We had a wonderful weekend here. It was so quiet and relaxing.
The lodge was really cool. The restaurant and service were top notch.
All of the staff were friendly.
It was so much fun staying in a yurt. Every morning they brought you a picnic basket with muffins, OJ, and cream for coffee.
Food is often good but not always. Nice setting and good beer. Expensive for the area. I have only ever eaten here and never stayed the night in the lodge.
Beautiful place, serene. Our dogs loved running around off leash on the trails.
The big drawback is the food. There are very few vegetarian and vegan options so we were stuck eating guacamole and French fries the entire weekend ( they do offer a tofu bowl but it wasn't very good).
If the menu was improved, we'd definitely come back though.
This was a refreshing get-away from the usual beach trip friends/family try to get us to go on. The only down side is the mile-long, winding, dirt road to the resort. It's fine during the day, but it makes you want to be back before it gets dark which restricts your activities.
In short, the value is just not here: $330 per night for a basic cabin. It s not luxurious; it really is just a cabin. It kind of felt like a Holiday Inn Express, except I was paying $250 too much.
First, the good things. It s in the woods. If you like remote, it s a good start.
Second, the sheets are soft. I like nice sheets.
Third, I had alerted them to the fact that this was our 10th year wedding anniversary. They left a nice half bottle of champagne.
Everything else was a disappointment. I m going the issues as we encountered them.
First, we were not greeted upon entry. There was a very loud group of six women in front of us in line, but the receptionist did not acknowledge that we came in, and although there appeared to be someone else in the back, that person did not come out to help us. When we did check in, the receptionist was not particularly warm; she was fairly cold, and I signed the approval slip. I asked about trails, and she was not knowledgeable about them no one I spoke to was, which is disappointing for a place that claims to have many miles of trails. I also found it strange that there were dead pots of chrysanthemums everywhere and that there were pumpkins for sale on the front porch of a luxury accommodation. It was an ominous beginning.
We went to our cabin, and the first thing that surprised us was just how close the cabins were together. They re probably about 20 feet apart, so there does not feel like there is much privacy.
The cabin was unremarkable. They had forgotten to take out our recycling, so it made me wonder what else they had forgotten. They forgot to replenish our beverages; the hot cocoa was missing. There were a series of empty baskets in the loft; was something supposed to be there? The furniture was very dated, but to be fair, it was very comfortable. The thermostat cover fell off when I tried to adjust the temperature. All in all, the place felt past its prime.
The bathroom was disappointing. For $330 per night, I don t feel like the tub should be a one-piece plastic prefab shell. Also, the toilet was a plastic toilet; it had the urinal cutout in the middle of the seat, and it made me feel like I was at work. The tub had a bug in it, which I get because we are in the woods. The backsplash for the sink was being pulled from the wall and hadn t been fixed. The bathroom vanity had plain, exposed bulbs. It was simply unimpressive it was regular like a Holiday Inn Express.
The pillows were not real pillows. We got four pillows that were the equivalent of camping pillows. This really detracted from my sleep.
The menus in the lodge were strange. Go take a look. Blueberry jam on an Eggs Benedict?
Perhaps most disappointing was the muffin basket. We received two cold muffins and juice made from concentrate. The muffin did not taste fresh; it tasted like soft sugar mush, like Sara Lee. It was of lesser quality than Costco (I loooove Costco!). I think three or four assorted muffins that did not taste undercooked would have been better than two identical, high fructose corn syrup cupcakes. Also, our cooler looked like it had been attacked by an animal. Again, it wouldn t have been an issue if we were paying $150 or $200, but $330?
Finally, most folks were pretty unfriendly. I was also surprised to get a call on the Thursday before we arrived letting me know that there was a free room on Friday for one night. I had been on the wait list, but when I looked for availability, a room was listed, and I took it. It made me think that the wait list was a farce because it was.
Ultimately, I think the difference between a great place and a regular place are the little things. This place fails at all the little things, but charges like it s a great place. I know it won an award many years ago, but I think it really is resting on its laurels, but expectations are different in what-is-soon-to-be-2020. It s not worth the cash; you d be better off at an AirBNB.
Was a beautiful place to stay.Went there a couple years ago....
This is a beautiful place. However, my not being familiar with the area--and the lack of road signs in certain spots--made the trek a little daunting. It is indeed off the beaten path...but well worth the trip. The main lodge is beautiful with great ambience, the grounds invite exploration and the hiking trails are inspiring. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would love to come back to stay longer.
In a word, disappointing.
The lodge came highly recommended from a friend who has stayed there in the past. Unfortunately, it appears that things have changed drastically since her last stay.
"Luxury cabins" is definitely an overstatement. Ours, while rustic and charming, had a large stain on the carpet in the center of the living room. The furniture had seen better days. the fold out sofa bed was so uncomfortable., I didn't bother to open it after the first night.
There was no "breakfast nook' with table and chairs. The "beverage bar" consisted of a small coffee maker, coffee, tea bags and cardboard cups. The "homemade muffins" delivered in the morning were hard and stale.
