breakfast item if the buffet was not available, we were explicitly NOT given the option to apply the value for the brunch buffet if we wanted to wait a half hour. Despite the fact the vouchers were part of the package we paid for, the desk clerk did not hesitate to remind us the rooms were half price (it's off season I need to mention) to attempt to guilt us into finding it acceptable there is nothing he can do. Would it have been that unreasonable to let us apply the value of the vouchers to the brunch? Also, do not eat in the pub. The jalopeno burger was enjoyed by another member of my party but the wrap was mediocre and the chicken sandwich downright bad; chicken, cheese and a couple of tiny slices of greens and not much else. Service was also poor there. That said, the ambiance is very enjoyable, as is the natural beauty. I hope they have adequate staffing in the tourist season, which would have made the restaurant experiences there less unacceptable. However there is no excuse for the way the breakfast situation was handled. There was no way for us to eat without travelling off property. read more

We love Lutsen, stayed there last weekend for a family getaway (4th stay for my wife and I, third with our kids). The historic feel is great, the lodge and grounds are beautifully maintained, with equal parts of class and kitsch. We stayed in the Poplar River Condos, which was comfortable and seem to have been upgraded recently. It's hard to imagine a more glorious setting, plus all the other magnificence of the North Shore nearby. At the same time, it's relatively self-contained, with activities, trails, two dining options and pool. Not one but THREE bonfires at dusk on the beach was a highlight. The food will suffice, but the atmosphere in the dining room is memorable. The staff is very accommodating. My only gripes are bad coffee (get rid of the machine in the lobby, fresh premium coffee please), and the pool water was in need of changing. Otherwise, a great place, we'll be back. read more

I stayed at the lodge recently and had such a great stay! The complimentary activities are one of the aspects I cannot say enough good things about. I went kayaking and had a great time. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I will be visiting Lutsen Resort again in the future. Thanks for a great weekend! read more

On August 6th 2014, my sister went to the desk at Lutsen Sea Villas at 5:40PM to request a coffee pack for the morning following our 3rd night at this fantastic resort. The single desk clerk on duty was talking on the phone to another Lutsen employee. There was another family waiting in front of my sister, just Seemed inappropriate! If you go bring extra coffee. read more

My husband and I recently stayed here for a wedding and we paid for a lake view room. We were given a room that required you to bend down and crane your neck sideways to see the lake. They did refund our money for the upgrade but beware you may not get what you pay for. I rated so low because the hot water was out in our room and when we explained this to the front desk the man helping us chose to assume we were idiots and didn't know how to run hot water rather than that it might be broken. I had to be very rude to get them to check and sure enough, it was broken. The water took long enough to get hot that we were not able to shower prior to the wedding. When I asked the next day how we would be compensated, the same man told me that the water (that he hadn't known was out when we told him) was only out for 20 minutes and therefore didn't warrant any sort of refund. The water was out for at least the majority of our first day. We could have camped at one of the area campgrounds and had about the same accommodations as we did at Lutsen Resort. It is amazing they are able to charge the prices they do. Update: After giving the resort this review they refunded 1/2 of one night. It isn't enough for me to stay there again but does go a long way toward fixing the situation. Unfortunately the random mistakes compounded by the guy at the front desk are hard to get over. read more

BLUEFIN BAY RESORT-THUMBS UP, LUTSEN RESORT-THUMBS DOWN! We vacay on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota every year in the summer and late fall. We have been very satisfied with our stays at Bluefin Bay on Lake Superior Resort. The last weekend of October we booked one of Lutsen Resort Log Cabin. Well, we will not be going back to Lutsen, nor do we recommend it. Here is our account of NO HEAT for several hours after arrival and MICE running around in the cabin for $269/night, off season price! TERRIBLE customer service. wrote to them and never heard back from GM or owners. Not even a response to the letter. Unbelievable! Would never go back. read more

