I paid roughly $1,300 for three nights in a two-bedroom suite, plus $120 to park two cars in the middle of a field in Baraboo, Wisconsin. What I received felt like a Motel 6 experience at luxury pricing.
Check-In & Parking
Check-in started with a long line and only three working iPads for self check-in. The system would not allow me to register two vehicles. After paying for one car, I had to stand in a separate line to deal with the second. Two cars cost $120 to park in what is essentially a field.
When I questioned the charge, the employee said “corporate” set the pricing and she couldn’t reverse it. That’s not an excuse — that’s the problem. Simply telling me corporate is responsible does not help when I’m the one paying.
Room Temperature & Draft Issues
It was 31°F outside with a 14-degree wind chill. The room thermostat was set to 68 when we arrived and maxed out at 74 degrees. Because the room was extremely drafty (balcony and windows), it likely never even reached that temperature. The entire building — hallways included — felt cold. Many guests were openly talking about how freezing it was.
When I called about raising the temperature, the front desk employee (who was not actually at the front desk) seemed confused and told me the room wasn’t ready yet and to come get our bracelets. That made no sense and did not address the heat issue.
Eventually, a manager came to the room. She said she needed “authorization” to raise the temperature. Maintenance adjusted it to 77 degrees, but I wanted it warmer. I was told:
The waterpark’s 84-degree temperature runs on a different system.
The room’s heating unit manufacturer recommends not going above 74 degrees.
It’s hotel “policy.”
I have stayed in hotels across five continents and have never experienced a thermostat capped at 74 degrees — especially not at $350 per night. Hilton, Hyatt, and countless others allow guests to adjust heat as needed.
I asked for a written copy of this “policy.” I was told it may not even be written and is just internal. I never received anything in writing. You can’t make up policies on the fly and expect guests to be bound by them without disclosure.
Waterpark Temperature
The website claims the waterpark is 84 degrees. It was nowhere close. Both the air and water were freezing — closer to 75 degrees, possibly colder in some areas. Every guest we spoke with agreed it was extremely cold.
There was even an “84 Degree Sale” promotion on 8/4/25. The irony is hard to ignore.
The hot tub was completely packed — likely because everyone was freezing.
Room Condition & Maintenance
2 of 3 bathroom lights did not work.
Bathroom fan did not work (no windows, no ventilation).
Bathroom floors felt like ice.
Cups were wet in the cabinet.
18 different light switches.
Dishwasher used powder soap instead of pods (felt outdated).
Utensils and cookware were flimsy dollar-store quality.
Wristbands
The wristbands required 5–6 swipes to unlock the room door. That’s a serious problem when your hands are full or your kids urgently need to use the bathroom.
Housekeeping & “Willow” App
There is no room service.
The text-based assistant “Willow” often took 15+ minutes to respond. When I asked what to do with trash, there was no response at all. We eventually put it in the hallway.
When Willow finally responded about something else, the message was: “We have a busy house sorry for the inconvenience.”
That’s not an acceptable explanation. The busier you are, the more revenue you generate — which should mean more staffing, not less service.
When I requested supplies from the front desk (dishwasher pods, toilet paper, towels, coffee), I eventually received coffee. Later, someone showed up with a trash bag filled with towels, powder dishwasher soap, and toilet paper. It felt extremely low-end and unprofessional.
“Meet the Great Wolf Pack”
Advertised as meeting “the pack.”
Reality: Twice a day, 15 minutes each, one character at a time.
You would need to stay three nights and attend both time slots daily to meet all characters. That’s not meeting the pack — that’s meeting one character.
Gift Shop Overcharge
A $53 purchase rang up as $138 because the employee left the prior guest’s items on the screen. Thankfully, we were paying attention.
Overall Experience
I paid premium pricing and received what felt like a budget motel experience. The building was cold, the waterpark was cold, the room was drafty, maintenance was lacking, service was slow, and policies were arbitrary and undisclosed.
I feel like the low heat limits are about saving money at the guest’s expense. Whether intentional or not, it materially impacted our family experience during what should have been a fun trip.
For $350 per night plus $120 parking, I should be able to control my room temperature and enjoy a comfortable indoor waterpark.
Instead, I spent the weekend cold.
I believe the entire amount should be refunded. I plan to write this honest review on every platform I can find, and tell every single person I know everything written above. No one will mention a waterpark, wolves, Wisconsin bears dells, Wisconsin, hotels, hot tubs, cold air, hot air, slides, suites, thermostats, or customer service/hospitality to me ever again as long as I live without me telling them the horror story of the great wolf lodge in 2025. I will single handedly do so much to drive their stock or equity share prices down that the government will need to investigate me for insider trading.
