The Estrold Resort

Went once about 9 years ago, yes its a while, but at the time the place was run by people who lived on site and where there all the time and checked on you, made small talk, and genuinely cared. Booked again in April and had the same vibe through the booking process, individuals running the place that really cared! Well fast forward to weeks before our trip, we find out through hearsay that it is under new "management", now a rental property business. We were not told, we were not contacted about the change, no notification which already screams Poor Customer Service. I reached out to confirm our reservation and was "reminded" we owe and to pay our bill....first off I paid the down payment and the balance was due upon arrival. Secondly when I asked if they had Bags (lawn game) I was given a list of other things they had and was told "I should be alright". Sorry but I am the only one who determines what will make me "alright"....I asked about bags (more to come on this). Deep breathe, realize it is all very different now. ||A few days before our arrival I receive a statement for the balance owed, it did not match my confirmation. We reserved for 7 nights, and were quoted and confirmed for the weekly rate, essentially getting one extra night no cost. When the statement came they dates were wrong adding an extra, in addition they were charging us for the extra night (initially at no cost) plus the added day (which was their mistake). I contacted and they were kind and told us they would correct, which they removed the extra day they added and that one day of cost, so I once again had to reply and this time shared my confirmation showing the extra night at no cost. Yes they honored so no issue there and I confirmed that balance was due upon arrival. New management policy apparently wants a down payment, % more paid before and then final balance upon arrival which is why they were looking for the payment - understood.||Check In was traditionally mid afternoon, we knew we would be in the area early, traveling 6 hours to get there, so we asked if we could come early, likely around noon, seeing no one had it reserved days leading up to our stay. They were very kind and said that we could, and that the house would be open, key and towels in the cabin. Great, no problem. ||When we arrived we found the house open as we expected, but a few other things. 1) this cabin's dock was no longer in the water (while neighboring ones were), 2) no key on the table, 3) no towels, and 4) no firewood stocked for our use. Not what it once was.||We did see someone on a John Deer, so went and chatted, were told we would get wood shortly. We began to unload our vehicle, unpacked and got situated. After an hour we wanted to head to town but still no key and no towels so we ended up going to the big house where we found the man on the John Deer. We went to the office, paid our bill, got a key, and got towels (more to come on that), and was then told where we could find wood and which was the seasoned and ready to burn implying we had to fill our own. Not what it once was.||We inquired about the dock, which was a reason we chose this particular cabin, and found out it was in disrepair and was removed. Again, would have been nice to be informed prior to arrival, regardless was told we could use either the neighboring docks "as long as we didn't get too close to the cabins" where they were. I assumed he meant just be respectful of their privacy but that should go without saying.||So....went back to the cabin, and sorted through the old, stained, ripped up towels they offered to find the best. No hand towels, no kitchen towel (ever try to work in a kitchen with a full size bath towel? not easy), no wash cloths offered, just a bunch of random bath towels I wouldn't even sell at a garage sale. Ended up driving up to fill our own wood - like I said in my title - not what it once was. || We requested (and paid for) a boat motor. As we were unloading our own wood (sigh) we saw the guy having a hard time starting the motor, finally got it, and saw him struggle to keep in running. He eventually got it going and moved the boat closer to our (neighbors) dock. Only thing he said, yelling up from the dock, "if you have issues, just open it up"....whatever that means. Finally unloaded wood and headed to town for groceries.||First night, went to cook our first meal, found a variety of Teflon pans, all but one with scratches (which are medically unsafe and have lead to cancer in people who routinely use them). Good thing I travel with my own kitchen knife as they only had two, neither fit to cut the simplest of ingredients, and no cutting board other than a built in (which is cool, but how do you clean that thing?!?!) I have never been to a place that did not even have standard Salt & Pepper, had to buy that too. Not what it once was||Wanted to have a fire in the fireplace, however we noticed that the chimney topper was in the garage, held off to look better in the day light the next day. Glad we did, the top several layers of the chimney were poorly tuckpointed, no topper and looked as though a chimney fire was imminent, so no indoor fires to be had. I will say there was no warning or notice regarding this, but we did not want to risk a fire. Not what it once was.||Late morning planned on heading out on the boat so I showered, I went to dry my hair and blew a fuse just as my husband was getting into the shower. Unfortunately, that fuse also ran the water pump. Looked all over the house, no fuse box, only remaining place was the basement which had a padlock. No one on site that day, it was Sunday, not what it once was, so had to call the emergency number listed on the fridge, called left a message, called the next left a message, emailed the contact I had been speaking with called out at 11:20 ....waiting 20 minutes before hearing back from anyone and was told they would have someone come out waited... waited... waited....I called again at 12:51 still no one, still no water at 1:00 I called again asking for the numeric code to the pad lock - we could flip the switch ourselves..at 1:53 got a call back - still no person showed up but the management company was able to get the code for us to flip the fuse ourselves. Mind you no water this whole time - no toilets - no showers - 4 adults. 2 1/2 hours of our day WAITING. Not what it once was. ||While waiting, the guys gave up on showering and attempted to get the boat started, having more issues then the guy did the day before. For the duration of the time waiting for water, they were attempting to get the boat started. Had we received a tutorial, an overview, or if a person was on site - we would have had the resources to get it going easier and without such a struggle. Not what it once was.||Plumbing was okay, water heater was not very hot and would not support back to back showers, had to wait a bit to reheat, but it was fine. For a well, no smell, however I was surprised there was no mention if the water passed drinking tests or not. We didn't take a chance so purchased all our own drinking/cooking water. The shower in the main room didn't drain so we had to stand in dirty water while showering, and the pressure was low, but the other bathroom was much better, drained fully and pressure was pretty good.||Back to the games from earlier. I mentioned we asked about bags. They do have a game room (which I had no desire to check out), and we discovered horseshoes, shuffleboard, and a volleyball court just behind our cabin. With the leaves falling, they were all covered, no controlling nature, however the shuffleboard was cracked and in disrepair and the horseshoe court was not well kept up either. There was a reasonable looking playground, but we are adults who wanted to have an adult game available and was not. ||On the last day we discovered the bedding. Off season prices were $1,275/week (plus tax and motor), for this I don't expect the best of the best, but I do expect decent. On the day we left, it was requested we remove bedding. Glad I did not do this on day one, or I may not have stayed. The pillows were sweat stained and the mattress covers were stained and/or torn. I will say the sheets themselves were clean and okay, but take one week of income and purchase pillow covers, and new towels - your visitors deserve them. Not what it once was.||All in all - I don't want to just talk bad. The layout of the cabin was nice. We enjoyed the breezeway for unpacking and packing the cars, the location overall was great, and the cabin was clean and comfortable. The sad part is that the things that could EASILY be improved were not and the atmosphere totally changed since no one was there. Not once did anyone even check on us and there were several days that no one from the company even showed up (including the day we had NO WATER) I think having someone live on site was much better, added to the friendly atmosphere that it once had.||All in all - I would not return, it is....not what it once was.

