Caribou Highlands Lodge

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Jessica Hertel
7 months ago
We loved our stay. Upon arrival, we asked if we could upgrade our unit and they had no problem accommodating. Our room was clean, we had a kitchen and a deck. The outdoor and indoor pool were both awesome. This property is very well taken care of.They had a court yard with outdoor yard games and live music at night.Their restaurant on site is also top notch.I d recommend staying here to anyone!!

  Jeanne Deschneau
6 months ago
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  Barbara Kattar
7 months ago
The check in lodge was very nice, loved the up north feel. They have daily kids craft kits which was a fun surprise, you just need to ask for one. They had a cute gift shop and self serve coffee maker. Check in was quick and easy.We rented a villager condo for the superior race weekend. We wanted extra the amenities like full kitchen and extra space. Upon entering the unit it smelled musty and like wet dog. The AC unit was on full blast probably to try and air out the unit. We immediately opened the windows. As we started unpacking we noticed dog hair all over the floor. We were confused as we had not requested a dog friendly room (which on the website it says the only way to book a dog friendly room is to call and book reservation over the phone). We booked our reservation online and per the front desk when I inquired during our stay our unit is selected when reservation is made (so we were assigned a pet friendly room when reservation was booked online??). We called the front desk and had someone come and vacuum the dog hair. The front desk told us when I asked why we were in a pet friendly room that guests should never know they are in a pet room because all remnants should be cleaned through the cleaning service. The funny thing is there was a sign by our front condo door saying "no pets. No smoking". This seems like a terrible way to run a business, you cannot lie to your occupants into thinking they are in a no pet room when it is very apparent they are in a pet room. These condos are not cheap to rent, it was so disappointing for the money we spent on the unit for the weekend. We all woke up with stuffy noses due to the air quality in the unit. Other than that the unit needed updating, the kitchen doors did not shut and the kitchen faucet worn out. When I called the night we arrived about switching rooms, due to the resort at full capacity for the race weekend our only option to switch rooms was to down grade into a hotel room.The outdoor amenities and pools were great. We would have had a perfect weekend if it wasn't for the accomodations. Hopefully this is fixed for future visitors.

  Alexis Madsen
6 months ago
We have stayed at Caribou Highlands before with our extended family (9 people) in one of their large townhomes and had a great experience, but this time we were pretty disappointed.We stayed in a smaller townhome connected to the main building that sleeps 4 (1 bedroom, 1 pull out couch). The unit was fine, nothing special. However some of the dishes that were in the unit when we arrived were dirty, but had been put away in the cabinets as if they were clean. We also had significant issues with the Wi-Fi, to the point that it was non functional during our stay over the weekend.We ate twice at the restaurant on property (Moguls), once in the restaurant and once as takeout. When we dined in the restaurant the food was fine and the wait staff were friendly, and it was easy enough to get a table for 3 on a week night. A couple days later we ordered pizza and wings for pick up, and when we went to pick up the food at the designated time they hadn t even started it and weren t aware the order existed. Luckily, someone followed up with my husband about which order he was waiting for because the initial hostess said it should be ready any minute when it hadn t been made yet. No apology was given for the late food and nothing was compensated. When we finally did get the food back to the room, the chicken wings were so burnt they were almost inedible.Like I said, we ve had positive experiences here before, but this one might have turned us away from this resort for good. I m sad that we had such a disappointing experience. We will likely look for somewhere else to stay the next time we visit the north shore.

  Jordan W
6 months ago
We recently stayed at Caribou Highlands for the first time in many years, and I'm sad to say we won't be back. We were blindsided at check-in to learn on Monday/Tuesday's the restaurant is closed, and the rest of the week limited service. Considering it's the only restaurant really on the mountain anymore it was a let down. We never dined there once on our stay.The room was the worst part as well, nicotine stains all over, calcium buildup all over the shower, broken window cranks and poor lighting. Nothing like what I remembered, and just a let down. Given the price we paid I would recommend taking your money to another resort in the future.The pool and hot tub were nice, but that didn't make up for the issues.Rooms: Unclean, nicotine stains, calcium build up, broken window crank.Food & drinks: Returant has awful hours and other guests told us the staff was very rude.

