The Lodge At Big Bear Lake – Holiday Inn Resort

This hotel is CUTE! The room was spacious and clean. Many restaurants and bars close and walkable. No complaints regarding the hotel.
No for the restaurant with the hotel: slow service and mediocre food. We only ate there because we had vouchers and it was free. We waited 45min for our table the first day and once seated it took about 90min from sitting to paying the check (there was only 2 of us). Second day was 30min wait and the same service.

I was nervous about booking a room here due to all the bad reviews I had read on multiple websites. However decided to take a leap of faith and book anyways and so GLAD I DID.
When I walked in I was immediately greeted by staff that were busy helping other customers. Once I got up to the counter they apologized for my wait. Staff was professional, friendly, polite and attentive. I was offered to sign up for IHG program for a later check out. so I did. Our room was clean (carpet can use some cleaning). Pool was clean. The hotel is conveniently located in the village which is walking distance to shops and restaurants. All and all we were happy with our stay. We will definitely be coming back.

We’ve been here several times but this was our first stay since they became Holiday Inn. New carpets, fixtures, outdoor furniture make a much better first impression. Rooms have also been updated with new bedding, flooring, sinks; and it’s so nice to have a microwave, mini fridge and Keurig in the rooom!
Every staff member was genuinely cordial and accommodating but front desk supervisor, Daniel Adams, was exceptional. Many hotels have forgotten they’re part of the hospitality industry, Daniel put that first and foremost. He absolutely made us feel like valued guests!
When you’re looking for a quick getaway and don’t want to deal with the hassle of renting a cabin, this is a great option. Location is perfect, easy stroll to Big Bear Village shops and restaurants. And with their recent renovations, even better!
We’ve already planned our next visit for September!

Great location and really comfortable rooms. The front desk was helpful and price matched the Groupon price. The only place I found in Big Bear with Air Conditioning. My family and I had a great time and enjoyed our stay.

Love this place! This is our third trip here for an early summer getaway. Loved it as Northwoods and it is even better now with the Holiday Inn revamp. Staff was always great and now the property is as well. Thanks to Daniel, Joe and Sven at the front desk for taking care of us. Rooms are freshly painted and super clean. Great location in the heart of The Village. See you next year.

Very very horrible service! Room smells, ac smells reception can not be reached from the phone because the phone doesn’t work. The window area has several dead flies and spider webs. This is Holiday Inn. Does not deserve to be part of this hotel group! I have stayed in a motel the last time I came, and that was a lot better than this. NOT A RESORT! Such a disappointing experience! :(

Excellency service. Right when we entered the hotel we were helped with directions of the big bear area. Breakfast in the lodge has friendly staff & it’s all in a peaceful setting!

Stayed here on Memorial Day weekend so it was $$$. The one thing this «resort» has going for them is location. It’s right next to the Village area which is the main street in Big Bear so you can just walk there.
ROOMS
Ours had ants in them, I almost died when I saw one on my bed! Saw them at night and called the front desk right away, they were really nice about it and sent someone to spray antibacterial and clean them up since we had to sleep and didn’t want to smell all the chemicals of ant spray. They came to spray the room the next day but the ants just migrated to a different area in the room. They were supposed to switch our room but never did. They gave us a discount but said it’s an expected problem in the mountain area… so basically deal with it. Other than that the room was fine, felt like the AC wasn’t working too well since it never got that cold.
BREAKFAST
I would not pay extra for the breakfast. The eggs are most likely powdered eggs. The only thing that was good was the fresh fruit and oatmeal. If you want to be healthy probably not the best place to get your protein. I asked if they could do egg whites and it’s $ 3 per egg white =/​This is a resort breakfast? Although the breakfast area is nice and clean, I’d recommend walking to the neighboring restaurants for breakfast and you’ll be happier.
GYM
Only cardio equipment unfortunately. Small, 2 treadmills, one elliptical, one cycling machine, and a sauna. One TV. All of the machine worked.
PARKING
Their own parking lot that didn’t get full on Memorial Day weekend, a good sign that you’ll probably always find parking if you stay here.
SERVICE
The workers here are very nice and tried their best to keep us happy and help with the ant situation so I did appreciate that.
Overall, location is really what makes this place a good option to stay at. Also, there aren’t any other updated hotels close by. Would have been better for me if I didn’t have to deal with the ants.

