This is one of the best golf experiences in the Brainerd lakes area. Everything from the course to clubhouse to the staff is very well run. The course is in excellent shape. Lots of trees, to be sure, but still forgiving enough for the average player. Greens are fast and challenging. The clubhouse and staff are outstanding. You can order food after 9, and they drive it out to you on the course. Oh, and the breakfast is excellent! Highly recommend. read more

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Please do NOT plan to go to Maddens towards the end of September. We arrived and we're told the marina was closed the next day, the day we had planned to rent a boat. The website did not mention the place practically closes down the third weekend of September. The gift shops were closed by 2PM, check in is 4PM. The food was extremely over priced. Unless you are here to golf, save your money and go somewhere else. Also.. the water in the rooms was horrible. The odor was so strong and smelled of a sewer, that I had to brush my teeth and wash my face with bottled water. Mentioned it at check out, and front desk just acknowledged it,so must be a known problem they don't intend to address. #gross read more

I visited Maddens for two nights for the MGA conference at the end of July. I stayed in the Voyager rooms, they were amazing! Very clean, king bed, updated bathroom, back porch, and a kitchenette with a mini fridge, microwave, and sink. We walked to explore around the different areas of Maddens, and the grounds are beautiful! There are tons of activities including a pool, fitness center, tennis courts, croquet, paddle boarding, ice cream shop, gift shop, golf courses etc. The staff working at all of these locations were friendly, accommodating, and helpful. We golfed The Classic, which was awesome as well. Maddens also offers a few different restaurants which have great food. I came here on a work trip so I can't speak to the price/cost of the stay, but I do think this place has a ton to offer for a wide range of ages. read more

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We enjoyed another great family 4th of July at Maddens. All 18 of us, 9 rooms, ages 3-83. Tradition is important to us with golf, fine dining, ring toss, and Paul's Mission point bar "on point"! Thank you for keeping Maddens a wonderful family place to return to year after year. read more

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Madden's Resort is undeniably beautiful, and the property itself is a wonderful place to visit. However, our experience planning a wedding there was disappointing, and I would not recommend it as a wedding venue for couples who value communication, organization, and attention to detail. It became clear throughout the planning process that the resort is primarily focused on corporate events rather than weddings. The wedding and events team was consistently reactive instead of proactive. Follow-up emails were rarely sent without prompting, and we often had to reach out multiple times before receiving a response. On average, it took more than three days to receive a reply, and even then, it was typically only after we followed up ourselves. We also experienced several situations where information we were given earlier in the process was later changed or contradicted. In addition, the resort does not include room blocks or room guarantees in wedding contracts, which creates unnecessary uncertainty for our guests and made planning more difficult. The property itself is stunning, and I can absolutely understand why it's a favorite destination for corporate retreats and families who have been returning for years. Unfortunately, our experience made it clear that weddings are not their priority. If you're looking for a venue that values the details of your wedding, provides consistent communication, and offers a couple-centered planning experience, I would encourage you to consider other options. read more

We attended a wedding here this summer and it was spectacular! AMBIANCE: The space is gorgeous - perfect for an outdoor ceremony that transitions to a covered patio with fireplaces and heaters. The decor and amenities were top tier. SERVICE: Service was exceptional: the bartenders and servers were all very professional - many come from around the world for this seasonal position, and it says where they are from on their nametag. FOOD: This food was delicious! The smoked salmon station was a favorite, and it was definitely one of the classiest buffet setups I've seen for a wedding. Okay the only thing that wasn't a full 5 stars was that the bridal party entrance started from the lodge and from there to where the guests were seated for the ceremony, it was a very long walk - it became a bit comical how long it took for each entrance. But hey, it was a beautiful setting and I'm sure made for great photos! Highly recommend for a wedding venue, at least from the guest perspective! read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

