Belknap Lodge & Hot Springs, Blue River

I didn't like anything and let me tell you why. The room was dirty and hot...we complained and were told that most people said it was too cold. Instead of A/C we had a fan that didn't have an on/off switch. The ceiling was bowing, the floor creaked and was covered with electrical cords. The outlets in the room were overloaded and there was at least one mouse hole. The bed was broken, we could hear other rooms using the bathroom and our view was of some RV campers and the crowded, loud pool. The next morning I was told if we were going to stay they didn't want to hear any more "b*tching" like before because we were there to have fun. We left.

Wow, after reading the rest of the reviews, there seems to be an overall pattern. Basically, Marlene is awful, and she is ruining the atmosphere of the entire camp. Belknap is an absolutely amazing place as far as scenery goes, but we will never go back there. We were treated so rudely by Marlene. I can not believe she is in a position dealing with customers. She is awful. There needs to be a family meeting and the owners need to hand the reigns to Sandy and let Marlene go! Don't be tempted by the lovely scenery, there are many place to enjoy, and Belknap does not deserve anyones money until some changes are made!!! I will repeat that Sandy was very helpful and it seems that she is always trying to put out Marlene's fires. Still find another place to stay.

We first went to Bellnap 10 years ago and stayed in a cabin. The grounds were incredibly beautiful and they had a staff of people maintaining them. It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been to see. Then, the almightly profit hunger took over. They made RV sites and squeezed in every area possible for campers, but never continued to maintain the grounds. All the water had algae. It smelled. The "Secret Garden" which we saw when it was just opened, was in a state of disrepair. The grounds were packed. People were rude. Children were unruly. The hotsprings were crowded like a fish hatchery. The beauty and the glory of what once was obviously a labor of love and great monetary investment has been left to fend for itself...............and it didn't work. What a sad loss. We will NEVER return.

We stayed in cabin 7 for a few days mid summer. Didn't note the cleanliness others have mentioned, no rat droppings or greasy dishes. It was a nice cabin with big rooms & recent construction. The gardens are what you come to BelKnap for. They're worth the drive. But the staff! OMG, I don't know how they stay in business treating guests like so badly. Every one in our party had a story to tell of how rude they were. Reservations were screwed up. Every time one of us tried to get something straightened out we were met with scowels and flat out comments about how it was our fault. The continential breakfast is very small and short, The staff memeber scowled at one of us for asking for more toast with only 2 minutes left. She actually chastized one of us for pushing the button on the coffee machine. Lobby is locked till 9 am and she sat there stairing at us through locked doors right up to 8:59:59 every day. Wouldn't even let in the delievery man. Told one of our guests "just leave, I can't deal with you now!!". Almost every time I walked by she was making it clear to someone that they'd have to pay for this or that. In fariness we had a bunch of complicated reservations prone to troubles. And the charges weren't unreasonable. I think the thing the fail badly at is customer service. They just make no effort to be nice. They treat you like you should be honored to be able to stay there and you're ingrateful if you have any problems Would have given 4 stars, but staff attitude really drags rating down.

Serious rodent infestation and the owners could care less. Fecal matter on the counter. Urine in the utensil drawer. Human filth in abundance too. The "mineral springs pools" are heavily chlorinated yet still filled with algae. Avoid at all costs!

Cannot believe the cabin (#4) was so dirty. Had full trash cans; table top so sticky we had to clean it with Lysol. Smelled so badly of skunk we asked desk clerk/mgr. to do something about it and she gave me a trash bag; suggested we could leave?!

Our trip to Belknap was NOT what I had expected. From the large price we paid for our room and the pictures on the website I thought it would be amazing....Well the gardens were indeed georgeous and amazing....The lodge not so much....Our room was dusty and smelled funny. There was soap scum and hair in the corners of the shower. The dresser drawers had crumbs and something sticky in them. The screens on the windows were all damaged allowing bugs to get in but since there was no air conditioning we didn't have much of a choice. The small fridge had something spilled in it and not cleaned. To top it all off the manager was a very unpleasant women with no customer service skills whatsoever. All in all it was very upsetting.

I was hesitant about staying at Belknap Springs after reading some of the reviews. Maybe they have a new cleaning staff or something.Our cabin was great. We stayed in cabin #2. It has a balcony above the McKenzie River. The gardens were AMAZING. The pools were hotter than I expected. The temperature was 100-103 the two days we were there. Overall we had a great time and I would definately send a friend there. We especially enjoyed the onsite rafting company. We had a great time rafting the river. The guides were great. If you get a chance you should check it out. People should know that the grill is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so bring food if you'll be there early in the week.

