Have a BIG time at Big Bear Resort on beautiful Kentucky Lake! Welcome to historic Big Bear Resort in wonderful western Kentucky. Join fishermen and families from the past 65 years that have found their way to one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world. We'll put you in the middle of all the wonderful ways you can make your vacation, fishing trip, or family reunion a memory you'll look back on for a lifetime. Many have discovered the wonder of Big Bear Resort on Kentucky Lake since 1948 when Big Bear became one of the first resorts on this majestic man-made lake. Rick Meier and Janet Caldemeyer, the third generation of gracious hosts at Big Bear, carry on the family tradition of welcoming friends and fishermen to this very special spot for fun and relaxation. We're glad you're here! We hope you stay awhile!
Great location and great view of Kentucky Lake! They have a full-service marina and the staff is very accommodating. They also have a swimming pool and a beach area. Unfortunately, they have let grass and weeds grow unchecked in the sand of the beach area. Also, there is not a place to rinse the sand off after coming off of the beach.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband, son, and I stayed in the Fishermans Cottages this summer. Of course it was very hot Kentuck weather, so when we arrived it was approximately 90 degrees in the cottage. We arrived at 11am and it FINALLY cooled off at 4:00am the next morning, yes, you read that correctly. We went all day and night suffering in the heat. It was a very hot weekend, close to 100 outside. The tiny cottage only has 1 air conditioning unit in the living room. The bedroom and bathroom get NO AIR to them whatsoever. We ended up going to the Dollar General and spending $42 on a box fan. I was so mad that a BOX FAN costed that much at the DOLLAR GENERAL!! We put the fan at the entrance of the bedroom so some of the cooler air would get sucked up and flow into the bedroom. This also meant we were being blasted with air all night. The air conditioning unit in the living room is so loud that you cannot hear anyone talking over it. Therefore the television in the living room is useless. We did use it once, and turned on the subtitles and READ the tv! With the 2nd added fan, it was SO LOUD it sounded like we were in the back of an airplane and had to yell at each other all weekend. The water pressure in the shower is very low. There are bugs everywhere. They even have ant spray under the sink because they come through the windows in the living room, but the bathroom is filled with bugs too, so you’re never alone in the shower!! My son was running around barefoot when we first arrived. I knew the carpet looked old, but we were getting stuff out of the truck so I didn’t much think about it. In the 5 minutes it took us to unload the luggage, I then picked him up and his feet were NASTY. I don’t think the carpet has ever been washed! From then on he wasn’t allowed to take his shoes off anymore. Everything in the whole cabin was rusted; the fridge, the ceilings, literally the entire ceiling, everything. ALL of the blinds were misshapen, bent and twisted. The couch, ugh that couch. The couch was SO NASTY. We put one of the comforters over the couch before sitting on it, and when we sat back, the back of the couch was actually broke, so you literally fell INSIDE of the couch. It was so scary at first. So you could not lean back onto the couch or you’d literally get sucked into it!! They charge you if you need more towels! They only come every other day, so if you need more towels and they have to come bring you some 2 days in a row, they charge you for it! So you one get one towel per person, one TINY TINY TOWEL. The towels are like the super cheap towels from like a dollar tree, they don’t wrap around your whole body unless youre under about 130 pounds. Our deadbolt didn’t work, so we could only lock the door handle. They do not supply papertowels, so if you need/use those, bring your own. The whole place STUNK SO BAD! We also bought an air freshener from the Dollar General too, to make it smell nicer. And lastly, the cabins are at the front of the campground, so the people travelling to their campers have to pass your cabin first. So cars drive by you on the gravel road ALL DAY LONG constantly and it’s SO LOUD it sounds like every car is going to smash into your cabin. Also, there are onlt 2 TINY mirrors, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom that is facing the dresser. It's literally on a wall that the dresser stands adjacent to so you can't even stand in front of the mirror, and it's head height, so don't expect to check yourself out in the mirror!! This place needs a SERIOUS remodel!! It would only cost a couple hundred to add another air conditioning unit in the bedroom. Replace the carpets with some non-slip tile that can be easily mopped up after every visit! TRASH THOSE COUCHES!! REPLACE THE BLINDS so I’m not changing and getting naked and everyone can see! OH and put a curtain up in the bathroom over that window, because EVERYONE in the apartments or whatever they are across the street can see right through the entire window because you have nothing covering it!! SO while I’m in there changing after my shower, they could be watching me. It would cost about $1500 per cabin to get these places looking better. We stayed in cabin 22 by the way.
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Date of stay: June 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â do not stay in fishermans cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had stayed at Big Bear in the past and really enjoyed ourselves. This weekend was sold out so we stayed elsewhere and rented a boat from the marina. Boat was extremely shabby and dirty. The front desk office staff was always very cordial and the grounds appeared well kept and clean.
