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Big Sandy Lodge & Resort invites you to experience the perfect blend of rustic charm and modern comforts in the heart of central Minnesota's beautiful lake country. Whether you're seeking a cozy lodge retreat, a spacious rental cabin, or an upscale lakeside villa, we offer accommodations tailored to every traveler’s needs. Discover unparalleled relaxation and recreation with our wide range of amenities, including private beach and boat dock access with watercraft rentals, along with a heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and high-speed Wi-Fi to keep you connected. Savor regionally inspired flavors in our popular restaurant, and unwind with a drink in our lively, welcoming bar – all while taking in breathtaking views from our expansive deck. From outdoor adventures to live entertainment and special events, your stay is sure to be unforgettable. Escape to Big Sandy Lodge & Resort, where the lakeside beauty meets genuine hospitality and endless possibilities for fun and relaxation.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Good: Cabin space is true to photos! Kitchen appliances are clean, and in full working order. Air conditioning is solid, and keeps the cabin comfortable all day long. The cabin is spacious and the garage accomodates large vehicles. Modern, pedestal washer and dryer are clean and in full working order.
The beachfront is clean and spacious enough for a few small groups of guests not to step over each other. The swingsets for smaller kids are clean and in good shape. The indoor pool is shallow enough to keep an eye on your kids, and the water is clean. The restaurant food is decent, although a little underwhelming in contrast to other dining in the area.
The boat rental (included in our stay) was great! The pontoon was up to date, clean, reliable and comfortable. The dock staff were helpful, and instructive making our rental a breeze.
Needs improvement: Main floor cabin carpeting needs replacement. Basement couches need replacement. Cabin does not offer any queen or larger beds. Outdoor trash bin isnt large enough for busy families or large groups--you may need to notify the front desk to have it emptied more than once. Refrigerator water filter is overdue and needs to be replaced. Television remotes dont match the TV, and dont work correctly with the cable set top box upstairs or downstairs, making it extremely difficult to use. Outdoor decking around the cabin needs to be replaced. Cabin grill is slightly rusty, needed cleaning and had standing water in the burners. There are a few places in the cabin where caulking needed to be reapplied in the bathroom, but there is no water damage.
Restaurant hours are problematic during the week, and the kitchen is unfortunately understaffed this season, making service slow.
Bring your own dishwasher pods/laundry detergent pods. Some are placed in the cabin when you check in, but may not suffice for busy or large families.
The lodge did not document that the boat rental requires the guest to pay for any fuel used. (Not really a big deal, it was fairly priced anyway).
The Smores package is a nice family touch, but ultimately a headache if you have small kids. There is only one community fire pit just above the beach, and the resort does not supply a table or skewers, so you will need to bring your own. The dock operators light the fire, which is helpful, but the package description/checkin info doesnt describe where or when to go for this, so you may have to ask the front desk
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip 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 Candice Peterson, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded Jul 29, 2021
Thank you so much for taking the time to review us. We are happy you and your family had a nice time with us and enjoyed your boating experience. We understand your frustrations in some aspects and our main goal is to make all of our guests happy all of the time. We will take your comments to mind in our ongoing strategy to improve. We hope to see you again soon :)
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Just kidding. No zombies but fairly indifferent staff. Ok maybe C- nice big cabin with construction on both adjoining cabins. They certainly leave you alone here. The place leaves you with the impression that there is some insider knowledge that we simply don’t have. Also it seems to help to have a boat. It’s unclear who really runs the place. The restaurant is a friendly place , typical MN carby food. Not big on veggies. Although the place is very isolated, McGregor has a delightful breakfast/lunch place called the Cottage plus the Coffee Roaster place near the lodge( connected to a gas station) was great for breakfast. For a family who cook and have dogs, this would be ok if the weather holds and there’s no fires. Also it helps to have 💰 since a week will set you back at least 4,000 smackers. Bring your meds. You may need them.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip 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 Candice Peterson, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded Aug 30, 2021
Hi Ken, Thank you for staying with us and leaving a review. We apologize that your stay was not up to expectations. We promise there is no insider knowledge we are keeping from you or anyone :). Next time you visit, we would love a chance to make you feel more at home and really show you how amazing our amenities are, including our boat rental partner! If you decide to give us another try, make sure to follow us on social @bigsandlodgeandresort for property and amenity information (as well as zombie updates - kidding ;)! Thanks again Ken.
