This place smells like MOLD & cigarettes. The bathrooms do not have fans and the moisture has taken…read moreits toll. Breakfast was gross and not much for options. Do not waste your money. Furniture is dirty with black marks on the armrests. Mattresses are old and worn out. Avoid this place!!!!

We stayed at this hotel for a family vacation. Not the fanciest place, but staff was nice so we…read morewent for it! We stayed the night with our 3 small kids and apon awaking our nightmare began! There were blood filled bed bugs, and then smaller ones crawling everywhere!!! It has been hell trying to recover from and clean everything after our stay to protect our family and home! Between money spent on cleaning, a vacation ruined, and the trama our family has, this was thee WORST vacation ever because of this place! Not to mention, after bringing the owner in, he told us it was just ticks everywhere. Then to top it off, we found out from other family members who stayed there, he just flipped the mattresses and had the cleaning lady clean it up. DO NOT STAY HERE!!!

We were really looking forward to our stay at Ruttger's Bay Lake Resort, especially since our kids…read morewere so excited to use the pools. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were disappointed to find both pools closed--a fact that was never mentioned on the website or during booking. The website was also out of date, with no notice about the pool closures or the restaurant being closed. This lack of communication was a huge letdown for us and especially hard on our kids. After receiving a text that our room was ready, we checked in only to find the room still dirty. The staff did try to help by sending a manager intern, who found us another room, but that one was also dirty and needed cleaning. We ended up waiting an additional 30-45 minutes before we could finally get settled. Once we were finally in, we found the condo-style cabins to be cute and comfortable, with a nice deck and great views of the golf course and lake (though some big pine trees block part of the view). There's plenty of parking, and the property has several docks for fishing and a large marina, which was a big hit with our family. However, due to pool construction, the trail to the marina dock was blocked, forcing us to take a much longer and less convenient route. We had fun fishing and caught some big sunfish off the main marina dock. The restaurant had a nice deck and a DJ, but closes pretty early and the food is quite pricey. The community fire pits are a great touch, with plenty of wood provided for guests to enjoy a classic evening of s'mores. As a gesture of goodwill for the pool closure, the resort offered us a two-hour pontoon rental, which was appreciated but didn't fully make up for the disappointment and lack of communication. We tried to rent a fishing boat, but it had mechanical issues. The marina crew was super helpful and gave us a good deal on a full-day pontoon rental instead, which turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Big thanks to Rob and Casey at the marina--they were friendly, hardworking, and made our experience so much better. The kids had an absolute blast on the lake! We also enjoyed the ice cream shop and took out kayaks and other water toys, which were reasonably priced and lots of fun. At first, we weren't sure if we would return or recommend Ruttger's to others, but the marina crew truly turned things around for us and made the end of our trip memorable. I would recommend this resort to families and groups, but I really hope management improves communication, keeps the website updated, and ensures rooms are ready and clean for arriving guests. With a few improvements, this could be an amazing place for a family getaway.

Want a fun family event??!!! Dinner, art fair and great food!!! Want a perfect event for the fall.read more

Great service, good food (try the apple crisp), and only 50 cents to play the claw machine. My 5…read moreyear old thoroughly enjoyed it! Great spot to support a local busines!

Little Whitefish Resort and Cafe is under new ownership, and it sounds like there's some exciting…read morerenovations and updates ahead! My family stopped into the cafe on one of the final days of their 2022 season, and were served some hot and truly delicious food! We loved being able to pull our boat right up to the dock, tie up, and grab a meal during our after noon on the lake. We also got to chat with the owners (who are super friendly!) and hear a little bit about their plans for the cafe's future. With great people and great food, I'll be rooting for this little cafe to become a major hit and will definitely be back next season!!

Such great service! Food was so delicious and felt like a home cooked meal! And incredible views of…read morethe lake, If you are looking for a fun breakfast spot this is the place!

My dad took me here on my birthday or shortly after. Ive not been on the lake for a long time…read more He told me, you don't need to bring gear or bait. They will have it all. We had lunch and the waitress seemed less than concerned about the timeline. To getting on the boat, and finding out the gear was iffy. There was a cooler with some tired leeches in it. And although the crew was nice, it was not a great experience. One walleye and three perch for 20+ people. Some dude vaping and smoking back-and-forth, not far away from us, no one seemed particularly concerned about that. It was early afternoon and I suppose that fewer fish should be expected, but it was definitely not an exceptional experience. Somebody said they were selling the place. But my opinion is that they should do a lot more to take care of the customers they still have, before that happens... If that happens... Nice enough crew, but I think they should continue to take care of the customers they still have regardless...

