The location is ideal for hiking, Gondola rides, lake access and several other activities. The townhouse was great. The only complaint was that the air conditioning wasn't very powerful, so it was quite warm. I cannot say anything about the restaurant, since we didn't eat there. The pool is a great bonus! read more

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The view from the deck was wonderful. The room is outdated. I don't know the what the "minimum standards" the owners of the unit need to uphold. The Odseey Resort folks are not up holding those minimum standards for this room...or their standards are just that low. Not worth the price. Update the website about Moguls being closed on Mondays and Tuesday. So folks can plan accordingly. My husband and I now just laugh....it was better than crying. read more

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Overall I would stay at this location again and this room as well. The food was ok, nothing to rave about but still good. The service was slower but I think it was because they were understaffed as everyone everywhere is. So if you don't mind soaking up the views, and just relaxing, it's alright. You can take adult beverages back to your room as well even though the buildings are separated and it can be just a slight walk to the far building where the Nordic whirlpool condo was. The room itself was nice. Very northwoods feeling. There were a couple spots throughout that felt they could use some cosmetic touch ups to make the room $180 a night (as pictured) but it felt clean and the whirlpool was an excellent feature. It was also great that it was dog friendly. The views out of the room were splendid and north facing. I didn't have firewood to use the wood burning fireplace, but I liked that amenity as well. The hallways are very narrow and the room can be rather loud with neighbors, did not appear to be much for silencing insulation. Parking spots are assigned per room. There are trails around the property and the main building hosts fires and such. It is also right next to the Lutsen alpine slide area which is pretty fun! All in all, I would return. read more

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I'll preface that I usually stay at Eagle Ridge Resort, but this time I stayed at Caribou Highlands due to a discount they had. I came here with my fiancé for a romantic getaway and was disappointed that the room smelled of chemicals the second we walked in. For a place as expensive as it is I expected more out of my stay. It was bad enough for us to leave the window open on a chiller day. When we complained to management our second night they handled the situation fairly well by giving us a gift card to the restaurant. We were also told that the smell was from a disinfectant, but that is astonishing due to that smell lasting 3 days. The hot tub and pool were nice! We also loved the outdoor activities! The restaurant was average, and a bit overpriced. Overall, I'd consider coming again at the right price, otherwise I'll take my business down the road. read more

Stayed Mon/Tue night in early February, which meant the pool and hot tub were open but the restaurant (Moguls) was not. Room lacked a DVD player, but they brought one and hooked it up fairly promptly. Shower only sent 70% of the water up through the shower head, while 30% dribbled out of the bath tap...you can imagine how unsatisfying that was. Technically ski in/out, though you have to keep your speed on the catwalk to avoid some cross country skiing to start your day! Free shuttle to the gondola was great. read more

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We stayed in the main hotel. Great location and easy to get to the hill or ski in and out. Nice restaurant on site and staff are friendly. Only complaint is the fitness center hours - they don't open until 9 AM which makes it impossible to fit in an AM workout before skiing. read more

Our family had a great stay in a well appointed pet friendly townhome unit. The views of Moose Mountain are amazing and the staff is super friendly and accommodating. We will definitely stay here again. read more

We got ROBBED during our WEDDING! I was married here at Caribou Highlands in December. During the reception, we were robbed with the majority of gifts along with some personal items of ours and one of our guests being stolen. Despite several complaints, phone calls, and police involvement, the manager of this property has not even spoken with us. We don't expect any kind of reimbursement from them as they are not responsible for that, but we wanted to share our concerns and know that this situation is being taken seriously. We found out from talking with another employee, that this is not the first robbery to happen during a wedding at this property. Obviously the safety of the guests and their belongings is not priority here. Horrible experience. read more

Perfect Mountain Retreat Spent 4 days at Caribou Highlands and was pleasantly surprised. Perfect location for skiing, even though we snowmobiled. The lodge was first-class all the way with a great dinning room/bar downstairs. Food and service were terrific. Our room had a spectacular view (144C). You could see Moose Mountain sitting in the living room. Then we'd step out onto the patio and could see Lake Superior to the left. It was like looking out into a postcard. Worth the drive if your coming from Illinois. read more