  Jon Gerster
6 months ago
We stayed at a separate building in the complex but we got to use the pool area. The pool area had a nice pool with a slide and a huge hot tub. The hang out area was nice, had plenty of storage, table space, and a ping pong table.Nearby activities: There's plenty of parts and hiking trails nearby

  Mich Kyle
8 months ago
The staff were all very friendly, but the room smelled pretty bad. There was a pervasive smell of mold coming from behind the refrigerator when we arrived. We had to leave the windows open in order to ignore the smell. A staff member offered to pu t enzyme over it, but obviously the deeper issue needs to be addressed. The pool was great. However, for $169.00/ night, it would have been nice to not put up with a smelly room.

  Cody Lau
9 months ago
I recently stayed at caribou highlands and to say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I originally booked a Mountain View, king bed in their newly remodeled lodge rooms. I was excited to have a fresh room with a Mountain View. Upon arrival I was informed that they overbooked the rooms (I don t know how that even happens) but that I was upgraded to a townhouse free of charge. That upgrade was the biggest downgrade ever. Instead of a newly remodeled, Mountain View, king bed lodge, I got an old, out of date, small studio, with a view of the septic systems This upgrade came with a not so clean shower, walls that appeared to maybe have water damage, broken light switches, a missing phone (which is used for all hotel amenities and checkout) and a propane fire place where one of the flames wouldn t turn off.I had high expectations for my first time stay here and I was greatly disappointed. I was originally planning to come back in the fall because I love the location, but now I am uncertain if I would ever stay here again. Book with caution.

  Kathleen Crawford
9 months ago
We have stayed at Caribou Highlands several times but it seems to have taken a nose dive in their service and cleanliness. We came up this time for a bike race and checked their website specifically to see if it had no bikes allowed because with bike locks being cut we didn t want to chance a very expensive bike. The bike was not dirty. It had been very well cleaned after the race. We were bringing it into the room and a woman very rudely yelled out you can t have a bike in your room. This was not documented anywhere. I was covered myself in dirt from the race so I stepped in for a minute and a manager came and very harshly told us we were told to remove the bike, less than 10 seconds after the first woman. There are dogs allowed and smoking in the hotel and I can come in the room covered head to toe in dirt but not my cleaned bike. They host the bike race awards so they know the people who are here will have bikes. If we had known we would have stayed elsewhere. They charge double their normal rate during the race then they do for even a holiday weekend.

  Angela Murphy
a year ago
The staff worked hard to correct an issue with some maintenance concerns in the room we originally booked. We ended up moving into a Poplar Ridge unit for about two weeks with the whole family (two adults, a dog, and a cat) for a work trip. The views and accommodations were lovely and far exceeded the experience we expected, especially after some slightly rocky first impressions.Everyone at the front desk was helpful and friendly if we had questions or needed assistance. The room itself was comfortable and clean, although like other reviews mentioned, it had slightly outdated, cabin-themed decor and there was some wear and tear that comes with decades of enjoyment. The full kitchen was well-stocked with literally everything we needed. The fireplace was a special treat during rainy and cold days.We felt safe, comfortable, and relaxed throughout our stay, even catching some brilliant early fall colors. We hope to return soon, thank you for providing us a home away from home. I cannot express just how much we appreciated our stay here.

  Sera-y
9 months ago
I traveled from Illinois to see Lake Superior Lakeshore state parks and falls. This hotel was right in the middle of Lakeshore, and the location wise, it was super convenient. I am giving one star. However, one star is more than what this business deserves.Where can I start; I booked a room with 2 queen beds because I traveled with my husband and 2 kids. The room was small. There were only 2 small drawers available for us to put our stuff in!! The hallway had a very strong smell, probably from carpets. I am very sensitive to smell, so I had a headache the whole time. The one and only employee who was pretty friendly comes to the hotel around 8 am and leaves the hotel at 10 pm?? Yes, yes, after 10 pm, you're on your own. The doors are wide open outside to the public, meaning anyone can enter the hotel from the side door. They provide a phone number of the security in case of an emergency!! How safe .* I was planning to take our car and leave my husband and son at the hotel on Monday to go for rough hiking trails, when I looked up for a hotel I picked up this hotel specially so they can have food for that day since the hotel has a restaurant inside. Well, after we arrived, we learned that the restaurant is fully closed on Mondays and Tuesdays because of the area, there is no other restaurants, no delivery service, and nothing. I understand a restaurant being close on one day, maybe, but 2 days in a row was super inconvenient!!! Old rooms, smelly hallway, you're on your own after 10pm if you need anything.