Great family resort -…read more My family started staying here in 1940. We have seen a lot of changes - all good. 6 generations of memories. Lakeside cabins are traditional cabins filled with up north charm. The lake shore has a great beach for kids and a large dock for adults to sit and talk, enjoy the sun and be able to keep an eye on the kiddos. Boat rental is available or bring your own boat. The Rave and swim raft are great additions to swim out to and get away from others on the main dock. Paddle boats, paddle boards, kayaks and a canoe are also available to resort guests. A play ground, game room and a small general store round out the resort amenities. We wouldn't stay any where else.

From the owner: You can find us where scenic beauty meets adventure. Since 1937, our lakeside resort has been a…read moreplace where family and friends gather to relax together, venture into the great outdoors, and make treasured memories. Located on Bay Lake and surrounded by beautiful scenery, our comfortable cabins are updated with all the necessities so you can focus on having fun when you visit us. Whether you take a swim in the new pool, play on the beach, go fishing, take out a paddleboard, kayak (they're free for guests!), or take on a mountain bike trail, you'll have an unforgettable stay.

W E D D I N G V E N U E…read more Under the new management, I attended a small intimate wedding ceremony on the shores of Mille Lacs. There was a nicely manicured area and a perfect aisle with chairs on both sides. This was a very picturesque site, and just perfect for the 20+ guests. If you plan on having your intimate wedding here, forgo the canned music and have a real musician play guitar, violin, or any stringed instrument. It will take your experience to a higher level, and make it a magical Fairytale Wedding! It truly will! M I C R O W E D D I N G H E R E!

Resort seems to have fallen on hard times related to money. All "resort amenities" were closed…read moreJune 2025. Golf course was not in good shape, and you could see great lack of general maintenance and groundskeeping on the property. Stick and tree branches that had fallen that had clearly been there for a while.

This relatively new hotel is one of the nicer ones. I have stayed at traveling up and down Highway…read more10. My queen room was very clean, spacious and well-priced. It was nice having a couch and chairs that I could relax on rather than just having to sit on the bed. The odd thing to me, however, was that there's no closet and no great place to put your luggage. I think even a freestanding luggage rack would go a long way. They did have someplace to hang your clothes, but I do prefer an enclosed closet to cut down a clutter. I ended up putting my suitcase on a table. The breakfast selection was good. Very similar to other hotels like it. My biggest disappointment is that the associated restaurant is no longer open. It would be nice to wind down the evening with a glass of wine and a snack, but you can't have everything.

Friendly staff helped to get a last minute reservation when our original hotel reservation fell…read morethrough. This hotel is a hidden gem. The room was very comfortable and large. I wish we could have tried the pool. But we will definitely come back.

Keith is the best host . I love staying there …read more ..............,,,,,,.........................................................................

We came up North without any plans on where to go other than Bigfoot Days and had no reservations…read morefor a room because unsure where we were going to stay. Stopped in to the Wigwam and luckily the man in front of us cancelled one room so we lucked out. We were pleasantly surprised. Wonderful people here!! The beds were comfortable and tools were clean and nice. We can't WAIT to come back!

We travel a lot and feel that this hotel falls into the "HIDDEN GEM" category! Very clean,…read moreexcellent breakfast (nothing fancy, but everything was done well - don't miss the biscuits and gravy if you like that!). We liked how the hotel carried out the Northwoods Resort theme throughout yet AmericInn is a chain hotel. If we lived in Minnesota and not Ohio, we would come back here 2-3 times a year. The area is beautiful too. A little less crowded than Nisswa / Brainard too!

I wouldn't say this is a "5 star" style hotel you'd find in a big city with all the luxurious…read moreamenities, but I cannot get over how clean these rooms were. Like stated in a previous review, the corners of the bathrooms were even spotless. Not even a water mark on the sink. Polished faucets and clean smelling rooms. I was super impressed with their cleaning staff that I even complimented them on our stay. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. We came for wedding and had various other plans so didn't take part in all they had to offer but it is a quiet hotel that was worth the money and stay for the area.