Caribou Highlands Lodge - View from 144C balcony - Resorts Near Me - Lutsen, Minnesota

We stayed at Caribou Highlands Lodge Jan 2-5/15. We were a group of four adults and two older teens. Having read the previous reviews, I was nervous about the cleanliness when we arrived, but am happy to report that although our Townhouse had dated decor, it was very clean. The kitchen was supplied with plenty of pots and pans, the stove wasn't a chef's dream, but it was fine. There was a Crock-pot, however it looked as though it had been dropped (huge dent) so I was glad I had brought my own. We were in a three level Townhouse- unit 528. I thought the description said that the top level bedroom was a King Suite- however it had a Queen bed, and was loft style, so was open to the kitchen/family room below. This might be an issue if some of your group wants to watch TV or stay up, as there is no sound block at all. The Master bathroom had a standard hotel tub, the water pressure was quite low- I think it took 25 min to fill the tub half way, but it was clean. The lower level bedroom had one queen bed and a bunk bed in the same room- cozy but ok. Their was a full bath on that level as well. The main level had a 1/4 bath, kitchen and family room with a wood burning fireplace. Wood was provided free of charge, it was freezing when we were there so we really enjoyed having a fire. The kitchen/dining/family room area was quite a bit smaller than I thought it would be- which was my only real disappointment. There was a small love seat size sleeper couch, and two upholstered chairs, but then other than the kitchen table, there wasn't anywhere else to sit- so for a group of 6, not ideal. We did not have a mountain view, but the view was trees, and we were really only there at night, so it didn't matter. We were very happy to discover that we could indeed ski in/out. There was a path behind the Townhouse that we could see from our deck, we could take that down to a lift and be on our way. This was easier for the skiers in our group than the snowboarders- they found it rather flat- and opted to take the shuttle provided. Shuttle service was nice, pick up and drop off at your door- they do have certain run times, so check the schedule. We had two minor issues, one was no dishwasher soap, and the other was that they forgot to give us a voucher when we checked in. Both things were taken care of with very good customer service. I would definitely stay here again. read more

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Our latest stay here was really disappointing. The front desk staff did all they could to rectify the issue (upgraded our room on the second night, provided credit for the onsite restaurant) but I've lost confidence in this property. The first room was small and dirty. Housekeeping or a previous guest had left a dirty towel on the floor. We paid for a room with a queen sized bed, fireplace and whirlpool. The room we got had a double bed, and left overs from a previous guest. The next room was nice, however there were many small disappointments that ensure I will not return. I just don't want to deal with it, after all I paid for a relaxing stay. -housekeeping wasn't available when we arrived, so there we're only two other clean rooms available. It was the low season, there we're only 5 other cars in the parking lot. - we had a room with a wood burning fireplace. There was no kindling provided. No big deal, we just pick up some newspapers in town. Small inconvenience, yet annoying. - the hallways smell like chlorine. Not sure why they do if you're a building away from the pool. - the chimney cleaners came while we we're there. We hadn't planned to get up and get dressed, but okay, we did. The chimney guys we're quick and clean, yet it was loud and generally interrupted our day inside. - DVDs provided are old and some so badly scratched they won't play - restaurant food was quite gross. We we're thankful for the restaurant credit, yet we wouldn't go there if we had to use our own money. FYI the salmon salad sounds good, but it just isn't. Canned salmon, wild rice, strawberries...and shredded cheddar cheese? Really? read more

I've always enjoyed this hotel and I come here every year with my family. The hotel rooms are a bit underwhelming but they've always been clean and comfortable for us. I do recommend that if you're staying here to stay in the townhouses they offer. They're incredibly beautiful and very comfortable! Plus bunk bunds for the kids! read more

We didn't have reservations, but we were told they had one suite/apartment left on the lower level, so we decided to go for it. They knocked off $30 from the rate which was nice. The one bedroom suite was more than comfy and accommodated four adults. The suite was a one bedroom with a pull out and a kitchen area. The kitchen was stacked with dishes and utensils. This is a beautiful complex with great views of mountains and forests. Great location if you are a skier, hiker, or fisherman, etc. The only downside was the suite wasn't clean. Either the cleaning service was careless and hasty, or this suite hasn't been occupied in a long time. Regardless of the reason, it was dirty. read more

