Oakwood Resort

Stayed here with a friend last October during a Notre Dame football weekend.
What a pleasant surprise. Super clean and modern facility, friendly staff, and very quiet.
Food and drinks were outstanding. Never going back to an overpriced interstate hotel!

This place was beautiful! It was perfect for a wedding– there is an event building next to the hotel, able to accommodate a wedding and reception. The hotel itself is super cute! The rooms are light and airy with updated features, like a Keurig machine and big screen TV. The service was friendly and accommodating — exactly what you’d expect from a small town in Indiana.
There is a bar on sight for a great after party but there are also other options close by.
This resort is located right on a lake, with lots of trees and houses nearby to keep it interesting and beautiful. Plenty of picture taking options.
If you are looking for a destination wedding that all your friends and family can attend– this is pretty perfect. An easy 2.5 hour drive from Indy.

We got a Groupon for Oakwood Resort and decided to make the 3-​hour trek to Indiana from Chicago. The drive wasn’t too bad, but we arrived in a spooky residential area at night, which was definitely not the resort, so we called Oakwood to get directions. The front desk staff was amazing and gave us excellent directions to the resort (they even stayed on the phone with us until we were almost at the resort). Check-​in was breezy. We did have to pay an additional $ 10 in taxes on top of the Groupon price, which wasn’t a big deal.
To keep the review from looking like a paragraph essay, I’ll break it down by pros and cons:
Pros:
1). Friendly and efficient front desk staff.
2). Spacious, clean, nicely decorated room with very comfortable bed, bedding, and pillows.
3). All appliances (TV and coffee maker) in working condition.
4). Omelette bar and the very nice gentleman making our omelettes. Morning restaurant staff were all very pleasant and friendly.
5). The ultimate chocolate cake we ordered from the Pier and Back Porch restaurant was amazing. Probably the best I ever had.
6). Lake views surrounding the resort were beautiful.
Cons:
1). No refrigerator or microwave in room.
2). No room service (we were able to order food from the restaurant, but had to physically go to the restaurant to pick it up).
3). Restaurant menu limited, especially for vegetarians. No pasta dishes. My sister ordered crab cakes for $ 14. She received three very small crab cakes that were not good at all.
4). Restaurant staff in the evening not very friendly.
5). Hotel fitness center was very basic with only one treadmill and two bikes.
6). Called in the morning to set up a massage, but was told they were booked until afternoon and they only had one massage room. This was really a bummer because I was looking forward to getting a massage here. We had to drive back out to Chicago at 12 pm, so we weren’t able to try out the spa.
7). Shower head and poor water pressure were the biggest disappointment. Not what you’d expect from a resort.
All in all, our stay was pleasant, but did not surpass our expectations. We may try it out again in the summertime when we can go out onto the lake. Hopefully by then some of the cons will have changed into pros.

I would give them 4.5 if I could. The only issue is the breakfast, which is adequate, but nothing to brag about.
With this out of the way, the rest deserves 5 stars. Awesome location, directly at the lake, with restaurant seating right at the water. Friendly personnel. The beds and pillows are wonderful and comfy. The toiletries are upscale (Gilchrist & Soames).
Overall a very positive stay. Now if they could exceed my expectations on the breakfast, it would be my favorite place :-)

We reserved the book through a Groupon voucher and when I made the reservation over the phone, the lady said that all we needed to do when we arrived was check in and pay the tax.
When we got there, the girl at the front desk (Chloe) was not welcoming or warm and it seemed like this was the last place she wanted to be. I had to pull up my Groupon voucher codes again and re-​confirm my reservation and explain that I had already paid for the rooms.
The suite that we got smelled heavily of mildew and mold (we assumed because it was so close to the lake). No refrigerator or microwave comes with the room (you have to pay a fee per day). The television was not working so we had to call Chloe (again she didn’t have a good attitude) and she called maintenance for us. It turned out that the television simply doesn’t receive nearly half of the channels.
Later in the evening, the people who moved into the room connected to our suite brought their very loud dog. We asked to be moved to a different room at which point Joshua (a male staff member at the front desk) gave us the room key to a room down the hall. It turned out that there was someone already in that room (the manager had put a customer in there but didn’t update it in the system).
Joshua then moved us to a third floor suite, which was much nicer (and colder) than our original room. He was courteous and helpful and apologized for the inconvenience.
Overall, the third floor suite stay was nice and comfortable (again no refrigerator or microwave and half of the television channels worked). The view was great and no weird smells.
The free breakfast is continental and simple. Their dinner service was slow and the food a bit expensive but quite tasty.

