The Osthoff Resort

I stayed at this resort many times in the past few years, but my stay last weekend was not good. Where do I begin:
1. I would anticipate in a fully stocked kitchen that you would have napkins and paper towels there were none
2. We had no tissue in one bathroom
3. Our rooms were not cleaned at all during our weekend stay
4. Room Service made errors both times that we ordered
5. For the price I would suggest a stay anywhere but here
6. Linens smelled bad, as did the room, I bought an air freshener and linen spray after our first night
On the positive side, Lola’s as always was amazing, and the staff was generally nice, just not very knowledgeable.

Beautiful town and building but the entire level smells terrible and staff is very inexperienced.

The room was amazing, room service wasn’t so good. The layout is confusing, but the facility is well-​kept and the grounds are beautiful.

As most of the other reviews say, the grounds are about the only positive thing about this resort. April the bartender was the only friendly staff person we encountered during our 3-​day stay! We were as far away from the lobby as you can get and our keys quit working at least once a day. We ordered room service and it was cold by the time it was delivered. We were not informed that this is an individually owned condo/​hotel. Imagine our surprise to walk in our room and find 2 men in the closet that had been locked (their liquor cabinet). We also asked for extra towels twice. We only got them on the day we left a tip for housekeeping. Also, the jacuzzi tub didn’t work. We reported it and didn’t even get an apology. $ 285 a night… everything should have been perfect. We won’t go back.

I gave osthoff 2 stars only because it is so nice, but they have the worst customer service. So if you’re looking for an expensive place to go with terrible customer service then this is your place.

I have traveled to The Osthoff Resort in Wisconsin in the summer as well as the winter. It is a very lovely getaway. Lola’s restaurant within the resort is a top quality and yet comfortable environment. All rooms I have stayed in are very accommodating and comfortable The Osthoff also has, ‘Jazz On The Vine’ concerts from time to time that you may want to check out. I highly recommend this resort for your relaxing getaway.

Awesome place! Recommended on every level. Lovely view. Great food at Lola’s. Best chicken breast I’ve had in years. Go enjoy this lovely place.

While a lovely, lodgey feel, I cannot fathom why — with a 7% occupancy rate — I get a room that is a 5 minute walk from the lobby (189) and smells like someone fried up their icehouse fish catch. On day one of a four-​day trip, I cannot fathom how impressed my clients will be with my «Arthur Treacher’s crew chief» aroma. I’ll take a mediocre Franchise hotel over this disappointment.

Ahh, the most common Unilocal lament. «Why no half stars?»
(Waffling between a three and a four on this one, truly.)
Keep it real and keep it charitable to local business is what I say.
I was here for a wedding this past weekend and it seems as though this resort must keep the town of Elkhart Lake afloat economically, almost single-​handedly. This place is… huge. It’s huge. It’s like a giant compound. (Shoutout, Matt G) You will probably get lost wandering the halls of the Osthoff. Just follow the posted arrows to where you need to be and you’ll be just fine.
… and this place is fancy, definitely nice, and definitely higher-​end. The grounds are well-​manicured and the ambiance/​décor suggests a sort of upscale woodland chic meets updated construction in a historic construction. Dark wood, tasteful taxidermy, leather chairs… you get the idea. The wedding itself we attended was lovely and the lake made for a great backdrop to the ceremony. So there’s that.
Making it easy, then:
Pros:
–great food at Lola’s… really top notch. Servers here killed it, too.
–nice facilities all the way around
–clean and well-​kept
–a kick ass arcade (who’da thunk it?)
–the lake is super pretty as are the grounds
–solid gym facilities
Cons:
–staff inconsistent in terms of attitude/​service: we had incredible servers at Lola’s and the woman at the Elk Room behind the bar was great, but also encountered relatively disaffected service from bartenders throughout the weekend as well. It was sort of a crapshoot, really.
–no option to take credit cards at remote bars + no working atm = couldn’t spend our money at the reception proper, many folks had to venture halfway through the compound to get additional drinks from a lobby bar if they wanted anything other than beer during the wedding (inconvenient/​they should probably be more set-​up to profit, right?)
–relatively high prices ($ 280/​night) and though the suites are large, the price works if you’re splitting the suite with another person/​couple, but for two it’s a bit too much in terms of space and offering, and also, too ($) much
So, in keeping it real, I’m waffling between a three and a four… but when you’re charging almost $ 300/​night for folks to stay, you had better live up to your price point/​perceived value all the way around. The Osthoff *almost* did that, but not quite. Some of the little details weren’t there. Still, it was impressive.
If I could rock a three and a half, I certainly would, but as is the construct, half stars aren’t part of this shebang. And so it goes, that this place was pretty solid and impressive but also «AOK» given some of the context and inconsistencies. (For even more context, see Jill from Houston’s review.) :)

