Our experience at AmericInn at Pequot Lakes definitely exceeded our expectations!…read more My husband had mediocre to poor experiences at other AmericInn locations, but there were really no other choices if we wanted to stay in the Pequot Lakes area. I expected a dumpy outdated hotel with bare minimum comfort. I was hoping only for a clean room, not much more. When we arrived, we walked into a beautiful rustic lobby. Peaceful music was playing and a fire was dancing in the gas hearth fireplace. The feel of a cabin in the woods, yet clean, spacious, and very pleasant. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Our room was VERY clean, including the corners in the bathroom and other often-overlooked places. The bed was comfortable and the room was nice-sized. One nice perk....our room window had screens and we could open the window to enjoy the fresh, cool breeze. Even though the hotel was full of guests and we know there were children (we saw them passing in the hallway) the hotel was extremely quiet. No sound of slamming doors, running, voices....nothing. We stayed 2 nights and it was quiet both nights. The breakfast was above the quality we usually experience at hotels. Everything was fresh and hot. Seemed that the quality/taste of the food was better than usual too. Eggs appeared to be "real" eggs, not powdered. There was a nice selection of breads, including gluten free and the local favorite....wild rice cranberry. Everything was clean and well-stocked. There were some healthier choices for those who are calorie conscious. The coffee was a lot better than most hotel coffees. The breakfast room was spacious and had a little table for children. There were some children using that table when we were there, and they were thrilled to have their own little place to sit. There was a nice sized grassy area adjacent to the hotel, which also had a playground. This is a nice bonus for guests with children. We did not use the pool, but it looked to be nice-sized and well-maintained. There was also a pool table. My husband used the exercise room, and he said that the machines were in good shape and not broken like most hotel machines are. There was a gas BBQ grill and a fire pit available in the area just outside the breakfast room. We hoped to use those, and enjoy an evening by the fire, but the wind kicked up, and changed our plans. We will definitely stay here again the next time we are in the area!

Very. Nice ambiance. They serve a decent continental breakfast. The amenities are substantial…read more Outdoor gas grill,a fire pit and a volleyball court. Nice indoor pool and hot tub. The facility is showing its age though. They have signs saying they are remodeling.

Family of 4 for NYE weekend. -We stayed at Breezy Point Inn…read more& Suites. We enjoyed staying in this building as it was less packed than the main building. The rooms also seemed more spacious. -The kids enjoyed the swimming pool and hot tub. We brought our own family games also for entertainment. -The main building/arcade was chaotic and unkempt. Not on account of the resort but mostly due to parents not supervising their children and not cleaning up after themselves. It was disappointing to see how much food was spilled all over and trash everywhere due to patrons being disrespectful. -If you are very Covid conscious, you may be thrown off as there didn't seem to be many Covid practices in place (sanitizing of games, social distancing, masks, etc). -The front desk staff and other staff throughout the resort were very friendly and welcoming. -Unfortunately it was quite cold during our weekend visit and we were stuck indoors with limited options. We look forward to visiting again during the warmer months of the year. -overall we enjoyed our stay and we made the most of our experience.

The place is incredibly dated, and definitely needs updating. The beds were comfortable and having…read morea deck was nice. Unfortunately the carpets were very dirty and although we called to ask for more soap and conditioner for the dispensers (along with washcloths), they never came. Dockside restaurant was good, and service was decent. Plan to have low expectations.

It's gone down hill over the years, sadly. Need better cleanliness standards and customer service.read more

Great place to come with the family. Plenty of activities for the kids and a nice place to hang out.read more

Great place right in the middle of all the places on the lakes you want to be. We had a 4 bedroom…read morecabin, awesome lake views, very close to the private beach, and direct access to our boat dock. Family owned and operated, attention to details both inside and out. Cabin and RV options.

We'd heard really great things about the food here, so we were really looking forward to trying it…read moreout, but unfortunately the experience was all-around bad. Service was pretty rough from the start. Our server was friendly, but they spilled our drinks at the table and then had to take them back because they'd been made with bad milk. It took forever to get the first round and even longer to get the second. You'd think they'd move faster getting us the second round given the first was spilled and made with bad milk! Definitely a missed opportunity to make up for the poor overall service. The bread was the highlight of the night, which is very telling given it was standard crostini bread. That said, it was warm, fresh, and served with delicious butter. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal didn't live up to that start. The food took far, far, far too long to come out and when it finally did, it didn't all arrive together. Half the table started eating while the other half just sat and watched and continued to wait for their food to come. I thought they brought it out separately to serve things hot, but the food that was first brought out was only lukewarm. I got the steak sandwich, which was fine but pretty bland. Even the sauce couldn't save it... The fries were well-seasoned but soft and floppy, which just made them feel sad and unappealing. I had an espresso martini with dinner and it was basically a chocolate drink with no real espresso flavor. Overall, the setting was fine, but slow service, uneven timing, and subpar food made this a disappointing experience.