My best girlfriend had her wedding here. My review is about our stay here. The hotel was great, we were able to upgrade our room when we arrived.

Rooms are pretty good, but the walls are thin, you can hear people next to your room and you can hear the footsteps above your room as its very loud. Rooms are clean and staff are all friendly. Although beware of ants and broken TV’s in the rooms.
This place is probably one of the best spots to stay in, very close to the Village shopping/​restaurant area, literally a 1 min walk.
Breakfast is horrible don’t get it! Their eggs were rubbery — tasted fake. Pancakes were not fresh — rubbery too, for a resort/​Holiday Inn I thought they would have better quality food, but they don’t. Only thing that was good was their fresh fruit. Just go down the street at a café and eat there for breakfast instead, trust me!
Overall I would recommend staying at this place for a nice weekend getaway, because it’s close to all the major attractions and the lake of course!

My husband and I decided to take advantage of a Groupon deal and to visit Big Bear. It has been years since we last visited. It was a nice drive up with beautiful scenery.
The hotel is the site of the original Stillwaters resort, once the most exclusive and most expensive facility in the area. It is now owned by Holiday Inn. The décor is rustic, with a cabin like feel. Our standard room was clean and comfortable, no frills, no view. I liked that there was a fireplace in the room (note to self, cozy ambience and warmth during cold winter months).
I also like that it was walking distance to the village and water front. There are a lot of good restaurants and shops.
This was a good time of year to visit-​nice weather and no crowds.
Next time we return we would like to do a boat cruise on the lake and jet skis.
The Lodge at Big Bear Lake is a good value for the cost.

Took a week day get away up to Big Bear. Stayed here on a group on (thx wifey) we got a king size standard room. Very clean, no sanitary issues at all. They do leave all windows open to 3″ …hallway, rooms etc. There is a security block that on the frame so no worries. We stayed on the 4^th floor. Haha being from California I never stay on the 1^st floor. A/​C worked well and the Temps were 85* so that was good. Being a holiday Inn property they had most upgrades… gym, business center etc.
Group on came with a buffet breakfast, potatoes, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon/​sausage, yogurt and oatmeal. Pretty good and the coffee was great. I stay at Holiday Inn Express frequently and they have the best breakfast buffet with my biscuits and gravy!

