My daughter and I brought my 9 and 10 year old grandsons here. We were a bit nervous of the mixed…read morereviews. The price for a family suit on a Wednesday with 4 passes to the water park is very reasonable. Upon arrival check in was simple and went pretty quickly. You are allowed to start your fun before the room is ready, which is good because the waterpark closes at 8 and opens at 10 am. You can also continue to play after check out. We found this very nice because you wouldn't get much time to play if not. Our room was ready early but our bands didn't open our room so they gave us new ones. The girls working were friendly and helped us sort it out quickly. We were disappointed to find hair in both of our beds. We called and requested fresh bedding because we wanted to get playing. They never came but they did give us a new room, also with hair on the sheets. Our cleaning person came in and we watched her replace the pillowcases with clean right off the cart and guess what? Still hair! This is a laundry issue but we were relieved to know it wasn't because our beds were dirty. This was our only negative issue. Our room was clean and spacious. The pull out sofa wasn't the most comfy but we were so wore out we slept well. The Waterpark wasn't very crowded and it was very fun for our boys! My grandson said he felt like a VIP and they will both remember this fun time. The workers keep a very good eye on things. We felt safe. There's a Dunkin Donuts in the lobby and you can order on an app which I recommend because I ordered at the kiosk and waited 30 mins for 2 coffees. ($9) I would recommend ordering ahead and pick it up when you get a text to save waiting too long. We brought in snacks and drinks to our room. We had a fridge but no microwave. Overall we all agree it was a great time and we will return. The kids loved everything and they said their review is "great"!

Second time we were here. Came in 2024-2025 new years and had a great stay.. I have a special needs…read morechild and when we first arrived he was " lost" in the water park and staff was on it very fast! Using their radios and alerting all staff . Room was clean also. ( I bring a black light flash light when I travel to check rooms for any biological material before I unpack anything) .... Now it's November 2025.. we stayed overnight only.. my autistic son absolutely Loves the characters.. Violet especially! When we left last time he cried 2 days straight missing the " wolf pack " characters in costume. So this visit I asked the staff if at all possible Violet could make an appearance while we were there.. and Sammy the squirrel since we didn't get the chance to meet her our first stay . The staff was AWESOME! Sunday morning made my sons WORLD when he met Sammy squirrel for the first time! And he saw violet again too! He brought her a gift from Pittsburgh as well! Thank you SO much for making my sons year! My only gripe was on Saturday evening during story time my son wanted so bad to be picked to physically participate in story time and the girls only chose smaller children to participate even though my son who is 13 special needs was standing and waving his hands begging to be called.. yes we received a lot of weird stares from parents wondering why this big child was so excited about great wolf.. but I feel I shouldn't have to advertise to the WORLD that my son is 13... on the spectrum and loves great wolf!!! Sometimes I feel they only market to children 10 and under... and I am in NO hurry for my child to grow up.. if he still loves the great wolf costume characters when he is 20 SO BE IT! Maybe keep an open mind to ALL children... even if they look older.. because autism doesn't have a " look" ... and my son was sad that he couldn't play a part in story time.. he has been watching great wolf stuff on YouTube all year.. and drawing all of the characters all year too anxiously awaiting returning this weekend.. as a mom that's what I work hard for .. my money goes towards my sons joy.. and considering all of the other water parks around Sandusky I could always give my $ to another place... hope this doesn't sound too harsh.. but I leave honest reviews..

Wonderful experience! The vibe was very relaxing and the facility beautiful. This was my third…read morevisit. I highly recommend the hydro facial and really enjoyed the deep tissue massage.

What a wonderful establishment! I feel like I stumbled upon a gem!…read more So, I set up an appointment on a whim after traveling in from Denver and arriving with a very sore neck. I scheduled a massage (on the wrong day in my error!‍), and I cannot say enough about the professionalism and kindness of the staff. They were exceptional from the moment I arrived (which, as noted, was on the wrong day and and entire week early). The staff were as accommodating as could be, and they managed to work me on for a 30-minute massage with the wonderfully talented and gifted Kathleen! She was exceptional at diagnosing things and helping me work through the pain in my neck and other things I didn't even realize were troubling me! Additionally, the accommodations are lovely! The facility is beautiful with attention to every detail from the immaculate locker rooms down to the infused water and carefully packaged snacks. It's a top-notch spa experience in every sense! Next time you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend checking out Spa Catawba. I assure you, you will not be disappointed!