If we could give less than 1 star - we would. We came here for our honeymoon. The photos looked nice & they were offering a great deal on rooms. That should have been my first clue to run. When we booked - they asked if we wanted the romance package - which seemed cheesy to me - you know it's our honeymoon - maybe just throw it in for us or put a cheap bottle of champagne in the room - but we agreed to it. We got there & the woman checking us in was so rude. If you don't like your job - find something different. We got to our room - which was like a room cut off from the main townhouse & you could hear everything in the main part of the house. Plus - there was no romance package - no soap, only hand sanitizer. I'm not on a college spring break trip - I don't want to smell tequila all the time. We called & were told we might not get a different room until the next day. We decided to go to dinner. Which - btw - don't eat at Moguls. It's WAY overpriced. You're better off going into Grand Marais or even Cascade down the road. They were able to get us a different room - which was nice & they gave us a $35 gift card to the restaurant ... which helped pay for the exorbitant bill. We get to our new room & the romance package? $50 for a $15 bottle of Prosecco and a couple lindts chocolates. On top of that - the Prosecco made us sick. Either than or it was the guacamole from the restaurant. At this room had soap. We got up the next morning to figure out that there was no coffee. So up we got and headed to fikas. Don't bother asking for house keeping. They don't come - they'll leave you a bag of "clean linens" tossed in front of your door. Luckily, my husband and I were able to laugh about how bad it was. But we won't ever stay here again. Recommend you don't either. read more

Not only is Caribou Highlands in an incredibly beautiful location, but the staff is amazing as well! They go above and beyond to accommodate your needs. Shout out to Karen in particular! read more

August 7-9, 2016 1.Walked into our room to find garbage laying around plus cleaning supplies left behind by housekeeping. 2.Took nearly 60 minutes for them to show up and clear it out. 3. Hallway smells musty, moldy and ripped carpet makes it unsafe to navigate around hotel 4.Be careful if you plan on using the pots and pans in the kitchens suite, they are cracked and scratched unsafe to use. Bring your own if you plan on cooking your own meal 5.Towels smell very bad, moldy smell. 6.Bottom bathtub drain needs to be fixed. Disappointed. Not coming here on our next vacation. read more

We were under the impression that we were paying for a cabin because the pictures looked nice and it was called a cabin. It turned out to be a 5plex unit. It was clean, but very outdated and there were no extras. We paid $450 per night and there were 3 of us. We would have been happier to have just rented a room and paid much less. read more

I purchased tickets to an event at the Caribou Highlands Lodge. They charged my credit card, but never sent me the tickets. They have not responded to my voicemails, forcing me to resort to disputing the charges on my credit card. I will not have anything to do with this resort or their owners (Odyssey Resorts) again. read more

Pathetic experience. This hotel was hosting an ultramarathon and didn't bother to keep their restaurant open past 9--even though the event didn't end until 10 PM so many people when you called to get food. Additionally the staff was rude and patronizing. The internet went down ever 5 minutes and to top it off there was no water when we were trying to check out (no toilets/showers/etc). I've stayed in state parks with better amenities. read more

I wanted to give this 1.5 stars. The good - i went there in the summer, indoor and outdoor pools are nice. There is a ton of space for everyone to play. You are close to the lifts and the village. The bad - My room was not clean...at all. It was like the staff started and then just forgot to come back. I am an understanding person and I politely informed the front desk. They were apologetic and said they would get to it right away. I went and swam with the kid and then 90 minutes later came back to the room and it is still unchanged. We are getting close to bed time. I inform the front desk again. They went to clean in a few minutes, and still left it mostly dirty. THey only changed the sheets. No linens, used soap, dirty bathroom, waste baskets not emptied. read more

