Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City, MI

Expensive but for most kids worth it First and foremost the staff is all VERY helpful and polite. They were always friendly and welcoming from the front desk staff to the cleaning crew we saw in the hallways. They went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed and were satisfied with our experience. The hotel room was great and my son loved the bunk bed in the Kids Kamp room. We were on the 1st floor and could walk out to a grassy area. We dried our swim suits and pool shoes on that patio with no problems. There was a small mini-fridge there so we did a quick run to a grocery store and had snacks available there. The waterpark was great for kids aged 2-12 (not that older kids wouldn't like it). My oldest was able to ride everything and never had any issues enjoying himself. My youngest enjoyed the zero entry splash pad and was able to find many things to entertain him. Having the room onsite was helpful that we were able to just walk back to the room after drying off some. We didn't partake in any of the food options onsite except ice cream one night. But I will say the pizza always smelled amazing (the pizza restaurant is right by the water park entrance). There are other entertainment options that while they cost extra are fun. My son enjoyed the putt putt course and we did the arcade for a little. He did the MagicQuest game and he enjoyed it but some kids we saw were having a blast. It's pricey but I think worth it. There are ogranized activities that my sons didn't really participate in but they looked fun (dance party, crafts etc). It's not cheap and weekends are more expensive but I think that if you have the time and money and kids who enjoy waterparks it's worth it. Try for weekdays and special deals and you might save some money

$19 parking fee per car per night on top of $35 per night resort fee Parking fee increased to $19 per day, per vehicle. This is on top of an already high hotel room rate and $35 per night resort fee. Go elsewhwere, GWL Traverse City isn't worth the extreme high prices. They are gouging customers at every turn.

EXPEDIA BOOKING RIP OFF BEWARE USING EXPEDIA ONLINE BOOKING. IT IS A SCAM! AND YOU WILL PAY MORE THAN TWO TO THREE TIMES WHAT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING. THEY WILL ALWAYS MAKE YOU PAY RIGHT THEN.....THIS IS THE TELL! STOP BEFORE YOU AGREE TO THIS! THE HOTEL WILL NOT FIX THIS RIP OFF! I got ripped off when I was unable to get the hotel to answer their customer service phone after their direct online booking was not working. Expedia masqueraded as GWL direct booking and lied about being able to cancel. The hotel told me they could not do anything to right the wrong the excessive amount that I was charged. I will NEVER USE EXPEDIA AGAIN! LESSON LEARNED.

Very clean. But no better than a Holiday Inn or Courtyard despite high rates. I'm probably not like most guests in that I stayed at Great Wolf Lodge for a single night without kids or family. I was there for a big business-related dinner in their banquet hall. I've never stayed there before. I always thought of it as an upscale resort akin to Gaylord. How I was wrong. My discounted rate was a little more than $300 with taxes. That was discounted because we had a block of rooms. Other guests were paying $500 a night. For those prices, the hotel is an awful value. The overall operating standard as well as the rooms themselves is AT BEST a Courtyard or Holiday Inn. No doorman or bellman to assist with luggage. No valet parking. No concierge. No newspapers or local information. The rooms are extremely dated with limited electrical and USB outlets. No bottled water or stocked mini-bar. No wine glasses or corkscrew. No robes and slippers. The bathtub-shower and toilet are separate from the sink. One bar of soap was provided. The dispenser with lotion was empty. In the shower, there were dispensers with shampoo and conditioner. No body wash. I booked a king-sized room but received two double beds. Our dinner finished at 10 pm. The bar was closed. The pantry was closed. You couldn't even get a bottle of Pepsi or Coke at the hotel. How is that possible? This is a supposed resort and at 10 pm on a Friday night you can't get a Pepsi or Coke, let alone something like a glass of wine or a beer. This is why you have a stocked mini-bar in guest rooms. Outside of the front desk, service is non-existent. How does this resort not at least have doormen or bellmen to assist with luggage? The entrance is also awful. You have to manually open the doors because they don't have sliding or automatic doors, which is an issue when you're trying to carry a load of luggage through the entrance or you're disabled. How is the entrance ADA compliant? The only positive that I'll give the hotel is cleanliness. Housekeeping does an EXCELLENT job. My room was spotless. It was one of the cleanest hotel rooms that I've seen since the pandemic. At the end of the day, the big issue here is the price. For the rate that is being charged, the Great Wolf Lodge is an awful value. Then they charge you a scam parking charge for an open-air, unsecured parking lot. It's highway robbery. If the rates were $150-$200, I'd have fewer complaints. At the rate charged, you expect a four-star/AAA four-diamond or higher hotel. Instead, you're getting a hotel that if you take away the kitsch decor and waterpark is no better than a Courtyard or Holiday Inn.

Fun experience for kids Great experience for the kids. The Magi quest is time consuming abut enjoyable for the kids. Very interactive. The water park has what you need. I upgraded the room to the majestic family suit which was bigger and better than a standard room. Worth the upgrade. Busy during the cherry fest which is to be expected. A lot of indoor activities for the kids throughout the day.