Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Illinois in Gurnee
Categories
Location on the map
Gurnee, Lake County, Illinois, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Crowd
LGBTQ+ friendly
Yes
Comments (199)
Went this weekend for my sons 11th Birthday and it was a blast. We had the best customer service experience! Shout out to Zach for going above and beyond for us at the shop and arcade center. The staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. The room was clean and spacious we were able to check in early. The pool area was fully operating with life guards all over. We will definitely be returning for more family fun!
As we enjoyed being at great wolf lodge we will never recommend or go back because we have been charged THREE TIMES the amount of staying there. It has put our bank account in negative, affected us trying to drive home (6 hour trip with 4 KIDS) because we didn’t plan for almost $2,000 in charges to come out for NO REASON. We spoke to the front desk 3 different times and was basically told there’s nothing they can do and we have to wait on our bank. I just want our refund back and no I will never stay here again or recommend to anyone, in fact I will warn people of how this hotel sneaks charges onto your card and then tells you there’s nothing they can do expect wait for a refund.
Me and my family went to great wolf for my birthday in January. Everything was amazing! The room was very clean the second we walked in, the food from Timbers was nothing special but it was still very good. The water park was amazing it was clean, fun, and there were a lot of life guards on site the whole time. The water slide double whirlwind had a 15 wait but it was definitely worth it, once you board the raft you get 15 seconds to prepare yourself before you are sent off on the slide, and that slide was amazing. But the water park wasn’t the only good part the rest of the hotel is filled with tons of things to do and see. Overall best indoor water park we’ve been to and we will return.
We had a great time here. My son (3.5) couldnt ride all of the water rides, but we still enjoyed our time. The breakfast buffet was great. Arcade seemed way over priced. They have quite a few places to grab food on site. I had no idea they had a Dunkin donuts. What a pleasant surprise. Free ears for each family member when you arrive. Cute.
The place was amazing. I loved almost every aspect of it and was over the top by another.There was just one thing that brought it down for me.The passes that they offer you when you go to check in. There are a few items on there that have pretty glaring exceptions (such as some stuffed animals are not able to be selected at Build-a-Bear). I wouldnt mind this if it was told to you up front, but its not.I wouldve rather just bought the stuffed animal instead. Yes, its more expensive than the pass but its not more expensive than buying the stuffed animal your kid wants after already buying the pass.Everything else was spectacular. My cherry on top was getting a LIVE TEXT to see how everything was going. No robots. Nothing automated. An actual person to respond to and resolve your issues that youre having WHILE staying. That was the best and I wish other companies would learn from that.I almost left 5 stars just because of this, but I strongly feel that the information on the passes should be more clear.
This is kid friendly for ages 3 to 8 years old. The water park is really nice and they have something for everyone. The hotel has some rooms with a balcony. If you download the app they have so many activities for the kids throughout the day. I found the food is blah and over priced but overall worth the trip.
I cannot say enough amazing things about this place. 1st the lifeguards are ON POINT! They are continuously surveying their posts and are incredibly attentive! We even saw an instance where one of the guards had to jump in to assist a guest. As a parent this helped give us reassurance as parents that we could sit back and relax and not feel the need to hover. 2nd you come here for the kids, but this place takes care of the adults. Great food & bars throughout. 3rd the facility was very covid friendly, the spaces were clean, and overall it was just a great winter get away for us and the kids! 10/10. We were very impressed. Not one complaint. Everything is a bit more expensive than we were expensive but that wouldnt hold us back from visiting again. We also stayed in a junior suite and the room was very clean, accommodating, and comfortable. The water in the water park is nice and warm. The general water park is also not cold at all and very warm and comfortable
This was our family’s first experience at a Great Wolf Lodge, and now we can’t stop recommending it to all of our friends! We made the last minute decision to go on a Wednesday and Thursday in February, and it was well worth the time off of work. We were able to get into our room earlier than expected, there were low or no wait times in the park, it never felt overcrowded, and our room was extremely affordable with the promo going on at the time. Our kids are 3 1/2 and 1, and though they could not ride any of the larger attractions, they still spent HOURS in the water park playing in the splash pad, wave pool, lazy river, and water playground area with us. As a family based in the Midwest, this was such a great way to burn some energy and move our bodies in the dead of winter! The Gurnee location was clean, staff was friendly, the feel of the hotel was fun, and everything was welcoming to families. We will likely make this an annual trip for our crew. Thanks for the fun experience, Great Wolf!
Great place for families with kids. I would say 9 and younger. Beds are comfy and rooms are clean. Our tub had a leak and was dripping constantly. Was kinda loud when trying to sleep. Having a balcony was really nice. The buffet breakfast I dont recommend. Not great, just convenient. Staff was very friendly. Also felt safe.
Expected it to be similar to our experience at 6 flags from everything Ive heard from others but I could have stayed much closer to home going to safari Joes and had the same experience for a much better price. Everyone was very friendly and hotel room was clean but the main attraction was nothing special or maybe it was because 3 of the main rides were closed and there were so many people in the vicinity. It could have used a lot more disinfectant as the wave pool tasted like complete salt with zero chlorine or other cleaners. Basically human sweat and immediately left that area after realizing.
Its been a long time since I have been at great wolf lodge. Really changed a lot. The water park is awesome! They have an arcade section, Ben and Jerrys ice cream station and Dunkin donuts station as well. Which is really awesome!! I highly recommended for anyone including family members to go to Great Wolf Lodge for a fantastic experience. I will return one day and I had an amazing time! 😎😎😎💪💪💪
Fantastic fun for the whole family! Our four-year-old had a blast with the water park, MagiQuest, and the toddler dance parties. Especially if you have little ones, I recommend getting a cabana at the pool to have a dedicated home base for the day. A great time all around - were already planning the next trip!
Many options for indoor water fun, from safe, tiny kid water slides to massive family sized 5-people-in-a-single-tube water slides and even exciting dark speedy thunderous tunnels of rushing water, plus water playgrounds for all ages, a wave pool, and more. And thats just in the water area. Outside the water park (where everything costs extra), theres an extensive arcade, a tree-top obstacle course, and a system of interesting things all activated by special magic wands. Several restaurants on site (including a Dunkin donuts) mean you dont even have to leave if you dont want to. Its impressive and the rooms are cute if you get one with the bunk beds in a tree house area with its own TV for the kids.
Mosquito-infested, cheap 100% polyester sheets, all kiddie slides, dirtiest pools I’ve ever seen and they don’t take tubes out of the river so it gets crammed, absolutely no amenities in “higher end” rooms. Almost everything they offer closes at 8:00 pm, I’m not sure why they close so early but it’s inconvenient and not worth it. And not one first-aid kit in sight ANYWHERE.Update: the elevators stopped working.
We brought our family here to celebrate a late Christmas… such a great place!- rooms were clean and we were able to check in early at 2:00, then got late checkout- water park fully open.. lifeguards were always on alert, fantastic- Sara at the front desk was very kind- pizza was hot and good- grandkids loved everything from wands to build a bear, ropes course, rock wall, ice cream, crystal mining- all the staff was considerate and helpfulThis was a great way to spend our “Christmas”together as a family….all 16+ of us!!!
Went on a none busy day. Some sections were not open due to maintenance. The room was clean however it didnt have that pleasant of a smell. Pricing for some of the deals could be better, especially the arcade. several of the games were 10 paw points (equivalent to 10 credit points) which only allowed you to play 2-3 games with the package deals since you only get 20 paw points.Definitely a lot of activities for younger kids and the slides are worth going.
Went for daughters third birthday. Was very satisfied with the cleanliness and commodities. However, upon arrival at 3pm, was told room wasnt ready and would receive text within half hour when ready. Went to desk at 4:30pm and was told room still wasnt ready but would be in 10 minutes. Didnt receive text until 5:02pm. We also did not get the room that was requested, with balcony. Front desk was very personable, and sadly everyone else didnt seem happy, engaged, or welcoming. I hope for a better experience if we decide to go again.
We had a wonderful time at the Great Wolf Lodge! The property was clean and so was our room. Our kids had a fantastic time in the arcade and water park. They loved all the extra free things they do for the kids, story time, dance party and meeting the characters. We did add on the bed time store package, the items we received were cute and memorable. They got to pick out a build a bear character that had an outfit, the only thing we were disappointed in was the package says a character will come to the room to say goodnight but they said they didn’t do it because of COVID. Probably under staffed but we still had a great time. We will go back to another GWL again.
Dont worry folks, this place is fairly clean than their photos show. Friendly visitors and great staff. The food is descent ( for a family resort). My only complaint is in regards to their water park. The floors are EXTREMELY slippery! I didnt slip/fall but Ive seen at least 4 people slip within an hour of my arrival. Yes, Clearly its a water park but they should say least have some sort of non-slip coating on their floors. Theres tons of slopes(incline and declined) which are very hazardous when wet.Lastly, weve havent seen any resting benches throughout their property, so expect to be a little worn out by the time your done.Overall, my family had a nice time.
We went this past weekend with our 22 month old daughter and had an absolutely blast! Check in was easy, and the receptionist was very helpful. Our rooms were spacious, and very clean. The water park had a good variety to offer for little kids. The water was a little cooler in the evenings, so that would be my only complain. Other than that the water park was clean, and all attractions were open with no wait times. The other facilities were very clean including the arcade, little bowling area and build a bear. We had a great weekend. Highly recommend!
Pricey, but worth it, especially around Christmas time. The passes are also definitely worth it the first time you go, it gave us the chance to see what we liked to do, and now as we go back we are able to make our arrangements for the things that we want to do each time. My oldest son loves Magiquest! All of my kids could spend their day at the water park.
Best indoor water resort Ive been to. Why did I say resort? Because its all there from food (Duncan Doughnuts, Pizza, Food Truck) to water park to ropes course to mini golf to wand adventures to arcade, to shopping, and much more. There was bedtime stories, dance parties, and meeting the mascots. The wristband controls your door and adds items to your account. Less items to lose or carry. Staff was friendly, rooms were clean, water park was fun. Bathrooms in suite were small but otherwise it was very enjoyable.
Great hotel with nice amenities! The Wolf Passes (we had two) were a bit pricey at $80 each - but it was all worth it for what we got! I love how you can still continue the MagiQuest game even though our visit at this hotel was 3 years ago! With the Wolf Passes, we also had bowling, arcade cards, rock climbing, golfing and more!Overall it was great experience and I would definitely go again!
Its a really nice place. Especially to bring young children. Theres a steady flow of crafts, exercise/dancing, and story/movie times. The water park is nice; but according to older kids the arcade is a rip off. Impossible to win anything that has a value of over $1, no matter how much money you put into them.
Visited twice this year, and we had a blast!- Super enthusiastic and friendly staff!- Exceptionally clean- lots of activities for kids!- we will be coming back and will recommend to family and friendsDefinitely 5 star for fun and stay, however 4 star because our room had broken lights.
Many attractions and lots of fun. Cant wait to visit other locations around the US and staff if very friendly! Couldnt do all during our stay but will definitely return to check out the rest we couldnt. Family friendly environment! We enjoyed our stay!
