St Croix Inn Solon Springs

Our group of six came for the weekend. On Saturday, the bartender said we could only get one round before the 10 p.m. closing, even though the posted hours said midnight. There were 18 people in the bar, and she turned away at least six more while continuing to serve a couple who seemed to be her friends. The night before, we arrived at 9:15 and were told the bar was closed because no one was there. No problem then, but the Saturday treatment was frustrating. There are better places that seem to want your business. If you want to feel welcome, I'd stay away.

Megan made our busy dinner at the onsite bar feel easy. She handled drinks, let us know the food would take a while, and kept checking whether we needed anything while we sat on the deck enjoying the view. The food arrived hot, and we never went without a drink. The lounge was busy, but she still looked after everyone. We booked the Saint Croix Inn on a whim for Apple Fest weekend, needing a room, and were pleasantly surprised. Megan checked us in and explained the pool and bar hours and the amenities. Our room was clean and comfortable. The staff were so friendly that staying there felt more like being at someone's home than a hotel. We'll definitely come back.

The location and lake view are the only things that redeem this place, and even the view depends on getting a lakeside room. The pool area was filthy throughout our stay, with shorts and towels left at the bottom. The pool was still locked at 8 a.m. The sauna is dry and took more than an hour to heat up, and pool towels weren't accessible. Our bathtub had soap scum on it. The beds are old and very soft, so I had to bring my own pillows from the car. We got just two towels for two people, with no self laundry or help getting more. There were no protein choices at breakfast, and no nearby stores were open at breakfast time. Verizon only had 3G or 4G and zero to one bars; the Wi-Fi was too slow for streaming or music, and there was no DVD player or other option. Parking near the door was tricky because non-guests had taken the few close spaces. I could have overlooked those things if we'd been treated kindly. The hotel itself is charming, with Christmas decorations like a Hallmark movie, gentle lighting, a Northwoods feel, and a balcony view of the lake. It felt like stepping into an old-fashioned love story. But the woman in a baseball cap with a long bleach blonde ponytail made us feel unwelcome and treated our requests like an offense. We asked for more room towels and toilet paper and got hostility. For the pool, she gave us one towel and made me feel like a burden for interrupting her flirting in the bar. I didn't ask for another after that, even though I was worried about foot fungus. In the morning, three coffee pots were empty, and she blamed the other guests. My husband and I planned to stay a few more days because a blizzard was coming. We went down for breakfast and sat by the window in a peaceful room. Since we were alone, I turned off the TV. When she came in asking what had happened to her TV, I told her I'd switched it off so she wouldn't worry it was broken. She snapped, “WHY,” as though using the guest remote had invaded her territory. I said she could turn it back on. She said, “Oh I'm going to,” switched it on, and turned the volume all the way up. We took breakfast to our room and packed as quickly as we could to leave. I have never felt so disappointed or unwelcome while traveling. We could have been longtime customers and recommended this charming hotel to friends, but that experience left a bitter memory. If you don't mind paying good money to be treated badly in a beautiful location, stay here. We won't return, and we'll tell our friends why.

The setting is beautiful, and the staff were friendly, helpful, and courteous. The accessibility was difficult, though: the second floor means two flights of stairs with a platform, which was hard to manage when walking is already difficult. The bathtub had no handrail for getting in. The beds were high, making them hard for shorter people to climb into and difficult for someone with a handicap. There were two queen beds but only one chair. After a water spill, the towels we used to clean it up ended up black. The breakfast menu listed eggs, but they were available only on the first day of our five-day stay. At the bar, having to pay by card was inconvenient since our group only carries cash.