Name: Grand Bear Resort At Starved Rock
Address: 2643 Il Route 178, Oglesby, 61373, US

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2026

Eladia

My grandkids enjoyed the water park. Nice staff and clean hotel.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

09 Jul 2026

Illia

If you planning on checking in, don’t do it after 10pm

4/10

Poor

08 Jul 2026

Misty

I just stayed there with my 2 children. I looked at the website ahead of time to check menus and hours. I didn't see anything about special hours. So when we got there the front desk gave me a sheet with all the amenities and hours. Find me shocked when everything is closed. We arrived on Monday and left today. We spent almost no time at the resort since there was no food to eat or drink to drink aside from the lite menu at the Treehouse. If I had known they don’t have amenities until the weekend, I would have planned different dates. Just note, don’t book except Thursday thru Sunday even in summertime. The staff was lovely though.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

06 Jul 2026

Gerald W

Small cramped room. Found out their version of handicap accessibility is only a room with a walk in shower, Toilet was not raised. Room was very dark with inadequate lighting. There was a burn mark on the rug from an iron that must have been left unattended. Glad I wasn’t there for that smoke alarm.

4/10

Poor

06 Jul 2026

jose

I found what I was looking for , Pease!

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

06 Jul 2026

Heather

I don’t know where to begin. The amenities didn’t open until late and closed early if they opened at all. The staff were not on the same page about this. There is supposedly a restaurant that looks 5 stars but isn’t actually on the property instead is a banquet hall. This hosted a 19.95 buffet breakfast and dinner. The breakfast was barely a free continental breakfast you can get at a holiday Inn. The dinner was take out pizza or a “picnic” style of hotdogs for dinner. Just chairs and a folding table and a staff with a tin box to hold cash at the entrance. No water or coffee for guests throughout the day at the entrance. Oh and the concession in the pool area had signs displayed of hotdogs pretzels pizza etc but when you go in it’s another staff member on a 4 foot folding table with a bag of tortilla chips and self serve nacho cheese and cooler of beverages with a handful of items like swim diapers and other things I can’t remember because I was too busy being shocked and underwhelmed. You pay for VIP but I’m not really sure what it gets you. I do know you get into pool an hour early BUT none of the attractions are on so it’s of really no use. You don’t get to do anything more then float sooner. No slides or wave pool. The life guard we watched as a little girl struggled in the wave pool was shocking! Someone else saved her. Won’t get into it. The waterpark itself for my kids 8/10 was very fun and they enjoyed it when it was going. We did venture out to surrounding towns

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

05 Jul 2026

jose

Prefer not to answere

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Alejandra

I rented a villa and absolutely loved it. Clean and cozy.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

05 Jul 2026

sheree

Nothing

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2026

Nailet

Hola un fin de semana maravilloso buena atención súper lo recomiendo

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

04 Jul 2026

Eric

Food options very limited on site. Hours of operation not good at all.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2026

Alona

We had a wonderful experience. Thank you.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2026

Annece

Super great kid friendly location

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2026

Anna

We loved it

8/10

Excellent

30 Jun 2026

Mallory

The waterpark is actually pretty small but has nice features. Our seven and nine-year-old grandsons were very happy. The arcade is quite large and offered another form of entertainment albeit expensive like all arcades. Putt putt golf was fun. Downside – the rooms and hotel overall are just worn. There was no housekeeping available during our stay however, the staff responded quickly to whatever we needed and overall the staff was very friendly. The food at the on-site restaurants was pretty good. The hotels location is great with easy access to both the towns of Utica and Ottawa and of course, starved rock State Park and Matheson State Park.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jun 2026

Rowena

we enjoyed our stay

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2026

Jeannie

We enjoyed our stay

8/10

Excellent

29 Jun 2026

Steven

Clean rooms ! But a lot of places are not open when we was there

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2026

Rumen

Should have breakfast

Friends

2/10

Poor

26 Jun 2026

Monico

The power went out. I had to leave. It was hot humid. There was no lights. I had my son with me. Who was five years old was scared. Tried to call the hotel to see if they would give me a refund because I had to leave in the middle of the night instead of hearing a crying child all night they refuse to give me a refund or any type of compensation.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2026