We had a great weekend here at great wolf. Been to a few Waterparks now but this is our favorite. Water is warm and thats very important to us. Room was very clean and lots of things to do inside. We had the log cabin suite and although my grandkids loved it I dont personally think it was worth the very high price I paid for it. Next time we will just get separate single rooms. But besides the price it was awesome. After reading some reviews we were a little worried but I know you cant please everyone. Our visit was all positive!!!
Awesome weekend! Will definitely go back. The staff actually seemed like they cared about my familys stay and comfort. 😊 Our daughter loved the room, activities and atmosphere. Clean rooms. Decent food
I attended Great Wood Lodge to celebrate my son’s 12th birthday. I brought my service dog and did not feel welcomed.Before booking my stay, I confirmed with the front desk that this would be okay and to inquire about their policy. I was told to bring in the dog with it’s service vest and that was it.After checking in, I got my service dog situated in the room and preceded to the water park. (FYI, per doctors orders I don’t need to have her with me every place I go but she does need to be near by) .After about an hour, I checked in with my service dog and returned to the park. A few minutes later, I received a call from the manager stating that she was barking “excessively”.I reassured her that she’s in training but pretty good at composing herself and that she could’ve possibly heard commotion in the hallway and got excited . I was told to go back to the room and that their policy is that the dog needs to be quite and must be with me at all times. I returned back to the room and sat in front of my door for a few minutes but my service dog was completely quite the whole time.I called the manager back and inquired about this policy because it wasn’t communicated to me when I initially called to confirm that I was bringing a service dog. I also told the manager that the establishment could not dictate the use of my service dog as they are not aware of the condition I was diagnosed with. The manger kept repeating the policy. Although her tone was professional it was not welcoming nor understanding of my situation.A few hours later I received a “courtesy text” about quite hours. I confirmed with a few other people in tower two and it appears that I’m the only one that got that text.For the rest of the time at the resort, I took my service dog with me everywhere and could not enjoy the time in the water park with my son. If this was the policy I wish I was informed when I first classed because I could’ve stay at another resort that’s more accommodating to my situation.Overall, not only is this establishment starting to feel like a overly-used and chlorine infested indoor water park but they also made me feel so uncomfortable about having a service animal. This is something that I don’t have control over and wish it would’ve been handled with a little more humility. If it wasn’t for my son’s birthday I would’ve left.
Went to Great Wolf Lodge in Chicago/Gurnee for spring break with my daughter and 2 grandchildren. We had a terrific time! The water park was awesome. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the room, common areas and water park. All of the staff members were extremely friendly and helpful. The food at the water park snack bar was very good as was the restaurant Hungry like a Wolf, great pizza! There were other restaurants but these were the only two we ate at. All in all great time for the money. Will definitely return!
The pool area was fun but the hotel experience was not too great. We asked for extra towels and blankets to accommodate our group as listed in our reservation but they we never brought up to us. After a few hours of waiting we went down to the front desk ourselves. The let out sofa needed to be replaced because the fold out bed was not stable.I had fun in the pool area but felt we paid to much for the experience, not to mention the hot water went out and I had to take a cold 🚿 😩
I took my only-born son and a classmate in June of 2022. 1st time back (post Pandemic). I was little afraid because of reviews on Social media. I must say I was pleasantly surprised! Guest services were great! Sam and his staff really shined and were always accommodating! Camp Fire Kitchen was still delicious as ever! Zach in the MagiQuest store went above and beyond explaining the game to my son and his classmate! Nia in House Keeping was always super helpful and also accommodating! As always they are pricey but a vacation only happens once a year! Well worth the money spent!
First time going taking the family to great wolf. We opted for Gurnee location instead of Wisconsin Dells with it being a newer facility. We had a fantastic first time experience and there were more than enough things to keep the kids occupied. Its much smaller compared to Kalahari, but the cheaper pricing outweighs Kalahari. Im tired of paying 650+ for 2 nights at Kalahari when I pay 300 at great wolf. There is no outdoor pool that we saw, so wont be going here in the summer. I would hate to see what crowded is like here during busy seasons. The water seemed cloudy in the pool with the basketball hoops. Probably why I have a sore throat. I recommend coming here in the off season and avoid holidays. Be ready for limited hours and closures for activities including select water slides and lazy river, shops due to short staff. They closed the 2 biggest slides during weekdays while we were there. Nothing anyone can do about it... Be prepared for that.
Fun winter getaway. My 6 year old had a blast. The staff was friendly and helpful. Everything was clean and we felt safe being there. Lots of sanitizer stations everywhere. We will make this a yearly family tradition.
My son had a blast here! Hot tubs closed. Water park needs more love and care. Activities for teens can be implemented. Movie night for teens or board games. Many of activities offered are for the younger ones.
Be sure to check height requirements for all of the areas before going. Both my kids were very limited on what they can do. That wasn’t the issue, they still had fun. This lodge provided the worst customer service I have ever seen. As someone who operates multiple businesses, I’m amazed. Every single staff member but one were absolutely rude. They do not accommodate for anything here as well. Definitely look at the recent reviews before reserving. Seems like they’re on a bad streak
Daughter had a blast! There are a ton of activities for kids and the swimming was great. Food was very decent, but expensive. Overall, the kids love it and thats what it is for. It looses one star because they suck money out of you at every opportunity and the costs are already high. Also, water park was a bit busy and hectic, but still a very good time.
Great first time experience at a Great Wolf Lodge! Check in was easy- the wristbands they give you work as a paying method as well which is efficient. No microwaves in the room however there are communal microwaves on each floor. The rooms have a fridge. Water park had a ton of different options for my lil 3 year old…. And even fun rides with whirlpool tube fun for us oldies 🤪We got the breakfast buffet package and it was worth it! Good selection of eggs, fruits, oatmeal, pancakes, pastries, cereal, sausage/ bacon, biscuits and gravy, croissants and potatoes. A number of bread and condiment options as well as beverages. You can even get it to go- which was a great option to have leftovers for brunch/ lunch.Friendly staff. The app has a chat option which is super convenient to ask any questions, request additional cups, etc. App also has a number of activities per day. Our lil one enjoyed the story time and dance party! Would go again - when the 40% discounts are out again as it makes the most sense then.One “con” is they charge if you want late check out- even for an hr.
I love the setup everything and how easy and friendly the staff is. Prices are not bad with this being a resort you can expect a increase. Rooms are really nice. There is alot of fun activities for kids to do, but I recommend getting the upgrades to save you a little when you do the upgrades.
Ive been to other Great Wolf Lodges where I felt it was worth every penny to be there. This was my friends first time here and she said she wont be returning.The room was wonderful. We were able to get an upgrade which (as two separate families) made the trip that much more enjoyable and gave us some private spaces.The prices were exceedingly expensive. While I know we are in the city of Chicago, there still needs to be some logical cap on how much things cost, especially for children. For example, we put $10 of arcade money on their cards and they went on one ride (The VR Rabbits) and didnt have enough to do it again.Other games were also just as expensive, and while fun, not worth the excessive amount of cash that it cost.Staff were either amazing or lacking. There didnt seem to be an in between. We rented a cabana and the staff member dismissed us and wouldnt even show my friend where they were located. On the other hand, the staff that handled our issue once we reported went above and beyond with their positive attitude and helpfulness.Everything closed very early. 9pm. I feel like there should be some areas open for those of us who have decided 9pm isnt our bed time - a bar area, adult only restaurant, snack area, etc would be fine.The waterpark itself was lacking. This is one of the Great Wolf Lodges newer facilities and I felt like they could have done a much better job with design. There is a bridge you need to walk over to get to the food area and bar which is wet and slippery. If you are in the cabanas this is the only way to get your food back to your area. It was also closed off in many areas making you have to backtrack to walk to an area of the park.Food was very simple. While a diet of burgers and fries is great for children, those children come with adults who sometimes want something different. I felt stuck eating the same foods every day with little additional options.They closed part of the park due to staffing issues. I get it, you dont have staff. But here is the deal - then handle it differently. The other park we went to had a sign out and rotated the slides so everything would be open eventually during the day. In this park, they just closed it and never opened it.All in all, I will happily take the extra time to travel to a different park where I feel the overall quality is better and my money gets me more.
Booked thru Groupon the price came down to $229.00 and when I got there I had to upgrade . Which even though it was not planned the lady was so kind, understanding and nice. The room was also nice, not as nice as expected but it was no so bad. The water park was nice. For the prices it was relatively small. It is for little ones they only have like 4 big water slide. I was under the impression it might of be a bit bigger. The be ready to pay everything is extra. All activities and arcade. So for a family of eight, I mean six flags might be a better idea and cheaper. Well after every thing is said and done the really bad part is the extra charge to my card for $300.00. I have been trying to get a hold of someone but all they say is that they are to busy and someone will email or call me. That charge was given to my credit card later that day when I left which I find not cool at all. There is a reason Why Im asking probably because I was not planning for that charge everything was left intact and we left the room at 10:45 even though we already had guest service opening the door at 10:30am. My recommendation is for that amount of money you can go to better places.
Let me start by saying the staff is, for the most part, great. They are severely understaffed. They are also out of many different items, from parts of the wands to cups for the drinks. The teenage employees here are trying their best but they all seem to be undertrained. We only stated for two days but while we were here we had to haggle on how different shortages of items should be handled. They could stand to have better training on how to handle these types of situations. The arcade looks new enough but the short staffing means that many machines are out of order. There was only one employee running around trying to fix the machines. A select few of the staff were rude when we had questions about how we could pay when their register system was down. The water park is obviously understaffed, I honestly felt bad for the employees in there. They did warn us that there would be a staff shortage but they did not mention the shortage of items. At one point I attempted to use the wrist band that is hooked to my room and an employee insisted that I didnt have money on it but another was able to resolve it in a few minutes. Simply put, more and better trained staff would do this place good as well as transparency with shortages.
Great place for a local getaway. Couldnt give 5 stars only because the staffing shortage created attraction closers and very very long lines. The lazy river and the 2 large slides were closed. I completely understand the reason but I feel the price should have reflected the closure. We still paid quite a bit for 1 night and to have long long lines for food and park closures. $$ value wasnt there this time.
Weve been a few times but this time we had a number of issues. Multiple rides were closed down due to staffing issues. We had ants in our rooms. We were double charged for food.It is fun to go with young kids but it became too much due to the ride closures and the amount of people congregating in one area. The workers didnt want to be there and the customer service is sub par.
I dont feel as this is a place for older kids. My children didnt like it. There is no hot tub not safes in the room. Then they tell you we have events again I have teenagers so they dont want story time. Dance time, build a bear. They told me to just take them back to the kalahari. But if you have younger children it will be great. Also it is small to me for a Waterpark
The great wolf lodge was a great experience for my family. Whats extremely convenient is that everything that you can want is on premise with extra free activities to keep the kiddos entertained. Downside is that the attractions are a little bit pricey, you are paying for the convenience so expect amusement/ball park prices for everything.
