Hope Lake Lodge & Indoor Waterpark

The room worked great for me, my husband, and our three kids. My older boys liked having their own beds, thanks to the Murphy bed and pull-out couch along with the private bedroom. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful, and I'm very grateful for that. Buying every activity ticket separately was a real inconvenience. We had to call representatives for almost everything, then create a website account just to access the tickets. Some things should be part of the stay, or at least available for purchase at the front desk.

We were told our room had a balcony, but it didn't. There were staffing shortages, and several things weren't open, including the kids' area, the bears den. Our toddler got sick, and they couldn't bring fresh sheets, so we had to go down and get them ourselves. The fire alarm went off on two nights in a row because people were smoking in the bathroom, with no explanation from staff. Skiing is always great, and we've stayed here three years in a row over this holiday weekend. Each year has been worse. The first year there were big packages with water park, tubing, and skiing, but now there's no package at all. The water park is way overpriced without a holiday package, and today there was human feces in the outdoor/indoor pool.

The restaurants were badly understaffed, with long waits and terrible service. We tried Carvers because it looked less busy than Trax, but had the same experience at a higher price. Skiing was great, though. At check-in the registration woman was rude and unwelcoming. The water park should have been included in an already overpriced stay. Charging $48 per person for a small park is absurd when major parks cost the same and have more than three times the attractions. The hotel pool and hot tub are included, but putting them inside the water park makes the rest of the park tempting for kids. Hotel guests should have their own private area. I accidentally left my diamond stud earrings in the bathroom at checkout. The representative said they'd ask housekeeping and call me back, but I never heard anything. I can only assume they were stolen.

The rooms are very nice, and the resort is right next to an awesome ski place. But the lift runs until 9 p.m., while the pool, hot tub, and water park close at 7. I hoped to relax in the hot tub with my family after skiing, so finding the pool and hot tub already closed was a big disappointment. My toilet also clogged. For this price, 3/5 stars is generous.