Steve

Our grandson loved the waterpark. It was a great way to relax and cool off after a day of hiking in the state parks. The lifeguards were attentive and there were plenty to keep watch over the many people in the water.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2026

Erickeita

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful with any concerns. The pool area was clean and neat and the lifeguards were on point with keeping everyone safe. Very fun and famy friendly event spot. The drive to local cities for food were also convenient from the location. The room was spacious and comfortable for a family of 6. At least they gave us a warning about the possible bugs we might encounter in our space. It wasn't bad though as they had screens on the balcony doors. I would recommend this place a 100% for someone looking for family fun in Illinois.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2026

Nadia

It was a great small get away

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2026

Sara

Loved having a cabin that could fit everyone

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2026

Nydia

Family oriented.

Pet

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2026

Tracy

The Waterpark was nice but the water was too cold and the wave pool was never on and we stayed 5 nights. The 2 big waterside only ran 1 day as well. The snack bar was not open everyday, which would have been nice. The movies were only shown on the weekends, so if you go during the week, just know a lot of things are not open. The food was good from Treetops and the room was very nice. The resort was very clean and quiet and miniature golf was fun as well.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

21 Jun 2026

Graciela

There were blood and urine stains in the mattress; the pool was overcrowded and the slides were unsafe.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jun 2026

Abigail

Great views and friendly/helpful staff

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2026

Bozidar

Old but gold

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jun 2026

Orrie

No options for breakfast. No coffee in room and only free coffee in lobby until 8

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2026

Niki

Amenities were lacking. There was no body wash or blow dryer in our room. We had a small fridge and microwave but no cups of any kind and no coffee maker. There was a sign that there was complimentary coffee from 6am - 8am. At 6:40am there was no coffee and no one around to ask about it. The room was clean. We stayed to be near Starved Rock State Park which held true to our expectations, but we will find a different place to stay that is just a little more accommodating.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

17 Jun 2026

Darrell

Dear Grand Bear Resort Management,

I am writing to express my disappointment with our recent stay. We chose your resort for the amenities and family-friendly experience that were advertised, and unfortunately, our experience fell far short of expectations.

Prior to arrival, we paid an additional fee for early check-in, yet we were not able to access our room early. More concerning was that many of the resort’s main attractions and amenities were unavailable during our stay. The large water slides, wave pool, and food court inside the water park were all closed. Additionally, the arcade and restaurant were not open. Had we been informed of these closures in advance, we could have made a more informed decision regarding our stay.

The condition of our room was also disappointing. The bed was made with flat sheets covering the mattress rather than fitted sheets, which made sleeping uncomfortable. Furthermore, the jacuzzi tub was not functioning properly, as only cold water came from the jets, making it unusable.

We understand that maintenance issues and seasonal closures can occur. However, guests should be informed ahead of time when significant amenities are unavailable, especially when those amenities are a major reason families choose to stay at the resort.

Given the numerous issues we encountered, we feel that compensation or a partial refund would be appropriate. We would appreciate your review of our concerns and a response regarding how this matter can be addressed.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2026

Marian

Super friendly staff, family friendly and clean. Would definitely stay there again!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2026

Sarah

Staff was very friendly, Room could use an upgrade, personally our balcony was dirty (had old cans on the floor) the water park is nice if you have younger kids (5-7)

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jun 2026

Lorri

The hotel rooms were lacking, but comfortable. The staff was friendly but didn't know much about the hotel. The arcade was a joke! (What a rip off) The pool was fun but the towels were the size of a postage stamp. I wasn't impressed for sure. Sorry to have to say this. But I wouldn't go back.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2026

Darlyn

Friendly staff

8/10

Excellent

10 Jun 2026

KASHMIRA

Money worth to come here

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2026

Mary

Everything was ok.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2026

Luis

KIDS AND FAMILY HAPPY, STAFF FRIENDLY EVERYONE ENJOY BEING THERE… THANK YOU GRAND BEAR RESORT.. WILL DEFINITELY GO BACK SOON..

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2026

LILIANA

Excel, great service. The stuff were nice

6/10

Pleasant

06 Jun 2026

KEVIN

The breakfast was good. Room service doesn't come into your room or deliver items like towels/toilet paper. If you need resupply of towels etc, you must pick them up at the front desk. The room didn't have a coffee maker.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2026

Carly

Neat place! It worked out well for our conference of 75 ppl.