It is a good place to stay one, maybe two nights tops. Out little one was of course thrilled with the water park and arcade games. Rooms are okish, nothing special really. Dining options are pretty much fast food only, which is terrible as most of the visitors are families. So no healthy food options, thats why I wouldnt stay longer if you are not a fan of it. Surrounding area as well has only, you may guess fast food to offer lol! It was fun, as a nice weekend getaway. Rating wise realistically I shouldve given 3 stars (cleanliness, dining options) but since we had a good time in general Im giving it a 4.
Wonderful place to take your family.A lot of walking to get from room to any activities, but still had a good time.Community microwave in the middle of each hall, not one in each room. That was inconvenient.Very accommodating with towels for the room.
Hotel seemed to be pretty full. We stayed Friday night to Sunday and by 3pm on Saturday, the water park was crazy busy. We are at the water park for lunch on Saturday and should have left the property for food. We did not have high expectations but even our low bar was not met. When you pay $90 for lunch you expect it to be consumable. Room was ok and breakfast bar was not bad.
Very good time rooms are nice water park is clean as it can be. kids had a blast thats all that matters food is a bit up their drinks are really good. staff was close bye and friendly. every turn their was a lifeguards in the water park
Was made to leave because some lady approached my 9 year old daughter in the pool accusing her of cussing her child out, so I approached the lady and went off on her for yelling at my 9 year old daughter. Was told if any confrontation between us at all happened again we had to leave. Not even 5 min later the lady told the staff one of my kids made a face at her, even though we were in separate areas of the lodge at this point, and we were made to leave after driving 3 hours and spending almost 300 on day passes. Based on what some crazy lady told the staff. No refund or nothing. This is unacceptable and not how you treat people, especially when we did nothing wrong at all to begin with but try to have a fun relaxing day during spring break. Spring break ruined because of the way the park handled this situation. Should be ashamed of yourselves. It’s been 3 weeks now and I have called the park several times and left several messages with the manager only to not even receive a phone call back. Just a message on here to contact them privately with no way to do so other than calling, and I’ve tried that several times. I will recommend the dells over this place to anybody and everybody who asks.
Not worth staying there for the water park. Everything else is what made it more fun. The Magiquest was worth the most entertainment for my kids. By far getting the wolf pass for all the non water park things was the best value and kept the kids entertained the most.
Updated my review. We typically have a good time here, but the last couple of visits were subpar. This last visit they had a system go down and were behind in checking people in. Understandable; this sort of thing happens and is beyond their control. However they told us they would text us when it was resolved, which they never did we had to call to find out it was indeed resolved and we didnt get into our room until much later. Since this was a one night visit this impacted our visiting time.Also once we were finally in there was a pretty big shortage of interubes. Weve been there on busier days and never had an issue trying to find one before, but we spent a good chunk of time trying to find some for our family to use on the river and the rides.Only one of the two big slides were operational and one of the small childrens slides (we have a small child) was out of commission as well.The staff were cool, as always. But for as much as this cost and as far as we have to drive to get there we were expecting a bit more from our visit.We were told wed get $50 off our trip, if that happens Ill update our review with that information. Note we didnt complain or ask for a discount, we were told this at the front desk during the system outage.
Absolutely loved our visit and so did my kids! If yoyr looking for a fun get away this is a great spot! The stay is very reasonable, the water park is included, otherwise make sure to bring extra cash for all the activities. Water park, arcade, quests, build a bear, climbing wall, high obstacle courses, and great service is just some of the stuff to so and alot more. We couldnt experience everything on our first trip, but we will be back! Food can be pricey, but there is every restaurant within the local area.
Stayed here a few weeks ago. First day was great. My 4 year old had an amazing experience. However day 2 the lazy river and another huge section of the park was completely closed for the whole day. Leading to huge melt downs. Half of the park was closed there was nothing for him to do. It was beyond disappointing. We were offered no discount or refund. The staff was extremely nonchalant about the whole thing. We had to just leave. It was a complete waste of money and we will not be returning or recommending this place. Beyond disappointed with the way the situation was handled. Very unprofessional.
Close to Milwaukee and Chicago so great for a weekend getaway. But like all Waterparks it was full of people so things were busy and their were waiting lines for slides. I would recommend cleaning the stair treads to the slides once in awhile as those are NASTY looking! Saw a kid peeing while waiting in line. Do at least a wash down each day before it opens.
Kids had a blast, as well as my wife and I. Customer service was on point and room was clean, no issues there. No reservations for the restaurant so when we showed up there was an 75 minute wait, but the place was busy. Everyone in the water park holds onto their floats so getting one was a challenge, but not impossible. Arcade was fun as well as magiquest, mini golf, climbing course, rock climbing. Ice cream was delicious, Dunkin donuts was great too.
Came on a weekday . Prices were affordable and lines were non existent. Kids had a great time . Never needed to leave the hotel . They had plenty amenities like dunkin and Ben and Jerrys. Multiple food establishments . And bars . It was nice to forget it was cold and miserable outside.
Great winter escape for the family. Very kid friendly! My littles loved their story time and dance parties!!! Talked about it for days. Sad on our last day some of the things were closed like the lazy river due to lack of staff coverage but overall great time. Food was also delicious and service was good!
Called to cancel the reservation within the time frame given and was informed that the cancellation was successful. Then I got charged days later and when I called to inquire why I was being charged for a reservation that no longer exists they informed me they had no record of the cancellation and there was nothing they could do since the cancellation number was invalid and I was charged the $50 fee. BAD BUSINESS. People should be properly trained to be diligent about providing accurate information and completing customer requests!!! Will not host future events here smh
Stayed 4 days/3 nights. Food was okay but VERY overpriced at all the restaurants. $80 for breakfast for 2 adults and 2 kids at a buffet. The waterpark was understaffed so at any given time at least 2 attractions were closed, more than once 3 or 4 were closed at one time. The big slides are only open sometimes. We were told they are having severe staffing shortages but were offered no warning before arriving and no discount upon checkout. We literally could not do things that were offered. The pool deck is overcrowded with chairs and everyone complained of their eyes burning from chlorine fumes. The stay was reasonable but for the lack of staff and food prices, we likely wont return.
So much fun!! Theres lots of stuff for kids to do, making it an excellent place for a family vacation. The rooms are a good size; I went with 2 friends and their 2 kids, and with the 2 queens and 1 couch bed, we had just enough space. Theres a small fridge and 2 TVs, a small table with 2 chairs. The couch and table area had a sliding door that separated it from the rest of the room, which was good, and allowed for a bit of privacy from both sides. The water park area is a good size! Theres a lazy river which is big enough to feel like youve relaxed on 1 go-round, but small enough to do a few more times. Theres bigger slides for the more adventurous, and good-sized areas for the smaller kiddos to run around. Theres a splash pad for the small kids with some fun things, and then also a kiddie pool with some smaller water slides. Its fenced off, which helps keep them in, and also the larger kids out. Theres enough chairs around to claim one for your stuff and then just leave it, or theres lockers. Theres large bathrooms with tons of stalls and a locker room inside the water park area itself. For the adults, theres a bar, and theres a food and drink place for everyone.There is a giant arcade where you can go play games and get tickets for prizes.They also had special events for the kids happening! Some cute things to do like arts and crafts, dancing, yoga, story time, and a few more things we didnt attend because we were busy with other things.My favorite part by far was that everything tied to your room is done by RFID bracelets, so you dont have to carry around a key card to your room. Youre supposed to wear the bracelets anyway, as they show youre supposed to be in the resort, and are allowed into the water park.Definitely recommend this place for a fun time, particularly for the whole family!!
We stayed for 3 nights. The water park and kids attractions were great. We had to clean our own room, take out the trash and change your own beds . Supposedly they could not come in due to Covid . We called for clean towels and TP and they were never brought. I had to dry off with my sweatshirt and we used Kleenex for TP. Not impressed.
Loved it only one thing wished would change is arcade paws should get move for your money $80 was gone in 15 minutes. I would have spent more money but gone to fast. Everyone is friendly. Best bang for your buck is the climbing area.
Way over priced. Short of staff, not friendly. Will never go back. Everything we did cost extra money. Had coupon for Build A Bear would not honor it! Spend more time waiting in lines then doing anything. Been to other water parks, that had much better service.
I drove over 60 miles to see the facility so I could have a birthday party/reunion. They told me to come, but when I got there they brushed me off so fast, I didnt get to see anything but the water park area, thats at the front door. They said theyd give me a call by the end of the day to set up everything. This facility wants you to do everything by internet I suspect because that was Wednesday and today is Saturday. No call yet! I know their names and Im still waiting. I gave them 2 stars because at least, the telephone conversation was pleasant or I wouldnt have gone there.
I have been to this location 5 times and those 5 other times have been decent but this passed weekend my stay here was terrible. My tv didnt work it would freeze randomly i called but they didnt do anything about it my toilet would just randomly clog. And a two of the slides werent open because they didnt have workers available. I understood them being understaffed but i wish they would of included that online. Also someone legit pooped inside the wave pool and they just picked it up i imagined they would drain it. I definitely wont be going to this resort again. Ill have to try the Michigan one!
We had a wonderful family trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee. This was our first trip to a great wolf lodge so I cannot compare it to others, but it certainly exceeded our expectations. Particularly, Ira and Chef chris made sure our dietary restrictions were well taken care of and really went above and beyond to ensure we had what we needed. This alone is worth our return trip which we already booked. I also found the rooms to be modern and better than the pictures. Looking forward to making this a regular visit spot for our family and friends.
What an amazing family weekend filled with laughter and love. The kids loved story time and the dance parties. All of us enjoyed the water park, arcade, and food. Next time we are participating in Magiquest.
Staffs are very friendly but it seems GWL is short on staff. Most popular slide had to be closed for no known reason.When you purchase arcade points to play games, be sure that you received right arcade points because 3 of my $100 cards had 100 points less on each card. Staff put 100 points back on them but you wouldnt know unless you check your point balance right away.
Kids had a blast! Aside from the staff shortage, we were able to enjoy everything we wanted to do. Rooms were nice and clean. Would go back another time.
My family had a blast on Fathers day. The staff was very friendly. There were about 6 front desk workers helping with check-in, so it didnt take too long. The Waterpark was in full operation. Nothing was closed. There were a ton of lifeguards and they were very focused on their job. That made me feel safe with my kids in the water. My 15 year old had a great time. She loved the slides, the lazy river, and the basketball pool. She even loved the arcade room. I bought a play card with 140 credits and that was enough for about 10 games. My kids also enjoyed the candy store. We stayed mostly at the waterpark, so we didnt get to try all the activities. For food, we ordered the family special of a large sausage pizza, 10 wings, chicken fettuccine, and a 2 liter for $39. Everything was convenient because you could order from your wristbands or through the app. We didnt have to bring anything in the waterpark, or worry about getting a locker. We saved on our overall cost by bringing our own water bottles and snacks. Also, there is a microwave where the ice machine is. We are already planning go back in the future!
