For the money, you could spend that money at a bet...

For the money, you could spend that money at a better kept hotel. We pulled in to the parking garage and noticed the smell of one of the restaurants that makes everything so tempting from the start. Grilled meats filled the air. I immediately noticed walking in that it's very dark inside, giving the feeling of an old lodge in the mountains, perhaps hence the name and also an idea of that inn being near or on a lake in the mountains. The smell of roses or magnolias takes over because the casino is full of smokers. It takes me back to my childhood where that's all you breathe. Many of the slots are very old and left alone. Most people were on the digital slots with several lines to hit and win. I waited for newer ones like the Walking Dead but there were only three. Any new ones were taken for hours. If you're a penny or dollar gambler, there's plenty. We headed to the room after checking in. The Persian rugs are ripped and shredded in some areas, the few stores they have are nice, the restaurants pricey of course. The rooms are also dark and gloomy but somewhat typical of some older hotels. Dried spills of cleaner was left on the wall by the toilet but the bathroom setup is nice even with the door getting stuck. The room looks dated with avocado green headboards. We checked out the arcade and it's very small and expensive. Every game is a dollar. No coins can be used. One of the claw machines was easy to win. The pool area is the best part of the hotel. It's clean and you don't pay to rent the inner tubes. My kids had a blast. There's top 40 dance music playing which wasn't completely appropriate for kids but they didn't notice. The food at the Ember restaurant was decent. I had the pan roasted fish which tasted like I was given a plate of melted butter boiled in more butter. It began to make me sick. The mash tasted like butter and the fish had no other flavor than butter. The only flavor change were the asparagus. The steaks were okay but the dipping sauce was extremely salty and just too much. My son loved the crispy chicken though. For $19, you'd think you'd get more than a handful of large shrimp and a lemon as an app but no. Severely overpriced. The lamp lollipops were good but I'll hardly remember them when thinking of Lake Charles. Southern Kitchen was just okay too. Another overpriced restaurant with only decent flavors. Unfortunately the power went out and everything began running on generators. My seafood omelette couldn't be made so I was given a choice of gumbo or sandwiches. I chose gumbo. It was chicken and andouille. Small spice and salty. Also, I'd like to mention that our rooms did not come with info on the stores in the hotel and only one menu for room service for Southern Kitchen and the Asian restaurant. I wish they had menus for all but mentioned which ones have room service. This would help guests determine where to go before walking around and looking at menus. Also, info on surrounding stores, downtown stores and restaurants, museums, tours, etc would help. None of that was available in the room like it is for other hotels. The tiny beach they have is a nice spot where you can play in the water some and look at the sunset. Kids can bring beach toys and parents can sit at the nearby tables or bring your own chairs. There's also a walking path to Golden Nugget.
I'm glad there's a late night store open for quick eats and coffees. Unfortunately, you will have no microwave to eat in your room if you're in a rush. No fridge in your room either for leftovers. This makes it difficult for families with kids when they don't eat all their food or need their bottles cooled. If you eat at one of the restaurants, stuff it all in because you can't take it to go.