  Suzanne Kaminski
9 months ago
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  Angie Kircher
7 months ago
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  Brad T
a year ago
Negative reviews are not my thing but other families need to see this.TLDR: Good location but dated, very dirty, and disappointing for the price. (See pics)We booked a 3-day ski and stay package through Lutsen Mountains starting 2/24/23. The skiing was great, the accommodations not so much...On 2/24 I called ahead at 9:30am and asked if an early check-in would be possible due to us being ahead of schedule. I was told that our room was in the queue to be cleaned and they would call as soon as it was ready. I made the mistake of that meaning it would be possible and continued on to the resort. When we arrived at noon I stopped at check-in and was told it was still in the queue to be cleaned and to check back at 2pm. I was told they update the housekeeping logs at noon and 2pm. So we went to lunch at Moguls and then to the ski area to activate our lift tickets hoping to get a couple hours of skiing in with our youngest two children after we got checked in. At 2pm I checked back and was told by Tina that it was not clean yet and to check back around 4. At 4:25 I got back in line to check-in. I had already accepted the fact that early check-in was off the table but when I made it up to the check-in desk I was told the room was not ready for our 4:30 check-in. I said to Tina that was unacceptable as I had a family of 5 with reservations to be in the room at 4:30. Tina proceeded to make calls while I waited and had her awesome coworker (from Jamaica I don't recall his name) volunteered to check the room himself. He returned and it was still not ready so Tina switched our room from 117A to 121A which was appreciated and gave me room keys at 4:45. I believe 117A was still being cleaned well after 5pm.The pictures and description used on the website appear to be of unit 117A which was our original room number and is remodeled, the room we received was 121A. The only way I know how to describe room 121A is like a 90's decor beatup college apartment. I dont mind dated and clean but clean it was not. We washed the dirty dishes and removed the dirty mattress pad (see pics). The moldy mouse traps and brown splatter on the bathroom wall we did not touch. The fold out couch which we needed was broken, the deck with 4' of old snow and ice on it (see pics) was not usable and blocking the door.Katie did reach out to us and offered us a meal at Moguls or a late checkout with lift tickets to try to make up for it. We passed on her offers and checked out early due to Mondays winter storm warning.We would have preferred the room was clean, as advertised and check-in on time.Update- my review never posted or was removed.Brad

  Lisa Williams
5 months ago
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  Pat O'Malley
10 months ago
We have rented a townhouse for the past 2 years in May for the spring Superior Trail Race. The townhomes are well kept and stocked with kitchen items. Great views and the main lodge has swimming pool and sauna.

  Gabriel Morse
a year ago
Always have a wonderful time staying at this resort. Love the "Cabin in the Woods" feel and decor. Picturesque views from my room. The joy of escaping from the mire and muck of the city. Great place to get away, relax, and just get back yo the basics. Tons of local shops and dining options all well within reasonable traveling distances. Come and stay awhile!

  Don Davidson
a year ago
The best thing about this place is its location. It's in Lutsen, in the middle of Minnesota's North Shore, within driving distance of numerous state parks. This is not a hotel, but a resort, so you won't get breakfast (in fact, the on-site restaurant doesn't serve breakfast). The rooms are nice, with stove, mini fridge (with a small freezer), microwave, dishwasher, sofa, queen bed, and even a fireplace. But you'll be expected to wash any dishes you use or pay an extra fee. They have an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and an outdoor pool. Our room also had a great view of the nearby forest.

  Lee Lou
a year ago
We had a wonderful family vacation. Our unit was perfect for 5 of us. Our unit was clean and well equipped in the kitchen. Love the fireplace. The outdoor pool is lovely and the indoor pool area is great. We enjoyed the hot tub after a day of hiking. There are activities for the family to enjoy in the afternoon. There are bonfires, bean bag toss, bocce ball, and outdoor chess. This resort is for single people, couples, families, family reunions. We hope to go back again next year- maybe make it an annual trip!

  M.V
2 years ago
Biggest waste of money! My husband and I use to visit Lutsen Resort years ago and stay at Eagle Ridge and it was lovely. We decided to return after not going in a few years but rooms at Caribou Highlands Lodge were the only ones available. It's conveniently located and it's an easy walk to the restaurant so we were happy about that. The moment we arrived it was a disaster. We had no guaranteed parking like we did in past with Eagle Ridge so we didn't dare go anywhere out of fear we'd return and have no place to park. The room was absolutely disgusting! I've actually never stayed some place so poorly cared for. I don't mind the place being dated, as it was, but our room had a broken heater that had two settings: suffocating hot or bitter cold. Our microwave hadn't been cleaned in I don't know how long because when I opened it there were popcorn crumbs inside. The carpet was dated and dirty and the bed was horribly uncomfortable and the sheets were filthy. That was literally the worst part about being there for us. Bed linens being dirty should never happen in such an establishment. I didn't know if the body itching was my paranoid feelings about sleeping covered by dirty blankets (they had visible dirt and smear marks of them) or if I was actually itching. We won't be returning in the future.