Self

2/10

Poor

04 Jun 2026

Angela

The fire alarm went and we were evacuated twice in the same evening at 2am-4am with kids. They gave us ZERO information as people, including ourselves, were standing outside barefoot with no coats, bags, keys, or phones (the first time) in the cold with kids and infants. The restaurant is terrible. It was dead and not only was the service super slow but 2 of the 4 orders were completely wrong and one of the correct orders was poorly cooked and not edible. They gave us a 50% discount for the terrible one and we paid full price for the (wrong) dishes we received and we kept them because we waited so long and our children were starving. Unchecked out a day early due to all of the issues with no discount at all. I don’t ask and they don’t offer. Never again.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2026

Richard

Was a great place to stay, friendly staff

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jun 2026

Terry W

Many of the water rides were out of order and the cabin in which we stayed was very run down, and in need of major renovations.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2026

Kelly

We really enjoyed our stay here!! Definitely recommend!

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 May 2026

Marcelle

Resort seems nice but we were unfortunate to arrive on a Tuesday. Only the resort website showed the water park was closed not Expedia. Plus we paid 159 while it was 100 dollars that day. Tried to chat with hotel but they said it was all with Expedia where I got nowhere.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

30 May 2026

Terrica

My kids enjoyed the trip. We wish the pool was open later

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

28 May 2026

Melissa

Very disappointed with our stay at Grand Bear Resort. For the price we paid, the resort was poorly maintained and full of issues that should have been addressed long ago.

The in-room fireplace did not work because the resort shuts them off starting April 1st, but this was never disclosed when booking. The whirlpool tub knobs were broken, and the only way to turn the jets on and off was by using the GFI breaker on the outlet. Which I felt was very unsafe. The bathtub also drained extremely slow when showering the bathtub would fill up with water.

One of the biggest safety concerns was the third-floor window in our room opening completely with no protection to prevent someone from falling out. That felt incredibly unsafe, especially for families with children. On top of that, the blinds would not close fully, so we had to hang a towel over the window for privacy.

Cleanliness and upkeep were clearly lacking. There were Hot Cheetos sitting on the elevator floor for over 24 hours before anyone cleaned them up. The ice cream from Tree Top Cafe tasted stale, and the maintenance number listed in the room actually connected to a Budget Blinds store instead of resort staff.
The lazy river was tiny, the hot tub rules saying “no one under 16” were never enforced and it was constantly full of kids, and the “free” miniature golf was basically unusable because there were never any clubs available — staff said people never returned them. The Internet barely worked so no tv

Partner

4/10

Poor

26 May 2026

Bryan

Bad experience with me and my family, we were asking for pillows because the cabin was with no pillows, and then we called and nobody from the staff came to give us pillows, and then the main bed was infested of big ants, my mom was frustrated she can’t even sleep, to be honest I want a refound.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 May 2026

Blanca

I just loved it and so did my family the weather was perfect rhe indoor water park was cool my kids loved being in there the place was very clean the food was very good the rooms were perfect for my family and the beds were so comfortable the staff was very very nice we really had a great time there and it was our first time there too I would highly recommend people to stay there its clean , well staffed and very family oriented 10 out of 10 I would do it again.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

25 May 2026

Arsenio

The waterpark was one of the selling points for our trip. After getting there, we saw that it was geared more towards children. We didn’t have children with us. We had dinner on site the first night. We ordered the specials. The server was great but didn’t tell us the food that comes with the specials. We orders the cheese sticks that was actually a small cheese pizza. We made a stop at the bar in the lobby. The waitress was very sweet and attentive.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 May 2026

Laura

When we arrived to check in the young gentleman was nice and helpful. The villa we were staying at was beautiful and very spacious. There was a couple of things I did not like though. One of the balconies was not accessible because it was broken so it was dangerous especially for our kids 1, 7 and 10yrs. Also, the shower upstairs made a horrible loud noise every time we showered. My kids were scared of that. I also have one other complaint about a lady that was in charge of giving the towels at the pool. The first day we were all very excited to get in the water. I nicely asked the lady where we needed to go in through, she rolled her eyes and pointed at the locker/bathroom then I asked her where I could get towels and she continued rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She gave me 3 one for me and one for each of my daughters. Then i told her if I could get two more for my husband and son, she rudely said “you need two more!?” I asked her if something was wrong because she was very rude and she mentioned something about her tooth hurting which is not an excuse to be so extremely rude to me. She shouldn’t have been there if she could not do her job and be polite. My daughters felt uncomfortable and asked if we should just go back to our room. I hope no one else feels the way she made us feel, like if we were unwanted there and as if we were asking for too much.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2026

