River's Edge Resort

We booked a cabin for four nights in February because we needed a flexible cancellation policy. The website said stays of one to seven nights could be cancelled without penalty up to seven days before arrival, by 4:00 PM. Two weeks before the trip our plans changed, so I emailed to cancel. Laurie at the front desk replied that it was non-refundable because it was an event weekend in Winthrop. I checked the site and found a separate rule saying event weekends, hockey tournaments, local events, and special Chamber events required 30 days' notice, with cancellations inside that window non-refundable. I couldn't find any mention of an event weekend while booking. Their calendar showed events in March and May, but nothing on our dates. I called Laurie to ask about it, and the conversation got strange quickly. When I called River's Edge a hotel, she cut me off and said, "sir, that's your first mistake. We're not a hotel. We are a RESORT!" I explained that I'd booked in good faith under the seven-day rule and hadn't seen anything about an event weekend during booking. She said the policy was on the website, so I was bound by it. I pointed out that the events calendar showed nothing for our weekend. She asked if I'd ever been to Winthrop. I said I had, a few years earlier, and she told me that since I'd been there, I should know they have a hockey event practically every weekend. When I asked how guests could know about an event or tournament that wasn't listed, she said that was my problem, not theirs. Then she asked why I was cancelling. I said that wasn't relevant, and she yelled, “are you cancelling because of the lack of snow??!” When I said that was part of the reason, she shouted, “THAT’S NOT A VALID REASON TO CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION!” I hung up and emailed to ask exactly which event triggered the special rule. I never got a reply. I opened a dispute with my credit card company. A few days after our check-in date, Laurie left a voicemail saying I was “2 days late for a reservation,” that she was “gonna open it up today to see if I can rent it for the weekend,” and that she “hadn't heard anything” from me. By then they'd already charged the full amount, we'd had the tense phone call, and I'd emailed for clarification. It sounded like they might keep my money and rent the cabin to someone else. I won the dispute and got my money back. This resort seems shady as hell. Before booking, get written confirmation that your reservation has the standard seven-day cancellation policy. Other reviews suggest I'm not the first person to have these policies applied retroactively.

I had one of the worst hospitality experiences I've had in the U.S. A woman on the property staff was rude, intrusive, and arrogant throughout. Each day she walked outside right past the hut's huge floor-to-ceiling living room windows and stared in. Many windows have no curtains, so people walking by can see everything. She said she was checking the jacuzzi, every single day. It felt creepy and unacceptable. She also lectured two adults about covering the jacuzzi even though we'd followed the rules, then criticized our parenting after seeing our kids playing nearby. That was none of her business, and her manner was condescending and extremely unprofessional. Guests are expected to thoroughly clean every room before leaving, with rules stricter than almost anywhere I've stayed. It seems designed to avoid even basic cleaning or maintenance by the property. And guests have to haul a large garbage bin to a distant trash area themselves. They won't take care of the garbage. Greedy, invasive, disrespectful service with no regard for guest privacy. Nightmare-level experience. Avoid at all costs.

We had good people, good food, and a really relaxing stay in the off-season. The one-bedroom home was comfortable to sleep in, with a hot tub to unwind and the river right by the deck. I'd challenge another small rustic town in Washington to do better.

We've stayed in a three-bedroom cabin for years, visiting Winthrop several times a year, and always loved it. But when I called this morning to confirm our usual first weekend in March booking, a very rude woman told me, “I guess they decided they wanted to give other people an opportunity to stay that weekend.” We've spent close to $25,000 there over the last ten years. When we checked out last year, we remade the reservation, but the front desk woman said, “we don’t have to tell you we cancelled your booking”. I feel sad that we won't book or spend money with a company that treats loyal customers this way and has a receptionist with an attitude problem. I hope whoever got our booking makes them regret it.