Worst customer service, very upsetting experience, and creepy staff! This is one of the worst experiences I have had staying anywhere in my entire life. If I could give them less stars I would. We started off with a great family weekend away with 11 of us staying in a condo at Caribou Highlands. Upon arriving the staff was anything but helpful. We paid for and were told online that we were purchasing a ski in ski out and that 5/8 runs were open. Neither was true. Not only were less runs open, but they couldn't even tell us which ones they were. Our ski in ski out was out due to the lift being down and no one could tell us when it would be back on.(It was out the entire 4 days we were there) We asked them where the closest grocery store was as we had a full kitchen in our condo and they told us there wasn't one at all. We found one ourselves less than 3 miles down the road. They told us we would have free Wi-Fi in our room, that too was down and never once working during our stay. Online they stated that they had children's snowboard lessons available all day during peak season. It was opening weekend for peak season and although the snowboard instructor was there he couldn't do any lessons as he was the only one working. Upon stating that we were upset with their lack of amenities they promised we were offered a $75 gift card for the restaurant in the lodge for 11 people. We didn't think it was enough to justify what we all already paid for but we took it as at least the incompetent staff had made an effort to address the situation. We then went to the lodge restaurant called The Moguls to end up having one of the worst dinner experiences of our life. Our entire family was sitting down eating a meal when I happened to look up and realize the manager(I think his name is Tony) of the restaurant was recording me and my nine-month-old son at the end of the table on a cell phone. Only to be made creepier is the fact that I was in the restaurant eating lunch only the day before with my mother-in-law and two kids breast-feeding my youngest son and this man was our waiter. I Noticed it looked like he was setting up a phone balancing against a cup. I asked a friend to check the phone after he walked away and he caught him recording red handed. On being confronted the manager flat out denied it. First he denied even taking a video, then after I told him I watched him he blamed it on the waitress. It was a totally messed up scenario. We asked to see the phone and the video, they showed us the video and it was literally a video of just me and my son from across the room. They told us it was just a joke, that they were just trying to get a video of the chefs "funny socks". What does that even mean? Needless to say the kitchen was in the other direction and we never once saw a chef nor was it in a position to get a video of someone socks. I asked to record my own video of the phone and they took the phone out of my hand and left with it. Not only did we still have to pay for the rest of our entire meal, but our waitress quit serving us and the staff became very rude. The man was very nervous and shaking the whole time. He couldn't give us a single straight answer. No one came to mediate the situation, not the cook, not the bartender, not the front desk who could hear everything going on from above, no one came to help us. We went to talk to the front desk afterwards and they were even less helpful. I was very distraught and upset and asked to speak to someone else in charge but they told me there was no one. They said if I felt like coming into tomorrow they would call the general manager and he would be in. They said they would call me as soon as he got there so we waited at the resort all the next day and he never showed up, when we asked the front desk they said he wasn't coming in nor did they know when he was going to. Heading home that night I finally received a call from the general manager, he said never got a call but he had received an email about a disturbance at the restaurant. It had said there was a misunderstanding about a training exercise video and that our friend had become loud and disruptive at the staff. Never once had the staff said to me it was a "training exercise". It had said nothing about them videotaping me and my son, about them lying, or how very distraught and upset I was at the whole experience. He told me he was very sorry and he was going to get down to the bottom of it and give me a call back right away in the morning. It has been five days now and nothing so I am writing this review. I cannot believe the level of unprofessionalism and the inappropriateness of the staff. I don't know if he was trying to record me over some disturbing breast-feeding fetish, get some sort of perverted video of my son, do a training exercise, or actually videotape the chef socks, but I do know none of it was handled correctly, I am permanently scarred, and I will never ever be returning. read more

Room wasn't ready when we arrived at 4:30 for check-in (which is also the latest check-in I have ever seen). Beds were double, not queen, and very uncomfortable. Window would not close completely and therefor would not lock. Hair dryer didn't work and smells like it could start a fire. Tub drain would not close, so bath not an option. For what it's worth, we reported all these problems to the front desk and they were apologetic. The on-site bar and restaurant, Moguls, is pretty bad. Took over ten minutes for server to acknowledge us. Food was mediocre at best. We ended up going off-site for the rest of our meals and were much happier. The pools and spa were pretty nice, and are really the only thing we enjoyed about this place. Way overpriced considering there are much nicer places to stay just down the road for the same price or cheaper. Will not go back. read more