The gardens and hot springs were awesome. I can't say enough about the gardens! Just gorgeous! My daughter especially liked the secret garden, my family even ate lunch there at the stone tables, what an enchanting atmosphere! The hot spring pool was wonderful! Perfect size and depth. My daughter could play at the cooler end in the 3ft area and if you wanted the heat you could go to the 5ft end where the spring was pumped in. The food and the people at the grill there were wonderful. The scenery was wonderful and even all the trails were easy to walk and quite relaxing. Having the river right there made it extra special, also. As far as the service: our room which was for 6 people was only given 4 towels and when we asked for more they acted as if it were an imposition and the when they cleaned our room the next day they took them. The 'manager' at the front desk was rude and insulting every time we spoke to her. Our entire party had at least one bad experience with her. My daughter wanted to pay with her own money for something and when counted the wrong change out she said to my aunt, "Can't your just pay for her!" They would not give us replacement cups and actually told us to reuse them for the next 3 days, all four cups! For 6 people. No phone, an out of order shower, (we did have one working shower) no screen door on our balcony and no air, lots of bugs for us. (Our neighbors with the same type of room did, in fact have a screen door on their balcony) They did have a fridge in our room and that was nice. There is a TV but no cable, only a built in vhs player and you have to rent vhs for $4.00 out of a very small selection. I know some people had dvd players because there were a few there. I wish we had had a dvd player I brought a case full for my daughter and still ended up renting a movie. The breakfast time was only one hour and very small but really good homeade stuff. It seemed to me like they cut every corner they could, and were very rude. Go for the day, pay to swim by the hour and walk the beautiful gardens. Well worth that alone. The restaurants in the area were slim but if you want to pay for really good food I recommend the Holiday Farm Resort Lounge & Restaurant. Very good!

We were hesitant about this place because of reviews on this site, but because of it's central location decided to try it out. What a delightful surprise we had. It is spotless, well cared for, and cheerfully managed. The lodge was great, with large rooms that were decorated with fishing art, comfortable beds, nice bathrooms, and a TV that played rental vidoes. Our room, #10, had a second attached room with two twin beds, perfect for a family with two teenagers. The continental breakfast was not special, but all we wanted was coffee, juice, and muffins anyway. The price was very affordable for us, compared to what we have paid during trips all over the U.S. The Lodge does not have a restauarant, but does have an small outdoor spot for burgers and hot dogs. However, we ate at two different places not far down the road that had good food and were well run. Other family brought their tent trailer and we had a spot right over the wonderful McKenzie River. They camp everywhere, and were quite happy with the close restrooms and showers, and the upper hot springs pool. The other part of our family were in a more remote tent spot which they loved, and also close enough to a restroom and shower. By the time they left they had picked out their ultimate spot for their next visit. We did not rent a cabin, but they looked very nice from the outside and were filled with people when we were there. The cabins are not in a separate area, but interspersed with trailer spots, very close together, which is nice if you are in a family group. We plan for our next visit to pick a cabin with a trailer spot on each side so that we can have three in a row and be able to use the small kitchen with oven. Our whole family voted to return as soon as we could figure out how to do so. The gardens on the other side of the river deserve special mention. They were spectactular, mysterious, lovely, and different with each path and approach. If you are just driving by Belknap, stop just to see the gardens, which are free. There's plenty of trails to keep you busy for a few hours, plenty of picnic tables, and a nice little gift shop with crackers, drinks/sodas and ice cream in the lodge. You can pay to swim in the hot springs pool, which is very nice and it's fun to see where by the side of the river the steam rises. This lovely spot has a space for everyone, lodge room, RV site, trailer site, and tent sites. And every spot was a short walking distance to the others. AND, many families had brought their bikes, especially for the little kids as in the upper campground there were wide open spaces for kids on bikes, what a great deal. My brother packed up fives bikes for us to use and everyone in our party of 11 tooks turns touring the whole place. You can take the bikes on the walking trails! Just a few miles up the road are two waterfalls worth visiting with long hiking paths, so wear good shoes and enjoy an hour beside the river. It was magical. Tough for little kids to go far, a great adventure for anyone 6+