I chose this hotel because it was conveniently located near Cedar Point. We weren't planning on…read morestaying after our trip, but decided to stay in Sandusky and needed something last minute. When I looked on Google, the reviews were pretty good for a two-star hotel, so I trusted that the hotel would be decent. Upon arriving at the hotel, I made a reservation at the front desk, which was quick and easy. When we arrived at our room, immediately, and I mean immediately, the smell hit us in the face. It smelled like mildew, similar to something wet or stale. We dropped our things off and left for about two hours, hoping that the smell would have gone away by the time we returned, but unfortunately, it had not. We decided to just deal with it and push through. BUT upon beginning to use our room, we noticed some pretty disturbing things. First and foremost, there was hair in the bed, along with hair in multiple places in the shower. There was also what appeared to be a piece of a broken hairbrush on the bathroom counter, which leads me to believe that the room just wasn't thoroughly cleaned. Perhaps they just made up the bed from the previous guest; I'm not sure. But that was the final straw for us, and we decided to pack up and find another place to stay. We went down to the front desk and spoke with the same gentleman who had checked us in. We informed him of the issues with our room and simply asked for a refund because we had only been checked in for less than two hours. He informed us that he would not be able to give us a refund, and only the manager could do that. There was no manager on duty, and there wouldn't be one until Monday. It would be up to her discretion if she would give a refund or not. I informed him that we had taken thorough pictures, so there wouldn't be any issues proving what we had experienced. THEN, about 45 minutes later, I received two additional charges on my credit card. One was in the amount of $25, and the other was the amount of the original room charge. So now I had three charges from this hotel on my credit card. I had to call and speak with customer relations about this issue and the two new charges. Overall, I would not recommend staying at this hotel. The pictures provided by the hotel are inaccurate compared to what you will receive for your room, and it's evident that they do not make cleanliness a priority.

DO NOT STAY HERE. By far the worst customer service experience i have ever had. I booked a room,…read morethen called weeks in advance to cancel. The hotel staff messed up the cancellation so i was still charged and they refuse to refund me. They ran my card without consent even though the receipt says "PAID AT HOTEL". They are scammers. When I called the hotel to remedy the situation the man working the front desk proceeded to yell and berate me. He was frightening and I would never feel safe staying there. Not to mention there are a ton of reviews of BED BUGS!

We stayed at Kalahari for 3 nights with the Stay & Play package, and overall we had a great time…read morewith a few things that could be improved. We arrived around 1:30 PM and were pleasantly surprised that our room was already ready -- such a relief after traveling, especially with kids. However, the new luggage carts are definitely a downgrade. They barely hold anything, and if you have more than just a couple of bags, it turns into a hassle. Really hoping they switch back to the old style. The waterpark itself is always a blast, but I do wish the hours were longer. Closing at 8 PM on weeknights feels early when you're on vacation and trying to fit everything in. Same for the sweet treat shop -- we felt rushed trying to get from the waterpark to the room, get dressed, and then make it down to the arcade and grab treats all within about 45 minutes. We chose the Stay & Play package mainly for the arcade credit ($100 each night), but we didn't realize that when you use the package credits, the games don't give you tickets. That was disappointing, especially with kids who love winning prizes. On the positive side, the kids absolutely loved the Build-a-Bear experience. It was pricey at about $100 for two bears, but it is vacation, and they had so much fun that it was worth it. I also really liked the new charging wristbands -- super convenient and nice not having to carry a card around all day. As for comfort, the waterpark air could've been warmer. I remember it feeling much more comfortable in past visits, but this time I felt cold almost the whole time. The hallways were especially chilly. Food-wise, the Pizza Pub was fantastic. We had it delivered right to our room, and both the pizza and the chicken chunks were delicious -- honestly one of our favorite meals of the trip. Overall, even with a few hiccups, we had a fun stay and would visit again. Kalahari still delivers a great family getaway, just with a few things I hope they adjust back to how they used to be.