Looks nice enough but the majority of staff members showed a level of customer service appropriate for Walmart. The bellhop was the sole shining star on staff.
Support for lactating moms is nearly non-​existent. Quite disappointing. If you’re pregnant or pumping I’d suggest going elsewhere as they will suggest you pump in the public restrooms.

There are some pretty nice people here — behind the rich, dark woods of the front desk; delivering cheese curds on the sandy beach; administering the all you can eat smores around the fire; and delivering children’s activities over cookies and smoothies.
One thing I didn’t realize from the website was that the multi-​room suites are actually lofts, meaning that one of the rooms is not a «room» at all, but an open loft. The furnishings are a bit traditional and dated, but fine. And why is the pond so darn green?

Great location for our corporate gatherings. Close to many attractions, golf, road racing, fishing, etc.

Beautiful resort on a beautiful lake. The suites are wonderful and the staff is pleasant and accommodating. Highly recommended.

Great resort, like the other reviews… Reminds me of the Overlook from The Shining.
Our room was great, was a 1 bedroom woodland suite. Bed was awesome — comfortable with a fluffy down comforter. We had a fireplace and balcony. Kitchen was very nice, tile floor and granite countertop. Bathroom was very modern, Kohler accessories.
Two restaurants, only ate at Otto — decent food. Arcade open all night with vending machines. Indoor pool looked nice, clean. Didn’t have a chance to use it.
This resort is massive! Everything is accessible from inside, so if the weather is poor, no problem.
Only disappointment was room service closed at 10:00 on a Friday and Saturday night.

It is an excellent getaway — Located between Milwaukee and Green Bay can be very attractive for conferences or family reunion
the scenery is extremely nice. The hotel rooms are updated. The staff is very nice and the food is good.
The only inconvenience is that the hall and corridor are extremely long.

Here’s Johnny!
Spent a weekend in November at Osthoff and had a great time @ the resort and town of Elkhart. I just have to say that navigating the resort was work. The long halls and dead end corridors made it feel like I was in The Shining. As for the condo we had it was definitely not short on space with two full baths and 3 bdrs.
Felt cheated though since the third bdr was makeshift with no door for privacy. There was also a nice spacous balcony that would fit my party of six. Full kitchen and everything.
Made use of the ammenties as well. Pool. Hot tub. Lolas.
Definitely a nice resort and small town but not sure I would visit on my own anytime. Feel lke there are places the same that are closer but glad I visited.

Nice place to get away as their spa services are really nice and I like that have paddle boarding. The food on the other hand was not great as the service they can get overwhelmed.

Very cool place, the views are great and the property is beautiful.
its a bit on the high side of the price range but def worth a luxury weekend once in your life.

We went here with a group of friends and overall it is a decent place to have a weekend trip. However, the pricing of the hotel rooms are a bit outrageous. Service is alright, although I think they could do a better job making sure the front desk is a bit more hospitable with guests and particularly the check-​in and check-​out times, although standard, is a bit extreme with 4pm check in… i mean, seems a bit too late.
The indoor pool is quite small, and the amenities around the hotel were not amazing. I was expecting a bit more for 250 a night, but it did do the job…
The grills spread throughout the facilities are nice and convenient.

Whenever I find myself in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin I make it a point to stay at The Osthoff Resort. Arriving at this remarkable building makes me feel like a King returning home. And let me tell you, a King is how I am treated. When not relaxing in my two floor suite that contains a full kitchen, fireplace and deck with a view of the lake I like to stroll the perfectly manicured grounds.
You can happily relax in the several outdoor patios or walk down to the lake. As someone that likes relaxing, walking and lakes I was at time experiencing sensory overload. Even more important is the fact that you can extend your walk to a local liquor store that has a full stocked, walk-​in fridge with more New Glarus than even the hardiest of drunks could consume.
On a clear, warm day there is no place I’d rather be than the great state of Wisconsin. And on the clearest of warmest days The Osthoff Resort is my Kingdom of Heaven.