I rarely leave reviews, but after spending nearly $1,500 for just a two-night stay, I feel…read moreobligated to warn other families before they spend their money here.
To be fair, I'll start with the positive. The two-bedroom cottage was excellent. It was clean, spacious, comfortable, and exactly what we expected. If I had rented the cottage by itself and nothing else, I would have been completely satisfied.
Unfortunately, everything else about our stay was one disappointment after another.
I booked our stay because the cottage package advertised a complimentary four-seat golf cart. An almost $800 deposit was charged immediately, but I never received a confirmation email. After calling the resort, I eventually received one, but it only listed a two-bedroom cottage. It did not mention the golf cart, the five Explorer Passes I had already purchased, or provide an itemized breakdown of my reservation.
During checkout, I also purchased five Explorer Passes because the booking process stated that guests purchasing them with their reservation would receive unlimited access throughout their stay, unlike single-day passes purchased separately.
Problems started the moment we arrived. The main entrance was closed with no signs directing guests to after-hours check-in. After driving around the property, we finally found someone who directed us to the Lodge.
At check-in, I was told to pick up my golf cart outside. Instead, I was told I didn't have one. Staff insisted it wasn't included with my reservation. Since my confirmation email contained almost no details, I had nothing to show them. Rather than argue and ruin our first night, I paid an additional $200 to rent a six-seat golf cart.
The next morning we picked it up, only to discover it had less than half a tank of gas, faulty brake lights, a broken turn signal that became extremely hot, and so little power that three of the six people riding had to get out and push it up the hill leading to the cottages.
When we picked up our Explorer Passes, I was asked for a QR code that was never emailed to me. After printing my passes, I also purchased one for my father. I then learned the Explorer Passes did not provide unlimited access as presented during booking. Instead, each activity could only be done once.
The biggest disappointment was the inflatable water obstacle course. It was the main reason we purchased the Explorer Passes, only to be told it was closed until 1:00 p.m. the following day for cleaning. We checked out at 11:00 a.m. Had we known it would be unavailable during our stay, we never would have purchased the passes. Even more frustrating, we never saw anyone cleaning it. The lifeguards were sitting on it, talking, and diving off it while guests were told it was closed.
For dinner, we chose the Piedmont Dining Room because the resort website listed prime rib. When we arrived, it wasn't on the menu. The ribeye was excellent, and our waitress was phenomenal, but it was another example of the website not matching reality.
Later that evening my husband asked to exchange our defective golf cart. The employee looked up our cart number and immediately said, "Oh...you have #35. That's the broken one."
That statement perfectly summarized our experience.
Callaway Gardens is undeniably beautiful, and the cottages are wonderful. But beautiful scenery doesn't justify spending nearly $1,500 for two nights when the amenities you planned your vacation around either aren't available, don't match what was presented during booking, or are known to be defective.
Between the reservation confusion, paying an extra $200 for a golf cart, missing confirmation details, never receiving required QR codes, Explorer Passes that didn't match how they were presented, the resort's signature attraction being closed during our stay, and outdated information on the website, this vacation became a series of frustrations instead of the relaxing family getaway we planned.
I cannot recommend Callaway Gardens based on our experience.
