Unfortunately, we experienced several issues throughout our visit that significantly impacted our…read morestay.
On June 29, I called earlier in the day to ask whether our cabin might be available before the 4:00 p.m. check-in time. I was told that early check-in would not be available that day, but that the cabin could possibly be ready around 3:30 p.m., and that we were welcome to arrive early and enjoy the campground amenities while we waited.
We arrived around 3:00 p.m. and were told the cabin was not ready and to return at 4:00 p.m. Since we had family staying at the campground, we waited at their cabin. While walking by our assigned cabin, a woman who identified herself as the Head of Housekeeping stopped and asked if everything had been cleaned properly. We explained that we had been told the cabin was not yet ready. She went inside, immediately realized it had not been cleaned, apologized, and assured us it would be cleaned right away.
Shortly before 4:00 p.m., we walked back to the cabin and saw that the housekeeping staff had already left. I then went to the office to check in, only to be told that the cabin still had not been cleaned. I explained my earlier conversation with the Head of Housekeeping, and the office staff repeatedly attempted to contact housekeeping over the radio. Eventually, another employee who was already responding to a separate cabin issue was sent to verify the cabin's status. I ultimately waited nearly 45 minutes in the office after the official 4:00 p.m. check-in time before receiving our keys. While I was waiting, I also overheard several other guests experiencing issues during the check-in process.
During our stay, the campground Wi-Fi was unreliable and frequently unavailable. We later received an email notifying guests that the Wi-Fi was down and that the camp store would also not be open. While I understand that technical issues can occur, this was another inconvenience that affected our experience.
Additionally, one of the amenities that influenced our decision to stay at your campground was the lake, which is advertised on your website as a place where guests can enjoy swimming, fishing, and kayaking. Unfortunately, the condition of the lake did not match the expectations created by your website. It appeared stagnant and uninviting, and we did not feel comfortable swimming or otherwise using an amenity that was prominently advertised as a highlight of the campground. As a result, one of the features we were most looking forward to enjoying during our stay was effectively unavailable to our family.
The most significant issue occurred on the evening of July 2. Our cabin became extremely hot and would not cool down despite the air conditioner running continuously, both ceiling fans operating, and two additional fans that we had brought ourselves. The main bedroom and loft were especially unbearable. Our children were visibly sweating, and the temperature inside the cabin was so uncomfortable that it was impossible to sleep.
We called twice before maintenance arrived. The maintenance employee immediately commented that the cabin felt "disgusting" due to the heat and discovered that the air conditioning unit had frozen over. He explained that several cabins were experiencing the same issue that day and told us the campground had received a shipment of portable air conditioners and fans to distribute to affected cabins. Unfortunately, by the time he reached us, none remained available. He sincerely apologized and explained there was nothing further he could do other than have us turn the unit off to allow it to thaw.
As a result, our children were unable to get to sleep until after midnight, and the main bedroom did not reach a reasonable temperature until approximately 3:00 a.m. We essentially lost an entire night's rest during what should have been the final evening of our vacation.
While we understand that isolated issues can happen, the combination of the delayed check-in, poor communication, unreliable Wi-Fi, the unexpected closure of the camp store, amenities that did not match how they were advertised, and most importantly the failure of the air conditioning during extremely warm weather made this stay far below the standard we expected. These were not minor inconveniences--they substantially affected our family's comfort and enjoyment throughout the trip.
Emailed several times with no response from anyone at Jellystone. Do not go!!
