We booked Klarhet in April for leaf peeping for my birthday weekend and it was absolutely perfect!…read more I can't say enough about how amazing this place is. Just know you will get woken up before dawn by roosters, but you can handle it! All worth it!

The best of both worlds…read more The best of camping. The best of a hotel. There is a neat place in northern Minnesota just a rock's throw from Lutsen that you've never heard of, but that you will never forget once you've visited. They have these super cool Dome Shaped cabins (I don't know what else to call them) in the middle of the forest. Once you are inside it, think part OmniMax theater screen on one side that you look out into the forest and get to overlook beautiful Lake Superior. It is a view you will never forget, and an experience that is hard to describe to others. It's a fully functional unit or small apartment: King size bed, full bathroom with shower, kitchen with everything but an oven (but had a stove top) including all dishes and utensils, heated floors, neat eco-friendly wood pellet heater/stove/furnace, a queen size bed in the loft, and a view to die for. The King Size bed was oh so comfortable (better than home) and the unit was super clean. The staff, Nicole and Emma, were super friendly, accommodating and so easy to work with. It almost felt like you were working with your best friends. This is a family business and located in their eco-friendly sustainable plot of land. They have chickens, goats and a large garden or small farm, where they grow things in a eco-friendly, sustainable fashion. They encourage guests to compost their leftovers, but to be mindful not to throw certain items in the compost (like Avocado skins and pits) as their chickens, who eventually eat the compost, don't particularly like Avocoados :-). There are four domes total at Klarhet, all available to book. Each has a King-Sized Bed on the main level, with a Queen-Sized Bed on the loft. Each dome has a different theme. We had friends in another Dome at the same time, so this made it double the fun. Klarhet mans "Clear Mind" in Scandinavian. And you can definitely do it here at Klarhet. It's a fantastic place, but don't go expecting 5-Star Hotel amenities (no TV, no pool, no ice maker, no vending machine, no land line phone, no Wi-Fi but you will get cell phone reception and data from your own cell phone provider). This is a place to unwind, and disconnect. (Think luxurious cabin with an amazing view!) They also have chickens and goats on the property that are part of the ambience of the place (they all have names too). You will be give fresh eggs from these chickens to eat too. Nicole gives a farm talk to any interested about how they are creating a sustainable food forest on their 26 acres. (Take it - Nicole is a great speaker and very passionate about what they are trying to create here.) You can bring food and prepare it yourself in the kitchen, or you can go out to eat at nearby restaurants. You can go hiking, biking or skiing nearby, depending on the season you attend. Now, if I can only figure out how that bear got in my bed next to me last night, because she snored awfully loud all night long :-).

Cute lodging right on Lake Superior! You get your own balcony that overlooks the water and it's…read morereally quite breathtaking. Nothing to obstruct your view! The heat definitely works in the winter in this little room so don't even worry about getting cold! Very simple little hotel room, nothing fancy, no extra amenities but it's clean! The only thing that got bothersome was that it's right on the road and you can hear the loud whoosh of a semi driving by as there's no hallways or trees to block the noise.

Small, cozy place (22 rooms) right on Lake Superior, all rooms have a view of the lake. Simple…read moremotel, but clean and comfortable, exactly as it advertises. The natural wooden paneling gives a feel of home away from home. While some may find it expensive, it was much more reasonably priced than other options on the North Shore in high season (September weekend). The breakfast formerly provided is now an unfortunate casualty of C19 but a few grab and go items are still available in the sunroom.

We really enjoyed our stay at Bluefin Bay! Waking up to the sunrise over the water was such a…read morehighlight, and the beach was beautiful. The nightly s'mores were a fun touch, and the pool and hot tub were relaxing, with a pretty walkway leading to them. Our room was comfortable, with cozy beds and extra bedding, which we appreciated. We loved that the main lodge had hot coffee and ice water available - as well as games and loves to check out! That said, the exterior is starting to show some age, with weeds throughout the grounds and overgrown bushes making the sidewalks feel crowded. A window on our room was broken and the indoor pool was out of commission. While the activities are a great perk, one was full before I could attend, and the yoga class I signed up for didn't have an instructor show up. Overall though, it was a relaxing and enjoyable stay and I'd happily come back again!