Shabby, in need of updating, so-so service, and unsafe. My wife, son and I stayed 2 nights at one of the Poplar condos. At $200 a night without breakfast and AC one expects more. Musty smell upon arrival- no AC. Fridge crapped out during stay due to age I'm assuming- food spoiled. Bathroom whirlpool tub old and stained. Wooden balcony railings shaking- freaking out our 2 year old might run through it. No towels upon check in. Reserved patio room (1st floor) got balcony (2nd floor). Pool old and unpleasant. Ordered French fries for our son- 3/4 burned. The only nice things were the view and the beach area. Honestly, the conditions maybe expected in a $50-70 motel and not a resort. Stay elsewhere if you can. read more

When I booked (March) I thought that they were for Lutsen Resort, only to find out that they put us at Lutsen Mountain Inn the day we got there. And found out there were no disability friendly rooms. ( found that strange), all of the activities, amenities such as dining, music, fire pit, and even had to get the free continental breakfast you had the go to The Resort a mile and a half away. Also not even a coffee maker in the room. So you need to get dressed for that. Found the check in staff very friendly/ helpful. But, when we left in the morning (8:30AM) there was just a sign at the desk, and young staffers that seemed to be unsupervised, even one at the guest computer. Not really sure we'd book here again, unless we are sure to get to stay at the main lodge. Thinking that we got bumped for a wedding party they had booked? read more

This past weekend my family and I (2 grandparents, myself and two teens) booked a Sea Villa for a ski weekend. We stayed in Unit I-3. Disappointing is an understatement. For over $400 a night, I did not expect the condition of accommodation we encountered. First of all, we were told the master bedroom had a King bed but it instead was a Queen. I would not have booked the unit if I had been told that there was a Queen bed in the master. All of the mattresses and bedding were old and uncomfortable. Our unit had a very strong mold smell. There was not sufficient lighting in any of the rooms to even find something in a suitcase. My elderly father was in the master bathroom shower when it started to leak into the kitchen onto my mother! We had to ask him to turn it off and to switch bathrooms halfway though his shower. There was a rotten broken egg on the back deck. The decor and ambience was so dated, I truly felt as if I were in a low rent 1970s motel. I was so embarrassed to bring my parents here for a getaway and have the unit so bad that we had to leave in order to make the most of our vacation. On the positive side, the location was beautiful. We had a fabulous meal in the Lakeside Dining Room and the whirlpool area was clean. For over $400 a night, the accommodations were absolutely unacceptable. read more

Come for the dinner but don't stay here if you don't have to.... the heating system is totally inadequate for northern MN. I called the front desk when the electricity to my TV failed. When maintenance came to check on it they explained that the electrical system was being overwhelmed by the space heaters that they were handing out. They got my TV outlet working again and came back with a space heater for my room which promptly caused a total blackout in my room. I chose television over heat and slept in my full length down coat. I made sure to look for all the emergency exits before retiring as the thought of space heaters running throughout this ancient lodge made me worry about fire. Some would cal this quaint. I found it almost unbearable and am pretty livid that I spent so much money for a room that was less comfortable than a EconoLodge. The new ownership of this place has quite a challenge ahead of them. On a positive note, the dining room has gone through a fabulous facelift and the food was excellent. read more

Just got back from our annual spring break ski trip to Lutsen, and once again Lutsen Resort killed it. Just love love love this place--we have tried some of the other resorts along the lake and always come back to Lutsen Resort for the location, the service, and the ambiance. To be fair, we've only stayed in the Poplar condos, so I can't speak to the experience of the other options, but the condos are lovely and an amazing value if you do one of their ski and stay packages. We ski all day (and the free on-call shuttle to and from the hill is awesome) and then come back to relax in the pool and hot tub, play checkers in front of the fire in the lobby, have dinner in the Pub, play some air hockey, and gaze at the lake. Really can't say enough good things about this place--we usually end up coming here in the summer too! read more

The front line staff were wonderful. Need for updating offset by natural beauty of the surroundings. The main restaurant is overpriced and food less than average. Wait staff on a Friday was rude and inattentive. Second time this has happened. read more