Settlement Inn & Lavender Spa

The room odor was hard to describe, a bit like wet laundry forgotten too long, and anyone walking in would notice it. For $415 for two nights, even with a 15% discount, I didn’t feel it was good value when I couldn’t stand the smell. I mentioned it to the front desk, but she said I had probably caused it by mishandling the air conditioner, which I hadn’t touched. She did offer to spray the room, and I thanked her. It smelled a little better when I got back from dinner, but only for a few hours. The building is older and difficult to maintain, I understand, but I was too uncomfortable to stay. I checked out Saturday morning after paying for two nights. I also had a few other issues. I’d come to Fish Creek for a half-day workshop, and it had been years since I’d been in the area, so I asked the host for lodging suggestions. He mentioned the Settlement Inn and one other place, warned me that Door County had a three-night minimum, but thought Settlement might make an exception if I mentioned his organization. They gave me a 15% room discount, but held firm on the length of stay. I’d asked for Thursday and Friday nights before the Saturday morning workshop, but they only had Friday and Saturday available. I work in hospitality and don’t like leaving negative reviews, but I can’t let this go. The front staff seemed uninterested when I reported the smell, almost as unpleasant as the odor itself. I hope the owners have already fixed the odor and the other problems I noted. Maybe I caught them during a rough week. Looking back months later, in 2/26, I feel more forgiving. They may have been understaffed and overstressed, as so many in hospitality are. I missed some warmth and cheer from staff during my vacation, but perhaps they were too tired to offer it. It was late in the season, after all.

We arrived just after the off season, and it was so peaceful. The owners and staff were super friendly. It was our first time up north in Door County, and the place didn’t disappoint. My wife and I will be back.

It’s close to fish creek but still feels a little out in the country and quiet. The pool was very nice and clean, and the helpful staff and pleasant amenities made our stay lovely and peaceful. The rooms were clean, too.

The continental breakfast was very good, but we won’t come back. On the second day the tub clogged during our showers and we had to call maintenance. The pull out couch bed was full of springs and squeaked with every turn, so don’t expect a decent night’s sleep. We put the spring mattress on the floor. There are no locks on the outside doors, so people can come and go as they please. On night one, the fire alarm went off at 11:30 pm. Everyone staying there spent an hour in the parking lot in the middle of the night waiting for someone to come. Apparently there was no employee in the building after hours, just the renters. The fire department took 30 minutes to arrive, and someone had to find the owner’s number and call. The next morning we were up at sunrise after the fire drill, trying to figure out how to close the second-floor skylights. Maybe there was a note somewhere, but who reads the fine print? We asked for a discount for the false alarm and were told no. That’s fine. This isn’t a bad review, more an informative one. If this is your thing, that’s great, just an fyi. We stayed Aug 25 & 26.