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Date of stay: September 2015Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from caldemeyer, Owner at Big Bear Resort
Responded Dec 15, 2015
The boats took a beating this summer and the seats did look shabby. They have all been recovered and are ready for the next season. Thanks for pointing that out to us. We aim to please!!,
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We rented a townhouse for 3 days. When we arrived, there were spiderwebs over the doorways. The inside was dirty and it smelled so bad that we had to buy air fresheners to be able to stay in the townhouse. The mattresses were so uncomfortable we could hardly sleep. The towels were shredded and extremely small. The refrigerator was dirty and the freezer rack was rusted. It was terrible! There were items missing that you would normally be provided (i.e. soap, etc.) The chairs on the patio had mold and dirt on them. For the price we paid for this townhouse, the accommodations were highly overpriced. We will not return to this resort.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from m caldemeyer, Owner at Big Bear Resort
Responded Sep 22, 2020
We are sorry that your trip was less than perfect. However, you not once commented on any of this. We will start at the beginning... The spiders weave webs every day. It is virtually impossible to keep them out of nature. Everyone has a different mattress preference. We are sorry our commercial mattresses did not meet your standards. It seems, with Covid, that our guests are using Clorox on our refrigerators which is causing them to rust. We provide bath soap and kitchen soap along with dishwasher soap in every unit. The chairs are PVC. They are not moldy but do stain with exposure to the weather. And, finally, the smell. As we have posted, we are using Ozone machines in every unit after guest departures in an effort to control Covid. It does indeed leave a smell but it is Ozone. Not everyone likes it but they do appreciate us going the extra step.
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In 2020, we were planning a family reunion June but due to Covid the reunion was rescheduled for 2021. The reservationist was understandable and accommodating. This year, again due to Covid, the reservation was requested to be moved to June of next year. The reservation is for June. This year the reservationist said moving it again was not an option. My next request was just to Cancel the reservation. Over 60days out , I figured that it would not be an issue. Instead, I was told I would lose entire deposit. She said because the reservation was changed last year, no assistance would be rendered this year.
Not the kind of customer service one would expect. Would not even negotiate.
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Date of stay: June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in the Woodland Villa, Horrible experience. No maintenance, not clean and owners don't respond. Wrote a letter to each owner and NO RESPONSE received. • Villa was not clean. Dust was unbelievable. • Bugs and flies were in the window sills, I am not talking about three or four, multiple. In the kitchen. • Large stain in the carpet outside the bathroom. Disgusting!!! Roxy said it has been there for five years. REALLY???? • Skillets in the kitchen were horrible. Food left in the skillets. I took them to Roxy and showed her. Housekeeping did bring us others. • Bathroom shower stall enclosure was horribly stained. • Inside the refrigerator door was dirty, human hair. • Porch, numerous ants were on the chairs and table that were not even clean. We were told the ants were from the tree, these were not tree ants, these were ants from food. • Several of the blinds in the bedroom were bent and disarray. Could not open blinds in the kitchen or other bedroom because the wands were missing. • The couches were filthy and we wouldn’t sit on them without using a sheet.
Sent our concerns via a letter to both owners with pictures to document. Have not received a letter back, not telephone call. Obviously, they don't care. Will not even consider staying here again.
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Date of stay: July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had an amazing time at Big Bear Resort for our family reunion this past week. We rented the two chalets and a pontoon boat. The staff was incredibly accommodating, the chalets were extremely clean and had all of the amenities. First time back in 30 years and aside from a few upgrades, it’s exactly how I remembered it. We hope to make it a yearly tradition. Thank you Rick and Janet for the memories.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The lake is gorgeous. Cottages are remarkably clean and comfortable. The staff is great!! They took care of our every need. Highly recommended. I wish this place got more credit. They have so much history and are amazing people. Some of these reviews really don’t make sense to me
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just got back from Big Bear. We stayed in Townhouse #2, it cost us around $800 for a 3 night stay. For that kind of money I would have liked wi-fi, more than one 27" tube television, a master suite without holes in the wall, a master bathroom with a clean floor, a sofa comfortable enough to nap on (or just sit comfortably on), a skillet with a handle, a clean grill (or at least a wire brush that we could do the job ourselves). Honestly it was not what we were hoping for. Not charming, not comfortable, not much of a view, and not especially tidy. There were spider webs, and wasp nests over the front door. Yikes.
The air worked well and my bed was comfortable, so I did get the bare minimum.
Our extended family stayed in the 2 chalets, they were nice for entertaining, but had all the charm of a dentists office. Their kitchens also lacked adequate pots, pans, and utensils, and had no wi-fi. They did each get a second TV, but neither could get it to work.
Poor marks for value to be sure.
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Date of stay: August 2011
Value
Cleanliness
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from caldemeyer, Owner at Big Bear Resort
Responded Aug 11, 2011
We are so sorry that your stay was not what you hoped for. The units are not advertised with WiFi but there is WiFi on the property. None of your party came to any of the staff with any complaints so it is very hard for us to address any issues you may have experienced. As we saw you daily at the marina, it would have been very easy to get help without resorting to this method of retribution.
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Stayed here for a reunion this summer. fishing was great! Boat docks were in desperate need of repair and dangerous for the kids. No food on site and golf carts are expensive for what shape they are in. needed some items from store and they were closed three days during the week. Staff was really nice but this place needs to put some money back into there operation. Moores a few coves down is three times nicer for same price but they were booked. Place just needs to be cleaned up and update the dock and put a small grill in for burgers or something. No drive to succeed it appears.
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Date of stay: June 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’m not sure because we always stay in a townhouse, but I know on the other side of beach I see campers. I would call BIG BEAR resort for those questions. We always enjoy our stays at BIG BEAR!! Staff is very friendly and always helpful with us.
Misty: So sorry for the delay in response. Somehow this message got buried in our inbox. Let me get with our staff and get you an answer as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and our apologies for the inconvenience.
There are more places to choose from in the Benton area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
big bear hotel benton
LOCATION
United StatesKentuckyBenton
NUMBER OF ROOMS
24
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