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Everything about Madden's is great, from the amenities to the rooms to the food. I had dinner at mission point and the classic during my stay- both meals incredible. The outdoor and indoor pools are heated and nicely kept. I stayed in a cabin right on the lake and the room was clean, up to date, had a spacious patio and a beautiful view of the lake. Being off season, it was also super affordable. They have lots of other amenities, including shuffleboard, pickleball, lots of boats for rent, and more. The coffee shop onsite is also delicious. All employees I interacted with were super nice and helpful. Will definitely be back read more

My girlfriend and I recently stayed here for a work function and conference. We requested a room with a single King bed, which we ended up in a two queen bed room. Not that big a deal but a sign of things to come? If you're a golfer, I suppose this resort would be amazing, but for a business conference it was pretty bad. The guest WiFi didn't work at all most of the time. Not good when you're there for work. Room was straight from 1993 with a 19" RCA TV from 2001. I've been worse places by far but for the price they charge to stay here it's insane. Phones in the room to call the front desk were also inoperable. I had to call the front desk from my cell and was told they'd send someone to fix the phones, which never happened. Pizza from the pizza restaurant was basically frozen pizza. read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

Last year we lost our $400+ deposit due to a change of plans. We gave Maddens 90 days notice but they would not work with us. Lousy! I checked with Craguns next door and their policy is a full refund with 30 days notice. We are staying at Craguns this year. We would have gladly stayed at Maddens if they tried to help us out. Be careful! Stay at Craguns! Don't stay a Maddens! read more

We love playing Par 3 courses with our young boys, and were told to play social 9 which is Maddens par 3. First, the boys were charged full price ($30) to play the course, and second the golf carts were barely functional. Plus the holes are very close together and basically on top of on another. Very disappointed with the price point. I would recommend Cragens par 3 course any day over this. read more

Mediocre at best. Food, lodging, all. Stayed here for two days, including a Monday. Monday most things are closed. Rented a fishing pole for $8, it was broken. Floating platforms on the lake littered with empty beer cans. Tried to get my family of 6 in for dinner at 6:30 at one of their places that was literally empty (Mission Point), they said they had no seating. Won't be back ever. read more

I was supposed to stay here for a friend's wedding. When I booked the reservation they made no mention of a 30-day cancellation policy, which is absolutely not standard in the industry. I unfortunately had to cancel one week prior to the reservation. They demanded to know why I was canceling (honestly it's none of their business) and insisted on charging me one night of the two-night stay. On top of that at the time of booking they spelled my name wrong on the reservation and when I asked if they could recommend a babysitter for my infant child, they sent me a list of numbers for high school students, some of which were not even U.S. phone numbers. read more

We were at Madden's for our mini moon this past week. Mission point- 5320. Night 1- wake up to a spider crawling across my face. It happens, I get it. But, upon leaving for golf the following afternoon we noticed 2 large webs, & a nest of spiders. Checked out, & driving home these large itchy lumps appeared in areas a mosquito could not. Clearly the spiders are an issue, or there are bed bugs. Reached out to Madden's about the issue & never got a response. Would not recommend, will not return. read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

We just stopped at 19th Hole bar/restaurant and had the pleasure of being bartended by Mara. She made our experience so enjoyable and as a side note is hilarious! We will definitely be back! Everything was 10/10. I highly recommend the shrimp tempura tacos. read more

Nice resort. Food was very good, staff was extremely nice. Our room was a little dated, but we had a lake view and a good air conditioner. Many things to do. Recommend playing trivia at the pub, and eating at all the restaurants. The recreation package worth the money. Definitely take the happy hour pontoon cruise while there. read more

Beautiful lakeside resort with activities for everyone. It was clean and they took lots of precautions to minimize covid risks. We loved the gorgeous sunsets on the beach in front of one of their many bonfire pits. The staff went way out of their way to accommodate us for our family reunion The restaurants were fantastic and we had great service from Waiter Mircea. Suzanne was our terrific concierge and made sure everything exceeded our expectations. We are hoping to make this an annual trip! read more