In town for a wedding at the resort on Saturday, and a bunch of us come in early on Friday. We finally all gather around 11:30 and head to the bar in the hotel.
Randy the bartender could not have been more pissed and unwelcoming that we were in his bar and wanted us out.
We asked him repeatedly to stay open, but he said we weren’t tipping him enough. When we offered him 100 bucks to stay open for an hour, he refused that as well.
Who the hell tells someone that they aren’t tipping them enough? (We definitely were, BTW) and what service industry worker refuses 100 dollars for one hour? We just all couldn’t believe it.
A lot of just hadn’t seen each other in awhile, and just wanted to hang out.
We had talked to a different staff member about this, and she said «Randy is very temperamental.»
Randy made it very clear that we were not welcome in his bar. Maybe it’s time for a new line of work?
As far as the rest of the place: The rooms are nice and they have good soap, just stay out of the bar.

After my other review we were contacted by the Resort, and they were very apologetic about our previous visit. While I was initially just venting, I’m glad they took the time to follow-​up with us regarding our experience. We were offered a complimentary night to be used based on room availability.
We thought about it and felt good about the fact that they reached out to us. So we went back this past Monday — Wednesday, and everyone was very friendly. This experience was so much better, and «No Construction!» Our daughter really enjoyed her time at the beach and just being outside in general. The room was perfect, and the weather was awesome. We ended up eating out the entire time, only because we really liked a few of the area restaurants from before.
I had a blast the first night while having cocktails in the bar. I ended up meeting someone who was from Buffalo, New York where I used to work. We talked about different types of Bourbons, and where the best chicken wings could be found (North Tonawanda, NY). The drinks were perfect, and Josh was just as friendly as before.
I’m glad we had the opportunity to come back and have a better experience. We are actually planning on coming back for a few more days before the summer is over. I think we’ve actually found the place where we want to visit a few times each year.
Thanks for the updated experience.
Ryan Robinson

Thought I would give the bar a second chance this summer and still disappointed. Smaller menu with few choices. Cocktails not up to par. Slow service. And OVERCHARGED for the second time in a row only to have the server argue with me! Not recommended.

Every year my girlfriends and I pick a new place to get together for a long weekend. This year it was the Oakwood Resort.
Oakwood was super pretty. The rooms were spacious and really cute! We had two adjoining rooms on the first floor that were perfect for hanging out and playing cards. I liked that we each had a table and two chairs. Perfect for when we wanted to eat snacks, drink, and get loud.
The beds were a little soft for my liking and I didn’t like that the ice machine was on the second floor. We didn’t spend much time in the game room, but some of the games weren’t working. We did do some time in the spa; two of us got pedicures while the other two got massages. If you opt for the spa, book early. They had nothing for Saturday and had to stagger us on Sunday.
My absolute favorite thing about the resort (well, other than the gorgeous view), is this coconut salt scrub that they have in the restrooms. Omg my hands felt so soft and smooth! The front desk had free samples which rocked our world. It’s the small things, folks.
If you’re looking for a cute, relaxing, pretty reasonable place to hang out for the weekend, I’d recommend Oakwood. April prices are about half the price compared to peak season!

The beds are sooo comfy. Hated to get up. The hotel is so clean, quiet and the lake is so serene.

We recently had our company Christmas party at Oakwood Resort. The staff was extremely helpful in coordinating with us for our event. The facility is immaculate. You can tell they take pride in maintaining their resort. Our event was executed perfectly by the Oakwood team. Every team member we came in contact was extremely courteous and made us feel like they were delighted we were their guests. Their hospitality can’t be beat. We will definitely return for our future events.

This place is beautiful and on a gorgeous lake. Everything that you need is on site.

We were there for a conference and everything about this hotel was fantastic. The food was amazing, the rooms were classy, and the staff were very kind and helpful. Overall had an amazing time, its just really far away.