Just stayed here this past weekend as a short getaway for my daughters spring break. This was our third visit here, and I was not very pleased. First, I was lucky to get a decent rate by booking way in advance, but we still paid too much. Rooms were going for $500-$600 a night this past weekend for just a basic room with two Queen beds, which is absolutely outrageous, and I consider that price gouging. We still overpaid, but we did this as a treat for my daughter.It also took about 40 minutes to check in when we arrived. There were 25 people in line and only three employees checking people in. It took some families 15-20 minutes to check in when it took me literally less than 5 minutes. They should have a concierge desk for the patrons who ask a lot of questions about the water park, attractions, etc. as they are checking in. I listened to one man ask questions for several minutes about the restaurants, water park hours, amenities in his room, etc. If they had a concierge desk, they could refer people like that to a specialist for their endless questions.The night we arrived, the air was cold in the water park and we could feel cold air pouring out of the vents. When its 40 degrees outside in Chicago, the last thing you want is to be cold in an indoor water park. My daughter was even complaining about it being cold. We also noticed that the water was cold in the wave pool, the area with the kids smaller slides, and the lazy river. No one wants to swim in cold water in an indoor water park, especially when its 40 degrees outside. All of the water should be heated if youre charging people $500 a night, and the heat should be on in the air as well.If the rates had been more reasonable, and the water was warmer, and the air hadnt been cold in the water park, I would have had a better stay. Not sure if we will be back anytime soon.The hotel posted a response for me to reach out to them, but they didnt leave a method to contact them. If you call customer service, youre on hold for 30 minutes.
Im very torn. As a parent I was underwhelmed. My child on the other and really seemed to enjoy it. Let me start by addressing the things I liked.MagiQuest. Its honestly a amazing little game they made that will take your kiddo around the whole commons area doing little tasks. There was also about 3 maybe even more story lines. I LOVED this!The Daily Events! These are really great and if I had any feedback Ide just say more of these! Loved the character meet and greets. Loved the Dance parties and Yoga!! So great. Also one thing that was very cool it the 3d projector show. It was reminiscent of Disney world with all the neet little surprise animatronics. I wish they had more animatronic stuff maybe linked with Magiquest.The Rock panning? Not sure whats its called but my wife and daughter loved this!The complimentary stuff we got with our package. Loved that we did not have to buy Wolf Ears! My daughter got a decent sized cup of candy she got to hand pick from a candy shop section. Very cool!The Pizza was actually surprisingly really great! Expensive. But good!Okay so the things I did not like.There were a couple slides shut down during our stay. Now this might seem small but for us we knew our 9 year old would not want to ride many of the bigger slides so we counted on all of the smaller ones to be operational. We asked and were told it was for our safety and it was due to a incident.The Bar was closed and so was 1 of the 2 stands you could get adult beverages. As a parent we kind of bank on having our adult pleasures while our kids get theirs.Aside from the pizza the food was pretty horrible. We did not dine at the built in dinner restaurant (The Barn). But we did try everyplace else. The breakfast buffet was honestly one of the worst breakfasts I have ever had staying at a hotel. I have made my own waffles at a motel 8 that made for a better breakfast.The Dunkin was only open for a very limited time and during that time there is a big line.The bowling alley. Now I will admit im pretty sure the website specifies that this is a different type of bowling alley. But we assumed it a full on section with many lanes. We also assumed maybe there were full sized adult lanes for the adults. This is not the case. This bowling area is a very small section off the arcade outskirts. It looks like one of the arcade areas... maybe a big arcade game. I will also admit while we were disappointed in its size.. and the wait times to get into a lane. Its actually a pretty amazing mini version of bowling that had us laughing and having a good time. But! They need to do more maintenance on it. The screens were filthy and the bumpers in our lane constantly got stuck.Our room was supposed to be a standard room with 2 beds and a desk going off the photos at least. What we got was a room with 2 beds and no desk and 2 doors to a conjoining room.. I feel desks should be a standard in the rooms. Also the doors conjoining our room made us feel a bit vulnerable to privacy.. Not that someone would walk in but we could clearly hear a baby crying much of our stay in the room connected to ours. When we asked about changing rooms we were told there is nothing they could do and that was exactly what was advertised.Lastly this is a small complaint. But the Gift shop did not have location specific souvenirs. They just say great wolf lodge. Which to me is strange. Because if we ever were to try lets say our home state great wolf now I know I already have most of the magnets. Oh and they only had 1 of the exclusive beanie boos. I know this will sound odd but one of the main reasons we came to great wolf is because my daughter is obsessed with beanie boos and we were told they had a exclusive set there. We got lucky and found one in a bin.
EDIT-we got the dirtiest room last time we were there on 6/28/22. Like wow. There was sunflower seed shells spit on the floor, someone’s fake eyelashes on the floor, and to top it off no hot water. We were told the hot water should be resolved by 9am the next morning…two hours prior to checkout? For real? We ended up leaving and asking for a refund. Luckily we only live an hour away or we would have been stuck in that nasty room with no way to clean the pool water off.We loved the lodge! Everything was fantastic, but my wallet got stolen from my diaper bag while we were swimming. Definitely not the lodge’s fault, still a huge bummer that it happened in such a family friendly atmosphere. Whoever took it used my cards for purchases AT the lodge. Didn’t even give me time to cancel my cards before they went swiping.
Short Version - A fantastic place for a family getaway with tons to do in and outside of the waterpark, great staff and excellent food all in a clean and well decorated environment. 100% reccomend. (MagiQuest is also really cool)Long VersionThis was our first visit to Great Wolf Lodge and we are close enough we opted for a day pass but now wish we would have stayed for the night as there was still a ton of stuff we didnt get to do. Next time we will come for a weekend, I would reccomend an overnighter for most families.We started our day in the Waterpark with our two boys (4 and 5). Having small slides moving up to medium and large was a great way to work the boys up to the big family slides which they loved.The park was clean, well organized, all rides were staffed, staff was very friendly and helpful for reccomendations for us and the kids.We spent about 3 hours in the park and managed to do every slide some more than once and hit the lazy river, wave pool ext.Great park for kids and adults of all ages, something for everyone.We ordered food from Timbers next to the pool, expecting normal quick serve food. We were delighted to have all of our food exceed our expectations, delivered piping hot and delicious. The burger was juicy and not greasy with very fresh ingredients, the fries were hot and crispy, the chicken tenders were out of this world. Again the staff was very friendly, the kitchen was clean, and the chefs knew whay they were doing. No mistakes in our order and food was out quickly. Prices are very resaonable with combo meals from about $9-$13Then the big surprise, MagiQuest.We were not really sure what the event was all about but decided to jump in anyway.and get two wands for the kids. The entire hotel and activity area is covered in screen, gems, and countless objects that the kids wave at to collect items and complete quests. Both our boys loved it and spent hours running about waving wands and collecting runes searching for items. We all loved it. Such a cool idea and executed in a phenomenal way.The high ropes course was a little big for our boys but is on our list of things to try, the arcade, stores, icecream, bowling and other activities were all excellent and yet again well staffed with friendly people who were happy to help.We will absolutely return, Im writing this review as the kids hold their wands asking when they can go back.Highly reccomend for a family getaway, especially during these cold winter months.(Adults, alcohol is sold on the premises and nothing beats happy kids with a cold local draft beer in your hand, or hard seltzer for the wife)To management, thankyou for having a team that likes thier work, that is friendly and willing to help. For prioritizing cleanliness and organization in all areas of your facility.Mostly thankyou for a chance to step out of our world and into your fantastical one for a day.
Huge thanks for a great time and awesome staff. Rosele helped me set up a block of rooms for our homeschool group. She was very attentive and helpful. We were able to check in to our room at about 1:30 and made our way to the pool by 2ish. Everything was opened and extremely well staffed. All of the families that attended had a great time and we are planning on doing it again in the next few months. So much fun!
A little over priced but no shortage of things to do with a family. My boys loved every minute at the place. It was unfortunate that staffing issues caused a bunch of attractions to not run however. But a nice all inclusive place to spend a weekend.
My family and I spent the night in one of the guest suites in Tower 1, which contained two queen beds, a fold-away, a small table and chairs, along with a TV. The main room was very clean and the beds were well made. The bathroom area was small with the toilet/shower area separated from the sink and mirror by a non-lockable sliding door. This was a room to sleep comfortably in, with minimal amenities other than a mini fridge and single-serve coffee maker. The point of this place isnt the hotel, its the water park, so thats to be expected.The indoor water part is small in comparison to other lodges, with pool depths being no greater than five feet. There is the obligatory lazy river, but inflated tubes are hard to find, so youll likely be walking through the river. The kids play area is well monitored, fenced off, and only accessable by two footbridges, which is excellent for keeping an eye on the youngest kids. The wave pool is adequate and can get pretty loud when the waves are announced by a wolf howl which is immediately joined in by all the kids in the area. My kids had a good time on the waterslides, and the lines werent long (in late February).The water isnt over-chlorinated, but seems to be treated with salt. The water was warm and clean throughout the stay, and since it wasnt heavy with chlorine, I didnt land up with stinging eyes afterwards.Theres lots of activities for the kids which are available at an extra cost (we didnt sign up for them, though) Most activities, including dining and drinking, are charged to your room via your wristband (which is also your room key) and is super-convenient.The parking isnt that convenient, though, as it is designed to limit points of entry to the main entrance. This can make bringing your luggage to your room a challenge. The cart I used was in excellent shape but on the small side.All members of the staff were courteous, and aware of our presence. There is usually someone nearby to answer a question or provide assistance if needed.All in all, the is a great place to take the family if you live in the Chicago area and dont want to schlepp all the way to the Dells. Plus, theres a lot of options for entertainment in the area with Great America being extremely close and restaurants aplenty. A great time!
We’ve stayed at great wolf tons of times but this visit has been the worst visit ever. There has been zero hot water since our check in yesterday. I need daily baths due to a surgery and could not get one yet. And now at 1132am they refused us a donut at Dunkin when my kids were so excited for a donut. Big disappointment. Will not come to this location again
My reservation was canceled today by the General Manager, Nadine Miracle, because of an altercation I had over the phone with two of the staff, Jacob and Sarah (was laughing ), who I felt discriminated against me and was laughing when I called to asked if my room was ready because I have a bad knee and its a long walk from the parking area to the main lobby. I told Sarah that I will be taking action because nothing was funny about my situation, and Nadine Miracle took that as a threat and cancel my reservation after asking me if I were near the lounge (I was. It was a 2 hours drive). It was like a power trip for her, and she seemed to take pleasure in canceling my stay aware that I was a few minutes away. I had kids with me, it was over 90’s degrees outside, we brought a whole bunch of groceries (3-day stay), paid a lot for gas, and for this Nadine Miracle to cancel my reservation because I told the staff that I will pursue this matter to the higher-ups are unacceptable. I felt like Nadine was biased, rude, unprofessional, and did not try to resolve the situation professionally. She made it known that she was the general manager ( said it several times when I asked to speak to someone over her) and hung up on me after I asked her if she was going to reimburse me for my food and gas (she said she was going to refund my deposit, but I havent received an email confirming that ). When you have someone who is condescending and has a power trip ego, they should not be working with the public. Ive sent an email to the CEO, Mr. Hennessey, and I hope he responds and does the right thing. Nadine should have said, “I dont know what transpired, I apologize if you felt some type of way, but your room is ready and I will talk to my employees on how to conduct themselves. Thats it. Instead, she canceled my reservations and hung up on me. What a way to ruin kids summer vacation. Despicable!Sidenote: Guest relations werent helpful. They all work together, so dont waste your time reaching out to them. They downplayed the situation and said I had to speak to a manager. Duh, Nadine Miracle is the General Manager and the one who cancel my reservation. I want to speak to the owner/ CEO and nobody else.