Stayed in Unit 2- 2 bedroom 2 bath with 2 patio upper & Lower. Full kitchen, living room,…read morefireplace. All the cups, plates , utensils you may need. Upper bedroom is a suite overlooking Lake Superior. We enjoyed dinner at Blufein Grille, we enjoyed the outdoor pool & hot tub overlooking Lake Superior. We had Pizza from Coho and it was delivered. This is a resort you can check in and dont have to leave for food or drink. There are options. There is also a spa, indoor pool/hot tub. We enjoyed the fire pit and a night walk on the lighted lake walk. Everything was clean and accommodating. We will be back.

Delicious food with beautiful views of the lake across the street. The restaurant atmosphere has a…read morenice rustic touch to it also. My husband and I stopped in to Cascade Restaurant 2 separate times during our weekend trip up to Lutsen. The restaurant was conveniently located 5 minutes from our lodging- Thomsonite Inn. When you first enter, you grab a menu, sit wherever is open, and order at the register which is a different set-up but worked well for them. Our 1st visit, I ordered the seafood chowder and fried chicken dinner which were both phenomenal. Every spoonful of the chowder was filled with clams and fish. The portion size of the extra crispy fried chicken fed me for 2 nights. I left there so satisfied! When we came back for breakfast, I had another delicious meal of the avocado toast with balsamic glaze. I would definitely come back here for the delicious food next time we road trip up North again.

This place was great! Great atmosphere-the place was bursting with life and people having a good…read moretime. We were told they were at full capacity with a 45 min wait but then our kind server moved around a few tables for us and got us in. Very considerate. The till style ordering works very well as it gives everyone a chance to order when they are ready, removing the frustration of eating for a server. (Wait was surprisingly short, pleasantly surprised.) Food was good! I had a house salad because I wasn't feeling like anything big, but it was a great salad. Side note- spent about an hour admiring this fish with my dad and heatedly debating what type of fish it is. Only to notice after all this time there was a title under it Came for the food, stayed for the fish

The condo was a nice sized space for our family of four and we liked being able to ski on and off…read morethe mountains. But there was a strong sewage smell in the bathroom as well as outside the condos, which definitely detracted from our stay.

It was clean but no where to play cards, do games or common space. Room had one chair and was very…read moresmall. No room services I highly recommend having enough towels, coffee and glasses if someone wanted to enjoy a glass of wine on deck. Very noisy could hear the person snoring in the room next door Al g with person walking above. People were kind if you saw anyone. Pool was too far of a home The hiking was great, Charlie's was ok but not fantastic. Appeared to be missing supervision.

Seriously the best place with kids! They don't fully advertise, but they offer free kids crafts,…read morefree stamped postcards, glow sticks, tattoos, they have s'mores kits and will light fires for you, there's an indoor pool with a water slide and hot tub and an outdoor pool as well. My kids always beg to come here each year and it's always the highlight for the family! They have updated the carpet in the hallways which was much needed and the hotel room has comfortable beds. We usually rent a condo for a couple nights but went with the hotel room this year because it was just for one night. Still incredible