  Curtis Morgan
a year ago
We stayed at the Caribou Highlands Lodge last weekend for 3 nights. The location is great and the amenities are nice (indoor pool, outdoor pool, indoor hot tub, fire pits, other outdoor games). The problem is with the rooms... particularly in the main lodge where we stayed. We arrived Thursday and had a room on the first floor. First impressions were it was very dated/worn. The carpet in the room was damp and the A/C was set to the lowest temp (almost like they were trying to dry it out?).The next morning when we were walking to the car.. we noticed that the 2 units next to ours had their doors propped open and fans had been brought in.. Presumably they had wet carpet too?Things got worse from there.. Woke up another morning and noticed that the toilet seat was wet... didn't think much of it.. thought maybe a swimsuit that was hung in the shower had dripped down. However it kept happening... at one point.. in the middle of the night I heard a drip and went to the bathroom to discover the ceiling was dripping down onto the toilet which was disgusting... presumably from the unit above?I went to the front desk to notify them of the issue and they promptly called maintenance. Maintenance arrive quickly and observed the water dripping and said they would look in the unit above to try to figure out what was going on. Maintenance also commented "what do you suppose the dark stuff on the ceiling is?" (hopefully not mold.) Meanwhile we took the family up to Grand Marais for the day... (which was great). When we returned I went to the front desk to get an update and first they said that maintenance had resolved the issue but then they said that they couldn't find anything wrong with the unit above.. Then that turned into "it only appears to be a minor drip and we're sorry but we don't have another room to move you to since you only have one more night with us... can i get you some extra towels?"So we are expected to stay in a musty room with an unknown substance dripping from the ceiling and they offered us towels. By the way... the issue was not fixed and the seat was wet again.Disgusting and not impressed at all with how they failed to address what I would consider a serious (and likely unhealthy) issue.

  Serena Waernes
2 years ago
I ended up purchasing a Half Price Holidays // Add 2-Day Lift Tickets package deal for my husband and son. Our check-in was scheduled for Saturday at 4PM, departing Monday, so the plan was to ski on Sunday and Monday. Unfortunately, there was a blizzard on Sunday, so skiing was cut short, but at least there was Monday, with fresh snow, which my husband was looking forward to. However, when he was skiing Sunday, an employee at the lift mentioned to him that they weren't even open on Monday! I called the front-desk at Caribou Highlands to ask about Monday, and the front-desk staff I spoke with said she was pretty sure they were, but to check the website. Very upsetting, as we paid for a 2-Day Lift ticket which we essentially couldn't even use. Note: The slopes close at 4PM as well. It would have been nice if they at least indicated in small print that the lift tickets would have to be used Saturday/Sunday, due to the Lutsen Mountains not being open on Monday.Aside from that, the room itself was decent, a little small, but it had a nice view. The exception was the uneven floor, it noticeably sloped downward, and unfortunately, the bed was placed right on top of it; so it made for a very uncomfortable sleep. Pool and hot tub were nice and seemed clean.As for Moguls grille, it was mediocre. I ordered a crispy chicken sandwich, and what I ended up getting was two chicken patties in a bun.

  Da Ha
2 months ago
The University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management MBA program should do a full class study on this place as it's a perfect example of how NOT to run a business! OMG talk about baffons! The new high speed chair lift was down cause while we were there, without getting into the details, it was obvious they have no emergency plan. For the cost of skiing at Lutsen the facilities, and overall feel of the place (now this is late Spring) isn't very 'Disney'. They should realize that people are on VACATION and expect service - I know it's tough but just a little more effort would go a long way. _ wow here it is 2024 and this entire resort has rotted to the core when it comes to customer care. It's such a great mountain to ski on... Please current owners sell it to someone that can run an operation to be proud of with great interaction to all guests. Please anyone going DO NOT have the ''WAFFLE" breakfast - good lord it's so bad. Instead go down to Lutsen lodge and get a real meal, that is more than worth the price. Not like the food at the mountain chalets! A side note, one of the worst experiences in getting my Indy pass - beyond belief too much 'red tape'. I should be able to show my pass and get a ticket, maybe sign a waiver, which of course is a joke, but I get it (CYA). Wake up Lutsen Ski area ... PLEASE.