4 months ago

Oasis in the North woods, one of the best lakes I've kayaked in "Little Saint Germain lake" Staying at the Estrold with family for the past 9 years. Best location experience since family and myself discovered the Estrold Resort. Under new management noticed the grounds came alive again.

9 months ago

We started a new family tradition last summer of coming to The Estrold which we hope to continue for years to come. First, there are activities for kids to do, tennis, basketball, game room, volleyball, gnome hunting, and fishing derby to name a few. Second, the cottage we stayed it was so cozy and cute and perfect for our family. It was close to the water and beach but didn't feel too busy with other guests near by. Third, Amanda and Travis were attentive to our needs. We had an issue with a pontoon that was fixed and we were out on the water in no time! It is also nice that the garbage is picked up right at your cottage daily! We liked the feel of the old-time resort, something that our family grew up going to and that's the feeling we got there. The kids really enjoyed it too and can't wait to go back and have fun on the paddle boards, kayaks, and paddle boat! Unwind and unplug at The Estrold and enjoy all that St. Germain and the surrounding area has to offer!

a year ago

We’ve been going to Estrold with family for last 20 years. We’ve stayed in 5 different cabins as our needs have changed and have enjoyed them all. Great, clean resort with very responsive managers. Close to lots of restaurants, bars, golf and activities. Looking forward to next year!

a year ago

The cabin was beautiful! There was a lot of snow but John kept the roads plowed so there was never a problem. It was so peaceful to sit by a roaring fire and watch the snow fall. There are so many wonderful restaurants to choose from! We were looking for a quiet getaway. We got that and so much more. This was our third visit to the Estrold Resort and we have enjoyed every one of them! We would highly recommend this resort!

6 years ago

As a family resort, this ticks every box. Plenty for the kids to do, and even stuff for the adults. Tennis, horseshoes, fire pit, beach... it has all of that at the ready. We were there to fish, too. Kind of disappointed with it. Maybe we were using the wrong gear. Did snap up a decent pike, but everything else was small and slow to get in the boat. Highly recommend for a place to just chill and relax. Beautiful setting.

2 years ago

Update 10/7/2021: The new owners are very friendly, and they obviously care about the resort; they've made many improvements since owning the business. The resort is in good hands. Review from 2014: I visited St. Germain, after a long absence, with my brother and sister in October. We couldn't have been more pleased with our cottage, the Bayview, nor with the resort at large. The grounds are beautiful, the cabins spacious and well appointed, and the Burgers made for wonderful hosts (warm and kind). Our cabin's size and appearance were total surprises; it was clean, beautiful, and perfectly ready for our visit. The Estrold Resort is exactly what we hoped it would be: a resort experience from yesteryear without feeling rundown or sad. Far from it. We visited not only for the fall colors, but because of my dad, who had died exactly 20 years ago to the day of our arrival at the resort. We visited hoping to make St. Germain into a happy place for us again, as it was when were kids during those magical summers. I was so hesitant to visit St. Germain that I stayed away for 24 years. That still astonishes me. I can't express how important and wonderful this trip was for my sister, my brother, and for myself. Our time at the Estrold Resort was simply perfect.

a year ago

The Estrold is truly a part of my heart as I have been coming here for 47 years. This is where I learned to fish and to swim to the raft as it was a rite of passage! The cabins are rustic, clean and very comfortable. The kitchens are well stocked with everything you would use at home.|The best is the wonderful family friendly service John and Jami Burger give to their guests. They are always willing to go above and beyond to make your stay as memorable as possible. They have added children's activities along with bringing back the original all resort barbecue from when the Cox's had the resort. |Now bringing my family to the Estrold, is also their tradition. They would never consider missing a week at the cabin.|A quote found in one of the cabins is Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow, Live Today!|It is my motto and will be yours when you stay at a home away from home...The Estrold Resort!

7 years ago