Based on the website, you'd think you were booking a fairly nice hotel; however, it's more of an outdated motel. - Appliances were ridiculously outdated - Zero water pressure - The bed was hard, lumpy and uncomfortable - Most of the dishes were already dirty upon arrival - Walls are paper thin We could easily hear the conversations of the family in the room next to us and felt like we had to whisper in our own room. Oh yeah, AND SHARED BALCONIES!?! Seriously, I'm trying to enjoy the awesome views and there's little kids from the next room over running around me askin' stupid questions! read more

Friendly staff. Very dated furnishings. We purchased a Groupon for this property, and upon arrival, were shocked to find that we were "relegated" to the oldest of the three buildings. Upon checking in, I immediately identified to the front desk staff that there was an incredibly foul smell in our bathroom (not what you think, but rather a combination of cigarette / cigar and some other unidentifiable malodorous item). Front desk staff member I spoke to said she would not only take care of the problem (which apparently amounted to having housekeeping just open our windows wider). In addition, she also said she would take care of a portion of our bill (since we were using a Groupon, that would've been interesting), but nevertheless, that never happened). The real issue is why we would be stuck in a portion of the oldest building when they are using Groupon to market their property? Clearly there were plenty of unsold rooms throughout the property. Why not take advantage of that and assign us a room in the newer buildings so that we leave with a good impression and want to come back in the future. All of these negative impressions and experiences could have been avoided as a result. Now, as a result of our experience, I am not at all keen to return to the property. read more

I found a great deal on Groupon ($95/night for at least 2 nights), my fiancé and I stayed here August 9th - 12th, 2016. We were very impressed with the customer service, all the activities we could do, the restaurant (you could tell they we understaffed, but worked very hard to please everyone), and the view. We stayed in the main lodge where the front desk is, we went canoeing for $5/person, played bingo, enjoyed live music on the patio, bonfires, enjoyed both the indoor and outdoor pool, relaxed in the hot tub, purchased reasonably priced items from the gift shop, and watched a couple complimentary movies. We talked about having to come back up to do this again. I would definitely recommend this lodge, the only complaint would be they we remodeling, but that never interfered with anything we did, we didn't hear them in the morning except when I left the window open the night before. But it wasn't loud, I wasn't woken up by it. I figured this is why they had such a great deal on Groupon, which is fine by my fiancé and me. read more

Hmmm. mixed bag. Rented the the studio suite in the poplar ridge townhouse part of Caribou Highlands. Comes with a gas fireplace, little deck, two person jacuzzi. However, its'basically a room off of a larger townhouse complex, which was being occupied by a young family with little kids and crying baby. So, we could basically hear every word from the unit just like if you were sleeping in a downstairs bedroom just off of their kitchen. Kind of irritating. No housekeeping was provided while we were there so no clean towels, no coffee refills for coffee maker, no trash removal. Room was about 14x14 with a shower that stares out at you from the bed. Lawn had been recently mowed when we arrived with grass clippings all over the sidewalk. Why not blow that off when you're done. This isn't the city mowing the highway medians for God's sake. TV was staticy on most stations, and the internet was slow like dial-up early 90s slow, seriously. Used my phone for internet instead. Just not worth the 250.00.night for the experience. Maybe at 100/night we'd have been pleased. read more

Stayed MEA weekend of 2015. I reserved late so I didn't have much time to research the room options and my options were limited. I booked a one bedroom suite in the Poplar Ridge townhomes. It ended up being the lower level of the townhome so we entered the door it's kind of like climbing down into a cave. But overall it was clean the Decor was updated. The bedroom section does Only have a double bed which seems strange to not have a queen. The downside of being in the lower level is you can always hear people walking on the floor above. Since we have small kids, that noise was frustrating at bedtime. The property is pretty spread out and a little bit hilly so it's quite a walk to get to the pool and in this weather we ended up just driving. For the price it does seem a little bit expensive although like I said I booked last minute and it's a special weekend in Minnesota. The units are timeshares this unit happen to have a hot tub but it was partitioned off behind a locked sliding door. We found out that to the health inspector /code only the owners of the unit are allowed to use it. Unit does however have a sauna and since it's the lower level we had access to the washer dryer I'm not sure if the units above would be able to come down and usethat or not. Three stars due to value on price and strange "basement" set up. Overall a nice spot. I'd research what unit you are renting first. read more