Great weekend gateway for the family. The water park is always so warm and the water is just right. Lots of things to do beside the water park for the kids. Some free events. Give it a 4 stars because of minor things.
Fun stay. Used a great Groupon deal. Day pass with 16 pizza, 2 liter pop & adventure pass. Had fun with mini golf, bowling and the rock wall climb. Totally worth the deal and day pass. Will do this again!
I’ve come here twice with my family, and one of them for a weekend getaway with friends. It’s a nice place close to a bunch of local business, such as when we got donuts from Gurnee Donut Shop. Great for kids, nice and clean, and will most likely come again.
I was a bit disappointed this Lodge didnt have a hot tub.I had called prior to my visit and the young man said, yes they had a hot tub. They dont.Our visit was boring and we ALL had a great time.Met some awesome kids all over the water park.💦💦💦 👍🥰
Went here for my teenage daughter birthday. It’s close to my home but more importantly the only waterpark not sold out. I reserved a junior cabin suite for )700 a night. Two nights so 1400 pls a birthday bash package which is basically a streamer on your door a few basic balloons standard bday card a 40 token games card an a bday cake. For 90 bucks it’s kinda of worth it to see the smile on your child’s face entering the room. The room was so extremely small pictures are made to look way bigger than actual rooms. No hand soap no blankets for main bed an no microwave. Coffee maker was so generic an old and dirty an there was a mini fridge there. Tv basic channels but I was able to sign into my Netflix account.Waterpark…. Let’s just say it’s great for young kids teenagers depends on how picky your kid is an adult far as for adults nope! There was bars poolside but I imagine to get you bubbly enough to not care your totally bored . Prices are extremely high every for everything. One thing it needs to invest on in is a few hot tubs for the adults outside an inside waterpark so the adults whom spend inflated bucks to be there can actually enjoy there liquor beverages in a adult environment. I don’t recommend this waterpark. In addition there sink water flow isn’t enough to even wash your hands an there no privacy in the shower toilet area in room . For the amount you pay they are extremely cheap.
Everytime I visit the Great Wolf Lodge,we had a fun time. The kids really like the waterpark and all the activities. The resort is always very clean and well maintained. The pool was super clean. Staff are very friendly. The only complaint is the breakfast. We wanted to grab something at 9:30ish but the only restaurant offering breakfast had a 40 mins waiting list and the Duncan donuts line was super long as well. We ended up getting some snacks from the vending machine because we would rather spend more time in the pool.
Had a day pass for myself and my boys. Needed to get 4 different associates 45 minutes to figure out our locker situation. very overpriced. had a decent experience but value isnt there.
Was disappointed. First, not enough towels on the room to begin with. Its catered towards families with kids under 15. No hot tub for adults anywhere. Nothing for adults to do while their kids are having fun. Totally over priced. $600+ for one night for a daily of 5. It would be ok if there was stuff fir adults to do, but if you dont have little kids, its not worth it. My kids were teenagers and it was only ok for them. Not worth it, sorry GWL.
My family and I decided to go to Great Wolf Lodge, in Gurnee Illinois. Overall, the trip was pretty good. The water park had a variety of activities for people of all age, and entertained children for hours. One thing I did notice was the intense humidity in the water park. Most of the time, indoor water parks are humid, but this seemed unusually hot, which made it harder to breath. Aside from the water park, there were many other activities, such as MagiQuest, an arcade, a ropes course, rock climbing, bowling, mini golf, gift shops, a candy shop, a mining area and build a bear. Great Wolf Lodge did a great job at providing never ending entertainment, and satisfied my expectations in the entertainment category. The last thing I will be talking about is the hotel rooms. When I first got to my room, I felt hot. It was very humid, not only in the water park, but also in the rooms. Then, at random times, it would get really cold. Then hot. And it kept going on like this for my whole stay. In the hallway, it was the same way. In one hall, it would be cold. Then I would turn the corner, and it would be hot. The consistent change in temperature was annoying, and confusing. Another thing that bothered me was the shower. It would make loud, high pitch noises. At random times, the noise would stop, and start again. The biggest problem was the smell. As soon as I stepped into the room, I couldnt stand the smell. My whole family smelled it, and wanted to get out of the room. I thought it might just be the room I got, but I did some research, and found out many rooms had a weird odor. Some of the reviews were even from different locations. Some reviews said it smelled rotten. Others said it smelled like chemicals, or body odor. The room service also didnt clean the rooms until we left, so who knows how dirty the room was. The last thing I am going to cover is allergies, and sickness. While I was staying at Great Wolf Lodge, my allergies started acting up. Some of my family got sick, and we all were tired. Aside from the rooms, the stay was good. They did have Duncan Donuts, and Ben and Jerrys ice cream in the lodge, so that made the stay more enjoyable. If you are looking for a water park to go to, I would recommend getting day passes, and staying at a different hotel, or. choosing a cheaper water park that is higher quality. If you dont mind smell, this place is perfect for you.
I guess it was ok. Dont like my children around marijuana usage so that was a negative. Most of the slides were not open and they decided that after we already left so that sucked. Found marijuana on my porch and the manager said he would send someone to remove it but that never happened so wasnt able to let my children on the porch the whole time....
This is our 5th time staying here and we absolutely love it. Our toddler boys love the water park. We just had our twins birthday party here and we had a blast. Definitely coming back.
My son loved the water park but when the day ended n we went upstairs to our room some kind of bug tore us up. Our rooms had to be switched at 4am. Would not recommend
Had a great time with the kids but due to three slides being out of service during the stay I was emailed saying that I was to get 25% back for each night I stayed. Then when I paid the remaining balance the lady said I was going to get my money back 7 to 10 business days later it’s been over a month where’s my refund? I can’t even talk to anyone because there phone doesn’t even work.
I came here because of a friends introduction. I was very disappointed, because it is not suitable for a single day and a half day. I was charged an additional $139 due to some ticketing issues. I have no theory because I know theory is useless. The most important thing is not to come next time. In the end, it was about $70 per person.
Not... Enough to do, the adults are screwed when it comes to entertainment. Food over priced for dry sandwiches, and the condiments stay empty. Best thing to me is the free parking ! We.spent $50 on a turkey sandwich, two hotdogs and a salad !
Arcade doubled in price so we wont do that again and a lot of the slides are down at the same time. We had a good time but its time to try other lodges. Still to this day the wolf lodge in Colorado Springs was our best experience with the magic quest dragon and other cool finds just walking through the hotel on every floor. Gurnee is a great area for random food finds though and I like that the lake is close for a rock hunt walk.
We had a good time! The place was great with a lot to do. I booked the basic birthday package that was not worth the $40 at all is my only complaint.
Such a great place to come with the kids.. Once you get there you dont need to go anywhere else. Clean rooms and very friendly staff. Highly recommend
The slides are old and the ones w/o tubes hurts. We had a one day pass and had to change our clothes in the restrooms: they were dirty, no hairdryer, no bench to put clothes on. You could walk with your streetshoes into waterpark…no wonder it is dirty! One of the big slides was closed until 4pm, same for the river. Too expensive for the attractions offered!
Overpriced and small, which I was prepared for before going. The main irritation I have with our visit is they no longer accept cash at the shops or restaurants. No signage, just after you have been rung up its oh sorry, credit or debit only. As if Im going to give my kids unfettered access to charge at will what they please. Thankfully they take google pay (which the cashier didnt know until I tried it),
Y’all local Canes trash. Deepest the pool go 5ft and that’s the inside. Only good thing here is a the air conditioner. The outside pool not even that big and it’s hot. The lazy river is the only cold pool.
Its nice to have a water park so you can get away from home and have fun with your family but the water park is small. The lazy river is boring and the outside pool woo!! too small.
We went here in April for Spring Break and had a blast. It was so fun just to be there for a few days, hitting the water park, doing MagiQuest, the arcade, and bowling. We cannot wait to go back.
Reserved a room for a birthday gift. She is an adult. We have her the credit card to have at check in. They were very rude and refused check in. My wife called and she was also treated awful. Very rude workers. Stay away. She drove from wi to be turned away. Zero stars
Absolutely wonderful experience.MagiQuest is dope (wish we coulda stayed longer to play more, lol) and my kids (6 and 4) both had a ton of fun with all the daily events. Great staff too, lots of really friendly faces. Exceeded expectations in every way. Can I give 6 stars?
It was kind of one bummer after another. Check-in was delayed because our suite wasnt ready and lots of things were closed. We totally get there are staff shortages. Its just hard to pay as much as you do to have water slides closed and very few food options, if any at certain times of the day. We spent more time away from the resort because things just were not open and parts of the water park were closed.
Great family experience!! But if I have to critique anything, it would be the rooms...Definitely need to be upgraded to a more modern cabin feel... bc u pay more for what u get!
Four slides were closed during our stay. Mattresses are very stained and smell terrible. The worst part they only take card for everything, no cash accepted for anything- they blame it on COVID, yet it transfers through the air not through touching money! Stupid corporate policies!!
During my stay the raccoon lagoon was closed it’s and really it’s a bummer Every time I come here the outside pool it’s closed this place for kids it’s great but they don’t have a adult section or at least a hot top or jacuzzi for adults. in my opinion a resort like this should have It.
Excellent food and excellent customer service. There was so much to do it was almost overwhelming. I injured my finger in the arcade. The promptness from the staff was excellent! We will be going back.
It was our first time there and I would recommend it to all my friends and family. It is a great place for all ages children and adult. The only thing that annoyed me that the stores in there don’t take any cash payments what so ever. Despite that we had a blast.
Your main desk staff need to get their attitudes in check. We were here at around 10:30 am 06/14/22. Im mainly talking about the middle eastern tall tan guy with short brown hair and the short fairer skin girl with dark hair and glasses. Im deciding to call them out mainly since they think talking about their guests who are standing right in front of them in a language we couldnt understand, and the laughing at us when holding our IDs up to look at them. Inconsiderablely rude experience. They dont deserve to work with people if they wanna act like that.
We went to the Gurnee location, and we had a blast. The water park was fun, the games are a little expensive but besides that everything was great, even us grown ups enjoyed every bit of the trip.
Great Wolf Lodge was a great experience. I havent been since I was a kid and it was a nice time to go now that Im older. A nice time and definitely will return with my child.
Dont want to trash this place but when it first was converted from coco keys it was all nice and clean. Stayed from Thursday to Friday and was packed way more than I thought it would. It was noisy until quiet time but by then I was so exhausted I could care less. Certain things were limited sure to short staff so they had lazy river and some slides closed.