We stayed at the Oakwood Resort for a weekend at the beginning of November last year. We were in the area for a wedding in South Bend and since there was a game that weekend, hotel availability was pretty scarce. My boyfriend and I didn’t mind having to drive a bit so when I found the super reasonable room rates and seemingly quaint setting on the website we booked right away. We arrived very late in the evening on a Friday and had no problems checking in.
I do have to say, this location is «out there». If you are looking for to stay at a place with hot spots all around, this is definitely not it. That being said, if you are looking for quiet and relaxation this place is amazing. We’re from Chicago and we could not believe how utterly quiet and clean everything was. The grounds are beautiful and very well kept. The staff is mostly younger high school/​college aged kids who all seemed to actually be working! Ha. The staff in general was super sweet and welcoming. Even the housekeeping people greeted us when we passed. The lake was so serene and wonderful. We loved just sitting out on the benches and relaxing while drinking some coffee on a chilly morning. Our room, while smaller than what we were hoping for from the pictures, was still really cute and faced the lake. The bed was comfy, the pillows were awesome, the furniture was all «cottage» style and obviously newer, and the bathroom was adequate. (The fan didn’t work. Not a huge deal.) The hotel was pretty vacant for our stay, which made it feel a little bit like «The Shining» at moments… But that was actually preferred to families, screaming kids, etc. We had breakfast early-​ish on our first morning there and it was tasty and super quick since we were the only two in there. We ordered off the menu and I’m glad we did… It was incredibly affordable and seemed better than the pricier brunch option since we wanted a smaller meal. The only problem we had was breakfast the morning we checked out… Our waitress was a younger girl and seemed totally distracted. She forgot our drinks for a good 10 – 15 minutes, barely refilled my coffee, and neglected us most of the time. Teenagers on a Sunday morning… What do you expect? ;) ‘
We checked out later than we should have because we accidentally fell asleep after breakfast. The staff was so accommodating and didn’t seem to care. (Although I’m sure they were annoyed they were nice about it.)
We will definitely be back to stay at this resort. Although we don’t have friends or family anywhere even near the resort, it will be worth the trip. There are cabins and other options for lodging all around the area and we are already planning a trip sometime this summer with friends.
I do have to take away two stars for two reasons:
One, because the room we stayed in was incredibly small when I had specifically asked for a larger room, even if I had to pay more. It was kind of crammed with just the two of us in there trying to get ready for a formal wedding.
And the second missing star is due to the salon, which I know is operated by an outside salon called «JThree Salon». The entire experience was ridiculous and unprofessional. I was called the morning of the wedding to confirm a hair style for myself and cut for my boyfriend. The receptionist then called me back to say that the stylist wouldn’t be able to do my boyfriend’s haircut because she had forgotten her scissors. Seriously?! (I have to say, the receptionist is wonderful. The only + of the salon.) Anyway, I walk into the salon and there is a girl giving a pedicure and is scowling at me. Rude. I have to wait on my stylist because she later tells me she was doing her own hair. (I was her only appointment for the day. Not okay.) I sit down and explain that all I want is a simple hairstyle, she seems to understand. My stylist is young and obviously not very well trained at professional conversation, but I let that slide and try to be kind and on «her level» of topics. I won’t go too much into the styling details or how terrible everything was, since I will write a separate review for the salon itself, but basically the whole experience was screwed up from beginning to end. We missed my friends’ wedding ceremony because it took her over an hour to do something that should have taken about twenty minutes. And it took her that long because she ruined my hair and had to do a totally different style three times. When I say ruined my hair I mean this girl burned my hair with a straightening iron so badly that it started falling out in chunks when I washed it. CHUNKS. What was left was so singed that it was curled and twisty and I couldn’t run a brush through it at all. I had to have my shoulder length hair cut above my ears because there was no saving it.
In conclusion:
The resort is fairly priced, peaceful, and friendly.
AVOID the salon! It seems they send out their «D– Team» for anything less than a big wedding party.

The Oakwood Resort played host to a retreat that I attended. Rooms were crazy spacious and clean. I could tell they had recently renovated. Staff was gracious and welcoming. The view was lakeside and gorgeous! I look forward to a return visit in the summer!
Had to remove a star. The heat didn’t work in my room or most of the 2^nd floor. Sorry, you should expect the heat to work when it’s 22 degrees overnight.

My wife I, ate at the pier restaurant at Oakwood back in July for our 36^th anniversary. We thought the food atmosphere ambience was wonderful. There were attendants to help you park your boat and the whole experience was first class. We had the walleye and it was terrific.

