I have mixed reactions to our recent visit and. I have wavered between giving this review 4 or 3 stars. We have visited this retreat for over 35 years previously known as Chain 'O Lakes. We have noted and appreciated the improvements made over the years. Beautiful, serene, rustic setting-a great place to unwind. -WIFI worked well and consistently throughout our visit. -Cabins basically clean, good beds, clean bed linens and generous numbers of towels. Dining table, dining chairs, side tables and coffee tables as well as couches are well worn. Basic dinnerware and eating utensils; there are no skillets, pans or cooking/serve ware utensils such as egg turners, no mixing bowls...you need to bring these with you. -Communication and information lacking. The website does not provide current updates to the facility and the status of its amenities and services. We had planned to enjoy one meal a day at The Hilltop restaurant and it was closed for our 3 day/2night visit. We had planned to have burgers/snacks by the pool and the snack bar was closed. These unannounced and unexpected closings caused us to leave the retreat and find a grocery store 15 miles away. Then we had to select food items that could be baked because we had no pots/pans or skillets nor utensils to cook and serve with. Amenities not in service included The Hilltop Herb Farm Restaurant, the snack bar beside the pool, and the hot tub. ***PLEASE NOTE: The reason I am giving this review 4 stars is the congeniality of the people at the front desk. Had they been rude I would have dropped one or more stars.*** When I inquired as to why the restaurant and snack bar were closed I was given these points of interest from the very nice young ladies at the front desk. Additionally they very graciously responded that they would inform management about my concerns. -Oh the restaurant is closed during the week-well sometimes it's open. It will be open this weekend I think. (Well, I was leaving on Friday!) -Regarding the snack bar being closed: Well it's only open if the restaurant is. -We've been slammed with big groups and some summers we are more family oriented. (I'm sorry, I was not advised that inconsistant hospitality was a management strategy!) -Regarding the hot tub; well, things break. (Understandable that things break, but how is it being addressed and will it be repaired before my party leaves?) -Carriage Rides? Nope, not in service. There are limited hours of operation for the gift shop which has gifts, snacks, and fishing supplies. It would be a convenient service if this area remained open until 9 pm. A nice evening walk to this area for an ice cream for the kids would have been a nice option. Overall there seems to be a lack of attention, concern, and dedication to providing guests with current information and procedures in order for guests to have an excellent experience. When O think of this visit I feel the most descriptive words would be "sad and lacking". It stings a little to pay the prices of our stay and to have so much broken or closed. I could have spent much less and had similar natural beauty to behold at a state or national park. I do hope that management will button things up quite a bit and provide a friendly, enthusiastic, friendly staff, with current information easily and readily available regarding amenities, services, and procedures for checking out canoes and other equipment. Suggestions: -E-Post daily retreat schedule of events -Paddleboard rentals -tennis or pickleball -a kid/teen rec area with ping pong, tv movie rentals, vending machines read more

First day here and it's already my favorite camping place ever. There is literally nothing to complain about. Great Food!!! Great staff!! Awesome amenities!!! My only regret is i couldn't bring more people. 10 out of 10 I would recommend this place!! read more

World class service, meals and lodging. Rated 10/10.. Wyatt and family is by far the best I have seen! Semper fi! read more

The Retreat At Artesian Lakes - Alligator stew, it's was for supper!! - Hotels Near Me - Cleveland, Texas

We just had our 20 year Marine Corps reunion for our unit here. This is a beautiful place out in the country with beautiful cabins and great lakes. Lots of activities to do and the staff is amazing. Highly recommend this place. We will definitely be going back. Thank you and Semper Fi read more

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Such a great place for a getaway. Roads were kept up, all around the buildings were nice and kept up. The cabin itself was in good condition. plenty of activities to do. Up close and personal with the wildlife. Great place to have large event retreats. read more

We just had our 20 year reunion from OIF 1. The staff was amazing, the venue was peaceful and serene! Our accommodations were awesome. Each cabin was equipped with refrigerator, microwaveable comfy bed! This property has fishing, trails and awesome restaurant. The food was really well prepared and tasty! read more