James

Stayed 1 night on a Wednesday early May. We had the place to ourselves. All amenities were closed during mid week which was fine for us. Great value for a great room! The town and state park are minutes away!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 May 2026

Julie

Card key continuously didn’t work even after being reprogrammed. Room next to us had a bunch of screaming kids even after 10pm. Nothing was open (arcade, cafe, water park, and bar lounge)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2026

Brannon

Everything was incredible, but my one gripe was the mini golf course. It needs some serious maintenance.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

17 May 2026

Cynthia

We enjoyed our stay at this resort. The staff was great, the property was clean the room was spacious with very comfortable beds. They have a water park with a lazy river and wave pool and kiddie slides. The lobby is very nice, with a restaurant, bar and a coffee shop on site. We went during low season, so a lot of the amenities were closed and the water park is open Thursday through Sunday until Memorial Day weekend when all amenities will open. The cons- while the room was clean and spacious, don’t book a balcony room. The balcony rooms are facing the back of the resort and it’s just an open lot, super dark at night and a million carpenter bees harassing you. They don’t have chairs to sit nor screen on the sliding door. We couldn’t enjoy the balcony at all, it was terrible. Overall, we will definitely stay again but will not book a balcony until they fix that back lot and put something for people to look at other than bees and when they install screen doors as well.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2026

Timothy

The 2 bedroom villa was nice, however all patio screen doors were ripped or pushed through. Pull out sofa bed was broken. Pots and pans in unit were old, should be replaced soon. Also did not have a broom to help sweep up floors since no housekeeping service during your stay.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

09 May 2026

Andrew

The website said water park would be open May 8 and still wasn’t open on May 9 wasted my money for my kids birthday and didn’t even get to swim. What a dirty place

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

08 May 2026

Craig

Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock was one of the most disappointing resort experiences I’ve had in years. The entire property feels badly outdated and poorly maintained. The rooms, common areas, and facilities all look like they’ve been neglected for a long time and are nowhere near what you would expect based on the price or the way the resort markets itself online.

What made the experience even worse was the complete lack of transparency during booking. We arrived on a Friday night expecting at least some level of entertainment or amenities to be available, only to find that the bar was CLOSED on a Friday night at a resort. That alone is ridiculous. On top of that, the mini golf was closed and the water park was also closed — two of the major attractions that families specifically book this resort for.

At no point during the booking process was there any clear notice that these amenities would not be available. If a resort is going to advertise family attractions and charge resort-level prices, customers deserve honest disclosure before they spend their money and make travel plans.

Instead, this felt like a bait-and-switch. You pay expecting a full resort experience and arrive to find multiple amenities unavailable with no warning. The resort appears to be running on the bare minimum while still charging premium prices.

The location near Starved Rock is the only redeeming quality, but the resort itself is badly in need of renovation, better management, and basic honesty

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

07 May 2026

Keyonda

I recommend to only come on the weekend or you won’t be able to enjoy the other activities. Water park water was freezing, I couldn’t even get in but my kids worked their way in. Staff wasn’t helpful at all. And finding a table and seat in the water park area is survival of the fittest,

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

04 May 2026

Veronica

The pool wasn't open the whole reason we went and still made us pay full after not really letting us know better. The jacuzzi didn't work ended up leaking everywhere they moved us in a nicer villa that they should have put us in the first place!

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

04 May 2026

Maha

Staff was very rude and disrespectful. I called earlier and they told me the park was open. I made the trip and when arrived, they told me it was closed. Pure fraud. Awful. Highly not recommended.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2026

Brian

Great room and amenities!

