Crystal Mountain

Family and I stayed at CM as our base of operations for an up north trip after someone we know recommended it. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the resort over-delivering a variety of ways. Kids loved it and we'll likely be coming back as well as checking out ski-ing during the winter. We'll also recommend it to others. Here were the pros/cons, and call-outs: Pros - Jake, the Manager at the front desk, was friendly and accommodating. We paid for an upgrade and went from Hamlet to Kinlochen, and while it had a cabin/rustic vibe, it worked and provided some nice extra space and balcony. - Lots to do onsite (Pool/Hot Tub, Fitness Center/Spa, Adventure Center, Golf, Lawn Games, Biking, etc.). Pool was expansive and family friendly with a hot tub and decent pool-side food and drinks. Lifeguards on duty prowling constantly which allows adults to relax. Never a problem getting a towel and the changing/showering/bathroom area was relatively large and accommodating. - Lots of activities for the kids - Aforementioned Pool, Bungee Trampoline, Alpine Slide, Mining for Gems, Playground, Rock wall, Ropes Course with zip line, Biking, etc. - Indoor Pool and Hot Tub were of a decent size, as was the fitness room, and there were changing rooms, lockers, etc.. Though Leg press was down the whole time we were there (5 days). - Restaurants delivered food that was better than expected. Thistle was higher-priced but food was very good. The Wild Tomato was cheaper for dinner, but also delivered delicious shrimp tacos and a wonderful salmon dish. Kids food was good across the place with decent sized portions. - Staff was generally friendly and helpful when they could be, though the Beach House staff seemed very stressed every day. - Daily housekeeping - Well stocked market shop onsite for those that wanted to cook in their units/bungalows/etc. - A relatively close drive to the surrounding area (Beulah & Frankfort were about 10 and 25 min respectively, while Traverse City was about 40/45) - Frankfort was a gem and we loved the beach - go a bit up the beach away from the marina area (that water is a bit yucky) - overall not rocky like some other beaches. Traverse City is always a nice visit with lots of restaurants and a happening vibe. Cons - They could have used more umbrellas (would advise they install some (units were bolted into the concrete) or get some more roll away units. - Beach House staff seemed to hate their lives. Kind of a vibe killer at the pool. Find a way to cheer them up and get them smiling. Also, my kid just wanted some mixed juices and you would have thought I asked them to fresh squeeze from multiple fruits. I got some line about "concentrated juices" which made no sense. You can't mix some pineapple juice and water or something if it's so concentrated and charge me for a sprite? Are we that devoid of problem solving skills? - Every kids activity will nickel and dime you. Mining for gems? Gotta buy the gems. Archery? Gotta pay. Want to do the bungee trampoline? Like $13 for about 3 minutes of hopping. I get the place isn't necessarily in the middle of a populated area, but they might get more families during no peak times by throwing in more free activities or consolidating into ones that don't result in lost revenue (sorry if we somehow missed this). Maybe just include a base number of these in the resort fees or add a package people can buy for their stay (if there is one, sorry I missed that) - Ongoing maintenance issues. Noted the Leg press earlier, but the main bonfire was down, the spa Sauna & Steam room were down (we were told renovation but it sounds like there was flooding from other comments), our Kinlochen unit had a broken window crank (I had to use my finger tips to manually pull it shut and secure it so the AC wasn't working overtime), our AC often struggled, and a TV in the main room which wasn't working properly (the picture Dish/TV would always go small and into the upper left corner). - There appeared to be a hornets nest that was established in the gate post for the hot tub. I informed the pool desk about this 2nd day but continued to see hornets fly in and out of it over the next couple of days. Not a great thing with so many kids running around and people slamming that hot tub gate. They were also flying out occasionally to drink the hot tub water that spilled other. They are going to get agitated and sting someone. That's something to prioritize. Spray and fill the hole.

Paid for 3 night got 2 paid for 3 rooms 6/6/8 for 20 people got 6-6/6 so 2 people sleep on couches. Paid for 27 Friday 27 Saturday got 27 Saturday lost our Friday reservation paid to play elsewhere then they arrange 9 holes for us had to pay for what we already paid for. Should the director of golf our agreement, to blind eyes still paid. We all had cards on file but they only charged the person who booked the trip luck me. I tried to reach out to them along with many others on the trip and they avoided us. Irony is they lost our future business not only for golf but sking. I suggest the gm be fired.

I was impressed with how helpful, thoughtful, and solution-oriented Angela Tighe was while assisting with my reservation. Angela took the time to look into options and find a solution that was incredibly helpful for our family. The level of care and professionalism really stood out. Experiences like this are exactly why I’ve become a loyal guest of Crystal Mountain. I’ve shared many positive things about the resort with friends, and we truly look forward to spending our free time at Crystal in the future because of service like this.

The Crystal Mountain Spa is a hidden gem! It is beautiful and serene. The staff is accommodating and professional. Excellent massage therapists! We have had 50 minute, 80 minute massages, and facials and each and every service was great. The indoor lounge area is peaceful, and the outdoor hot tub and lounge area is private and beautiful. We often book appointments in late Spring and in the Fall and enjoy the Crystal Mountain resort before or after our appointments. The leaves are spectacular in the Fall!

This is a beautiful resort. The grounds are immaculate, the golf course is pristine, and the kids activities are great. However, we stayed Sunday evening to Thursday morning and only 1 restaurant was open in the evening, the seemingly nice rooftop bar was never open, and the ice cream stand only opened at 4 PM. Our room was excellent and the staff was helpful.