Booked a midweek night stay to celebrate my 4 year olds birthday. We have been to GWL before, about 3 years ago and previously really enjoyed our experience . This stay was different and disappointing. The positives were that great wolf updated their technology and now your room key is tied to your wrist band which is incredibly convenient! The hotel staff were nice, attentive and accommodating but the water park itself was filthy! The amount of dirt and slippery algae on the walking paths and in the swim areas was nauseating. These areas really need to be deep cleaned to remove dirt and debris. Our room was relatively clean - relatively meaning we located Bobby pins in the clean sheets. We ended up leaving and not even staying the night due to noise outside of quiet hours and overall cleanliness. We wont be returning to GWL anytime soon and would suggest for others to seek alternative establishments.
My sister had a room there just pass weekend. We went to the bar & the bartender name Will. It might not be his name but he didn’t pay us no attention ( we’re black). He had his back toward us the whole time. I had to get the manager & she did a good job handle us but I wouldn’t recommend people to go to the bar because the bartender are racist. I have a video to prove it & I’m also an bartender myself. He didn’t even acknowledge us when we enter the bar. It’s was just terrible. That was my first time & my last time coming here.
Way more expensive than what its worth...but its an indoor Waterpark in the Midwest. So take what you can get. Fyi!!!! Bring your own alcohol!!! Bring as much of your own food and snacks as you can!!! The prices of beer and food are ridiculous!!! I felt violated after walking the bar for 4 beers and a hotdog. Seriously tho. Great place for a weekend or overnight trip. Just plan ahead with booze and food/snacks. Oh and the $18 refillable cup for the kids is well worth it!!!! Stay away from the arcade tho!! $100 gone in 10min with my 2 kids and their tickets never even went in their card.
My cousin got stuck in one of the slides She had to crawl her way out of the slide! She is traumatized for life! She needs therapy! Otherwise a great experience for the whole family!
Not impressed.. $35 resort fee for Life-vests, towels, in-room coffee maker, and complimentary wifi..... do these people even know what complimentary means? This fee is an insult to their customers intelligence. Get it waved at the front desk.
No hit tub for adults. $650/night and nothing to soak in while the kids go on the water rides. That was the only thing me and my wife looked forward to after a long, exhausting week.
Great experience 💃💃💃i wish I could stay there , bcoz we stay very near to wolf lodge thats why we r not staying…. Too good ! My son full excitement for entire park… water park , game zone , fooding . Entrance also v good decorated ❤️100 love…must visit ! Highly recommend…..
Great place for kids. Fun waterpark and lots of other activities. Kids were enchanted by the Magi Quest...it kept them busy for hours.
Okay so I’m a 12 yr old girl and my experience here was bad, I almost drowned and the lifeguard didn’t care I saw a little boy and an little girl the boy was drowning the girl! The sheets were nasty and the blanket were itchy.
We had an absolute blast! Very clean, very safe, and plenty to do! Would definitely vacation here again!
My grandchildren had a blast! Such a fun place! And I was impressed, too, that they even had the electric car chargers!
Overall experience was good, other than their short staff issues causing some waterslides to be closed and long wait times. Not good for kids to have to wait!
My kids & I always have a grand time here! Staff have always been friendly and courteous! The best time spent here was Christmas!!
The kids loved this place, drinks and lockers were overpriced so definitely plan ahead. Not very cleanly, so I’d recommend water shoes
We had a lot of fun with water slides. Theres basically none you can do until 42 though, just a couple little ones.
It was really fun. My kids enjoyed it. Will visit again. We had breakfast it was decent food.
Good service fun place although we found dirty beds and dirty mirrors as if they weren’t cleaned. Found a sock in the bed and then marks on the mirror as if it hasn’t been cleaned in days.
Always a wonderful experience! The Burnwood restaurant gets a 5STAR rating for the Ribeye Steak absolutley amazing, tender and lots of flavor😁
SHOUT OUT TO THE GM NADINE M. !! THANKS FOR CHECKING US IN WHEN IT WAS SO BUSY!! ALSO SHOUT OUT TO SARAH H. , KIM , MELODY, ALEXA AND A.J.!! SARAH H. THANKS FOR WORKING ON GETTING US A LAST MINUTE EXTENED STAY!!!FOR HANDLING THE FRONT DESK AS THEY SHOULD!!! AS A EXEC. MANG. AT A HOTEL, I APPRECIATE HARD WORKERS WHO MAKE SURE ALL GUEST ARE TAKEN CARE OF!! AND LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST THANKS TO MARA( NOT SURE OF SPELLING SO SORRY) AT THE KIDDIE POOL!!!! THANKS FOR BEING FRIENDLY AND TAKING CARE OF MY BOY AND CHECKING ON HIM EVEN WHEN YOU KNEW WE WHERE THERE.!! IF I COULD I WOULD GIVE MORE STARS! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!! 👍
It waa a good experience staying at the resort. The authorities did a good job trying to enforce distancing and masks to be worn at all times. It tends to get crowded during the holiday season.Good set of rides offered however the charge of $500+ incl taxes i paid for the 1 night stay was quiet high
This is a nice place to come with your younger kids. We have three daughters, and the oldest is 9, and they all loved it. I would suggest planning to either bring your own food, or else eat at some place right in the area. The food here is ok at best, and VERY expensive. The arcade, you can win about 3 dollar store things for about $70 in tokens. I think I honestly convinced my kids afterwards that it would be better to just go and buy something decent with that $70 next time. Be prepared to be offered a Covid mask often. I took a few, but never wore one. Had a great time just the same.
Fun place for kids and adults alike. Lots of things to do. Lodge has big water slides, wave pool, lazy river, and even has pool side bar for the big kids. Shops and food places do not accept cash. Only room charge and credit/debit cards.
This place has been fantastic for our family. Weve had so much fun going to the water park and playing the arcade games. They also have a climbing wall and ropes course you can do. There are several restaurants including brand names like Dunkin and Ben and Jerrys. Well definitely come back again for a long weekend!
So Thankful that the Great Wolf L[dge took over this facility. They brought back the life that this beautiful facility had. It is now a great company since they took over.. The activities they have for the families and kids are so awesome, the water park is ABSOLUTELY Amazing, The rooms are okay ,but the Hotel has so many amenities to enjoy, you wont be in the rooms much anyway. I dont recommend eating at the restaurant (OVER PRICED & NOT THAT TASTY). But aside from that, I highly recommend.
Force you to wear a mask still unless you purchase ice cream or beverage from one of their shops. Force their employees to wear a mask in swimming area while nobody else is required a mask making it a huge inconvenience to do their job quickly and efficiently if lifeguard duties need to be performed. Policy does not match up with scientific reasoning. Will never recommend a visit to this money grab of an establishment that forces you purchase over priced food and beverage to be comfortably unmasked
It took forever to check in there was only one person checking in people and it took forever (close to an hour)to sign me in. (The manager did extend my check out to late) I asked her a few questions and the employee decided to take a longer time by bringing the manager so that took A LOT LONGER JUST SO SHE CAN PROVE A POINT. I went to the bar and it took a very long time to get a drink. 3 bartenders and 3 customers. No cutesy breakfast. No microwave in the room. I wish they had a Jacuzzi at the playground. My daughter enjoyed the water park, the arcade, reading time, zip line area, the free ears for kids. A lot for the kids in one day.
My kids had a blast! Super safe environment for my disabled sons. I even felt comfortable enough to allow my 8 and 9 year old to go down slides and in the lazy river alone. My youngest loved the play fort and splash pad, and staff was amazing. We had my youngest sons insulin pump go missing at the water park and staff was very helpful in locating it. Overall great experience for the kids, and my husband and I had a great time playing with the kids as well.
Stayed this weekend with some friends for the first time! Horrible experience! So overpriced. Definitely do research before you stay! The first day, one of the slides were closed.. okay no big deal. The second day, the lazy river, the family slides and the same slide were closed. This seriously puts a damper in your trip if you rely on the lazy river as a big part of you waterpark experience. They should do a better part at making sure to be overstaffed when it is New Years Eve weekend.. even getting the first snow of the year, when we live in a state that snows all the time. Next, all the soda machines were completely empty. You pay $14.00 for a resuable cup and can’t find any soda machine. Asked 2 different people, 1 person didn’t even know you had to wait 10 minutes to fill up your cup. Had to wait 10 minutes for another machine because the one I used had a line broke and shot soda everywhere. They would direct you to another machine, just for all the soda to be out. Went to the buffet, where everything was empty and not being refilled on time. Only for your check to come back with 18% gratuity’s and you don’t even get unlimited drinks with the buffet, it’s a $3.00 separate charge, which you find out when you get your check. The bowling machines are awesome, but it ate 2 tokens(games) of mine. Luckily a nice member of the arcade was able to give me 2 more. The food is over priced in the water park. Especially when everything is going wrong. There are no fitted sheets on the beds.. the beds are covered with a mattress pad and a flat sheet, which comes down while you sleep. You would think with how pricey it is, they could afford fitted sheets. We had to go down to the front desk twice because our wristbands would not open our room door. I know everyone has different experiences, but with all the things going wrong and how much we paid for a weekend, i won’t be coming back and will be letting anyone know who asks.
What a great experience our family had at this location! The check-in was seamless, our rooms were ready, and the staff was fantastic. I cannot say how thankful I was for the accommodating staff. The suite rooms were great- perfect for my sons birthday. It was so nice that the rooms were ready when we arrived at 1pm. You should be very proud that you have a great staff working for you.
It is absolutely INSANE that rates are constantly changing and by so much! Shame on me for not booking when I found a good rate because I thought I could do in the morning. +$57 rate increase less than 12 hours later. Request a call from customer service via website. No contact +4 hours later. I call them. Now the rates have increased by +$95, less than 24 hours after my original find! And of course they wont honor the original rate and have no plans do even try. Its quite disgusting and awful customer service that an establishment wont honor a better rate rather than loose a reservation all together.
It was fun, staff was nice, the bathrooms could be more clean, but minus 2 stars because my aunt came with me, my mom, and my cousin and when she left she had covid. overall, for me, it was fun.
