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My husband and I recently stayed at the Lodge for a weekend getaway. It couldn't have been more relaxing. The lodge is for connecting with your husband and family, and we do not usually watch the tv. We enjoy the outdoors, the pool and spa, and the restaurant. We read and spend time playing games in the great room by the fire. The hiking is always amazing. We come back year after year, because it is such a great experience. For anyone who enjoys hiking and being in nature, you will not be disappointed.…
After several years of thinking about it, we went to Staved Rock State Park Lodge. Accommodations consist of lodge rooms, individual cabins, and campsites. Our room was small but clean and comfortable. It is very pretty there. They have about a dozen hiking trails totaling about 13 miles into scenic canyons. Lots of trees and scenic overlooks in the back. The lodge dates back to the 1930's so it is rustic but well maintained. Art is all over the place inside and out. They have a huge restaurant, bars, a gift shop, a cafe, a visitor center, trolley tours and boat rides. The staff is very friendly. There is a huge indoor heated pool and a whirlpool and a sauna. There is entertainment on the weekends. There is a lock and dam run by the US Army Corps of Engineers that has a visitor center, too, just across the river. All on the bank of the Illinois River and just 90 miles from Chicago. It is five minutes from downtown Utica which has a history museum and a couple of wineries, bars, and antique shops but the town was kind of empty right after Labor Day. We got a package deal for seniors, they have several different packages. And yes you can bring your dog, just not into the lodge. Dogs are permitted in the cabins and at the campground. My only issues are that if you are not into hiking, there is not a lot to do. My wife walks with a cane and cannot do stairs, and all of the hiking trails into the canyons have stairs. Other than the trolley tour, boat ride, and pool are, there is no horseback riding, no bicycle rentals, no tennis courts, no shuffleboard, no movie theater, just eat, shop, take a tour, swim and hike. Oh you can get married or have a meeting, too ( I did neither). You can rent kayaks outside the lodge from a private contractor, and there is a water park outside the park run by a different lodge. They could make more money if they had more activities. Also, we were on a senior package that included breakfast vouchers. We wanted to take the land and water trolley tour, and it includes lunch. Lunch is served at 11:00 am for this tour, So one day, we had breakfast at 8:00 am when the restaurant opened, and we had lunch three hours later at 11:00 am. Whoever puts this together needs to rethink the timing. Also, when we booked the trolley tour over the phone, we were told that it had no narration, that it was just a shuttle to the boat. That is in conflict with the description on their web site. The web site was correct, the phone rep was incorrect, there was plenty of narration. It also made stops at various places, and you can drive back on your own later to spend more time if you wish. One last thing, I could not figure out how to make the room warmer at night, maybe it was me.…
This was our third visit to the beautiful Starved Rock Lodge. We have hiked in the past and also attended Eagle Weekend (fantastic!) The young lady checking us in Friday night was very professional and kind. Our Saturday lunch was delicious. Our room comfortable and the maid did a good job. We hiked and that was great also. We requested a late checkout of 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning and we checked out shortly before then. The lady at the desk was horribly rude, very short with us, never said thank you or please come again. I kept speaking to her giving her opportunities to say thank you for staying with us. This is why I only gave a 3 rating. I guess she doesn't like her job. She needs training in customer service; how to treat patrons to the lodge. I doubt if we'll be coming back.…
I took a bus tour group here for the lunch, trolley ride and boat ride. Everything was excellent. The food was amazing with great choices. Our trolley driver was very knowledgeable about the park. Our boat ride was beautiful and so informative.
We received a gift certificate for a stay overnight here. I’m glad we did because I wouldn’t have chose it myself and it was a nice experience. It’s very old and musty smelling which is why I wasn’t too thrilled to stay. I think it goes with the log cabin type of experience they try to give you. The restaurant was fine. Outdoor area was so crowded and the bar because there was a wedding going on. All and all I probably wouldn’t come back for a stay. But I’m sure others would appreciate the trails to walk on and the ambiance of the place. Just not my cup of tea.…
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