Note: this is an updated review… sadly down from my earlier 4 star review…
So, I have stayed here a few times. The most recent being the last two nights. Yes, part of the Memorial Day weekend. I am torn about giving this hotel fewer stars than my last review, because mostly I really do like it. It’s just that my stay this time wasn’t entirely pleasant. And I am really, really tired. The room was clean. The bed was super comfy. The shower was great. Unfortunately, the room above mine contained two seemingly parenting-​handicapped adults and two young, entitled, obnoxious children. The children ran and jumped in the room for hours the first evening. Hours! Luckily, I had already taken a quick nap and was headed out for the night so I hoped this was just a fluke, and tried my best to ignore it. A near impossible feat.
The second day I was up early and out and about for most of the morning. I had a function to go to Saturday night so had planned to fit in a nap (I love my naps). I got back to my room around 1’ish in the afternoon. The jumping/​running was already in full force. Dear lord, parents, the weather was absolutely gorgeous… let the kids play outside in the fresh mountain air. But no… the room above mine was their playground. I took care of some business and then hoped to take my nap… but two hours later, the thunder from above was still active. I tried to sleep, but the sonic booms prevented that. I finally called the front desk and was assured they would handle it. Well, shortly after that there was pounding… at my door! I didn’t answer it… it was the parents of the terrors pretending to be hotel staff. Nice try. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with them. Through the door I could hear the mom saying, «I mean it’s just two small kids. .this is ridiculous.» Okay, so Mom’s gonna be an enabler. I mean, it’s not like the hotel staff put the family on time-​out, for God’s sake. Simply asked them to keep the noise down. But I digress. I waited another hour and the noise had gotten worse. They were running, jumping, and now opening and slamming the sliding glass door and screen door repeatedly and yelling from their balcony to another across the way, which I assume was more family or friends because they were laughing and yelling back. Apparently mom and dad told them to ramp up the noise. Way to teach them how to be thoughtful and considerate. I called the front desk again and advised them that I didn’t want those parents back at my door or there would be some bigger trouble. I only avoid confrontation for so long… and then it’s on. I really wasn’t in the mood. I was told again that the problem would be handled. I have no doubt that they talked to the parents… because the noise level INCREASED, as if that was even possible. Screw it… I got up and went napless to my event and, in spite of being extremely tired, had an amazing time. I got home very late and the little sh*ts upstairs had apparently worn themselves out. I got about three hours of sleep and, surprise, the kids were up and at it all over again. Jumping, screaming, running, and now pounding and stomping on their floor… which was, of course, my ceiling. I wasn’t gonna call the front desk again. I got out of bed, packed my stuff and split. Came home, and yes… took a nice, uninterrupted nap. Home sweet home.
So here’s the thing… the front desk DID address my complaint. And they were very courteous. I understand that it isn’t their job to babysit. But I did pay for my room and had some reasonable expectations… like being able to take a flippin’ nap in the middle of the dang day if I so wanted to. And I really wanted to. I really wanted to sleep in a little bit this morning, too, before my drive home. That proved to be not an option. The real problem was actually the Parents of the Year. This isn’t a «noise sensitivity» issue. It’s an issue of parents not parenting. The noise I experienced was at a completely unacceptable level and I doubt anyone would have tolerated it for long. I should have requested another room early on. Or the hotel staff should have offered that as an option. Or moved the «problem» to a ground level room where they could run and jump to their little hearts’ desire. Or, if rooms were at a premium, considering the holiday weekend, maybe they could have had us swap rooms. Ah, that would have been fun.
In the future, I will request a room on the top floor away from the pool/​courtyard area (I did request a room away from the pool area even though I knew it wasn’t going to be open, but didn’t get it. Better luck next time?) Yes, I will probably come back here and give it another try (I am an IHG Rewards Member). Maybe then I can bump up the star rating. Unless I’m tired. I’m cranky when I’m tired. Rant over.

Clean, comfortable room, excellent location — right at Big Bear Village — Great value and experience. I purchased a room here via Groupon and am very surprised at some of the previous reviews. I assume that they must have remodeled the place since some of the reviews were posted here. The beds have clean, new bedding, updated, clean interior, carpets. Microwave, Keurig coffee maker, desk. Very clean and comfortable room.

Groupon special, Fri and Saturday nights for our anniversary. Just a quick getaway from down in the valley. Clean room, comfortable bed, microwave and small fridge. Wood details throughout hotel, clean and low key. Bathroom was a bit small but everything worked and was in good shape.
Hotel is easy walking distance from The Village so we had dinner/​drinks both nights in town. There is also a fabulous fudge/​candy shop in town, the North Pole, don’t miss it. This hotel location is part of the ski resorts’ trolley/​transportation loop so it would have been great if we needed it.
Hotel has a restaurant, Stillwells, but it was pricey for our budget. Hotel gave us breakfast vouchers (Hokiday Inn breakfast at Stillwells), but restaurant had additional conditions (couldn’t order steak and eggs, despite being listed on Holiday Inn menu-​but that was fine) and we couldn’t order from Xtras section as part of the free voucher (extra bacon, sausage, fruit, biscuits and gravy). Our problem was Stillwells staff understanding was 1 meal, 1 drink per voucher, period. We never got a refill. So the coffee I ordered after my soda was extra. Small detail but felt like being nickeled and dimed, especially given the impatient attitude we got from the waitress when we questioned our bill. We decided not to use our second set on Sunday.
Would definitely stay there again. We weren’t treated any different for having the Groupon deal and it was a friendly, responsive Holiday Inn staff. Good, accessible location to other activities.

