Holiday Inn Dundee - Waterpark

We bought day passes for the water park, so we didn’t stay in the hotel. Our two 8 year olds had a lot of fun, and my husband and I liked the lazy river and hot tub. Still, we probably won’t go back. There were only three staff on duty: one at the top of the racing slides, with just one slide open, one at the service desk, and one at the snack bar. With so few lifeguards, kids were running up the tree house area slides, making it dangerous for people sliding down. We paid an extra $150 for a private cabana because the website said it came with private servers and an exclusive menu. That turned out not to be true. We were told the restaurant is now just a bar, and food was only available at the snack bar, with no servers. For the extra money, all we got was a table and six chairs. Not worth it.

The room cost $500 for one night, and even the lights didn’t work. Windows in the rooms open, even on the third floor, which is crazy. There wasn’t a working elevator in our section, one of the two water slides was out, and the arcade was laughable. The employees seemed miserable, rude, and power tripping. Don’t count on the lifeguards to keep your kids safe. Seriously, don’t waste your time or money. I don’t understand the people giving this place 5/5. Did they get paid to write a good review?

The water park itself was fine, and my son had fun. We all enjoyed that part. The hotel was another story. There were no working bathrooms outside our room that my family or I could find, and inside we found just one roll of toilet paper. The hotel bar was laughable, with maybe three drinks available, and although they say they serve food, there was none to be seen. There was only one working elevator, and it smelled like it had recently been used as a site for adult movies and never cleaned. The front desk seemed overwhelmed by everything, with a line of people checking in, and couldn’t give us accurate directions, so we got lost briefly before finding our way. We booked last night as a family treat to get out of the winter funk, but it was problem after problem. A weekend stay with water park passes and the cheapest room is about $300, which isn’t acceptable for this level of service. At that price, it’s not even a budget option. I’d rather spend the money on anything else. I know it only recently reopened, but I think it needs to close again for major renovations. I understand it may be the only option for some, but I’d choose Great Wolf Lodge or Soaring Eagle Waterpark and Hotel.

The room was quiet and comfortable, and we had a really good time. My kids, 12 and 14, didn’t want to leave the water park. The lazy river was the big attraction for us. Only one slide was running, but we loved the one that was open. The place was clean, and the employees were very nice and attentive.