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2026

Sonia

Yes

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

27 Apr 2026

Sugandha

Most of the pools were not working but kids still had fun

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

26 Apr 2026

Angela

When we got there and checked into our villa upon inspecting the villa, we found the beds where I made there was dishes in the sink, and the trash was overflowing and all the trash cans. I called the desk and they put us in the new villa. the dryer doesn’t work in this new villa. There was dirty dishes in the cabinet and the Wi-Fi wouldn’t connect and when it did, it went in and out of service wouldn’t bring new towels in for us because we were in a villa and we have a washer and dryer while the dryer doesn’t work so what were we supposed to do? Also, there was a big crack in the kitchen floor. I took a picture of because I wanted to show them that it was pre-existing.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

24 Apr 2026

Barbara J

Overall we had a very nice experience. However, the lighting in our room was too dark. Definitely needed better lamps with brighter bulbs. Missing shampoo and soap for the shower. The waterpark was nice but seemed very dark. The bottom of all the pools was brown instead of a nice blue that you would expect so it made the water look dirty. It wasn’t dirty but it looked that way. Food was very expensive in Jack’s restaurant but reasonable in the cafe but it had a limited menu. Snack bar in the waterpark was open but nothing was working so you couldn’t purchase anything.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2026

HOPE

Winter in the Midwest and the pool water was freezing. Many people complained and they kept telling all of us it’s due to the size of the facility. Well we have stayed at multiple I did water parks much larger and have never experienced. Other than that villa was great, clean and well stocked .

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

21 Apr 2026

Oscar

Dirty rooms

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

Tamasha

yes

4/10

Poor

21 Apr 2026

Shante

We stayed in a Villa. The key to our doors worked only sometimes. One night it was after hours, and the key would not work and there was no one working the front desk. Luckly the back door was unlocked, or we would not have been able to get in. The Villa was poorly cleaned. We found chicken bones, cups and toys in the bedrooms. My son stayed in a cabin and he had mice. We have videos of mice running in and out his food on the counters. When asked to speak to a manager he/she would not come out to speak to us. The same manager called the police. Nothing but kids working. Poor management.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

19 Apr 2026

Nick

It was fun definitely would come back again

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

18 Apr 2026

Nancy

Check in was supposed to be at 4:00 however we did not get our cabin until almost 7:00. We had food in coolers with ice melted and all we got was apologies, nothing was done to compensate us in anyway. The water park was not the greatest either. The wave pool was only turned on a few times during our stay and there wasn’t enough seating.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

16 Apr 2026

Leticia

Non of the restaurants were open. We couldn’t bring outside food in my kids got sick and I explained to the manager if I can get some credit back since I was leaving a whole day early and nothing was done.

6/10

Pleasant

12 Apr 2026

Ashleigh

Hotel room had a musty smell. Wait time at the restaurant for food was long. The chair outside on the balcony was broken. And the water at the water park was so cold everyone including small children were packing into the hot tub. Staff was kind and helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

07 Apr 2026

Verinique

Clean and nice villa. Coffee machine didn’t work and there were no accommodations made

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

06 Apr 2026

Shayna

The water park was neat but very cold. The baby/toddler pool was warm but the older kids would hang out in it and made it hard for our baby to actually play. The hot tub was also for 16+ but it was swarming with kids the entire time. Enjoyed having the restaurants onsite but they were often out of things & breakfast was pricey for it to be a typical hotel breakfast that you could get free at other hotels. It was clear they were trying to cut costs where possible but overall our toddler enjoyed the experience & that’s truly what matters.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

06 Apr 2026

Joel

Check in was a very long process, stood in line for 35 min and then told my room was not ready, gave us pool passes to start swimming and went back at 7pm and the line was longer, another 45 min. in line and room was still not ready but they had it ready in about 5 min of standing there. I guess a wash machine was down and they had no sheets. room was clean but the pool area is not clean at all. they need to do some serious cleaning of the pools themselves and the windows in the pool area are full of bugs and just gross. Ice machine broken, wave pool was broken which kids were not happy about at all. Over all it was unimpressive and probable would not go back for the price. Staff was very friendly and helpful but there should have been a discount given for all the issues. even had issues with key cards, neither of mine worked so went back and then 1 of the 2 worked. a guy came up as i was checking in and he was given a room that was already occupied.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

06 Apr 2026

Betsy

Parking. Great. Gym. Great. Overall Cleanliness. Pretty good.