The place was cool. Huge outdoor area with pool and spa. Was not open though. And it is March. So that really sucked. Rooms were pretty cool. fire place. Wood furnishings.
Careful though if you book on priceline! I was charged for the room right away from priceline because I did a name your own price. Upon check in, the girl ran my card for the price of the room and a $ 50 refundable deposit.
So I was charged ALREADY when I booked online, then charged onced again upon checking PLUS $ 50. I mentioned I was already charged for the room because I did a name your own price and that is how it works, you get whatever hotel you get. She said oh yeah I see you were, sorry about that. Best part: once I got home I was charged again! But a lesser amount. $ 77 instead of the original $ 90.
I call the hotel and mention this. The guy says oh yeah I see you were already charged sorry about that. I will refund it and you will get it back on your card in a couple days. At this point my account was overdrawn because I was still waiting on two refunds from the Holiday Inn. It’s been a week and I still have not gotten the 2^nd refund! So I will call these boneheads again.
It is a nice place, but I would NEVER stay there again because of this b.s. Just a heads up.

Stayed here as a last resort. Stuck in snow storm and I couldn’t be more happier. This hotel/​resort is newly renovated and has super clean and comfortable rooms.
This place is owned by Holiday inn now. This resort really needed a face lift and is now four stars vs 1 star. Will stay here again and it even passed the black light test.

Stayed here this past weekend. Room was spacious and clean. Parking was easy. Holiday inn just recently bought out the other hotel and renovated. Renovations were nice. Keurig and bath and body toiletries. Our room had a couch conversion. Front desk greeting was very pleasant. The lobby was nice. Best part is the location, your practically in the village just walk out of the hotel and make a left and u have access to all kinds of foods and shops. Can’t wait to stay again with my family.

The real problem with this resort is the management. BREANNA WENTWORTH is by far the worst manager I have ever encountered and should be terminated immediately. Her inability to properly operate this establishment has run this place into the ground. I was told that their was a jacuzzi at this property and a game room for the kids. When we get to the «resort» we see caution tape around the entrance to the restaurant and are already feeling uneasy. We go to check in from 6 hours of driving up the mountain and ask how late the spa is open. We were told it had been closed for months and we «should» have been notified on the reservation line. Like I said the only reason I came here is because of the spa and game room for the kids. Lady at front desk said I would get an «upgrade» room with balcony. We are upset but head to are room. Right when we get in to the room we notice the light in the bathroom does not work. We call down and they say they will fix it tomorrow when we are gone. I go to wash my hands and notice no soap, or shampoo available. No soap? $ 300 plus a night and no soap? My girlfriend had brought some special soap so no problem. Went to take a shower and find out you need to hold the spayer with one hand and put soap on with another. If you let go of the spayer it points out of the shower and soaks the floor. Pain in the neck. The «Balcony» had 3 feet of snow on it. We go down to the game room only to find out it had been closed and remodeled to something else. Now we are super bummed and just go outside to play in the snow and go to bed early. When we get up we get ready to have coffee and notice their is no water. We go down stairs to get water and they say they dont have any and suggest we go to 711. If i have go to 711 to get water dont you think I will get coffee there? We go snowboarding and return to room only to find BOTH lights not working! We call again and let them know about the problem. For now we are using the cell phone light in order to use the bathroom. Pain with small kids! They did come up and fix main light but still no vanitie. I let then know again but it never got fixed even after telling BREANNA WENTWORTH. I was so mad I wanted to leave only to find out all other places we booked. I told BREANNA WENTWORTH about my stay and specified the fact that I was told the spa and game room were available. SHE SAID «THATS IMPOSSIBLE SIR» Impossible? Thats what they said! For $ 300 a night i could have stayed almost anywhere. BREANNA WENTWORTH IS RUDE and not worthy of a management position. After calling Holiday Inn customer service they refunded a large amount of my money and I was happy but could not belive how I was treated. They confirmed that on the computer it says nothing about the spa not working. If you look at other sites that book rooms you will see this place offers a pool and spa. Untill BREANNA WENTWORTH is gone and all amenities return I would not stay at this place again.

This is a Hotel recently purchased by Holiday Inn. If you book rooms be prepared to see a lot of Construction. You are paying premium price for a hotel room $ 299 a night and there is no pool, no spa, a meek looking bar, and a meek low quality restaurant. You will be walking distance to the village if that’s your preference. The sheets in the beds are low quality (almost itchy). See the pics I am posting. My husband is not a UnilocalER and he insisted I post a review to show future guests the construction we had to see in our balcony and in the front of the hotel.
Bathroom: needs upgrading tub was older and the vent was unattached from the ceiling. I forgot to take a pic.
Staff was friendly but not very informative for visitors on Wifi, trolley, restaurants. You got no info unless you asked for it.
Housekeeper was good but did not leave any shampoo on the second night.

