Ok so we have been coming here for 25 years on Our boat. And over the last several years there has been many improvements with the sportsman inn and the Killarney Mountain Lodge. It's my understanding that both places are owned by the same person . Both facilities are absolutely gorgeous and the staff is amazing! But here is why I gave it only 3 stars. The staff is amazing BUT..They need more staff .. plan and simple!!
You can build it to look great and accommodate a number of people but if you don't have the staff to run it, it's not going to last.
Here was our experience last night: at 7 we arrived for dinner at the Killarney Mountain Lodge, we had reservations. We got our glasses filled with water and then sat for 20 minutes and never saw a server. There was a private party being held in another room and my guess is that's where all the staff was !! Poor planning! We left !!we then went to the Sportsman Inn, we were seated right away, the waitress took our order for drinks right away and then disappeared. We waited about 10 minutes for drinks and they weren't the right drinks, back they went to the bartender for a re-do. Then 10 minutes later we got the right drinks , we ordered an appetizer and our meal .. we received marvelous bread but came without butter , then appetizers arrived which were mussels which were also very tasty but no spoon to get them out of bowl onto your plate. My husband ordered the special which was 8oz prime rib and I the lobster tail .. we waited and waited and waited, 2 other tables were served before us that had in fact arrived and ordered after us . We told the wait staff and finally got our meals, mine was fine my husbands prime rib was cold, as were the potatoes he sent it back .. and when it came back it was obvious they put the same piece of prime rib on the grill ( who puts prime rib on a grill!!!) it tasted like gas from the gas grill. Needless to say we were pretty unhappy.. and again they seemed very short staffed and but they were very apologetic and They did compensate us with 2 free desserts, a lobster tail and 20% off.
I know it's hard to find people to work these days and I wondered where their staff is from . Because Killarney is not a very populated area. Much like Mackinaw island it's a tourist place. I might suggest they get in touch with the folks In charge of employment and staffing at the island. Because Killarney might need to consider having dorms where their summer help to live .. perhaps this already exists but if not it might be a plan .., It's such an amazing place and with all the upgrades it really rocks ....
but bigger/nicer, needs people to run it . read more