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This place is a great place to spend some time with family, friends, or by yourself!!! I loved it so much that I seriously considered moving there! I have never felt so close to nature. Loved seeing crocodiles, turtles, fish, and birds. The staff is truly caring and are there to ensure you have a great time. I am definitely going back!!! read more

I was required to attend a business retreat here for 2 days and 3 nights. I was dreading going since I don't do very well in rustic campgrounds. I am glad that I went. The cabins were large with at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Very large living room area and full kitchens. There was no wi-fi in the cabins but free wi-fi in the main meeting area. There were miles of hiking trails, water sled, volleyball pit, swimming pool and places to sit and take in the area's beauty. BTW the gators never left the water. Now about the food. OMG!!!! It was premium 5 star eating. It was buffet but beautifully arranged like in higher class hotel restaurants. A big shout out to their Chef Jim. I am so very glad I went and hoping to be back for another business retreat! read more

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We had called to make reservations on Monday as we were instructed to do. Wednesday, we had not heard anything, so we tried to call to confirm our reservations...still heard nothing back. Today, (Friday), we called again, attempting to confirm and were told our reservations were "lost" and they had a large group coming in, so they were filled. This was supposed to be a special treat for my grandson, and The Retreat At Artesian Lakes completely ruined it. They "lost" my reservations, but they also "lost" a customer. We used to enjoy going there, years ago, but I don't think I'll be returning. read more

I have visited Artesian Lakes in both the summer and winter months. The downsides to visiting during the winter are no swimming and no horses to ride. Also with COVID-19, we had to get separate cabins from family members not in our household and the restaurant was mostly closed. You have to bring your own food and cookware or you will starve. The cabins are dated and frankly a little worn out. The roof was leaking in one cabin and only half the burners worked on the stove making cooking a family meal tedious. They did bring another stove the next day. We brought our own firewood to do s'mores and BBQ'ed outside. Fishing was not great this time around. Observed quite a few birds including cardinals and blue jays so there's that. Since there is no TV (part of the charm) and Wifi signal is poor, you should bring board games, cards, books to occupy your time in inclement weather. Front desk staff was surly and wore no masks, but maintenance crew seemed friendly and professional. Also, they did not honor military discount because we did not mention it when making online reservations, although there was no place to do that. We stayed three nights but weather permitting two is all you need for the experience. This was our vacation this year due to COVID-19 and if nothing else served to help my teens appreciate family. Probably will go somewhere else next time. read more

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I was so disappointed in this place, This was supposed to be a surprise weekend getaway trip that my husband planned for our anniversary, but what was supposed to be romantic turned into a nightmare. First off, I had no idea where we were going until we got there, like I stated it was a surprise. When we arrived I thought the place was actually beautiful they kept the "common" grounds well maintained. Good enough to lure you in and keep you in awe! Once checked in we was given a map to the cabin/house we were to be staying in that weekend. The map was a bit confusing but this nice guy showed us the rest of the way. And this was when everything went downhill. We stayed in " The Red Barn" and immediately I noticed that the place looked like it hadnt been maintained on the outside at all, it looked very creepy and abandoned. Cobwebs and stray cats all over the place. Once inside, it was no better and the odor hit us hard....it had a very odd old smell and everything in there except for the flat screen tv was outdated. We couldnt relax on the deck area because it also was dirty and needed a pressure wash. This house reminded me of something straight out of a scary movie. I felt like Jason was going to come through at any minute. We had the Lovers Package but due to an accident with the chef our dinner plans couldnt be included with the package so we had to drive up to the HEB which was 30 minutes away to stock up some food, while there I begin reading a few reviews on this place and came across one in particular about urine stains and bedbugs in the beds. I informed my husband what I read and when we returned we decided to check the bed in the master bedroom and sure enough there were bedbugs in the crevices of the mattress. We informed the front desk, they sent someone out to look which in so many words he confirmed it. They had no more open rooms so they refunded us and we gladly left. The lady who worked the front desk couldnt even face us or offer us a formal apology, she left the refund slip with a maintenance worker to give us. As much as this place cost, this was a shame. read more