Maddens has two restaurants that we typically eat at, the patio and Mission Point. The patio food is always good and I highly recommend the cheeseburger. The service is just ok and we normally wait quite a bit ofv time for our food so if you're bringing kids come prepared. The 3 star rating comes in for Mission Point. We went there for our anniversary and three food was not awesome. I got the filet and my husband the snapper. While his was warm and tested like it just came out of the pan, mine tasted like it sat out while his was prepared. The carrots on the side were a let down and the service wasn't amazing for this being a more high end dining establishment. We didn't even get checked on after our food came to give us the opportunity to let them know how cold my food was and let them make it right. read more

Maddens is a one stop vacation destination situated away from everything, on a beautiful lake, has a amazing golf course, multiple indoor pools, it's own Irish pub, ice cream parlors, restaurants, spa and the rooms are amazing! They have cabins that can be rented, huge cabin that held my party of 16 and the staff is so accommodating. Outstanding retreat! read more

Great long weekend at a high end resort. Just left Madden's after a group event. Great people to work with and exceptional service. Many different options for entertainment and activities, varying food options, gorgeous beaches, and very friendly staff. Different room types depending upon your purpose and budget. If you need anything just ask and they will do their best to accommodate. Haven't used all of the multiple golf courses but they look to be in great shape. Highly recommend for a quiet getaway or a group party. read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Nice beach for our group to park. - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

anthony and ryan did a great job running bingo and they made it so much more fun with the games and the competitions!! thank you anthony and ryan!! read more

My wife and I spent two very enjoyable days and one night at the resort. I wish we knew how noisy the rooms in the main lodge were though as we probably would have insisted on a room in one of the other buildings, rented a cabin, etc. The walls and door to the hallway were paper thin. You could hear the TV across the hallway even though their volume seemed far from excessive. People walking down the hall to the golf course door and talking in a normal volume sounded like they were standing right beside our bed. Not cool. The lodge, bar, grounds, lake, scenery, staff, food, and everything else was great. It was just so disappointing that the nice, clean, and conveniently located room was so awful because of the noise. read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

Madden's offers a lot -or nothing- to do, depending on your mood. Golf, tennis, lawn games, boating and swimming, and lots of food and dining options. Stayed here three nights, at the very end of summer. First trip to this part of the state and the resort was gorgeous! One night it felt like we were alone on this side of the peninsula, except for some adorably grumpy ducks and occasional boaters, which was just what we wanted and why we went so late in the season. Room was clean and comfy (though it is an older building so there are some minor maintenance issues). Great price and wonderful place to stay! Just a few issues... there were no instructions on how to lock the patio door, and it needed them. The trick was counterintuitive and I called for service because we thought it was broken. He was kind and helpful, but it was a bit of an embarrassment. And... it was a challenge to find ice. The only "nearby" machine (which was not nearby) wouldn't work, so we walked all over the place until the front desk sent us in to the bar. The staff there were super friendly and helpful... but I wish it hadn't resulted from such a frustrating quest. In all, the legendary Madden's hospitality was on display and we enjoyed our time here! read more

This hotel falsely advertises a careful "covid response". The restaurant had many open tables, and had grouped ALL the guests in the same section and tried to squeeze us in right next to them. Literally booth by booth filled, no social distancing at all and the other half empty. I asked for a table further away, of one of MANY empty tables. The server very rudely said NO its for a group of 5 only. So much for safety. Do NOT here if you are at all trying to be safe or cautious. The front desk did not care, and there were many many other issues with the hotel and restaurant. Just dont. read more

Came for a work trip and had a blast. We will defiantly be back! I highly recommend the dinning package as well. Makes life easy to come and go as you need to. The staff is second to none! They were great. Helped us out a ton with our little one and made us feel welcome at all time. Room service did a gray job. Some days have service others just changing out towels and garbage. They were on top of their game! I can't wait to plan next years trip back here. read more