Kids cabin room with bunk beds rental here. The cover of the box spring in the queen bed was dirty, maybe adding an easy skirt would keep it clean and wasier to clean. The rails in the bunk beds had crumbs and lint and such, the couch was definitely overdue to be put out to pasture, but other than that the room was fine and cleaned well.

Pool. Cold. Once you were in it was fine but man it was cold. I don't think the water heated at all. I didn't do the hot tub. Water there didn't look very good but the rest of my party said it was warm and fine. People have complained of the water color but I think it's the paintbor cement coloring at the bottom, you could tell it needed redone and the tile claround could use a good scrub. Hubby said mens bathroom keading to the pool needed a good scrub, like the grout and everhthing scrubbed.

Overall it showed the age. Never said here but definitely loik at their website. Basically everything is shut down Tuesday and Wednesday, sometimes more. I was up at 6 and had to wait till 8 to get anything, all places open later, they do have free coffee at 6am to 8am tho.

Some of the smaller kid slides were out of order (we didn't need em just letting upu know)

We'd still go back again, ee had a great time, a nice close to home getaway. I'm just glad I asked about the upgrade to the package fornearky swim time ($69 to swim before checknin time and was worth it for us)

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

05 Apr 2026

Jessica

Friendly staff, nice playground, good ice cream at the resort cafe, and neat “cabin-like” decor and atmosphere. Cons - many water park areas closed off for construction, no towels at the water park (they ran out and never brought out more from the dryer after waiting almost 2 hours for towels), housekeeping never came to our room even though we didn’t put out a do not disturb sign so towels and toiletries were not replenished, and no one would answer when we called the front desk… we would have to go track someone down in person if we needed something. Luckily, my OneKey card had an enough points that we got a really good price on the weekend stay, which is why I am still giving this location a 3 out of 5 for value. It I had paid full price for the weekend, I would have given it a 2/5.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

04 Apr 2026

aisha

The breakfast was dirty and horrible. I had left and went to another off site restaurant immediately. The swimming pool had fungus and floating hair and debris. Water was very cold my child felt sick. Door keys to the villa did not work made 4 trips to the main office. Staff was very rude. Took my money without me eating at the restaurant and never returned it back. This place needs major improvement in staff and their areas. Will never stay here ever again. I should of trusted the other baf reviews and stayed at a better place. For what i paid i got horrible service and was abused by the rude management.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2026

Veronica

Clean room

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

03 Apr 2026

Rhonda

They don't provide a complimentary breakfast at all, the breakfast buffet that was mentioned was not opened. Everything is way overpriced for what you are getting. One of the main slides was broken down, mini golf course not opened and one of the little kid slides was broken. Everything looks run down. The only area opened for breakfast and lunch ran out of everything and was run by one worker. Was not provided any soap for the room and no cleaning people at all present. The light in our bathroom flickered constantly. Jack's the only dinner option is way understaffed, and overpriced only able to serve maybe 7 tables at a time .

6/10

Pleasant

03 Apr 2026

candice

There was no breakfast, i paid over $1000.00 for 2 nights deposit included. I couldnt check out just a half hr later.. the waterpark wasent as big as i thought for the price.. the villa was ok even tho i think there was past water damage had a musty smell..hot rub nissing buttons, water damage in downstairs bathroom on wall, washer was rusty n crumbly... there was no bars open there was nothing like website states.. only thing going was water park ..says jacks restaurant has breakfast buffet but thats a lie cause it never opened until 4pm . Im sorry but for the proce i paid i was extremely disappointed!! To pricey for as little as there was actually to do and the website description was way wrong!!

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

02 Apr 2026

Cheryl

We didnt eat breakfast at the hotel. However, we loved the free coffee. The hotel is aimed at kids and families.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

02 Apr 2026

ELIZABETH

This place was terrible, staff was rude and unfriendly. Condescending. Room was the best part of the stay so shout out to housekeeping but other than that the water park smelled bad water looked dirty no towels available it was just bad.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

02 Apr 2026

Deanna

A lot of things weren’t open for us when we went.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2026

Alecia

Overall the place was comfortable and fun. Granted it was the off season time, but it would've been nice if the putt-putt course was open as the weather was very good outside. The waterpark was enjoyable, although the wave pool was not working but we were still able to swim in the area so not a complete loss. The staff were very nice and accommodating. The hotel and water park could definitely use an update but did not in any way hinder our fun. I would suggest for anyone going to make sure you are paying attention to season/off season hours for all amenities for the hotel and waterpark.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

31 Mar 2026

Joyce

Room was clean , everything you need , the miniature golf was closed for some reason . The restaurant was closed when we wanted lunch .