Urine stained mattress that smelled of urine. Master bedroom mattress was filthy and had droplets of blood stains. Gross gunk inside all of the matress seams. Hair under the sheets. We left after discovering this in the middle of the night. We were in the cabin Azalea. I only received a email stating we were being refunded for not making our reservation. I called and the lady was cold and unapologetic about my situation. Didn't seem to care. My kids Spring break was ruined. I will never return. Please read the BBB reviews aa well before staying here. read more

The Retreat At Artesian Lakes - Hotels Near Me - Cleveland, Texas

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This place is perfect for a quick getaway. The scenery was great. Call cabins come with bicycles to ride on the premises. Saturday morning we scheduled a carriage ride to breakfast which was so romantic. The food at the restaurant was fabulous. read more

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Spent the weekend here and all of the staff was very helpful and friendly. I stayed in the William B Travis Cabin and the views are great. The cabin itself was nice and spacious, it had everything you needed. read more

My family and our friends spent a weekend (10/9-10/11) at the resort and had William B. Travis Cabin room by the lake. The room wasn't as big I thought but still cozy and nice enough. The cookware was limited. NO ANY POTS OR PANS, NO CUTTING KNIFES, NO CUTTING BOARDS. IT'S TOO HOT AND DRY TO SLEEP IN THE LOFT IF YOU TURNED THE HEATER ON. Because all the hot air came up to the loft and the only thermostat is at downstairs. But all of these were understandable. The true nightmare was the room has BEDBUGS and I got bite so bad all over the body. The upload pictures show my right arm and the bedbug on the bed. The manager was really helpful and deal with this problem very well. I do appreciate it. I'm just trying to remind the people who has a plan to come to this place, CHECK THE BEDS BEFORE YOU SLEEP!! read more

The Retreat At Artesian Lakes - BEDBUG ON THE BED - Hotels Near Me - Cleveland, Texas

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Stayed two night with our grandkids. The cabin was nice, albeit a little dated. The grounds around the cabin were presentable. The fire pit was a nice touch and would have been better if not so far from the cabin. The swim lake was just as I remembered it when I was a kid. Big slide and clear water. The giant pool was very nice. The kids loved the carriage ride to breakfast and having an alligator as a neighbor. Overall it's a nice place to go without having to drive far. read more

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We've been coming here for over 20 years. It is a very relaxing place to get away. There are plenty of places to walk around on the trails, you can go horseback riding, canoeing, bike riding, swimming and just sit on your porch and relax. It is nice having a horse drawn carriage ride to breakfast although ours came 10 minutes early and we felt rushed getting out. I wish they would add some more cooking utensils in the cabins and outdoor grills. read more

I'm going to start this a bit upside down. The cabin was absolutely dirty, dirt sandy floors. The walls and ceilings were COVERED in cobwebs. The kitchen DID have an stove/oven in the goliad, it does have plates, cups, forks, a can opener, wine bottle opener but No pans, no kitchen utensils. So DO BRING spatula, a pan, your basic must. Kitchen drawers, really need some WD40, and some nice lining. They did provide PLENTY of towels, but the blue towels are super rough. Free breakfast that they assign you a time slot to go to. Then bring you a check stub in big bold letters GRATITUDE IS NOT INCLUDED. I'm one to always tip free or not, but my waitress not once came to check on us, to refill our waters, but did come to bring the check stub for tip was a bit of an insult. Breakfast was a typical spread, eggs, ham, sausage, yogurt, granola, milk (fat free, whole, ALMOND), etc. We also attended the friday seafood buffet (You must call to make reservations), everything was delicious, the jambalaya did need more seasoning, right flavor, right everything just very very mild. The vegetable meledy they had yum, very crunchy. Overal the food was fine. Now to the good part. Staff was friendly. The retreat was very reserved quiet, well kept place. Nice and clean, serene. Plenty of scenery. The hot tub was beautiful, it was a room next to the pool, made of rocks with a little window you could sit on and hop into the pool. Everyone was overall friendly. There were bikes to ride around the trails (sadly ours were deflated) , no trash on the grounds. Well kept. Also!! There is plenty of wild life to see, gators, turtles, fish and!! A GIAGANTIC SNAPPING TURTLE. I also failed to mention they do also have a pond stocked full of fish, ($2 per fish if you decide to keep it) and a little feeder next to it ($.50 for a baggie of food ) The owners vision of this place, or so it feels implicated is a very beautiful place, serene, quiet (maybe because we went during off season), with plenty of activities. read more

