Alpine Valley Resort — Attraction in Town of Lafayette

I’d rate a zero if I could. My brother, his girlfriend, and I went skiing and snowboarding today and bought three weekday ski lift morning passes for a greater price than listed on the site. We would usually buy ahead of time, but they don’t allow that, so they should at least give tickets for the price that’s listed on their site. My brother and his girlfriend also needed rental equipment while I had brought my own equipment, but we still spent around 320 total for three people for a morning/half day lift ticket plus two equipment rentals. That was disappointment number 1 since it really shouldn’t be that expensive. Cascade is way bigger and cheaper for rental and half a day ticket during major holidays! We’re not even in peak holiday season anymore. Disappointment number 2 was making our way to the rental equipment area. My brother asked if they could adjust his board so one foot could lead on his snowboard (not a weird request, normal that snowboarders ride with a lead foot). The employee proceeded to tell him that they hand them out neutral and that’s that. They don’t adjust boards??? Pretty dangerous if you have someone that’s used to having a lead foot, it makes a big difference and also another reason we’ll be taking our money back to Cascade because they adjust boards when you get rental equipment with them. And the third and final disappoint which is the worst of them all occurred at the top of the lift. Brothers girlfriend fell at the top of the lift and was stuck, skis were crossed. Instead of the long haired employee at the top STOPPING the lift as he’s supposed to, he pops his miserable head out of the shack with the lift still running and yells at her to “stop playing starfish in the snow.” My brother yelled back while still struggling to help her up, “maybe do your job and stop the lift, she fell” and useless employee then proceeds to yell again and say “and why do you have rental equipment going to the terrain park?” We were done with the guy and he never stopped the lift. We took a break at the bottom and I took the time to look up his claim about our rental equipment. There’s nothing that says rental equipment is restricted from any trails, especially with an all area ticket that we’ve bought to be able to go anywhere we want. So, I’m not sure if that was his comeback to try and mock our snowboard and ski skills since we had rentals?? Not sure. And we weren’t told verbally when we bought the tickets and the rental equipment, so if that’s true then it needs to be regulated otherwise or posted on the site. Also, if we paid 320 for everything for only a half a day, we better be able to go wherever we want. Either way, the guy at the bottom of the lift should be doing his job to sort us out if we’re not supposed to be in a certain area. That’s beside the point, though, because if my brothers girlfriend had been more hurt, his carelessness could’ve made the situation so much worse, he was just letting people get of the lift while she was stuck in the middle of their path. Terrible job, alpine. First and last time visiting here, we will be happy to give our money and memories to Cascade.

Update to owners response: 1st, We went on a weekday and it was not MLKJ Day weekend. We looked online beforehand and the prices were much lower, yet the prices once we got to the establishment were hiked up. 2nd, how are you going to tell someone who has fallen to "fall condensed?" Also, we know what a ski lift stopping looks like because they actually stop it for people at Cascade out of safety for those who have fallen AND those who are getting off the lift, and your useless employee took the time to yell for about thirty seconds instead of help out AT ALL. Also, the only reason we rented was because we were driving in a car that couldn't fit all that equipment. You can't assume someone ski skills based off whether they have bought YOUR rental equipment or not. If he was concerned about her safety, he would've stopped the lift instead of taking the time to make sarcastic comments about...