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Great get away, but services are very limited. Lodge room was okay, but couldn’t get our AC to work. It was a good thing it was cool outside. We had better food at local businesses. Front desk folks weren’t very welcoming, but the young men by the docks were very friendly and helpful. The weather and lake was beautiful.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip 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.
The views of the lake are beautiful and staff was wonderful from the front desk to the bar and restaurant staff.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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 Chasidy Buelt, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded 1 week ago
Hi Erin, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us! We’re so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful lake views and that our staff made your stay memorable. From the front desk to our bar and restaurant team, we’re proud to have a group dedicated to making our guests feel welcome. Your kind words mean so much to us, and we look forward to the opportunity to host you again soon. Warm regards, Chasidy Director of Operations
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Worst room I've stayed in for years -- very tiny room and thin walls where I could hear EVERYTHING from next door. Looked out at the lake but that was the only nice feature. We had dinner in the restaurant and the male server wore his mask under his nose and every table was sat with people; no social distancing. Dinner was less than average in taste but expensive. Service was slow and marginal. Maybe the off-main lodge rooms would be better, but I absolutely cannot recommend this lodge, as pretty as it is from the photos and outside. The design of the room levels in the main lodge with the open atrium afford everyone the chance to hear the noise from the lobby.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Don't choose a room in the main lodge; too noisy and small.
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 Candice Peterson, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded Dec 28, 2020
Hi Tamara, Thank you for your time to write this review. We apologize for your bad experience and we are very disappointed our rooms did not meet your expectations and that all COVID guidelines were not being practiced in the restaurant. We want all of our guests to feel safe and happy when they stay and eat with us. Your review is noted and we will make all efforts to make future stays better. Thank you!
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The grounds, facilities, dock area, lodge and emenities are faultless. Staff at desk, dock and facilities were helpful and accommodating. Experienced issues with boat battery charging, help arrived in minutes with jump pack. Up and running thanks to focus on guests. The lake is fantastic. Beautiful grounds and rooms. Will not hesitate to return. Thx all the staff!
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip 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.
We planned an Anniversary trip here June 30-July 2. When we checked in on Tuesday we planned to have dinner and drinks, but were told they were not open til Wednesday. I looked on their website prior to checking in and there was nothing that said the bar and restaurant were closed. We traveled 2 hours to get there and would have cancelled if I'd known that. so I was very disappointed we were not able to access the amenities. I called the front desk and they told me they would offer us a refund of half off a one day stay. The entire amount of the stay was already deducted from our account. I am hoping to see a refund in the very near future.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
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.
My boyfriend and I were in town for a memorial corn hole tournament last Saturday of July, I was able to book a room the same day, they were helpful.
We checked into our room and unpacked our bag onto the comforter of the bed. We noticed the room was very “damp” feeling @ honestly not as neat as I remember the lodge being kept years ago. We went back to the tournament and later returned when we were ready to go to bed. A relative told us at our tournament that the lodge has “bugs” and that she heard this from someone else who had stayed there recently. So I pulled back the comforter and a BUNCH of bugs were scattered all over the pillows, sheets, mattress pad & comforter. We were able to get put into another room after the manager saw for herself. I asked to see the room first before committing. We got into the other room and low and behold, instead of bugs there was small droppings in between the mattress and the base. They looked like mini mice droppings.
We ended up getting a refund. We left that night and drove 2 hours back home at 12am.