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This is a great resort with breath taking views. I came here for a corporate retreat and had a great opportunity to check out the general facilities. The cabins are cute and secluded, mostly with waterfront views. Our cabin was right on a lake. There's a gas fireplace and a kitchen in the unit. Don't forget to turn on the heat if you come during the winter. It gets cold at night! One extra that I thought makes his place great is the attention to detail by all the staff. The servers and grounds keepers, and bar tenders all went above and beyond. It rained heavily one night I was here. A grounds keeper in a golf cart stopped by and offered me a ride to my cabin so I wouldn't have to spend as much time in the rain. It's that kind of selflessness that makes this place great. read more

Nice place to get away for the weekend. We got a house and it was spacious and nice. There is a swimming pool area of you want to cool off. Would not suggest swimming in the lake since there are gators. There are bikes that you can use by the main office. read more

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Stayed here multiple times, my mom grew up going to Chain O Lakes. This past visit, my wife left an item in the room. Given past experiences, I assumed giving them a call would remedy the situation. I called and left a voicemail. It was after hours, so I assumed the desk was closed for the night and I'd hear back the next day. Nothing the next day. So I tried to call in the early afternoon, got the voicemail again. Left another voicemail. They never called me back, but my mom (who stayed in the cabin next door) got someone on the phone, who acknowledged they had the item (and described a distinctive sticker on it) and said she would go "lay hands on it" and call her back. A full day passes. At this point, I've replaced the item. They still have not called me at all. I file a dispute with my credit card company and suddenly my mom's phone rings the next day: they have the item and they'll mail it: to her? Not sure why they were unable to call me. The next day they speak to my credit card company and deny any knowledge of the item. Today, they claim (to the credit card company) that they'll mail it to me. I'll believe it when I see it. They also claimed they've tried to call me multiple times today (no missed calls, spoke with the credit card company when they called). So now: I'm down an item, the cost of replacing it, and the cost of staying in their dust-ridden, not-updated cabins. I've recommended RAL to several friends (including a group of friends at the office that I travel with regularly) because it's a fun place to hang out at, even if they don't dust the rooms. Won't continue to recommend and won't go back in the future. read more

Great place to come and relax. The nature is beautiful and the home we rented was great. Just a few things that needed caring. Lights to ramp near fire pit wouldn't come on. Home had lots of cobwebs on exterior. Mia communication with Hospitality Office about hay ride but good it worked out. Last but not least need more trash cans inside and out. read more

Well now ... we booked three days to get away during spring break 2017, Mon thru Thursday. The check in process was easy, and the cabin was quite cute and in a great location, afraid that is the end of the good news.The "bikes" they have available for use are all broken down prices of crap that do not work. There are no activities to speak of( swimming pond way too cold, pool not heated, restaurant not open, no bonfire, no stocked fishing pond, hiking trails are all torn up because of construction, no horses, Canoe rental people " retired " the week before spring break ) sooooooo Mother Nature does all the work it is very pretty and relaxing but come prepared to do nothing or bring your own activities because on site there are none, oh forgot to mention the hot tub it was nice but always filled with kids. So we only used it once. read more

Our company had a retreat here in March. Property is gorgeous, cabins are clean and charming, staff in dining room were fabulous, and food was excellent. Enjoyed the wildlife, the trees and the lakes. Would like to come here again. It was really nice to unplug for a while. read more