Unfortunately, this was the worst stay our family has had at Kalahari - this may very well be our…read morelast time coming here! We contacted resort staff three separate times with serious concerns during our stay and saw no action taken--only empty apologies. That lack of response was extremely frustrating and made it feel like guest experience was not a priority. Going back to the room for a break didn't help. Our room faced a solid wall, did not have a fireplace as advertised, and we dealt with constant loud door slamming and wall pounding from nearby cleaning staff. It was not relaxing and made it difficult to rest. The conditions in the waterpark were also unacceptable. The lines for the water slides smelled strongly of urine, as if people were urinating while standing in line, which was extremely unpleasant and unhygienic. The wave pool was especially concerning. Chunks of concrete were breaking off the bottom of the pool, and I cut my foot on one of these pieces, about the size of a penny. There was concrete grit throughout the water, which was very unsafe - I gave chunks to the staff to emphasize my concerns. On top of all of this, everything was freezing cold. The wave pool water was freezing, the slide water was freezing, and the hot tubs were not hot at all despite hour-long wait lines with 40+ people. Even the indoor temperature felt cold. For the cost of this stay, none of this was acceptable. Overall, this experience was not worth what we paid and fell far below expectations.

I don't know why this hotel has gotten bad reviews. I'm currently staying the night and braced…read moremyself for what I thought would be a bad experience. But what I found was a perfectly clean hotel room, wonderful customer service and convenient parking! I would definitely stay here again.

Bad. Very. Mold, poop it seemed like it. Maid walked in 2 times while I was asleep didn't learn her…read morelesson the first time.

SōLSTAY is a glamping retreat on a marina in Sandusky. It feels like a perfect nautical getaway…read more It's an ideal place to disconnect, reconnect with nature, and sleep in unique accommodations. When I visited for a book event (The Cozy Chapter), I found myself thinking - "Wait, is this Ohio? How amazing! Vacay vibes!" Accommodations: Lodging is definitely very unique compared to the surrounding options. Accommodations include houseboats or cottages with various tiers. Lodging accommodates anywhere from 2 to 8 people (plus pets). Both cottages and houseboats have big windows to look at the marina and surrounding nature. Houseboats seem like the most exciting option (they gently sway in water). All lodging includes shared hot tub, floating sauna, and wifi. Pricing is comparable to a hotel starting around $143 (varies based on dates and selection). Pricing and what's included are clearly stated. I think that prices are well worth it. Photos show the exact view you'd see outside your windows and interior accommodations. Interior seems very well designed and picture perfect. Some accommodations don't include shower/bathroom which are shareable onsite. Booking is available on Airbnb and on their website. Parking is available onsite. Activities: There are plenty of activities to do while vacationing. Offsite Cedar Point is minutes away. Onsite there are fishing, hiking (large property), boat tours and boating, kayaking, birding, relaxing by the fire, relaxing by the water in the Adirondack chairs, floating sauna and hot tub. No swimming is available in the marina (not deep), but there is another water location on the property. There's a store onsite where you can play board games or grab any essentials you might have forgotten. Events: I visited for an event series at SōLSTAY - The Cozy Chapter (booked via Eventbrite). It includes book discussion on particular book genre, crafts, book swap, gift, conversations about favorite reads, and community at the SōLSTAY store. The event is ticketed, opened to lodging guests and visitors. Guests can purchase tickets for the season or drop in. I loved the event! Everyone was super friendly, welcoming, social, and in sync. The organizers were so sweet and amazing, even more friendly than I would reasonably expect! They were just really good people! I also found out that they have little free library onsite for any readers who stay here. Book events should return in the colder months. While I only dropped in for an event, I already have plans to return and lodge! They have an all day retreat coming up in the fall! I can't wait to recharge at this dreamy location - lodge, retreat, and use an amazing floating sauna! I'm telling you, you have to experience this place!

We had a nice, brief stay here. Super convenient and close to Cedar Point. Check-in was easy and we…read morefound the mini houseboat to be cozy and comfortable. Restrooms and showers were in a portable trailer, which were clean during our stay. They also had a bunch of nice amenities, including a hot tub, mini golf, cornhole, etc. but unfortunately we weren't there long enough to take advantage of them. Next time!