Have been here a number of times, alone, with friends, and as a student on school trips. This is probably the worst resort I've been to in the Chicago/Wisconsin area. I'll start with the good. The slopes are taken care of, and they consistently get them open early in the season. They have a good terrain park and some enjoyable jumps, boxes and rails. The lifts are fine and there are many. However, these aspects aren't above and beyond the norm. The only exceptional thing I can think of is the part about the quick opening. On to the cons. First, the pricing is pretty bad. It's fine if you get a school discount, but the rates then are much closer to what the normal ones should be. The rates in comparison to somewhere like Cascade are borderline ripoff. It is similar to Grand Geneva, but they are more creative with their hills and offer major discounts practically every non-weekend day. Now, not only is it expensive, it's sort of dull as ski hills go. Every run is very very easy for anyone who is intermediate or better. The ones labeled as black diamonds are blues if you stretch it. I understand they need to label it relative to the other runs, but there are pretty much no challenges if you prefer a difficult slope to jumps and stunts. I'd say this is the easiest resort in Wisconsin. That's fine if you're a beginner, but this place is in no way friendly to beginners. Having been on school nights, they make all kids take a test for skill level, and if you don't get the highest level you won't be allowed on any lifts other than the easiest three. That alone is a little ridiculous, as literally no ski resort will restrict you from challenging yourself. If you can't do a run, it's your responsibility to know your limits, scoot down carefully on your butt and go to easier runs. It's not a ski resort's place to enforce this, and made even more absurd by just how easy their runs are. I shouldn't need to prove a black diamond skill level to go on runs that are labeled as blue and are essentially green, or even the blacks that are barely in the blue category. But I can understand this, if it's being forced by lawyers or a need for presumed increased safety. There's more problems with this, though. It's the harshness of the employees about it. I've seen bitter men walking around the line for the chairlifts, peering to make sure everyone has the required sticker of skill evaluation for the lift, and just being straight unpleasant to anyone who doesn't. There's a lack of respect. And the guy at the top of the evaluation hill is the worst offender. Overly harsh and mean to young kids, I'm talking 5-10 years old. No room for lightheartedness with him, I've seen it tried. You wouldn't believe how he just doesn't seem to see them as kids, sees them more like how you'd expect disrespectful adult customers who have violated multiple rules to be treated. I took off a full star for him alone. Plus, make a mistake or not get something perfect while evaluating? Think you can do better? Sucks for you, no second chances until your next trip. If you try you'll be berated by the guy up top. If you haven't got to a black diamond skill level before mid January, out of luck, you can't be evaluated and you're stuck where you are after that time. And the fact that all of this process is for the easiest runs in Wisconsin. This makes for a miserable experience for students who can easily do any run here. Also, most of the runs are pretty much the same, excluding the terrain ones. Not much variation at all. I can't fault them much for it, it's just one hill, but many other resorts are much more creative with what they have. I conclude, reasonably fun place to ski, but for most people, just not a good choice. Too expensive, irritating process, nothing too special about the runs. Above intermediate will...

Pee and Flee: That is all my wife and I wanted to do the morning after we were given this room.

I have pictures of every detail that I will describe in this review.

First the good. The front desk personnel were delightful. I was given a sheet to fill out for my car registration and the lady behind the desk saw me squinting to read the form. I forgot my reading glasses in the car and she cheerfully offered her own glasses to me. I was touched and very pleased with this person's intuition and thoughtfulness. Little did I know that this was just a little minion guarding the gates to Hades!

I was given the last room available because of all things it was the Saturday of Jimmy Buffet's concert and every room was booked. I twinged at forking over $244.00 but circumstances dictated that I must. After all this was a "resort".

At first glance I thought that the old, worn, furniture in the lobby was quaint and a touch of the "old" days...but then.....

As I entered the door leading to the hallway to my room, the concrete was literally crumbling beneath my feet. I thought...hmmm....perhaps a little patch work could be done here....

But hey....what's a little need of a concrete slab repair.

Then...we opened the door to our "Ski to your door room"

Only the cast members of "Naked and Afraid" would have dared commit to spending a night in this room. It was August 23rd somehow we had the first snowfall...oh..that was screen on our television set!

They said that there was a panoramic view leading to the private veranda. I wish I could've seen it ...but I couldn't..the streaks of foggy like substance on the veranda door window- from top to bottom -prohibited this amenity...I would've washed the windows myself except the streaks were INSIDE the double pain window.

When I pulled the sheets down... the bed the mattress had divots. Upon inspection it was found to be the mattress springs. Undoubtedly this mattress had made hundreds of people feel like the victims of the Spanish Inquisition. The pillows felt as if they were filled with cotton balls and gauze!

The clock was blinking on 12:00 am... a sure sign....that this was the doppelganger of Hotel California!!!

We were able to FIND a plug in the wall to plug in the coffee pot...it needed to be put on the cigarette hole, burned carpet, because there was no end table to place the pot.

The bathroom was very plush...it even had running water...the drain however was corroded and rusty...and the water that we put into the coffee pot...well it took several minutes for the cloud to disappear. There wasn't a towel rack to be seen.

After 8 hours of blazing sun from the Jimmy Buffet concert were we plopped on the bed just to view brown mold-like stain streaking on the ceiling tiles.... fortunately we were so tire we both passed out.

We woke up early the next morning...looked at each other and the only words that came of our mouths simultaneously...was...let's pee and flee.

I would have contested the amount of money spent on this dismal lodging facility...but I felt that I would definitely get heaven points to let fellow unsuspecting travelers heed a warning.....avoid this place at all cost...you might NEVER leave.

This is a true story and I have pictures to document...