My first time visiting this place and though the outside was beautiful even with the rain, the inside was pretty outdated. Yes it is a login cabin that should have a rustic feel to it. However, even a rustic place should maintain a certain level of cleanliness. The furniture was pretty dusty. The comforter in the front room has stains. The towels are frail. The front room headboard, the windows, and ceiling fans are disgustingly filthy. The fireplace was not working. The breakfast was very good, however, a $2 bag of tea if you're not a coffee drinker is a bit extreme, forget the fact that we paid over 350 a night and stayed 3 nights. I seriously think that more care needs to go into a deep housecleaning. I love the visit of the alligators, turtles, and rabbits. The bicycles were a nice touch, however, they were pretty rusted, which made it hard to use. The carriage ride was a very nice touch. I made it a point to take pictures of the linen, windows, and ceiling fan, in the event, it would be needed. I would probably come back to this establishment, but if I did I would bring my own towels, and linens. read more

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My mother had reservations here for her wedding and they emailed her 4 months later to cancel her reservation 3 months before her wedding to give the two cabins they rented to other people in company event. Her fiance has stayed here before and they couldn't even have the decency to call or even recommend somewhere else when they had spoken directly to the owner about it and him knowing it was for their wedding. Absolutely ridiculous. If it was possible to give 0 stars I would. read more

I'll start with the bad and work my way up with the good. First off the front desk ladies are horrible. The website said they would be able to point out good picnic areas and where to go for hiking (no signs) but they think handing a map (terrible one at that) should suffice. Not nice, they have no business working at the "hospitable" building haha. It was very dusty as mentioned, I wanted to go biking but both bikes were broken. In the website they warned that if that happens they're not doing anything about it. They say to call "the stables" to reserve but they never picked up and didn't call back at my voicemail! Canoeing is $25 that day $35 over night per canoe. Many paddles were broken and they still have them there?! so make sure you get good ones, they leave you on your own here. No directions were given for the canoe but we made it adventurous finding out different areas. The breakfast to me was lame ($12), the seafood buffet was alright (lots of fried items) but overpriced for $25. The Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch was very good and had home made jellies. It depends on your budget if you choose to eat at the restaurant, ribeye was $37. The restaurant was TOO attentive, I could barely sip my drink before it was refilled again. I did the lover's package so i was relieved I didn't pay those prices, and got to order tea and coffee. In the cabine there were plates, glasses, and organic shampoo conditioners! I got to watch the stars with the blanket provided in my cabin. There was a bench swing in the porch. The previous post about not getting in the lake is inaccurate. There are alligators but not in the lake next to the pool, thankfully it's secluded. We did encounter alligators while canoeing but they were just as scared of us as we were of them. There is a nice slide to the lake, the pool is gorgeous, the water was warm, and under the fake stones there is a hot tub. I was glad it was hidden and no kids were there (over 12 age restriction). The horse carriage was very punctual and nice. read more

Very disappointing weekend. We had our 40th class reunion there. First, we had a classmate who had a seizure. They did not have any trained staff on site to offer aid. The facility was totally ill-equipped on how to deal with a medical situation. We had to call 911 and we had to take care of our classmate until the ambulance got there. Next, we learn the room we had from 12- 9 was closing at 6pm. Since a few had rented cabins for the weekend we were told our classmates would have access to all the amenities- also not true. When they made us leave the meeting room we attempted to move the party to one of the cabins. We were literally pulled over by security and asked where we were going. Within 10 minutes they had called the local constable and 2 other law enforcement officials. Needless to say- party was over. This was a group of 60 year old adults. We had business owners, retired law enforcement , retired college professors and school teachers in addition to a nurse, paralegal and minister in our group. Many of our class had been coming to this facility since they were children. We will not go again, and I cannot recommend it to anyone else. read more

They were closed due to the hurricane and still charged me for my forfeited security deposit. They said would move my reservation out a year. DO NOT BOOK here do not make reservations here despite a natural disaster will still take your money. They will call and tell you in a threatening manner that unless you move your reservation you will lose your money. They were closed and not open I could not check in even if I wanted to! read more

