The Retreat At Artesian Lakes

Stayed here with a few friends over the weekend. Pretty pricey, still debating if it was worth it. We stayed in the San Jancinto cabin which was very roomy for 4 people. Place was super dusty but other than that decently cleaned. We did enjoy our stay and are wanting to go back maybe next year.

I’ll start with the bad and work my way up with the good. First off the front desk ladies are horrible. The website said they would be able to point out good picnic areas and where to go for hiking (no signs) but they think handing a map (terrible one at that) should suffice. Not nice, they have no business working at the «hospitable» building haha.
It was very dusty as mentioned, I wanted to go biking but both bikes were broken. In the website they warned that if that happens they’re not doing anything about it. They say to call «the stables» to reserve but they never picked up and didn’t call back at my voicemail! Canoeing is $ 25 that day $ 35 over night per canoe. Many paddles were broken and they still have them there?! so make sure you get good ones, they leave you on your own here. No directions were given for the canoe but we made it adventurous finding out different areas. The breakfast to me was lame ($ 12), the seafood buffet was alright (lots of fried items) but overpriced for $ 25. The Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch was very good and had home made jellies. It depends on your budget if you choose to eat at the restaurant, ribeye was $ 37. The restaurant was TOO attentive, I could barely sip my drink before it was refilled again. I did the lover’s package so i was relieved I didn’t pay those prices, and got to order tea and coffee. In the cabine there were plates, glasses, and organic shampoo conditioners! I got to watch the stars with the blanket provided in my cabin. There was a bench swing in the porch. The previous post about not getting in the lake is inaccurate. There are alligators but not in the lake next to the pool, thankfully it’s secluded. We did encounter alligators while canoeing but they were just as scared of us as we were of them. There is a nice slide to the lake, the pool is gorgeous, the water was warm, and under the fake stones there is a hot tub. I was glad it was hidden and no kids were there (over 12 age restriction). The horse carriage was very punctual and nice.

Nice place to get away for the weekend. We got a house and it was spacious and nice. There is a swimming pool area of you want to cool off. Would not suggest swimming in the lake since there are gators. There are bikes that you can use by the main office.

My first time visiting this place and though the outside was beautiful even with the rain, the inside was pretty outdated. Yes it is a login cabin that should have a rustic feel to it. However, even a rustic place should maintain a certain level of cleanliness. The furniture was pretty dusty. The comforter in the front room has stains. The towels are frail. The front room headboard, the windows, and ceiling fans are disgustingly filthy. The fireplace was not working. The breakfast was very good, however, a $ 2 bag of tea if you’re not a coffee drinker is a bit extreme, forget the fact that we paid over 350 a night and stayed 3 nights. I seriously think that more care needs to go into a deep housecleaning. I love the visit of the alligators, turtles, and rabbits. The bicycles were a nice touch, however, they were pretty rusted, which made it hard to use. The carriage ride was a very nice touch. I made it a point to take pictures of the linen, windows, and ceiling fan, in the event, it would be needed. I would probably come back to this establishment, but if I did I would bring my own towels, and linens.

We’ve been coming here for over 20 years. It is a very relaxing place to get away. There are plenty of places to walk around on the trails, you can go horseback riding, canoeing, bike riding, swimming and just sit on your porch and relax. It is nice having a horse drawn carriage ride to breakfast although ours came 10 minutes early and we felt rushed getting out. I wish they would add some more cooking utensils in the cabins and outdoor grills.

Our family had a wonderful time. Beautiful and meticulously maintained, scenic, wonderful for photography, relaxing, friendly staff, and beautiful nature. The alligators and giant turtles are easy to see up close. Do suggest.