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This place deserves a stop just for the double cheeseburger. Ground chuck mixed with shortrib meat. Totally awesome. Next time I'm going to ask to have it split into two singles. Golf sucks, as Mark Twain observed, Golf is a good walk interupted. No exception here. read more

The entire staff (servers, chef, kitchen, bartender, hostess/host, year-round or seasonal staff) is fantastic whether you are sitting at the bar catching up on some emails, enjoying dinner for 2, or have the entire family together. There is always a special or two and a kids menu as well. We've tried most of the dishes and have never been disappointed. read more

Fantastic service by abundant staff. They are wired to make your stay pleasant and individual requests happen! Our Voyageur room was comfortable, spacious and clean. 1st floor view was OK, technically a water view. The real lake view on the Mission Point side looked to be the best. The kids water toys look super fun. We golfed Pine East both days of our stay. Good for a occasional golfer but backs up easily. The Classic course looked beautiful and we'll try that if we come back. The Classic Grille restaurant is the best restaurant. Food and drinks were great in an updated/upscale setting with a really pretty view. Nice quiet patio to enjoy a cocktail after golf or before dinner. While reservations were highly recommended for anywhere, the Classic Grille does not take them. Didn't understand that. We also took a free pontoon ride early one morning since we didn't bring our boat. It was a great way to see Gull Lake with our friendly captain, Erin. read more

Before you go to Madden's think I am going to camp! It's a lot like camp the rooms need some updating but hey it's camp. We ran the AC hard when we're were not there to take some of the musty smell out and then opened the windows and listened to the loons at night. Sat on the small deck in the rocking chairs and watched the stars at night. Pay for the activity pass and enjoy them, if you don't you will wish you had. We loved the banana taxi, the non-motorized water sports, the croquet, lawn bowling and shuffleboard. It was a fun get away to put down the phones and relax. The cabin we had did have tv but we didn't turn it on in 4 days. The staff for us was friendly and helpful. We showed up 5 hours before check in and started using the facilities right away and on the day we checked out they were so kind as to give us cards that allowed us to access the pool, etc (not room) for the rest of the day. There are 3 beaches we tried them all and our favorite was mission point, then Wilson bay the one with all the toys was our least favorite. It was kind of mucky compared to the others. Breakfast buffet at the Inn was fabulous. Lunches at Mission Pointe were okay but since we were at the beach it was very convenient. The pizza place on site was okay it was pizza and it made the kids happy. As with most resorts the food is okay but on the more expensive side. You definitely pay for the convenience of eating at the resort. But that's like almost every resort I've ever been to. I golfed the west course. It's older so it's narrow and short so I struggled. The trees here were even kind enough to return some of my balls to the fairway. Every night there's a fire with s'mores at mission point. Don't miss out! I've been to resorts where they want $100 just for you to have the fire. read more

I was a little nervous to go to Maddens since I do not golf I thought I wouldn't be able to find anything to do. I went for a weekend with my husband and young son. We had a great time from start to finish! Our room was located on the golf course, it was a great suite, very clean with a wet bar and patio. The food was wonderful at all of the restaurants we tried. They have at least 6, so there's many options. The grounds are immaculately kept and the service was literally second to none! Great up north vacation! read more

Only stopped by the Lodge Restaurant for a night so we didn't stay at the resort, but it was good! The service was good and the view from the dining area is great. 360° of lake views. The food was good as well. We are from the steamboat menu which had lots of options from pasta to walleye and steak. A good option on Gull Lake! read more

Madden's On Gull Lake - Great view from the restaurant! - Hotels Near Me - Brainerd, Minnesota

Madden's has it all. When you're looking for an all-inclusive lake vacation, Madden's has lots of options for you or your family. Gull Lake, with all the water sports, fishing, water skiing, swimming, etc. There are tennis and croquet courts, an impressive golf course. Little shops for coffee, pizza, ice cream, fudge, and many room options from single rooms overlooking the lake, to condominiums, cottages, and more. The resort is quite sizable and clean and well-kept. You'll love the lodge and its fireplace. The food is good. Staff are on-hand to help with anything and are very accommodating. There's even a Catholic Church on site so you don't have to travel off-site when you're staying over the weekend. We came to Madden's for a school function/conference/class. They were very accommodating to our group. read more