Eric Gools, the manager there does an amazing job keeping that place together. I had an issue where I have left behind something in my hotel room and he took it above and beyond to make sure that I received my items…… thank you Eric you were awesome (the hotel is amazing as well) great hotel and water park
Im heading here this Friday for a weekend stay. Reading the reviews, Im a little iffy-About the indoor slides and pools and especially about the water temperature since I asked about how warm it will be, was told it will be 84 degrees at the water park, but hoping the water itself will be warm(went to Kalahari and water was not warm!) Im leaving a five star since I havent been here and am hoping for the best (especially water park (water temp) and slides and pools being open... I will definitely be back to change my rating if need be (fingers cross that I do not!) But leave a great follow up review.FOLLOW UP REVIEW: DO NOT STAY HERE. Changed star rating to 1. We had problems from the moment we went to our room, someone else was given the same room, had to wait a little over an hour to get the whole issue resolved, person out and room recleaned. There was a manager and a young man named Chris who were called to help with the room issue. The manager never introduced herself and walked right off after hearing the issue without a word and never returned!(She just didnt want to deal with it) Young Chris stood his ground trying to rectify the situation (we spoke to the GM over the phone) who ultimately fixed the situation( with issue ONE!! Yes! Theres more!!)Seasonal Buffet was about to close in 10 minutes, staff was willing to take us to dine in but had to take food out and reheat! (Food shouldnt be put away until you are absolutely completely closed- especially if customers are still being taken in to eat! ) We ended up going to Olive Garden. Oh! The food is terrible anyway and over priced for the quality (taste).BarnWood was supposed to be completely closed, to my surprise its actually open. After waiting to drop an order, come to find out its only open for drinks--wasnt told open only for drinks (I was told closed until after January 6th!) And I really wanted to eat here..bummer. Went on the Wolf Chat app to let the Wolf Chat know about BarnWood and Seasonal Buffet and ended up being called by a manager a different one(not the woman who walked away) he couldnt do anything but just give money back which was $250.00 but was going to deduct from the $250 what I had already started charging to my card/room.........(smh)As the previous reviews, the water was not warm more like cool, and the air temperature was not 84 degrees so the reviews on that were correct.They were short staffed and water park rides were closed the 2nd night (so I didnt get into the water). There were other little things that happened along the way to add fuel to the fire such as the Splashing Pool pass Add -On for four people- for $89.99, ended up getting four meals but all meals came out to $47 and some change. I could NOT add extra food to add up to the price of the package- it was a sealed deal I was out a huge difference!! The extra charge/fee for soda at the Buffett after paying $23 for a meal already ect. There are other hotels with Water Parks to spend your money on and not as pricey as this place. Spoke to some people with inside scoop and come to find out the company has all young kids managing the place!!All in all for spending several thousands of dollars (close to $2000 for the room alone!)This first time experience was terrible. I would not return to this place nor would I recommend this place to anyone. 10 thumbs down- two thumbs down from the five of us.
Brought our 2 and 4y olds here and spent 2 nights. The kids had a blast playing in the water almost all day both before and after nap.We also enjoyed the arcade, but be aware that the arcade game prices go up in the evening vs. the morning/afternoon.Food was surprisingly tasty and not a rip-off. Sandwich fries and a drink for about $12. Fries are fresh and the turkey avocado sandwich was legit. We enjoyed the breakfast buffet one morning and it was good enough. We had dinner at the nicer sit-down restaurant by the lobby. Tasty. We also ordered 2 pizzas and ate them in the room one night. Everything was above average in quality and very reasonably priced.All the staff were helpful and accommodating. Other families with small children were mostly pleasant and friendly. With kids running around all over the water fort, all parents seemed to be keeping an eye out for all the kids and making sure everyone was taking turns on the slides.Really a very enjoyable and affordable visit and everyone had a blast.
Pros: kids had fun, lots of activities in addition to the water park, room/beds were comfortable. Cons: wasn’t quite worth the cost, between water activities and food outlets being closed due to short staffing and other issues.
Absolutely the rudest employees on the planet. Dont buy build a bear gifts cards they do not honor them, Felipe at the Christmas Buffet was pretty awesome and on his job. Also do not take cash as they do not accept that either. Mini golf and bowling could be improved for the price you pay for your room.
Wonderful place for kids!!! Our room was perfectly clean. Check in process was wonderful. Staff is wonderful. Waterpark is super clean and well staffed. 5 stars for our stay!!
Had a really awesome time here! Water slides are fantastic, wish they had more staffing so all of the pools could have been open. The drink machines are very frustrating to use and limited how much and how often you can drink. Room was clean and staff were fantastic.
It is much smaller than the Great Wolf in Wisconsin Dells. The customer service is greatly lacking and found old dried food in the room and a considerable number of hairs in the bathroom that did not belong to my family.Even if I lived closer to this Great Wolf, I would make the drive to Wisconsin Dells.
So much fun and many things for kids to do. A bit cold in the water park and the pools for October. Ive been in the summer and the water is way warmer. Arcade is pretty expensive and you get only a piece of candy or a plastic ring, bracelet, eraser etc. They need better prices. Rooms were clean and staff was great.
I really really want to rant and rave about how great the experience was, but I just cant. It was nothing more than meh, which was truly upsetting when you think about the overall cost of the experience. The rooms were nice, the place was clean, and the staff was friendly. This place compared to other GWL locations Ive been to just felt like a massive money grab for the extra adventures, while not having as nice of a waterpark as the Cincinnati GWL. I cant say that it was bad but I also cant say that Id recommend this location to anyone else. I doubt we will be back to this specific location.
Everything closes at 9-10 and you cant get service for anything until morning also everything is time based so if you want a certain something to eat you have to be up at a certain time even attractions in the water park are time based and everything is way to overpriced.
Overall - Pretty nice place. It’s definitely not as big as the one in Cincinnati, but it’s really unfair to compare the two. They were a little more strict with all the rules there which I appreciate it, but I wish it would have been slightly bigger. My room was nice and it was clean and the staff were outstanding. For a Friday night it wasn’t super busy, but we were able to still have fun without any lines on the slides. I wish there was a little bit bigger small children area for my little one to playing, but that’s being a little nitpicky
Way better since changing from key lime cove. They could use a little better cleaning routine as we found some Cheetos and a fork on the sides of the bed between the tables. But still a great family atmosphere
The place was really clean. You can tell it is still pretty new. The staff was nice and helpful. A lot of activities for the price you pay. Magiquest is really fun for the older kids. The arcade was fun. Its all pricey but worth it. Even the rooms were very nice and I hate hotels haha. Great experience. We will be back! One tip, go out and get your own food. The food was not very good but thats expected.
I gave it 3 stars mainly because they don’t have a hot tub! Like I’ve never been to a waterpark without a hot tub, it’s really nothing for the parents to do inside. I ordered a margarita from the inside bar it was mediocre at best. The food was pretty disgusting also, more like school cafeteria grade. I won’t be back, next time will just take the ride to the Dells for a better experience.
This water park is clean and very enjoyable for the kids. The only thing we experience that was bad was the ac in our room is was super loud and our room felt muggy. But other than that I loved the water park, plenty of water slides for them to get into. They have designated areas for every child to be safe to enjoy they water.
The staff here is always amazing. So is the service. I very much appreciate that the Covid protocols were actually followed. And there’s always a lot of fun things to do for kids. Some of the facilities aren’t as well-kept as it could be, but given the number of people coming through and all of the activities at the building withstands it’s pretty amazing that it’s in his greatest shape as it is. You can tell that almost all staff really loves their jobs and puts forth an effort to make it a fun family experience. That tells me that they are getting paid well and treated well as employees.
I have mixed feelings about this place. It is over priced!!! The kids had fun but the place is small. We had a suite and had to walk done the hall to use a community microwave and stand in line to do that. For $380 a night I should have a microwave to use In my room. Staff was friendly and very willing to help when needed. Plenty of lounge chairs in pool area but no tables at all. Only place to sit at a table is a restaurant. place is catered to the kid between 2 and 12 but nothing for a parent. Not one hot tub any where. A small bar to get an alcoholic beverage is all there is. Sorry a tv a hot tub a table something for the price
Staffing can cause issues for some of the attractions in the water park not being open. Some rides were open, then closed. Just expect some closures!!! I wish they would lower their rates since there is clearly a shortage on staff. Rooms were super clean and up to date. Not sure on the mask policy, they were enforced in some places and not in others. Really high prices for on site bars and restaurants, only worth it if you don’t want to leave the property. Over all a good stay!
We have called for a month straight to ask to check in early and also have conjoined rooms all to be told we can’t even pay extra for upgrades or early check in. We get there and a gentleman from Paris, Tn says we have conjoined rooms. I bought two rooms to find out after swimming ours were not together.Now we’re teachers and special needs moms and talked with the manager Grant to be told that the gentlemen that helped us has been there since it’s opened and never promised that. And our room keys dont even work, we even paid for wolf passes to be treated like we are liars and that I shouldn’t be mad. Our kids were so upset they threw up from it. Definitely need new customer service manager and employees for food area.Every one else is nice but please if you’re a mom book at the dells not here. I promise it might be new here but things are all broken and never working right. Dells is amazing, Ohio is amazing, and Georgia also. We have been all over to many great wolfs and will never come back to this one which is only 30 minutes from our house.The food is awful people don’t wash their hands and use same gloves for garbage and then serve you, yuck. And to make it worse just because you speak Spanish doesn’t give them the right to be swearing in front of you either.
An absolute utopia for kids! It’s not cheap but it is amazing! We found the lodge itself as well as the attractions to be extremely clean and well maintained. The thought put into the games and activities is also incredible (although it al of course costs money!). The ropes course, the mini golf, the magiquest game, the kids loved it all. And of course, having a full bar near the water park is key for the adults!!
Me and my daughter had a wonderful time. Shes 7 and loved the whole experience. Im definitely looking into having her 8th birthday party here. Thanks for a memorable weekend
Lifeguards did a great job, thats a tough job. All GWL workers were pleasant and very helpful. Lots of activities for ones 2 and under. We will be back.
This is the 2nd GWL I have taken my family to. I read lots of Google reviews before going and was nervous that is place was going to be dirty and run down. It could not have been further from. I started LOOKING for dirty, broken, or run down things. They ONLY thing I found to be dirty were the fancy light covers in the halways to the rooms. Someone on the cleaning staff forgot to assign a person to dust them...but thats it. I will say that on the last day we were there, they were getting ready to close for three days.as we left the kids thought it hilarious to see toilets in the hall. They must be doing renovation and I was in a renovated room. We rented a cabana-TOTALLY with the money. I was disappointed there was no hot tubs in the water park- only reason for 4 stars. Food was still just dressed up food service and wait staff was nothing to get excited over, but ALL employees were kind, curtious, and very helpful. Would definitely go back!!
Pretty disappointed. Overpriced and feel like there couldve done more to match the price after becoming Great Wolf Lodge. My son liked it so am good with that but for the price...get a ticket to Orlando and take your kids to fun spot or Icon Park instead. It would cost you less and will do a lot more🤷.
Went to bring in Christmas with the little ones. Upon arriving into room we were washing our hands and noticed there was a small leak under the bathroom sink. The staff came and fixed it promptly which was great. The rooms were very clean. The Waterpark was great. We got the Wolf pass. Bowling was great. MagiQuest was a great experience, just alot of walking around lol. Wall climb was challenging. Obstacle course was cool. Mini golf was okay. Cup of candy was generous enough. Ice cream was cool. Food is a personal preference. Storytime and activities were very entertaining!The only issue I had with the Wolf Pass was the amount of paws which are an equivalent to tokens that were given. The Wolf Pass only includes 20 paws for the arcade but the average game costed about 8-12 paws. Those were the mediocre games. The higher quality games in the arcade are about 20-48 paws. I felt that was a rip-off. They could have given more paws for the games because kids love to play games. Two games was not enough. Overall great vacation spot would definitely go again. Definitely a great bonding experience with my fam!
Nice indoor waterpark for the kids. The kids had fun and there were a lot of life guards around making sure everyone were safe which was great.