Beware! Unless you pay extra you will be placed in the parking lot rooms! These rooms are mere feet away from the main parking lot, with rows of cars and people passing by at all times, such that you can not ever raise the window shade. After a 5 hour drive hoping to be immersed in the spectacular north shore woods, a room similar to Super 8 or Motel 6 is not what you expect. Truly a hideous experience. It should be made very clear at the time of booking that unless you pay extra to upgrade, you will be placed in the parking lot rooms (the main floor/level is especially awful, with not even a tree or bush as a buffer - only cars mere inches away). Hoping to escape the dungeon like room, you will find the small 2nd story "lobby" not much better, as it is consumed by a severely overbuilt fireplace that blocks out what should be majestic views with instead only sky views. The rooms were also tired and dated, and in need of a refresh. read more

I have stayed at Caribou Highlands several times in the past and while knowing what to expect (nothing special, but cheap and located near the mountains for skiing/boarding), my experience this past weekend was extremely poor. Upon checking in, it was clear that something had gone wrong with our reservation, resulting in the desk agents trying to charge us nearly double what was quoted when I made the reservation over the phone. After arguing for several minutes, they finally agreed to honor their original quote and we settled into our townhouse for the weekend. The townhouses are definitely much nicer than the main lodge, which is complete with some peeling wallpaper in the hallways and ridiculously outdated and unkempt furniture and accommodations. Aside from a barely working drain in one of the two showers and a broken DVD player, we were pretty happy. The fact that they pass off the hotel as "ski-in, ski-out" is ridiculous. We had to crawl through waist-deep snow to reach the entrance to the access run, then climb over a literally 8-foot wall of ice before strapping on our boards while sitting in the middle of the run. The access run then flattens out so much at the bottom, that you have to take off your board and walk the last 300 yards to the closest chairlift. To add to our initial unhappiness with the accommodations, the spa near the townhouses was closed for the second time for our biannual trip to Lutsen. When we checked in, we were told the hot tub would be opening on our last day, but it ended up being closed for the entire weekend. All of these things would have been forgiven until the day we checked out at which point, an extremely rude desk manager basically accused me and my party of "sneaking" my dog into the resort and our townhome for the weekend. When I tried to explain to her that I had made it very clear when I made my reservation over the phone that we would have a dog and would need a pet-friendly townhome, she accused me of lying, said that the employee who made my reservation had worked there for years and would never make a mistake like that, and made it clear that any error in the reservation was mine and mine alone. I have never been treated like that by any company that is supposedly in the hospitality industry. I am extremely disappointed in my stay at Caribou Highlands and I will NEVER be staying there again. It's a shame that they were willing to treat me in such a way that they were able to get their extra $60 out of me (the pet fee that she charged to my credit card after I checked out without my permission), but they have lost my business forever (and we usually stay there 2-3 times a year with about 12 people every time we go to Lutsen). I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone and I will definitely be spending my money at Lutsen Resort or Eagle Ridge in the future. read more

We stayed here on 10/2-10/3. We had a second floor slope facing room which should have had a spectacular view except that our center window seal was broken and there was condensation between the panes of glass. The window did crank open but there was no screen and the sill was rotting away. I am glad we had no small children with. The room was very dated and worn out. Our door didn't latch tight so when ever anyone else closed there door on our floor it rattled. I jammed the hotel amenities book in the gap of the door to keep it quiet. We didn't need the book anyway as there is no room service. There is also no complimentary coffee in the lobby that I am accustomed for a $200 room. I also didn't like that the building isn't secured at night. On the plus side the lodge is within walking distance of the lifts and the salmon I had in the attached Moguls restaurant was excellent. I will not be staying here again as there are nicer options in the area that are in the same price range. read more