Took a long memorial weekend up North and landed on Caribou Highlands with proximity to all the…read morethings we wanted to do in the area as well as being reasonably priced. Everything was absolutely amazing except for the showers :( We stayed in the main lodge and the staff were super welcoming and kind! Lots of games tucked on the side of the fireplace with DVD's if you wanted to watch or occupy your kiddos time. They also had some really great $5 DIY kits too like origami, DIY bath bomb kits, etc. I was pleasantly surprised that they also gave free s'more making kits you could have with a poker stick, chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows! There are two fire pits in the back but only one with a poker stick and woodpile. Thankfully there was someone out there before us so there were some embers left, enough to start a new fire. The bugs were atrocious though, thankfully we had bugs spray we could dose ourselves in or else it wouldn't have been worth it. The grounds itself were beautiful this time of year! You could easily walk around and entertain yourself that way but the large outdoor pool is heated too. There is also the option to use the indoor pool/hot tub but unfortunately no sauna. Indoor pool has a slide though that my grown husband quite enjoyed. The rooms themselves are spacious, looks like they were recently renovated with clean bathrooms. Like I mentioned, only issue is that the water pressure sucks. Our first night, I was showering and mid-way through the water just turned off. Like there was no water left, I hopped out and tried to rinse off my face in the sink and that didn't have any water either! I called the night security because it was after 10 and the front desk was closed & he said he'd take a look at it but water didn't come back for another 1/2 hr and even then the pressure was terrible. The few times we showered at night, we experienced low water pressure but not completely off again.

I had the worst sleep of my life here…read more 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.

For our first time in Lutsen, we chose to stay at the Lutsen resort. We wanted to do some hiking at…read morethe 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.

We highly recommend a stay at Surfside! We've stayed in both A and B units and recommend both…read moretypes. The views of Lake Superior are exactly what you come to the North Shore for, and with their expansive waterfront you are able to really take in the views & experience staying on the lake - no matter which building or unit you're in. The common spaces offer a large pool (deepest end is 4'), a large hot tub, sauna, gym, laundry, and sometimes group fitness that varied on the weekly schedule (COVID safe). When you check-in be sure to visit with guest services regarding the events they have scheduled for the week & what you can take in for free. They'll also be able to assist with bike rentals, etc. Be sure to let them know what you're interested in because they're more than willing to help. Also, don't skip the free s'mores packs for the nightly campfires! Guest services hours are very accommodating. The A unit we stayed in on our recent trip was impeccably clean, and even though it was a "pet friendly" unit you wouldn't be the wiser. The cleaning staff does a great job. The linens were all good quality - including great quality towels! The views are outstanding from both the first and second floors, and the unit furnishings allow for comfortable lounging to take it all in. We did some cooking while at Surfside and the kitchen was fully outfitted with all standard cooking utensils, pots, pans, dish ware, and drink ware. They provide dish soap, kitchen towels, and dishwasher tabs so cleanup is a breeze. The beds were super comfortable, too! The whole unit is quite spacious and would be comfortable with 6 adults, and if you combined it with a B unit you could be comfortable with 8 adults. The living spaces are outfit with great, comfortable furniture, but in the colder months I recommend bringing a throw blanket or two so it can be even more cozy! We really love Surfside and their attention to the guest experience. It's a quaint, peaceful resort stay that offers some nice perks: nightly bonfires that were never crowded, a playground for kiddos, an ice skating rink in the winter months, and so much more. We'll certainly be back!

The accommodation is great. Wonderful townhouses Lot of decks. Comfortable beds. Good showers…read more Very deluxe accommodations. They do have activities such as biking, hiking, kayaking which are included. Not a ton of dining options and not a lot of groceries in the area so you may want to bring your groceries with you, but all your pans, plates, and utensils are included. The view can't be beat. No beach nor real access to the water but if you are in the area I would not hesitate to stay here. We had six very comfortable in a three bedroom. Great space to hang out in. Grille and firepits also available.

We choose this location to be close to the state parks on Lake Superior and an hour away from our…read morefavorite park -Grand Portage. We did five parks in two days to see the marvelous water falls spring thaw. This hotel is one of the best on the North Shore Drive if you want clean rooms, friendly staff, nice surroundings without over-spending on rooms! Breakfast is average and they have a pool. We loved our room suite with a jacuzzi. The toilet/shower is separate from the sink area making it convenient to get ready in the morning when you have multiple family members.

We walked in not having a hotel room, as we had been making phone calls around looking for a room…read more The lady was so awesome about everything. Very nice crew working there. The hotel & room was very clean.