The one meal we had in the dining room was sub par and the selections limited. One meal was enough- we ate in town the other nights. My dogs did enjoy the biscuit delivered each morning, a $30 fee per pet PER night was ridiculous. I travel quite often with my dogs and have never encountered fees like that, even in top notch hotels.
Positives? The property is beautiful, the lodge itself awesome and the cabins are quiet and the area peaceful. Our sever was great the night we dined in and the staff was pleasant. However, for $300 per night there were far too many little details overlooked. The website made promises that were not delivered . Don't promise a "Bone Appetit" delivery menu for pets and then not offer it. Don't promise delivery from your "sister restaurant" and not offer that. Do SOMETHING about the road into the lodge- it's a nightmare.
Bottom line, if you choose to go to Savage River Lodge, even if you've gone before- go with lowered expectations. Don't expect "luxury" and attention to detail, even at $300 per night.
Bring snacks! Enjoy the quiet and the woods.
And for the love of God, don't leave anything behind. I left two sweaters hanging in the closet in Cabin 13 and apparently I'll never see them again.
The yurts are so much more than glorified tents! Heated floors and fine linens are highlights of the many amenities that round out a luxurious yet rugged ambiance - the perfect cozy getaway. The lodge lends itself to a feeling of serene community and features a fine dining experience suitable for both the adventurous carnivore with exotic game entrees and guests desiring lighter fare, including vegan options. The staff were just delightful and their attentive service helped make our stay truly memorable.
Fantastic place to go for serenity and outdoor peace. While I don't expect perfection from anywhere, I do feel a little more attention to detail could've been paid to our cabin (#5).
There were some smaller discrepancies that aren't worth mentioning)
2 discrepancies worth mentioning-
1. Screen door not even close to being square with frame which didn't allow for us to leave the front door open due to bugs getting in.
2. The major one was broken lock on one ground floor widow so we couldn't secure it. This made me nervous. We called and was told that no staff member could enter the cabin due to Covid-19 which made no sense to me.
I wedged it with a screwdriver which helped the bottom, but that didn't prevent the top window from sliding down.
Outside of that, I would've given them a 5 Star rating
We parked in the daily parking and use the hiking trails.
Pretty nice, but the staff could be a bit more polished.
Amazing place. Jan and Mike, the owners, are the best. Cabins and yurts are so cozy and comfy. The restaurant is good. Great place to get away and relax!
Quiet, peaceful, relaxing. Staff is so friendly & helpful, but not in your face. Very laid back. Beautiful cabins. Woods are perfect for hiking or just sitting on the porch. We got married there last November. Emily was so helpful when it came to arranging everything for our small party. There were a few hiccups, but everything was worked out by the Lodge quickly! The food is also outstanding and their wine selection is HUGE! Make sure to save room for dessert!
YURTS
Stay away between May-October as the tents (Yurts) are too hot to tolerate. Their idea of A/C is unfortunately a small dorm room style chiller that doesn t do much.
Also, the Yurts are clustered together which means very little privacy.
Very disappointing
CABINS
Much nicer than the yurts. However, the bed was not comfortable and hard to sleep on.
FOOD
Blend. Flavorless. Tried the Shepard s Pie and the Grilled Tempeh for dinner. Tried the Greek Omelette and Veggie Burrito for breakfast. Other than omelette all the food was unfortunately blend.
Going this weekend in the dead of winter for the first time, we ve been in the Spring and Fall. Can t wait to get there and relax in the wilderness with great food and wine a stroll away!
Awesome food and beautiful Lodge in the middle of nature!
The yurts are an amazing place to stay and completely get away from the city or life in general. There's trails to hike, and some cabins are dog friendly. The lodge is gorgeous and offers amazing food for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Would love to go back soon.
Love it....... always a quality experience......food and drink are off the hook!
This is a personal piece of heaven on earth. Savage River Lodge allows you to unplug from the world. It is the true definition of "me" time and relaxation. If you never want to leave your cabin or yurt you don't have to. Breakfast is brought to your door each day. You have the option to have all meals brought this way and set up on your table as if you were in the restaurant. You need AWD in the Winter. PLEASE do not try to come without it. They provide a shuttle for those that don't have it and you can leave your car at the entrance. It is a very short and scenic walk to the lodge which contains a bar, restaurant, cozy 2 sided fireplace, lounge area for reading or chatting and a shop. The only thing that didn't happen for me during my stay was I didn't receive a callback from the masseuse in regards of if she/he would be able to do my massage during my stay.
I worked has a housekeeping and laundry as a supervisor. Would not advise anyone to work here. Badly managed. Very high turn over they can t keep people. People don t show up for work come in late. Beautiful place to stay but not work there.
I went here for a job interview, even though it didnt work out, it is still a lovely, quiet park. A wonderful lodge and beautiful one of a kind yurts and cabins. Its worth it.
savageriverlodge.com
