While the photos of the place make it look gorgeous, I would suggest you check out a satellite view of the surrounding area on Google Maps. Directly to the northeast is the four lane Highway 99. Directly to the southwest is the railroad tracks raised up on the hill. To the south east across a vacant weed-filled lot is a car dealership. Beyond Highway 99 is the I-5 freeway and a couple of big gas stations. Across the access road is a very sketchy greenhouse with grow lights running all night long. Just behind (to the west) of the dining hall is a tall brand new wooden fence that the resort put up to block the view of some rundown old property that was probably connected to a previous resort. I think I saw some geodesic domes and a satellite dish out of the late 80s poking over the top of the fence. The most sketchy part of all has to be the rundown trailer park directly to the north of the property. There must be a very good reason that the hotel is dripping in CCTV cameras. There is even one very obtrusive camera at eye level right next to the door as you enter the lobby.
Whoever thought that describing this place as "Lithia Springs Resort is an oasis of tranquility and beauty with its quaking aspens, fruit trees, grapes, and colorful rose and berry bushes, all cultivated organically from their early beginnings. The resort is a unique outdoor venue, perfect for any corporate or social event, including weddings." on the resort's website must have a good sense of humor. Jake brakes from trucks from the highway outside my room's patio and the freeway a bit further away don't really inspire a tranquil, beautiful atmosphere. Nor does the creepy greenhouse across the street or the very sketchy trailer park next door.
The afternoon tea service was more of a self-serve dash to get some standard bagged herbal tea and a few self-serve scones. We were told upon check-in that we had to hurry if we wanted any because they only put out so much in a day and once they're gone, they're gone for the rest of the day. It seems odd to promote the afternoon tea so much to only have a limited, not-guaranteed quantity and a very standard (think Stash) compliment of tea that is all self-service.
The room we had was well appointed but I noticed the carbon monoxide detector wasn't working. Perhaps the city fire inspector needs to visit more often. The real bummer about the room was the exterior building lights (probably to keep away the "undesirables" living in the trailer park) that stayed on all night long and seeped in through the thin window blinds. At least your standard highway hotel has curtains to block out all of the exterior light.
I found it very peculiar that they had us sign up for a "breakfast seating." Perhaps I have the wrong connotation in my head, having been raised in a working bed and breakfast, but when I have to sign up for a breakfast seating (either 8 or 9am only!), I expect that I will be served breakfast at a table and further that there is actually a reason to have to select a time for breakfast. When I showed up promptly at 8am to be seated, no staff were to be seen. After standing around awkwardly for a few minutes, I found a side room next to the kitchen with a small buffet setup inside. Some "fancy" french toast made on french bread, a bit of yogurt and some berries, some sausage links, some hard boiled eggs (btw, the cook doesn't know how to boil an egg. It was nigh impossible to remove the shell.), some scones, a bit of bread, coffee/tea/orange juice, and a few other odds and ends were all that were to be had. Contrast this with your typical stay at a Best Western Plus where there are actual real selections at breakfast! After I had gathered a few things to eat and sat down at an empty table I realized that I was the only one in the entire dining room area of around 20 tables. Over the course of my breakfast, three or four couples filtered in but by the time I left the dining room at around 8:45. I still can't puzzle through why they would require that I sign up for a specific time to eat. There was no table service, there were plenty of tables open to seat the entire resort's wroth of rooms, and the food selection was rather limited. As far as breakfasts go at resorts, this was pretty mediocre and confusing.
One final thought on the place. The photos on Yelp and on the resort's website are extremely selective. For instance, the creek in one of the photos is actually a small water feature complete with recirculating pump. The grounds won't look nearly as green and inviting between the end of Summer and April or May. And seriously look at a satellite photo of the place on Google Maps to see who your neighbors will be. The whole place would need to be walled off with 20 foot walls to block everything out.
The hotel itself is nice enough (on par with a Best Western Plus) but everything you can see around it is a real dump. Very much not worth the price. read more