We ate at the inside restaurant this weekend and were very disappointed. The acoustics are very bad making the restaurant very noisy. Because they only accept reservations for parties of 10 or more, most of the dining room was filled with large parties. The service was very poor. We would have ordered a drink, but our waitress never came back to the table. The food itself was miserable. None of us finished our meal and none of us asked for a to-​go box. They have a lot of wrinkles to work out.

This review is for one of two restaurants here, and thus appears also under the restaurants name… The Back Porch .The former Oakwood Inn and Conference Center is now The Oakwood Resort. The new management has made lots of changes, including adding serving alcohol. They have added many docks and encourage boat in dining. When we ate there they had only been open about a week so I expected some shortcomings. I will return in a month or so and see the changes. Both dining areas have their own greeter stations. The Back Porch offers primarily appetizers, sandwiches and salads. We entered the restaurant from the hotel as opposed to from the lakeside dock area. The hotel has been renovated and now has a bar, inside dining at what is called «The Pier», or outside dining lakeside at «The Back Porch». Before I provide my review let me say the restaurant has prices are around half those of the inside dining room.
The outside dining is under a covered docks are available for those boating in for dinner}. I was aware of the two menus but the greeter did not inform us of our choices and was going to seat us inside. We examined both menus and selected outside dining where area and has great views of the lake. You are near the docks and have views of all the dock activity and boats in Conklin Bay. There were several parties just enjoying drinks and the excellent view. We were quickly greeted by our server who asked what we wanted to drink. She did not provide a list of their beers which are advertised as including «local and craft beers». Upon requesting a list she quickly returned with an 8×11 sheet of paper with beers and prices. It should be on a heavy paper or laminated as it is often windy on the bay and would blow away. There were no prices but upon inquiring we ordered Sam Adams at very reasonable $ 3. Water is served in a Mason Jar type container and includes a lemon wedge… a nice little touch. Dinners are served in a metal container which along with the water glasses provides a beach like dining experience.
The hamburgers are served on a pretzel bun and are very good but priced at a hefty $ 11. There are several different types and my wife choose the Italian which came with pesto and avocado. They come with fries which were good and plentiful. You can substitute a salad for the fries at additional cost– I think it was $ 3.
I wanted the oyster poor boy sandwich which is listed on the online menu, but was informed it was a special for the first weekend and now not available. Upon looking at the online menu the next day I noticed it still lists the Poor Boy, but does not show the flatbreads and couple other items. Hopefully they can bet this corrected as they gain experience, as I often review the online menu before making decisions on where to go for dinner. There online info also says they specialize in oysters but none were yet available. As indicated earlier, I am giving them some slack as they just opened but assume this will be corrected upon my return next month. I ordered the Seafood basket appetizer which had fried fish, shrimp, oyster etc. It also came with fries. It was $ 13, but good sized and tasty. The cocktail sauce was very good. For someone who likes salt and pepper, it was a minor irritation that you had to ask for it. I was brought two small plastic cups with the condiments. I will say the salt appeared to be seasalt-​nice touch. Upon reflecting on this minor issue they might not have containers on the outside tables because of the moist lake air. Ketchup for your fries is also in the same type of small plastic container and several at our table requested more as it was small portion. As our server quickly responded with additional ketchup– along with my salt and pepper I would not say this was a problem.
Another in our party ordered one of the flatbread selections which he really enjoyed. Like the hamburgers, they offer 3 or 4 varieties. We also shared a pork rind appetizer which was very unique and tasty.
Remember, my review is on the outside dining area, not the inside dining room which has a completely different menu. I would rate the food a 3, but overall, I am going to give them a 4 because of the unique, island like outdoor setting, probably the best in a 50 mile area. I expect the only similar competition on the lake, The Frog and Channel Marker are going to lose a lot of business to Oakwood. One final comment, I suggest they immediately correct the online menu to accurately reflect their offerings.

The management is still rolling out the new look and restaurant, but the renovation is pitch-​perfect. Cottage décor, bright whites and pastels, and big windows overlook Lake Wawasee, which I am obligated to point out is the largest natural lake in Indiana. The grounds are pristine, with walking trails and places for reflection. The new Back Pier outdoor eatery has a smart beer list, with local and regional craft beer on tap, and serves reasonably-​priced burgers and salads with things like candied bacon, arugula, etc. The restaurant itself has a very imaginative menu, and we cannot wait for the opening later this month. Make the trip.