They just re-​opened as the Holiday Inn Resort and it is just absolutely breathtaking! When you walk in the lobby you instantly feel like you’re staying at a $ 600+ hotel but it’s a third of the price! Oh, and they also have a military discount which the reservations specialist won’t tell you about. Rooms are completely renovated, granite countertops, fireplace, comfy beds with thicker down comforter, and brand new furniture and direct TV’s on a flatscreen. Reason for 4 stars– they have still got to get the little things together. My only complaint is that we also ordered room service and they took over an hour and a half because their system had my room number wrong. They comped my food but not my drink… I think they should have comped it all. In Vegas my hotel comp’ed 2 nights for a leaking toilet. Also, their pamphlet said if you forgot basic toiletries (toothbrush including) they would provide it but when I called the front desk she was unaware of the policy. However, they did deliver it complimentary.

They also have another name for this place on Unilocal called Northwoods Resort
I really tried to give his place a chance, I really did. Stayed here 2 years ago and it was not great then heard it was Holiday Inn now so I figured it had to be better was I ever wrong! If you see the reviews under the old name they are just as bad, guess things never change
This is the longest review I have ever posted. Spent 35 minutes on this. Shows how bad it is. As I am the first reviewer I can start off this places review.
First they are doing renovations so my review will focus on over service and then renovation issues.
Booked a double queen bed room. $ 200 per night
Outside. They plowed the parking lot and used the handicap spots to pile the snow in. This is a HUGE ADA violation. As a handicap veteran it makes me upset. I could not park in them by the door to help make it easier for me to check in. Not a great first impression.
First room looks nice and they said it was just renovated last week.
First the bathroom
Shower valve is backwards so cold give hot and hot gives cold. The shower safety bar is new and falling off the wall. Workers threw it up fast, I posted pics.
Tub looks nice but has BLACK MOLD all over the handle to drain tub, posted pics. Front desk said its new and there is no way it has mold but looked at it and agreed it was mold. New? Think not.
Tried to give my son a bath and it took 43 minutes to fill the tub. I am not guessing, I started my timer when I saw how poor the flow was and me and the wife took bets on on how long it would take.
Microwave and fridge were not plugged in and 4 feet from the wall plug and it would not reach. We had to move the dresser it’s in just to use it.
Keurig had 1 packet of coffee at check in we asked for tea and they raves how the rooms had tea. Had to walk to desk to get some. They only gave use 2 paper cups for a room made for 4. Went in the am and asked for coffee and they said they would send it right over. Left after an hour. 7pm at nigh came back the maid left 0 cups and 0 coffee and tea, not even the coffee they promised. Went to desk they have me 1 keurig cup for 2 adults and would not give more. Worse it was decaf and they said they had nothing else. Asked about the coffee I asked for at 9 am and why we had no cups, «we will talk to house keeping» translation, we will do nothing and won’t solve the issue. At they desk she would only give me 2 cups for 3 people, guess here you have to share.
Overall
Wall are paper thin. Nasty dirty carpet Ina «newly renovated room» Pipes kept clanking and banging all night and I woke up so tired as they kept be up. Every 5 minuets … KLANG, KLANG
Pool is advertised as heated and open year round, big sign at front says it closed for winter. Not what your website says.
Room has a doorbell for those that are deaf. All night kids and adults walked by pushing the button waking us up. At 1am I found the box on the wall and took it off.
Renovations
I think it great you are putting money to fix it up, that said…
Hallways crowed with piles of boxes and debris from construction. Door was blocked coming into building at 8pm with construction stuff causing me to trip coming in. Parking lot in back full of trash for construction blocking parking near rooms. Back sidewalk covered in ice and snow the entire time. Wife and son fell a few times. They keep the front nice to get people in but don’t care about your safety afterward. Workers pounding on the room upstairs so hard things in the room rattled. Did not stop until 6:45. So much for relaxing with the family in the room after a fun day. Worker speaking loudly to each other around my young son saying «hey motherf@cker, go get it». «grab that sh@t and take it to the second floor» «be carful with that key, it bent and don’t break the f@cker, I am not getting blamed for that sh@t»
Great way for employees of a company to act around family, guests or just in general.
Enjoy my $ 600 as it’s the last you getting from me. Wife said the first day lets come back here in the spring but now we will go to another place and give them our business.