Very good food but not a great service experience. For food: we got bread for the table (little…read morecrostinis with a warm garlic butter for dipping) and everyone got their own main dish. I ordered the Cajun rigatoni and they were kind enough to substitute the shrimp for chicken. The pasta sauce had the perfect level of spice and everyone at the table agreed that mine was the best meal. Fully recommend the pasta! For service, we didn't have a good experience which may or may not have been because our waiter was new(?). Everything just seemed to take a long time and in some cases when he would come to our table, he would have to leave and come back because he forgot his pen or something else he needed. He accidentally spilled drinks on two of the people at my table (didn't offer to comp the drinks), and ran out half of the food for our table-- went to help a different table-- then ran out the rest of our food after a good 10 minutes. If we had had a different server, I think it would have been a totally different experience. Our friend who has been here many times said she has never had any kind of experience like this before.

My husband and I rarely have a moment to ourselves. With a toddler, a dog, a cat, and two of my…read moreadult younger brothers currently abiding in our very cozy home, alone time is merely a memory. For our anniversary this year we stayed at Boyd Lodge and had the most blissful, quiet, relaxing day imaginable. Surrounded only by the sounds of the leaves falling from the trees we were able to truly connect and enjoy each other's company in a way that just isn't feasible at home. Thank goodness for the rest, relaxation, and opportunity to focus on our relationship. We returned home rejuvenated and full of gratitude for such a wonderful experience. Boyd Lodge is truly a gem and we look forward to planning another stay in the very near future! We'll bring our daughter along next time though, because Mommy missed her far too much.

The people are all so kind! The gift shop has amazing things! There is so many fun activities to do!read more

From 5 stars to 0, such a shame…read more The five-star review was based on exactly one person: Nancy, who *was* Pine River Inn as far as we all were concerned. In the course of the two weeks since our visit, Nancy has quit her job at this establishment, citing lack of management ethics and respect. Given that we all saw Nancy managing the day-to-day operations from the moment we set out for our Harley-Davidson activation every morning all the way through the evenings as some of us scrambled for food and such for the night, I stand by Nancy and look forward to offering her a solid letter of recommendation once she decides on a wonderful new place to work at. Best of luck to the motel owners in replacing the invaluable asset that Nancy was to Pine River Inn. _____ I was in the area to represent Harley-Davidson at the Brainerd International Raceway for an event. Sounds glam? Sure does. Behind the scenes? That's 10-12 hours on your feet, on your A game with awesome smile and personality at the ready at 8 am sharp. I love events and often get nicknamed Energizer Bunny, Sunshine, and similar terms of endearment for the energy I bring. Keeping that energy going every day on a longer activation requires active recharging every night. This means my priorities upon returning every evening were: 1. soak in bath salts, 2. eat, 3. sleep. Every morning: Prep breakfast, prep lunch, prep hydration, get dolled up, scram for the nearly 30-minute trip to the raceway. Given this routine, I called Pine River Inn as soon as my Harley contract was confirmed to check whether my room had a microwave and fridge. Nancy answered the phone and opted to change my room not once, but twice, to give me the best possible option - not at my request. I arrived to find that Nancy had booked me the top corner room, gifting me with the peace of having only one potential neighbor, no possibility of anyone stomping around overhead, and, in a truly convenient move, a full view of my fellow ambassadors' hallway when I'd pull my curtains back in the morning so I could simply be prepared when they started leaving their rooms for us to carpool to the raceway in the morning without having to stand outside and wait in the chill of the morning air. As the agency takes care of bookings in advance, check-in was a breeze, and Nancy remembered me immediately. In gratitude for Nancy's gracious assistance in ensuring I had all I needed for an efficient stay even before I arrived, I'd brought chocolates for her, which she adorably commented on before I left for the raceway the next morning. Thanks to Nancy's care in ensuring I had the amenities I needed to streamline my self-care before and after the raceway every day, I was able to arrive with a full mini-fridge capacity's worth of nutritious meals and hydration already prepped for the week. This one change allowed my morning prep time to be greatly minimized, and I was able to spend my hours after the raceway letting my muscles relax with a long soak instead of wasting time ordering or shopping for and cooking dinners I didn't want. One purchase I did indulge in was frozen yogurt fudge bars to ease the heat, which I was able to buy a box of thanks to my mini fridge. I shared some with Nancy the next day. Miss Daisy, Nancy's adorable little pup, is the motel's, uh, guard dog, and does patrol walks around the perimeter every morning while Nancy takes care of housekeeping and maintenance. The little darling often visited me at my door, staying for love and scratches, and even walked me to my room once. How's that for hospitality? :P Over the course of the next several days, it became clear that our other Harley representatives had each had lasting impressions of Nancy and her endlessly warm, welcoming demeanor. Every single one of us brought Nancy up in conversation at some point, and every one of us visited the front office to bid Nancy goodbye before we each left, some with presents to give. We hugged in parting ways, with Nancy asking me to please be sure to come back next year. If I'm in the area still, I'll certainly do so. If not, though, I'm seriously considering poaching Nancy if I ever open a hospitality business again. Dear motel owner, I hope you pay Nancy well. You know she more than deserves it. PS: If you drop by and the front office is closed but there are open room doors with a cleaning cart or rolling laundry basket out, chances are Nancy is doing housekeeping. If not, knock on room 101. If not, try checking the laundry area tucked in the corner of the first floor of the L-shaped motel. Two people manage this entire operation, so please excuse their occasional absence, as they are absolutely lovely human beings catering to the motel's needs.