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

31 Mar 2026

jesus

Restaurants closed, wave pool not working, dirty room on arrival, long wait to check in, the food are near pool closed.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

31 Mar 2026

Dawn

This place is completely worn out in all aspects. I purchased VIP passes for early check in, didn’t have a room until 6:30pm. All water slides closed, wave pool broken, water in pool freezing cold. Severely short staffed at check in desk, cafe and Jack’s restaurant! Highly recommend not staying here.

Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

31 Mar 2026

Cynthia

There was no breakfast offered on days I stayed unless you wanted a muffin. 1/2 of water slides were not working. Water was too cold in splash pool. Took over an hour to get checked in.

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

30 Mar 2026

Allison

A lot of the waterpark amenities were broken and not available. The rooms were dirty and not available until 90 minutes AFTER check in. There was no soap available. Deapite saying it would be open, the breakfast restaurant was not open and did not have food available. Very disappointing experience ans very expensive.

Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2026

Mikel

The bigger water slides kids had to be 48 inches or taller. Food was very expensive in the resort and took hours to get due to needing kitchen help. A few minor things broken in the room and doors need new key card readers. Staff was very nice and friendly but seemed stressed and over worked needing a well deserved break. over all very clean and we had a great stay

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

29 Mar 2026

Angela

So disappointing! We got to the resort at 5:05pm. We were told our room was not ready. We watched other families come in after us and go right to their rooms. We waited over 2 hours to even be able to enter the room. They just kept telling us to check back in 30 mins. When we got to the room, there were no toiletries, towels or garbage bags in the cans. We were told they did not have any towels and to check in the morning. We slept on mattress covers because the beds were missing their fitted sheets.

Once we got settled in the room, we had 1 hour to swim before the pool closed and without any slides since they had closed and hour before. The water and the temperature in the building was cold. There were not enough inner tubes for the lazy river while the slides were open the next day since one of the slides used the tubes too.

We booked through Hotels.com and were not made aware that the wave pool or the big slide by the wave pool were closed.

In the morning when we went to brush our teeth, there was no water coming out of the faucet or the tub. How does water get shut off to a room?!

This was one of the most disappointing family trips we have ever been on. I really expected a grand experience with the price we paid.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

29 Mar 2026

Jazmyn

I recently stayed at Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience.
Check-in was extremely frustrating. Our check-in time was 4:00 PM, and we arrived around 3:35 PM to a very long line. After finally reaching the desk, we were told our room wasn’t ready and to come back later. I returned at 4:20 PM again waited in a long line only to be told the room was still not ready and to come back in another 20 minutes. We didn’t receive a room until around 5:10 PM.
The first room we were given (Room 319) was completely uncleaned and a mess. We had to go back downstairs yet again to get another room. The second room was clean, but very outdated, and we even found a bug on the sink.
The water park was another major disappointment. The slide and wave pool were not working, and the water was extremely cold so cold that my 7-year-old’s lips turned blue after just 20 minutes in the lazy river. There were not enough tubes available, so we had to wait a long time and take turns using one. On top of that, the water had a strange smell.
To make matters worse, when you check in, kids are given a free ice cream coupon but we weren’t able to use it because checkout is at 11:00 AM and the ice cream shop doesn’t open until 12:30 PM.
Overall, I’m very disappointed with our stay. The only good thing is that we only booked one night. I will not be returning.

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

28 Mar 2026

Joeffrey

I called to cancelled our reservation because we waited almost 3hrs for the room to be ready. The water park is so dirty and the water smells so bad. Really bad experience

Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

28 Mar 2026

Raghad

The Resort Need More Staff At The Desk …. We had wait 2 hours to check in thats to much !!

8/10

Excellent

27 Mar 2026

Diane

Pass on the breakfast buffet.

Family_with_children