Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains, PA

The quick, easy check-in was a bright spot, and the man helping guests was polite and helpful. Housekeeping’s supervisors were accommodating too. After that, service felt poor. Staff at Wood's End Creamery & Fireside acted as if ordering or eating there was a nuisance, and quiet hours weren’t enforced. The bigger problem was how children were allowed to behave around the lodge. At the lazy river, lifeguards let unattended kids go without tubes, swim the wrong way, shove people during their games, jump from the concrete sides, and try to swim beneath floaters while kicking them. Little kids ran around in groups with no adults in sight and screamed in the stairways, where the noise carries. I blame a lot of this on parents leaving their children for staff to handle, and some parents seemed even more badly behaved than their kids. I don’t know how they can fix it after being so lax with rules for so long. We’ve visited several Great Wolf Lodge locations, and this was our second stay here. I understand they need to make money, and I’m not bothered by hiring young workers or by the prices themselves. I spent $2,000 for two days, though, and still couldn’t enjoy myself. This will be our last visit.

The water park bathrooms could use more showers and better soap dispensers, but this was still the best indoor waterpark we’ve visited. We ran out of time and hope to come back and stay longer. I’d plan for at least two nights, and definitely get the breakfast buffet. Everything was clean, neat, and spacious, and the staff were so nice and helpful. Service was impeccable, and it’s clearly a good spot for families. I’m glad it’s paired with HGV. I just wish Hilton Honors were included too, so HGV owners could earn rewards on stays shorter than three nights.

Update: I followed the Great Wolf Lodge team's reply and got in touch. I apologized, and they told me they could do something when I booked another stay. That left me dumbfounded. Why would I spend more money there after a subpar first trip? I asked them to give my family a day trip on the house so they could make things right, and then they stopped responding. I’d already wasted money on the original visit, and they wanted me to pay again. It’s sad that they weren’t interested in fixing the problems at their own expense. On our first and last family visit, the water park itself was great, clean, and easy to get around. The rest of the place was terrible. Our room felt like it was built from paper, with awful noise from other rooms and the hallways. We paid extra for a birthday package, but they forgot it. Rooms weren’t cleaned daily and linens weren’t refreshed, so I guess you have to ask for a clean living space. The amenities were terrible, staff seemed unorganized, and the rooms were dirty. Don’t waste money on the restaurant food. The sit-down place had very limited hours and served cold food that seemed microwave quality. At the takeout place, there was nowhere to eat except the floor, unless you took over a table at Dunkin Donuts. The facility seemed focused on keeping adults supplied with drinks, which were available everywhere. The arcade was another way to burn through $100 in three minutes. More than half the games were out of order, the claw machines didn’t seem set up for anyone to win, and the working games were short and basic. Parking cost extra, and each on-site meal could run well over $100 for food worse than five-day-old hot dogs from 7-11. My daughter got a subpar birthday experience. I hope they learn from the hundreds of similar reviews and improve things. Prices need to be more reasonable, and the experience needs to get better.

I told them about the problems before we left, and they were very helpful. I don’t usually complain or write reviews, but I spent a lot and came away disappointed. My oldest loves coming here for his birthday, and both kids have enjoyed the trips. Still, for the last two years there’s always been an issue. Last year’s room problem happened again. The arcade was especially frustrating: over half the games were out of order, and the ones we tried took credits off the card without letting us play. Some staff were really rude, though others were amazing. The food wasn’t good. The pizzeria was bad, Fireside Grill was okay but nothing special, and the buffet had hardly any choices and served cold food. It feels like the place is going downhill. Next year we’re switching it up. I just want to enjoy time with my kids.