When we showed up and checked into our room, we found the bathroom was flooded, fridge was nasty,…read moreroom smelled of smoke, and we found dried blood on a pillow! The sheets were also stained. We immediately checked back out, were told there were no other rooms and we needed to go through Expedia to get our refund. Expedia contacted them and the hotel is refusing to refund our money. Absolutely the worst place I've ever spent 20 minutes in.

We went for a wedding and enjoyed the back deck, main lounge area and lower lounge area, there are…read moremany nice places to sit and chat, though if you are not part of a wedding, be aware that portions of the hotel are closed off during ceremonies. The lodge is decorated in a North Woods style. We had a King Suite room which had a fireplace, which we used for a short time, was clean and had a comfortable bed, though the pillows were not good -hard as rocks. The breakfast was better than I expected, they had two kinds of home made frozen omelettes that you could microwave - quite tasty, and a big step up from the Cisco premade egg items at chain motels, plus hard boiled eggs, a good selection of teas and the usual waffles, muffins and bread items. There is a small, cute shopping area that is less than a 10 minute walk away which has a few ladies boutiques, some restaurants and other stores. You can also walk to the grocery store in about 5 minutes and the golf coarse is a 5 minutes drive away.

Pros (which far outweigh the cons): very nice and comfortable room, including quality beds and nice…read moretoiletry products. Cons: everything thing is styrofoam and plastic! A commitment to the environment should include real mugs for coffee and plates and silverware for the (perfectly adequate) continental breakfast.

Pretty cabin, but there were a few things that bothered me. First of all, the large upstairs…read morebathroom has a window with no curtain directly facing the shower, which is also transparent. The upstairs bedroom has a wall with large windows without a curtain... it felt very exposed. Also I kept finding black ants in my room scurrying across the floor. Otherwise, the lakes have pretty decent fishing, and the shoreline is nice and sandy. My only real issues are the ants and lack of privacy.

Amazing place for a get away. Families, or just a couple to start memories. I used to come here as…read morea child and haven't been back for 14 years but this place is perfect. Not only are they so welcoming but just have peace and be on the water and see everything is great. !

Christmas at Grand View Lodge This was our second annual…read morefamily Christmas getaway to Nisswa, and once again it was such a gift. Having four families together made it especially meaningful. We filled the days with winter walks, ice skating, swimming and hot tubbing in both the upper and lower pools, bingo nights, and a great family dinner at the Northwoods Pub. Simple moments, shared memories. The lodges themselves are perfect for larger families--a common dining and gathering space with four bedrooms that comfortably sleep 12-14 people. Everything is well thought out and easy. There's adequate food on site, great amenities, and in the summer the ice cream shop is always a hit. What stood out most, though, was the care from the staff and management. We experienced a family emergency during our stay, and they went above and beyond to help us. That kind of care makes a place feel more than just a resort, it feels like people actually see you. We're already grateful for the memories and looking forward to coming back

We have stayed a few times at this beautiful resort off peak as it is usually cheaper and less…read morecrowded. We love the outdoor hot tub that is really 3 hot tubs together making for plenty of space. Feels great in 1degree weather. The indoor pool, hot tub and water slide are also a fun attraction. The first year we came here they had a breakfast buffet which was awesome but the last time they did not offer it and only had a pre fix menu with a couple buffet style options. The complimentary s'mores are a nice touch and there are a few on site dining options available. It was quiet and secluded on off peak times but not all of the amenities are available. Our cabin was spacious and comfortable. Would love to check out during summer ours to experience more of the amenities!