I attended a Toastmasters conference at this hotel last weekend. We had probably 300 attendees, and were booked into two rooms for the evening banquet.

In the afternoon, we learned we were being crammed into one room because there was going to be a wedding on each side of us.

The music from one wedding was so loud, we literally couldn't hear our own program--and for a group devoted to public speaking, that made being there pretty darned pointless. The PA system was muddy and inadequate, even before the music started (my husband said it sounded like it was made by Fisher Price). For part of the evening it was standing room only, and that was for people who had paid $10 each to attend a special program.

All of the rooms are laid along along a single, VERY narrow hallway, so when we were standing outside our too-small room, we were constantly being pushed aside by staff wheeling giant trollies full of food. Plus, to get from our hospitality/registration room to the banquet, you had to walk and walk and walk and walk.

I overheard one guest say she's been coming to Toastmasters conferences for 37 years, and this was the worst one ever. The management of this hotel should be ashamed of itself for treating us like that just so they could make money off a more lucrative event.

Bottom line: lousy acoustics, lousy layout, terrible service. I can safely say they will never have to deal with our group again.

I stayed at the Cliffbreakers for a three day conference. From the moment I arrived, I knew that the stay would be wonderful. The lobby is absolutely beautiful and everywhere you turn there are new antiques to see.

At check-in, the front desk staff was cheerful and accommodating. Everything was ready and there were no problems.

My room was large with a king size bed and a whirlpool tub. That was a nice upgrade that is strongly suggested.

I ordered room service the first night. The food arrived hot. I must say that it was exceptionally good, too. The proportions were generous. They even thought to bring me warm rolls and butter.

Throughout my stay, I encountered banquet staff that was always polite and helpful, even when my questions had nothing to do with what tasks they were doing at the time. I cannot say enough good things about the staff at all levels.

The food provided for the conference was also excellent. Once again the proportions were generous, the menu was bold considering the amount of people that needed to be fed, and it was very, very good. The food arrived hot, as usual, and since all conversation stopped whent the food arrived, I can only assume my tablemates thought the food was very excellent, also.

Twice I ate at the hotel for dinner. Both times were great. The wines that were available were most wonderful. As I prefer reds, I stayed with them and was not disappointed.

My last day there, before leaving, I had lunch at the hotel. If ever you are there for lunch, I suggest the Angus burger. I tend to judge resturaunts on the burgers. This is a very good resturaunt.
If you like salads, I had the walnut and cherry salad. There were generous helpings of cherries and walnuts in the salad along with lots of blue cheese. Most wonderful!

My favorite dinner selection was the orange, ginger sea scallops. The scallops were large and the sauce flavorful without being overpowering.

Overall my experience at Cliffbreakers was a "10". I have recommended this place to everyone I met. The view of the Rock River can't be beat, either!

I had two issues with this property, on the first day the lock on my door literally broke. If you were outside the room, you could not get
in. They had to tear it apart. This took several hours and involved several different maint. people in and out of my room. Very inconvenient since I had a schedule to stick to. To top it all off after they did fix it, the key card wouldn't work and I had to go back to the front desk for a new one.

Secondly, the wallpaper was falling off the ceiling and there was some type of gooey, icky, brown substance on the walls in my room, bathroom, and all over my vent. When I called and reported it, they said they would look into it but never did.

I did have a nice view of the river but there was no screen on my window. This is very dangerous as you could open the window all the way, a child could fall out very easily.

This antique hotel needs some serious rennovation work done.

I have stayed here several times, and this was the last. The fire alarm went off, the ice machine on our floor was broken, the breakfast area not clean, and the management refuses a refund for an unused room do to an injury. The hotel was not even close to being sold out, so it's not like they were turning any one away. We are in Rockford twice a year for tournaments, and thank heavens there are plenty of other hotels. The rooms were ok, but the heat level in each room difficult to manage. One couple in our group had to change rooms 3 times, in order to find one that was satisfactory. Biggest issue is don't book here if you don't intend to stay - the hotel will take your money either way. While the one staff member I directly dealt with during my stay was fine, the management was rude. Since all they care about is making a buck, it just cost them the evquivelant of 8 rooms, twice a year. There are plenty of nearby hotels with better amenities, and in better proximity to the expressway. For an out of the way hotel, they certainly don't put their customers first!!!!! If at all possible, avoid this location!!