WOW! This place needs some customer service ATTENTION. Very disappointed in the swimming area, seaweed was all over the place, what a swimming hazard to get tangled in. Second, don't go play bingo - the lighting was terrible besides musty building with 1970's dark chocolate brown carpeting and 3 members of my family tripped down the stairs and I ended up falling down 2 staircases, I actually had to feel the step upon going up them. There was absolutely no customer service and this incident wasn't reported until almost a year later, when I demanded action taken as I had been doctoring for several months!!!! THIS PLACE DOES NOT CARRY ACCIDENT INSURANCE AND WITH ALL OF THE HILLS, DON'T RISK IT!!!! The e:mail correspondences says it all.... Ben Thuringer ben@maddens.com Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 10:03 AM to me Mrs Bartz-Thank you for your e-mail. We do indeed have an incident report in regards to this. Mrs Bartz, I must be up front that we do not believe that Madden's has any fault. C. Ben Thuringer Chief Operations Officer/Managing Director Madden's on Gull Lake|11266 Pine Beach Peninsula |Brainerd MN 56401 Main Line: 218.829.2811 |Direct: 218.855.5910 |Fax: 218.829.6583 ben @maddens.com maddens.com|"Like" us on Facebook! read more

My cousin & I went to the Mission Point restaurant last night for a special birthday celebration. The hostess didn't acknowledge us. Seated 3 young men ahead of us tho they came in behind us and we had a reservation. The experience went downhill from there. Service was spotty. Salads & bread came b4 our drinks. Two hours to be served start to finish. Walleye was overdone. Dining area was noisy. Very obnoxious patrons. On the plus side, best old fashioned, excellent sea bass,, lovely lake view. We wont be back. Wish we'd tried Irma's Kitchen, next door at Cavanaugh's, instead. read more

Excellent resort with an amazing staff. Had family reunion of 100 people. Kelsey the event planner provided exceptional service. Thank you Kelsey for making this a special event. read more

This is a really well run resort! It was my birthday weekend so my mom and I booked a day at the spa. The spa is very serene and peaceful. You walk in and the receptionist leads you to the locker room where you can change into a comfy robe and sandals. Downstairs is the waiting area where there's snacks and a nice view overlooking the beach. I had 4 appointments, a facial, manicure, pedicure, and eyebrow wax. Everyone was very professional and I left there feeling very relaxed. They did exactly what I wanted. On the resort there's 8 different restaurants to pick from to eat, so we ate at the one in the main hotel. The food was very good and I was so happy they had a veggie burger on the menu. Next time we come back we will have to stay at the resort in one of the rooms, I'm sure it's as nice as the rest of the place. read more

The Chef at the Inn, I believe his name is Brian was absolutely AMAZING! The food was truly phenomenal, top of the line and freshly prepared. I have referred my niece and friends to have their wedding reception here next year! I will be going back for sure. Well done Maddens! read more

Could be better, food was bland, service was meh, but a super nice resort! I probably would go back again if I had the money.