The afternoon front desk guy was not nice. I tried to ask him question about attraction around me at night, While I was talking to him he left and went to another customer. Room was not clean. No saving box in the room. They charge $15 for the locker indoor water park. Housekeeper knocked the door at 10:30am to clean the room. I told them that check out is at 11:00am. They gave me that look and attitude. Hotel needs to do the checkout system so housekeepers can come clean the room after the checkout.
Way too expensive for what you get. A cold broken down Waterpark, disgusting rooms, and unbelievable prices for just a day pass at the Waterpark during the winter. The owners are crazy if they think those prices are fair.
Short staffed, long check in lines. Staff is clueless, visit the candy shop and you be met with condescending and rude tone. People look miserable working there. Over priced and not worth the stay. Sad
My family of 6 stayed 8/5-8/8/21. Check in was great the hotel was clean and the room was perfect. We had a great time swimming, sliding, mining and everything else.I rated a 4/5 for the following; Not enough tubes in the water park area, we wasted so much time trying to find double tubes, the bunk beds in the room had barley there matress, the kids were not liking it at all, they were almost like the nap mats with a little extra. We booked until a promotional price, we werent aware that it wasnt good for Saturday. Also beware the points per game for the arcade go way up on Saturdays, which is really not fair and should be advertised.All in all we had a great stay, I wouldnt recommend this for older kids like we had, this is more for the younger crowd!
Kids loved the place, thats all that matters. They have food there but we ended up leaving to nearby places for more options. Lots to do.
Fun place for the family. The water park has all the necessities for fun. Pizza was good from there as well.
Love that they actually warm their water. I cant stand cold pools or anything so this is especially great for me to be able to actually get in the water and enjoy it with my kids.
Its fun-ish. The water park is solid, but youve done it all in 3 hours. The other activities are fun, if a bit underwhelming. MagiQuest is janky... Its hard to recommend as the wands arent consistent. My major complaint is for the staff at the Timberland grill... Its the only thing open from 11-2...they are ambivalent about customers. I had a girl walk by me 4 times before I finally had to call her over to take an order. If they make a mistake, just live with it... Youll die of hunger before they fix it. All in all, it was fun once, but I probably wont be back.
Just a few issues, our keys stopped working a day b4 check out the cost of other activities besides water park where costly and not worth it.
Whatever you do do not go to the great Wolf Lodge!! I had vomit on my sheets (and BLOOD)!!!! That I discovered after becoming violently ill and they refused to help in anyway shape or form. The rooms are substandard the waterpark is substandard and it’s triple what Kalahari costs and Kalahari is 1 million times better plus infinity!!
Had an amazing time. My Grandkids loved the Waterpark and all the other activities too. Definitely going back!
Would have been a 5 star had the restaurants and restaurants and stores been open for regular business hours very unfortunate you cant get a Dunkin donuts when its closed at 11 AM. Great value for the money world class water slides and good lifeguard security was everywhere. Bring your family you wont be disappointed.
We had a great time spending our spring break vacation here! The kid/teen/adult entertainment value is well worth it.
Great for family fun, pricey, but worth the smiles, laughter and entertainment that comes with it. Rooms and lodge are updated nicely, and fun for all ages.
Don’t plan on getting access to your room at 4pm- jokes! Maybe 5-6. Wear your suits so you can at least go into the water park
Total reviews rating 4.2
199 Reviews for Great Wolf Lodge Water Park Illinois 2023:
Review №1
2022-04-15We stayed 3 days and 2 nights and the kids really enjoyed this place. The location is convenient right off of the expressway and the lodge was very clean. Just like any other business, they are short on staff due to the lack of workers however, their customer service and patience was exceptional.We arrived early and our room was ready. Yes the line to check in was long due to the mobile app being down but again, just get there early and be patient and understanding. Their front desk staff was very helpful and knowledgeable once you check in to make sure you have all the details you need for your stay.The room was outstanding! The kids had their own cabin like area which they were super excited about and it was spacious enough for the adult section. There were plenty of towels and we needed an iron which I was able to ask for through the app and they brought it right up.Throughout the stay they sent chat messages asking how everything was going which I thought was great. The water park was super clean and the kids loved every minute of it. Super convenient to have everything on the wristband so you do not have to worry about losing anything and it was super safe and cashless. All in all, if you have children 12 and under they will love this place! We cannot WAIT to go back!!
Review №2
2022-02-15Celebrated my daughters 3rd birthday here this past weekend. It was a very busy. Wait times for food was quite long (roughly 45-1 hour) but understandable with place being short staffed and it being a busy weekend. Food was fresh and pretty good. Don’t recommend the Cesar salad. Was extremely small for the price and didn’t like the Caesar dressing or the cherry tomatoes (weird for a Caesar) Drinks were great from the bar inside pool area. Same bartender I’ve seen past few times we’ve gone and he’s always really great. Life guards watch kids like a hawk and constantly check pools, slides and lazy river. They made us feel more at ease and safe with our little ones swimming. Checkin and checkout was pretty smooth. Loved the birthday package we purchased and the cake was delicious. Sense I’m really honest with my personal reviews, I really wanted to give 5 stars because I really like going there with my family. However day of checkout, we decided to go for our last swim and grab a bite before heading out. We sat on chairs close to the lazy river and I seen 2 bugs (cockroaches) scattering next to the garbage can. Can say I lost my appetite and we left shortly after. Still gave 4 stars for our overall experience and enjoyment prior to that.
Review №3
2022-04-11This weekend my husband and I took our family to Great Wolf Lodge to celebrate our oldest son turning 8 years old. We noticed that they were highlighting Autism Awareness month. This really struck us because earlier this year our two year old was diagnosed with Autism. He’s in an array of different therapies, but loves swimming and being in the water, so we felt this trip would be perfect for both him and his big brother (The birthday boy). However, we had a horrible experience during our stay. There were bugs of all sorts in our room, we asked what could be done and they said nothing. All of the games were broken and not reading correctly, we have video footage of them not giving the correct amount of tickets to the kids. Certain front desk staff were extremely rude whenever you asked for help. I personally asked to speak to a manager, the staff asked why I needed a manager, and I explained that my child had autism and I wanted to speak with a manager in regards to a situation concerning my son. The staff returned from the back and said the manager needed to know specifically before they would come out and speak with me. I could not believe it! This was absolutely the rudest most disrespectful thing that I’ve ever heard.
Review №4
2022-02-25Such a great place for a nearby weekend (or in my case, midweek) getaway! Very family friendly with so many activities for all age groups. It is somewhat disappointing that they dont offer some kind of all inclusive or variety of activities option for the rock mining, rope course, rock climbing wall, and that game with the wands that you wander around to unlock (that all adds up pretty fast).It is especially great for younger kids; they have nightly story time, morning yoga, late night kids dance parties, (Im sure I missed some other activities).. All of the staff were friendly and we had a very positive experience overall!!
Review №5
2022-04-14Went to celebrate my sons 12th birthday, we had a great and comfortable stay. Everything was clean, I requested more towels and blankets (through the app) and they brought them promptly. I have no complaints. With the wristband you can opt to pay for everything with it because the resort is cashless and it works as a key for your room, which is pretty cool. I’ll definitely be returning. ☺️
Review №6
2022-03-14We loved our stay here. Such a great break from the winter blues! In general, I would say this is more fun for younger kids (mine are 3 and 5 and they really enjoyed most the activities). Well probably try to go 1 or 2 more years before I feel like they might be too old to really enjoy it.You can drop a lot of extra money on activities other than swimming (which we did!), but if you book on a deal and just swim its really very affordable!Because everything is indoors, it is pretty loud and stimulating - so just a bit of caution for those with sensitive kids. Even going during a slower mid-week time, there were plenty of people enjoying the place.
Review №7
2022-03-12We had a blast! This is the perfect place to bring young children. There is no shortages of things to do and the day is filled with character meet and greet and neat crafts. The staff were all friendly, happy, and polite. Even with staff shortages, they switch which water slides they have open during the day and have posted times that they are open, so you can try them all. The lobby was decorated for spring and it was so cute! The only regret we have is not staying longer!
Review №8
2022-06-01Things We Liked:Two rides were not working the hotel was pro active and gave us 25% of our stay without having to ask.Amazing Hotel for Kids!!!!!!Highly recommend the “Wolf Pass”Arcade Games we’re amazingMagic Quest was fun and staff was helpfulAll the fun activities for the kids!The staff members were kind & seemed like they enjoyed their jobs.The Great Wolf Lodge AppThe restaurantsThe water parkBen & Jerry’s ice creamThings We DislikedHow thin the walls are you can her everything, which if you are traveling with little one who are light sleepers that’s no fun.Noise in hallways, since kids were running around during quite hours.The pullout couch will make your back hurt lolWater park did not have a hot tub (minor dislike)and outdoor pool was green.But overall it was a great experience, loved the events ambassador team.Lifeguard did a great job as well.Management also was very helpfulThe hotel is bigger than it looks. The front doesn’t give justice to how nice this place is.
Review №9
2022-01-03We just returned from a one night stay, we did enjoy a few things and didn’t enjoy some others. When arrived at around 2pm there was a long line for check in and took about 30 mins. We waited until after 5pm for our room to be ready (check in is at 4pm) Once we got to the room it was very nice and clean and beds were decently comfortable. We were offered a credit for waiting for so long for our room to be ready. Some of the restaurants and water park areas were closed due to no staff or lifeguards which was upsetting. I have small kids and they love the lazy river and were upset that is wasn’t operating. The splash area for the kids is great but dangerous! I slipped myself plus my two kids multiple times when they weren’t running. I witnessed multiple other children slipping and falling as well. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. The area between the water table and the 4 fountains is the worst. They arcade and pizza place downstairs were great. Pro Tip -plan on not getting your room early or on time and pack everything for the watermark separately from your regular luggage and to make it easier wear your suit under your clothes. For our age kids we like this place better than the Great Wolf in WI Dells, we might be back, but if so it won’t be for awhile.
Review №10
2022-02-26We stayed here for 3 nights. We booked in advance and got good rates.We brought our son who is 3.5 years old, he loved the wolf den suite/sleeping area. But he was probably 1 year too young to really enjoy the rest of the fun stuff, which is why Im giving 4* and not 5. Its quite busy so lots of bigger kids are running around the water park and our son was a bit intimidating dated by that. He did like the wave pool though.The ropes course and climbing wall looked fun, but again, our son was too young for it. Same goes for the magi-quest game they have, it seemed like a lot of kids there really liked it, but our son was too young to really understand it.I will say that the arcade there is quite overpriced. The games charge paw credits, the cheapest game being 8 credits which is equal to $2 if you by $50 worth of credits all at once. Many of the games are more like $8 just to play once. So we didnt do the arcade at all, I recommend going to the chuck E. Cheeses literally next door. Unlimited gaming for an hour for $30 for the whole family. Youd burn through $30 in about 10 mins at the lodge.The staff here was very kind and helpful. And lastly the food here is good. The restaurant near the entrance we had 2x and were happy both times, the pizza downstairs was also good.