Well, I've been wanting to go visit Artesian Lakes for about 7 years now and I thought that with social distancing, this would be a good time to finally go. I booked the Yellow Rose cabin for me and my two sons for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (it's cheaper on the weekdays) and it was a perfect size for us. It was clean and stocked with bath and pool towels, paper towels, coffee and plates/cups. There isn't an ice maker so, either bring those ice trays to make ice, or bring a bag of ice for the freezer. I brought a pan for cooking eggs and bacon on. The first night we arrived, we went swimming in their cute pool and dipped our feet in the lake. Tuesday, it was a sunny and nice day so we went on hikes, watched the alligators from the patio, swam in the pool and lake, swung on the swings, went to the terrace to watch the turtles, etc. I'm rating it 2-stars for the followin reasons: 1) They do provide complimentary wifi but it only works by the pool and the lake and not by the cabin. When I brought this to their attention, they said it's complimentary (which I took as, if it doesn't work, it's not their problem) and also blamed the weather. The only time it rained was Wednesday morning. Monday evening and Tuesday all day, it was a beautiful day, which I don't think would affect the wifi. 2) They have a post on Facebook stating if you mention that post, you'll receive 15% off new reservations. When I requested that 15% off, they said I didn't book in time. That would have been understandable if there was a date to book by, on the post, but there was not. 3) They updated their website about what they're currently offering during COVID19 time and it stated that the restaurant was open (it was not) and that they offer horse carriage rides (they did not). I also brought that to their attention and they had no comment. They could have made things right by discounting my stay by 15% but did not. Will I go back? Not sure. Did I tell my friends about my experience? Sure did. read more

Stayed here with a few friends over the weekend. Pretty pricey, still debating if it was worth it. We stayed in the San Jancinto cabin which was very roomy for 4 people. Place was super dusty but other than that decently cleaned. We did enjoy our stay and are wanting to go back maybe next year. read more

If I could give a 0 I would. DO NOT BOOK HERE! I had an interaction with this company that upset me so much I had to write a review and this is something that I never do. I live in Friendswood Texas, outside of Houston, and we were devestated by the flooding from Harvey. I have been in awe of all the people and businesses that have helped following Harvey and will frequent them many time in the future, but on the flip side, I need to let everyone know about a business that has shown no compassion - The Retreat at Artesian Lakes. I booked a girl's weekend for 16 women Sept 8-10. Needless to say we could not do it. 4 women lost everything, 6 had parents, siblings, or children lose everything and needed to help, and the other 4 were housing displaced families. I asked for the deposit back and they refused. The statement they sent was "It is easy for someone who is having a very bad time to get tunnel vision in their recovery, but we as a business must look to our employees and realize they are suffering as well". Tunnel vision, really? Have they looked at the suffering around them? They eventually gave me 1/2 back because they were able to re-rent one of the two homes, but refused to return the remaining money. I am so disappointed in them and felt that others needed to be aware of the type of management that runs the facility. They stated if "the private home owners do not receive the income they have anticipated and counted on, it could potentially affect their decision to continue renting their homes." There was no compassion, no willingness to work with us so we could use the money from the deposit to help out in our community at such a difficult time, only concern about their bottom line. I sent an email to the owner and got no response. I attempted to contact them repeatedly over two weeks, but they would take a message and not call back. I attempted to get them to understand the devastation that had been suffered and to change their decision, but they refused. At a time when so many have stepped up to help others, this organization has chosen to take care of themselves and ignore the needs of others. This is bigger than our deposit. It calls into question the values of the Artesian Lakes organization. I would encourage you NOT TO BOOK at an organization that was unwilling to do the right thing when the chips were down. read more

Friends, family, and I visited this place over Mother's Day weekend and it was easily one of the best weekends of my life. It's beautiful and relaxing. If you appreciate nature you'll love this spot. read more

My family has been there periodically as far back as 20 years ago, and great memories were made there. HOWEVER. When we called to get information today, we were met with a snippy, hoity toity attitude by the receptionist as though we were peasants trying to get into an exclusive club. After reading other reviews here, it sounds as though they need to make some improvements anyway. We will be looking elsewhere for a personal getaway, as well as places to hold our family reunions of 150+ people. No thanks. read more