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip 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 Candice Peterson, Owner at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded Sep 5, 2023
Hi Kristin, I know we spoke during this time, but we would like to again address your issues and apologize for the inconvenience of it all. Luckily, the bugs are not bed bugs, but tiny gnats that the entire area has been struggling to be rid of. We do get sprayed often but these little buggers found their way in this summer. We assure you our housekeeping and maintenance team are thorough with their cleaning and upkeep, but it was definitely a struggle this year with those certain bugs. Please reach out to us with any other concerns and we will continue doing our best to be rid of these things before winter takes over. Thanks again!
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Unfortunately our stay at the resort was met with lots of disappointments. This was one of the higher priced places we have stayed at and we were met with some extremely stained and dirty carpets. The tub upstairs and on the main level did not drain well so when you showered you were in standing water. The door handle on the patio door was broken on the outside so you had to remember not to shut it tight or you couldn't get back in. The storm door kept banging in the wind because that wouldn't stay closed and the icing on the cake was the dead mouse in a trap under the kitchen cabinets.
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Date of stay: October 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.
Response from Chasidy Buelt, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded 1 week ago
Hello, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We deeply regret that your stay with us fell short of your expectations, and we are truly sorry for the inconveniences you encountered. The issues you described, from the condition of the carpets to the maintenance concerns and the incident with the trap under the cabinets, are not reflective of the standards we strive to uphold. Please know that we take your comments very seriously, and I’ve already shared your concerns with our housekeeping and maintenance teams to address these matters promptly. Regarding the cleanliness and functional issues, including the tubs, patio door, and storm door, we are conducting a full inspection of the property to ensure these are resolved and prevented in the future. The presence of the trap was an oversight on our part, and I sincerely apologize for the discomfort it caused. We genuinely value your feedback as it helps us improve and ensure that future guests have a seamless and enjoyable experience. If you’re open to it, I’d appreciate the chance to discuss your stay further and see how we can make amends. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at Chasidyb@bigsnadylodgeandresort.com. Thank you again for bringing these matters to our attention. We hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional experience you deserve. Warm regards, Chasidy Director of Operations
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I recently stayed at Big Sandy Resort and had a really good experience. The entire resort was very clean and well-kept, made our whole group feel comfortable. Our cabin was very nice, cozy and welcoming!
The staff at the resort were all fantastic, going above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly for us. They even offered complimentary rock painting for the kids, which was something that our kids absolutely loved.
We were also treated to a great fireworks show (4th of July weekend). The resort offered convenient boat rentals right on site, making it easy to explore the beautiful lake.
The resort's restaurant was reasonably priced and had good food. The patio area was fun!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
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 Chasidy Buelt, Other at Big Sandy Lodge & Resort
Responded 1 week ago
Thank you so much for sharing your experience at Big Sandy Resort! We’re thrilled to hear that you and your group had such a fantastic stay with us. It’s wonderful to know that you found the resort clean, cozy, and welcoming, and that our team was able to make your stay extra special. We love creating memorable experiences for our guests, and it’s great to hear that the kids enjoyed the rock painting and that you all had fun with the 4th of July fireworks show! We’re also delighted that you took advantage of the boat rentals to explore the lake and that you enjoyed dining at our restaurant and relaxing on the patio. Thank you again for your kind words and for choosing Big Sandy Resort. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another amazing stay! Warm regards, Chasidy Director of Operations
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We do allow dogs on the property as long as they are on a leash.
There are certain units that allow dogs for overnight rentals. Those units are 10, 16, 17, 18, 26, 35, 49, 52 and the Rustic Retreat. There is a $250 pet deposit that is required before check-in. The dog must be kenneled when you are not in the unit with it.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions at 218-426-5040.
There are more places to choose from in the McGregor area.
PRICE RANGE
$125 - $522 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesMinnesotaMcGregor
NUMBER OF ROOMS
37
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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