We spent 2 nights on a weekend at the resort. We booked the…read morebunk room which had 2 bunks and a king sized bed at the room/waterpark only rate in late February 2026. The good: Waterpark and room were clean. The staff were all super friendly and helpful. Kids really enjoyed themselves (10 and 14). There are lots of restaurant options within 3-5 miles to fit any budget. The majority of lifeguards took their jobs seriously and enforced rules. It was less expensive than other indoor waterparks. Room fridge was great for storing snacks and drinks. Nearly everywhere in the hotel is crazy loud, but, the craft room was a great place to take a sensory break and slow down for a bit. The area by the aquarium on the third floor was also quieter often. There was a seating area for reading and tables available for boardgames with a view of the bay. The bad: We waited in line at 4:15 pm for a half an hour to just check in. They had a line of people filling the entire lobby with 4 staff checking people in. It was not streamlined at all. The changing room did not have a curtain or door on it. Nor did the bunk room. The only place to change privately was the small room off the bathroom with toilet and shower. Walls are paper thin. You will hear everything going on in the hall and the rooms around yours. We also happened to be right off the elevator bank which added a whole new level of noise. Elevators are slow and tiny. With luggage, you can fit 3-4 people tops. We chose the stairs almost every time despite our room being located on the 3rd floor right next to the elevators. That said, the stairwells are super loud as it's all metal and cement/concrete. Large attractions do close. The wave pool was closed half the day Saturday which was our kids favorite thing. You need a special card for any arcade, bowling, or golfing you do and that's an extra $3 charge plus what you load onto it. They have cute character "room doors" throughout the hallways. These are often right next to a room door and kids will push the buttons to make them talk all day/night. So many of the areas were unnecessarily loud. You couldn't hear anyone speak in the arcade or waterpark. Stairwells were like banging on metal drums while they echoed between 4 floors. The ugly: Their mini golf (albeit it glow course) is highway robbery. $10 per person (despite being told it was $6 by staff) and only 8 holes. The 9th hole was just putting your ball up a ramp into their skee-ball cup. If you mad it a fun sound went off, if you didn't, it collected it and played a failed sound. Our "bay view" window was COVERED in bird poop and cobwebs on the exterior side. The entire side of the building was filthy to look at. I would not suggest paying extra for the view. This might have been a one off experience in the activity pool but the one time we tried it, I had teenagers tackling me from behind as they fought over basketballs. I was pushed over multiple times by them when they crashed into me (and others in the pool) and nothing was done about it by parents or lifeguards. My kiddo and I eventually left because the ball he and another younger kid were playing with kept getting takin by the teens. Overall, it was a cheaper room option than other places but I'm not sure we'll be going back again. The extra fees for everything else adds up quick and sleep was nearly impossible with the noise level around our room.

I'll start off by saying that the water park, itself, is very nice. It's a good size, with a…read morevariety of activities for younger and older folks to enjoy (although no lazy river feels like a serious oversight). The arcade is also nice and spacious, with a great variety of games that seem well-maintained. However, there's some issues that really detract from the experience. Customer service was my biggest gripe. The check in guy was pretty cold at first, but later he was more helpful. I was especially disappointed with the snack bar staff. The water park snack bar is in a dimly-lit corner, and when I went in, there was no one visibly working there. After a minute, a lady came out from the back, and I asked if the snack bar was open at that time. She gave me a condescending look, and didn't say anything, as if I should obviously expect the location to be open, despite the lack of an open sign or employee behind the counter. Then another guy comes out and starts making the order and neither him nor his coworker talked at all, just kinda scowled and made my partner and I feel like we were doing something wrong just by being respectful paying customers. They were the kind of workers I'd expect to see at a run-down McDonald's late at night, not a family vacation resort. The hotel itself is also nothing special. The beds are small and not particularly comfy, but the rooms are clean and nice enough. But the walls are THIN and you hear way too much noise from other guests. Overall: good waterpark+okay hotel+bad staff=mixed experience