The absolute WORST accommodations anywhere in the world. We cut my birthday plans short and went home since this place was so atrocious. Don’t let the beautiful exterior of this place fool you!
Staff: Absolutely wonderful. If there was an option to give a «no star» review — I’d still give 1 for the great people they have working here. Shawna and Hanna at the front desk were so accommodating, helpful and gave A+ service. The younger male host of their restaurant was personable, informative, and sweet — same goes for the female bartender/​server that was working last night. Northwoods — keep these people! They were the only lights in this dismal experience.
Lobby/​Restaurant: They’re in a major renovation of their lobby and restaurant which was mostly taped off with clear plastic. Their restaurant is totally closed so they’ve made a makeshift eating area in their ballroom.
Hallway: if you’re above 5’5″, or a lady that wears heels, be prepared — their ceilings are about 7′ tall — cramped doesn’t even begin. The carpet is older and stained and the whole place is themed like a cheesy log cabin.
The Room & the reason why we left: I don’t know why they’re renovating their lobby and restaurant when their rooms are so atrocious. A motel-​esque bathroom with closet — the hanging sliding doors on both the toilet area and closet were hung disproportionately and didn’t close. The living area had a rock-​hard king bed with 4 pillows that were hard and ½ stuffed, also there was no comforter on the bed — odd for a mountain resort. The carpet in our room was stained, there were chunks out of one of the walls, and silver duct tape on the floor between the bathroom and living areas since they were too cheap to level their carpet to their tile. The best part was finding out when we tried to go to sleep that you could loudly hear the pipes and water anytime anyone in the hotel used their sink, toilet, or shower. There was also a loud screech that would happen every few hours to which we couldn’t pin point the source. Finally, at 1am we found out the walls were paper thin — our next door neighbors started having ungodly loud sex to which we could only equate with shooting a porno. After an hour of hearing the females screeching I pounded on the wall. Needless to say — between hearing everything going on in the hotel ²⁴⁄₇ and the inhumane bed — neither one of us got any sleep.
And this place charges $ 300+/night on weekends. I wouldn’t pay more than $ 40 a night — because that’s what you’re really getting. I’ll be telling anyone I hear going to Big Bear to stay away from this place.
Thanks for ruining my birthday, Northwoods.

My husband has been working some crazy hours lately, and to celebrate his birthday this year he wanted to get out of town for a weekend for some hardcore R&R. After another sweltering Las Vegas summer, a quick trip to enjoy some cooler temps at Big Bear Lake sounded perfect.
I found Northwoods Resort via
and then ended up booking directly with the resort and saving close to $ 20/​night. (There was a recent promotion on
for Northwoods, and it appears the resort was matching that price) For the price that we paid, it’s hard to complain about much at Northwoods. The location is great, right in the middle of the Village where all the action is, and just a short distance to the waterfront.
Check in was fairly quick and easy, however the employee could have been more informative about the property. We were not told about how to access the free wifi, the onsite restaurant, the hours for the pool/​jacuzzi/​weight room, the onsite kayak rental program, or anything other than how to get to our rooms.
We stayed in a room with 2 queen beds, which was spacious enough and had somewhat kitschy cabin style décor. From the get go the room appeared to be clean, however the last morning as we were preparing to check out my husband found a few ants by the mini-​fridge.
My biggest issue with Northwoods is the lack of serenity, this place has some super thin walls. We could hear people in the hallway and in other rooms talking, people outside at the pool laughing and in the mornings we could even hear housekeeping vacuuming rooms down the hall from ours in the morning.
There were signs up in the hallway near our room that indicated that there were renovations going on, hopefully after that is completed the rooms are quieter. It is hard to feel like you are staying in a «resort» with the amount of noise heard while in the rooms.
Northwoods Resort is an acceptable place to stay, if you are able to get the discounted rate. Had I paid the the $ 250/​night that
listed as the non-​sale price for Northwoods, I would have been extremely disappointed.
After the renovations are completed I would be interested in staying again and if I do I will update my review.