  Thomas Albinson
2 years ago
I love the north shore - and so do many of us. So finding a room up there in July was not easy - especially a room under $200/night. I was delighted to find a room at the Caribou Highlands Lodge. The staff was really friendly and helpful. The restaurant on the lower level offers good food in a nice environment. The location puts you right on the edge of Lutsen s trails and gondola. If I was rating only these things, I would give it 5 stars. But the room was really tired. It was pretty small for the money as well. And the window looked right into the parking lot - with car headlights pounding it at night. It felt utilitarian and wasn t a space I wanted to hang out or relax in. They have nice places and tables outside behind the building where folks can sit, which is nice. But I don t plan on staying there again unless I hear that the rooms are cheaper and that they ve been updated.

  Tyler
3 years ago
Not a great experience. My wife and I were in one of the mountain view rooms with a balcony. We were unable to use the balcony, as the neighboring unit occupants were frequently smoking on theirs, and the smoke kept coming into our unit. We let the front desk know multiple times, but the people kept smoking. The towels in our room were stained, so i'm not sure if they use bleach or not. The deadbolt on our room door did not work, and the bed was very old and creaky. It looks like a solid hotel option if you have kids, as there are multiple pools and a playground. The restaurant had good food at a reasonable price as well. While I would not stay again, I know others may have a better experience if other rooms are more updated and don't have smoky neighbors.

  Mary Stephens
2 years ago
Such a gorgeous setting, nestled in the deep woods, yet just a mile from Hwy 61 and all the fun touring along the lake.The indoor and outdoor pools were so warm and so clean. Our unit was so comfortable and the kitchen was well equipped. We are coming back in ski season with our whole family. Great place- peaceful.

  Charles Corcoran
2 years ago
First the positives -- close to slopes...no driving; nice view of Moose Mountain. Hot water. Large, actually hot, hot-tub. Some concerns -- one bedroom "condo" tight...both rooms small. Bedroom has a full bed, not even a queen. Constant squeaking noise from guests upstairs. Shower water pressure just better than dripping. Some deferred maintenance. Will not provide extra blankets. Really? And zero extra time, not even a half-hour at check-out, after being here for several days at significant cost. No tea in lobby but hot water and tea for sale in guest shop. Again, really? Front desk staff smile a lot but are quick to say no. I wish there were better options. In this remote region of the North Shore, you're at mercy of indifferent customer service.

  Ryan N
a year ago
Location was great, 20min from Grand Marais, 1hr from Grand Portage. Loft Suites we're really nice, well stocked with the things you need to cook, included dishwasher pods. You get an assigned parking spot for the suite, which is great. The loft suite had a working wood fireplace, which is cool as long as people use it properly. When we arrived it had a strong smoke smell and wouldn't go away during our stay (our clothes stank after sleeping). Wi-Fi wasn't working and we were told to call tech support, Verizon coverage was decent enough so we didn't bother. Inside pool was pretty cold. Odd hours of the restaurant, no longer serving breakfast (wrong time of year?). The upper floor windows cannot be covered, so it will be difficult to stay asleep in the morning past 5:30am - bring your sleep mask.

  Mudzingwa Mhiripiri
2 years ago
The Lutsen area is quite beautiful this time of year and that is the only thing that made this stay worth remembering along with the Superior National Golf Course (beautiful). Caribou Highlands is a great place to stay overall with very friendly staff. We chose a pet friendly unit, 515 and it was definitely pet friendly (not people friendly). The unit was outdated, smelled musty and like animals with gross carpet in it. For the amount of money/night, U would have expected 5 star accommodations, not even close. They even had an energy saver on their water built in and we were out of hot water for 6 hours with 6 people needing to shower, what a joke!

  Heather Dewhirst
3 years ago
Location was excellent, views fantastic. We wished the pool was open later- when the slopes close at 4:00 it would be nice to have the pool open for kids to play in past 4:00 too. Not sure of the reason why it had to close so early. Condo was okay- peeling wallpaper, hot tub that wasn't connected to anything??? Needed improvements. We left a brand new sweatshirt there that no one could find to send back to us- very disappointing. Called for 3 weeks and no one ever got back to me about it. Overall, I don't feel the value is there for the price but the location was nice.