We just spent a week at Kohl's Ranch and had a lot of fun. It was snowing when we arrived which was amazing since my daughter, her friend, and I have never seen the snow. The cabin was really nice and since we are time share owners, we were able to bring our dog. He truly vacationed with his bed in front of the fireplace. The only thing with the cabin was that the dishes weren't really clean we we got there. Not too much of a problem though since there was a dishwasher. It just looked like they had been sitting for awhile so were dusty. There was also only one frying pan so we had to ask for another one in order to cook. I recommend cooking because the food at the steakhouse wasn't very good. It was all served on the cold side. Everyone was so friendly though and we really enjoyed our stay. Anything we needed was taken care of right away and with a wonderful smile.

“What a mismanaged dump"
Well we stayed for 5 nights. Umm we were told we would get a fireplace room the morning of arrival. The front desk guy Don was super rude and acted as if i were lying when i told him this. He was a jerk with a chip. He told us we would be fine and that it wasn't that bad, as he lives in a storage unit in Payson. Sounds like a personal choice to me.

The TV was a 46 flat screen (very nice) with a fuzzzzy picture all week. I am uploading pics.

My wife and i went in the hot tub and at 9 pm this creepy employee came out and said " I'm kicking you guys out" he the sat down 2 feet away and stared at my wife like a deranged maniac at the edge of the hot tub. My wife looked at me with a fear so I then asked him to remove himself so my wife could have a decent departure. He asked me how far i wanted him away. We are in our mid 30's and are pretty easy going but this was creepy. Rooms were dusty and dirty. Bathrooms had dry rot and warn carpet. Stayed 5 nights and our room was never cleaned, and we were never asked.

Diamond Resort well perhaps a cloudy, yellow, poorly cut stone. I would not stay here again.

On the good side, heated dog kennel was nice. House keeping supervisor was nice. Snow and outdoor grounds were nice. Saloon was nice and drinks were super affordable. Lot of placed to choose from, this is one to pass on.

Payson is only an hour and a half from the East Valley and Kohl's Ranch is about 20 minutes east of Payson. The ponderosa pines smell good and help provide the clean mountain air. Kohl's is a great place for kids with a creek, horseback riding, lots of grassy areas to play, a pool, hiking and s'mores at night. I enjoy bird watching, hiking along the creek and reading on the deck of the two bedroom creek side cabins. It was fun to play board games in the evening when the kids were with us. There is a sport court for tennis and basketball and fishing in the creek. There are also lots of crawfish in the creek.
Kohl's has been an annual vacation spot for us for over 20 years. The kids loved it growing up and my husband and I still enjoy at least a week there each year. We usually get a week in one of the rustic two bedroom cabins because of the large deck with private hot tub and the creek views. We took our dog for years and paid a little extra to have her with us in the cabin. There is also a kennel which is free.
The two bedroom cabins we like have only one bathroom and a small basic kitchen but there are more modern two bedrooms with two baths and a dishwasher. The lodge rooms are all studios or hotel rooms and there is not a lot of room for groceries if you plan on cooking.
I would give the ranch 5 stars except that means luxurious accommodations to me and this is definitely a rustic feeling place. The food in the on site restaurant is very good and there is a saloon with the same menu. Cell phone service is better now but there is free land line service provided. We were able to access wifi from our lodge room but the cabins are less likely to get a signal. Kohl's Ranch is a wonderful place to get away for a couple of days or a week.

Lots of fun in our small 1BR cabin. There were grills as others mentioned so bringing your own food to grill is a wise choice. Definitely go to the Mogollon Rim, about a 1/2 hour drive, for great views and hiking.

You can hike along the creek, ride ponies/horses down the street or explore nearby areas. Try to get a cabin facing the creek.