Split Rock Resort: H2Oooohh!!! Indoor Waterpark — Attraction in Kidder Township

An Unforgettable Honeymoon at Split Rock Resort: A Tale of Executive Mismanagement

Our honeymoon at Split Rock Resort was an experience we won't soon forget, though not for the reasons one might hope. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that the executives at the top had some serious rethinking to do.

Check-In Woes We arrived early, eager to start our romantic getaway, only to be sent away and told to return no earlier than 30 minutes before check-in. To add to the frustration, our room keys were deactivated, possibly at midnight, and by 8:07 AM, they no longer worked. This upset my wife the most, as it felt like we were being chased out.

The Water Park Fiasco Next, we ventured to the water park, lured by a discounted rate of $75 for the two of us. Six minutes in, we discovered the water was freezing, and the park was eerily empty. It was a sad sight, especially if you're a child looking for fun. The jacuzzi, humorously dubbed the "lava spring," was out of order, and there was no drinking allowed in the pool area. The few kids around didn't seem to mind the broken slides, but we certainly did.

Dining in Solitude Giving up on the water park, we decided to explore the hotel and grab some food. If you enjoy dining alone, this is the place for you. Most restaurants had just one other guest. The first spot we tried had slow service, but the drinks and lakeside atmosphere were worth it. We even managed to snap some lovely lakeside photos.

A Chilling Experience Returning to our room, we found it as cold as the water park. The heating was non-existent all weekend, making for a rather frosty stay. The hotel itself was falling apart, though the rooms were clean thanks to the diligent staff. However, no amount of cleaning could fix the water damage in the tiles or the leaks from the windows. The heated tub worked once before needing a recharge, and the charcuterie board was disappointingly meatless.

The Arcade Ghost Town Half the TVs didn't work, and everything seemed closed. The arcade was like exploring an abandoned town, but my wife and I found some enjoyment in the emptiness, reminiscent of a scene from "The Shining."

Breakfast and Beyond Mid-week breakfast was a ticket for one item, and the park was not free. The resort seemed confused about its target audience, failing to cater to both kids and adults. The nearby walk was nice but chilly, adding to the overall cold theme of our stay.

Comparisons to Kalahari Having been to Kalahari, the difference in quality was stark. At Split Rock, you could smell the pool from the lobby, and even if the park had been full, it would have been a sad sight with no lazy river. The water in the tub had a strange tinge, likely due to old jets, and the jacuzzi was weak.

Final Thoughts Despite the shortcomings, my wife and I found solace in the fact that we met at a similar resort, giving us plenty to talk about. The WiFi was a small blessing, but the early deactivation of our cards at 11 AM made us feel chased out.

In conclusion, Split Rock Resort has potential, but the executives need to step up their game. Until then, it's a place best remembered for its quirks and the stories it gave us to tell.

Also another thing I didn't think was cool was like every table in the rooms was falling apart you can see in the photos that you have to be careful they need to be fixed better or new...

Lured in by a practically free stay using credit card points, my family stayed here as a launching point for fall activities. Points to the resort for the location and the very friendly staff.

Food, water park, amenities and upkeep, though? One star.

Start with the room: it lacked such standard basics as facial tissues (there was a place for them, but it was empty), and warm water in the bathroom sink. There was an iron, but no ironing board or obvious outlets to plug it in.. The TV went slightly fuzzy on half the channels, and my Pixel phone kept trying to connect to Android TVs throughout the building. One of the lamps was perpetually dim no matter how much we tried to turn it on or off (basically nightlite level all the time. There were rods for moving around curtains, but they weren't actually attached to the curtains.

Food: bring your own. You know how most hotels have a Keurig with the cheapest coffee and tea possible? Dream on. They'll happily charge you a few bucks for that same cheap coffee in the gift shop while it's open. We got passable chicken fingers and fries at the water park area, but the pizza and tacos from the near-lobby shop were barely edible on even ravenous stomachs. Edy's ice cream from the shop was... consistent with any other scoop of Edy's ice cream.

The water park: this was our main selling point for the stay. And to be fair, the kids had enough fun that we'll be planning for water parks in future vacations. But not here. Per the attendant, the boogie board area looked perpetually off unless you ask about it because "it's kind of broken." When we checked into the water park 2 hours after opening, there was no one watching the kids slides in the free play area. Of the three larger slides requiring inner tubes or rafts, only one was running, and it had streaks inside at each curve. The wave pool was the first attraction for one kid, until we felt how icy cold it was. No wonder no one was swimming in it. We tried coming back to play more after the terrible pizza, only to discover the staff were closing out more than 30 minutes early. To their credit, they restarted the water so we could go down the one working slide, but if there were lights available to brighten the place up, we didn't see them used.

Arcade and bowling alley: for the thirty minutes we were in the arcade, we saw nary another soul. Only by sheer happenstance it seems did someone come by to check us out with our win tickets at the very end. The bowling alley worker was super nice, but the lanes weren't. Only half the lanes were working at all, and we had to get help resetting our pins three times. The relative darkness of the bowling alley made it a less family friendly experience than anticipated, but our youngest enjoyed his first bowling experience until he got impatient with how long it took.

All in all, we're thoroughly sold on the potential of staying at a nice Poconos resort. Next time we will search harder...

We’ve been here many times over the years. It’s a great park when it’s open and the rides work.! Friday night is only $10 per kid and $28 for adults. We came in April and the family 4 person slide was closed and the hot tub/jacuzzi. Kids still had fun on the 2 other slides, wave pool and wave rider. We came today to celebrate a birthday and what a fiasco. First off they’re supposed to open at 4. After waiting in line til 4:05 at door they finally tell us their POS is down and we can’t come into park unless you have a pass already! They finally let us in from waiting outside into hotel pool while they figure out how to let us into water park. Register duesnt work to pay cash, there is no credit card payment options available. They have no change. They can/will not get change from concession stand or hotel check in. I ask if I can leave them a credit card to charge when system is up. No. I ask to leave $100 bill and get change when we leave. No. There is a whole line of irritated parents and impatient kids who want to come in but have no way to pay! Finally a lady comes over and they decide they’ll accept exact cash. I have to open my daughters birthday cards to get close to exact cash and not get change in order to let them come into park. Even the attendants sarcastically smile and say “Welcome to Split Rock”. I guess this is nothing new. We FINALLY get the kids into the park. As always it’s clean and comfortable with short lines. However family slide, jacuzzi and the the dark slide are all closed for repair. Yes folks there is only ONE water slide operating. The wave pool and frog jump basketball thing and kiddie ( under 48”) area are open. The wave runner surf thing is closed bc they don’t have enough staff. I’m really disappointed. It’s such a great place but I’d rather pay more and have stuff operating! It’s bright and fun and not crazy crowded lines like Kalahari and perfect to bring kids for 3-4 hours. I wish there were a way to find out what slides are out of order before driving an hour telling kids it’s water slide birthday party but…. Without...