We came here for a 4-day weekend, multifamily reunion based on online reviews and recommendations from friends. A few weeks before our stay there was a large storm and some of our rooms were damaged, so we were rebooked into smaller rooms that were spread over the resort. When we got to the resort we found that the new rooms were much smaller, and most were in the lodge which is old and needs a lot of updating. AC was so loud my parents had to choose between sleeping and being cool. When we expressed our concerns the staff was pleasant but said they could not help us - which was the theme of the weekend. There are many activities at the lake, but we were disappointed to feel like every one required an additional fee and a special process to accomplish, which was not intuitive to figure out. When we rented a pontoon boat it worked well for an hour then died on the lake. We spent a total of 3 hours on the water (2 not moving) before getting back to shore. As a cherry on top they wanted to charge us for the whole time. There are few family-friendly, family-priced meal options so we ended up driving 20 minutes into town for most meals. We had the pizza one lunch and it was much like a high-quality frozen pizza. Maddens felt like a club that we did not belong to. When we checked out we found that they charged us a $238.00 room cancellation fee for a room we cancelled 3 days prior to arriving. They had rented that room by the night we arrived. They were able to move us to small, separated, run down rooms, and we got nothing in return, but since we cancelled one of six rooms 3 days before (official cancellation policy is 60 DAYS for refund!), they could charge us. This place is a scam. None of us will ever return. read more

This is a very large, multi-million dollar resort on Gull Lake. It boasts two and a half golf courses, two or three restaurants and a pizza parlor, tennis courts, croquet, multiple cabins, multiple motels, a marina, a laundry, a bakery, a store, a spa, a large meeting hall and probably other facilities that we never saw. You can rent boats and fishing gear or take classes -- learn to water ski, for example -- or hire the float plane. Madden's well-trained, uniformly polite employees are very helpful and their attitudes range from pleasant to cheerful. The multiple restaurants probably are uniformly good. We had only one meal in one of them, a lunch, but my smoked salmon sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten, big and filling with real smoked salmon, not chemically enhanced, in a real Kaiser roll, not the white balloon bread imitations sometimes found in midwest restaurants. In sum, Madden's is disgustingly nice, well kept and reasonably priced. There were a few problems, of course -- there always are -- but the most common were mere faux pas. Our motel room -- which was, of course, quite spacious and very nice, with a great view of the lake from the large covered deck -- was curiously outfitted. While most colors were coordinated, styles ran riot. Walls and fixtures ranged from a raw plywood sink surround to plastic and formica countertops to rustic, unfinished knotty pine paneling to commercial carpet and mass produced reproductions of "artwork," to expensive tile and formal wallpaper, to a modern, scuplted, plastic, individual wall-mounted HVAC unit (the hotel industry's answer to medieval thumbscrews and airline economy seating) that matched nothing else, even for color, and blew air across the bed all night long. The room's furnishings were similarly eclectic, ranging from an oak country look table to a formal mahogany headboard. Yet, while nothing matched, almost everything worked. As for problems that actually affected functionality, bad TV reception and the too small, too low bath counter common to most motels is the worst that I can report. When the bed is supremely comfortable, as it was . . . who cares? Madden's is bourgeoise heaven. read more

We got a lovely cabin at the last minute....and then also realized it was the few days before the season truly started (school wasn't out yet). It meant that the place was almost too quiet. Lots of territory but not a lot of families. The main population were golfers (huge golf resort) who were quite loud in the bar when we wanted to have dinner. Also, there were very limited options for any meals until dinner (or that were not highly priced) but we went out of the resort and of course the location near Nisswa and Brainerd meant there were plenty of places to get what we needed and wanted. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Still in pre-season learning phase, but sweet as all get out. An issue for us was that we did not know the cabin came with virtually no kitchen items including not having paper towels. It was basically furnished like a hotel room, but had a little kitchenette. Had we known, we would have brought plates, silverware and some other things to be able to eat easily out of the kitchenette (small fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, sink). It feels like something called a "cabin" should have some basic items in the kitchen. (even if just paper plates, plastic silverware sets and paper towels. It felt like we were at the mercy of for-charge meals. So off we went to Target and because this was a driving trip, we could pick up what we needed and could bring what was left home. So - kudos for the lovely site (we were on Wilson Bay in the Sunset Cabins - very nice and quiet), the staff, the lake and the pizza at Parfectly Pizza. Little pricey as a whole and not enough info on the specific cabin on the web site (no pic, no descriptor). We like the idea of exploring other resorts for some compare and contrast, so that's the next step. read more