Ruttger's Bay Lake Resort — Hotel in Aitkin

We had a family reunion here and out of 6 families-not one of us got what we booked. We called-all out of state-11 months in advance for 4th of July week. August 2023 is when we called to book for July 2024. We asked that all of our accommodations be next to each other and told them we would be cooking all of our meals, and so we needed to have a few of them at least have kitchens, and all of them have full size fridges. When we went to check, we found out that half of us had been put on one side of the resort and the other half on the other side of the resort. The half of us that got put on the far side of the resort, all the oldest cabins they have. they were covered in hair and smelled like ashtrays. When we went to the front to request to be put near our family like we had requested, we were told there was nothing available on the entire resort, no apologies were given no discounts offered no can we please send our cleaning staff over there to take care of that for you. Absolutely nothing was offered to take care of the dirty or the smell or the fact that we had requested rooms with a partial kitchen so that we could prepare our own on food. They told us that instead we could just eat at the restaurant which is highly overpriced and didn’t offer any sort of discount for that either.||The fridges in the rooms ended up being so small you couldn’t fit more than a handful of sodas in them. I had to go buy a mini fridge and freezer and multiple coolers to house the food that we each needed for the week. Our dad did get a nicer accommodation however when they booked, they said they definitely needed a washer and dryer because a handful of us were road tripping and there was no washer and dryer and they wouldn’t give them a room with one because they were all booked. They did tell us that they had coin operated washing machines and two coin operated dryers on property, but that was it so they recommended us driving the 30 minutes in either direction to go to a laundromat.||Every single day we had something that was ridiculous and that they just didn’t care about. My dad rented a pontoon-it needed work everyday in order to use it. I cannot believe people come here and go every single year. I went to the Front asked if I could talk to TJ the owner. I was told he was not on property and that I couldn’t talk to him or have his contact information, even though multiple staff members around the resort suggested reaching out to him because of our awful experience.||The parking lots were taken over by locals on the night of fireworks-we couldn’t even park near the resort because of the cars and people covering every space off the roads-I think it’s great that the locals come to watch their firework show, but they should have staff that make sure that the guests staying at their resort are not impeded by it. or at least given warning so that we had known to stay parked in front of our accommodations and told to find a spot early so that we could actually watch the firework show at the resort we...

We had a family reunion here and out of 6 families-not one of us got what we booked. We called-all out of state-11 months in advance for 4th of July week. August 2023 is when we called to book for July 2024. We asked that all of our accommodations be next to each other and told them we would be cooking all of our meals, and so we needed to have a few of them at least have kitchens, and all of them have full size fridges. When we went to check, we found out that half of us had been put on one side of the resort and the other half on the other side of the resort. The half of us that got put on the far side of the resort, all the oldest cabins they have. they were covered in hair and smelled like ashtrays. When we went to the front to request to be put near our family like we had requested, we were told there was nothing available on the entire resort, no apologies were given no discounts offered no can we please send our cleaning staff over there to take care of that for you. Absolutely nothing was offered to take care of the dirty or the smell or the fact that we had requested rooms with a partial kitchen so that we could prepare our own on food. They told us that instead we could just eat at the restaurant which is highly overpriced and didn’t offer any sort of discount for that either.

The fridges in the rooms ended up being so small you couldn’t fit more than a handful of sodas in them. I had to go buy a mini fridge and freezer and multiple coolers to house the food that we each needed for the week. Our dad did get a nicer accommodation however when they booked, they said they definitely needed a washer and dryer because a handful of us were road tripping and there was no washer and dryer and they wouldn’t give them a room with one because they were all booked. They did tell us that they had coin operated washing machines and two coin operated dryers on property, but that was it so they recommended us driving the 30 minutes in either direction to go to a laundromat.

Every single day we had something that was ridiculous and that they just didn’t care about. My dad rented a pontoon-it needed work everyday in order to use it. I cannot believe people come here and go every single year. I went to the Front asked if I could talk to TJ the owner. I was told he was not on property and that I couldn’t talk to him or have his contact information, even though multiple staff members around the resort suggested reaching out to him because of our awful experience.

The parking lots were taken over by locals on the night of fireworks-we couldn’t even park near the resort because of the cars and people covering every space off the roads-I think it’s great that the locals come to watch their firework show, but they should have staff that make sure that the guests staying at their resort are not impeded by it. or at least given warning so that we had known to stay parked in front of our accommodations and told to find a spot early so that we could actually watch the firework show at the resort we...

Disappointing Start, Great Finish—Thanks to the Marina Crew!

We were really looking forward to our stay at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Resort, especially since our kids were so excited to use the pools. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were disappointed to find both pools closed—a fact that was never mentioned on the website or during booking. The website was also out of date, with no notice about the pool closures or the restaurant being closed. This lack of communication was a huge letdown for us and especially hard on our kids.

After receiving a text that our room was ready, we checked in only to find the room still dirty. The staff did try to help by sending a manager intern, who found us another room, but that one was also dirty and needed cleaning. We ended up waiting an additional 30–45 minutes before we could finally get settled.

Once we were finally in, we found the condo-style cabins to be cute and comfortable, with a nice deck and great views of the golf course and lake (though some big pine trees block part of the view). There’s plenty of parking, and the property has several docks for fishing and a large marina, which was a big hit with our family. However, due to pool construction, the trail to the marina dock was blocked, forcing us to take a much longer and less convenient route.

We had fun fishing and caught some big sunfish off the main marina dock. The restaurant had a nice deck and a DJ, but closes pretty early and the food is quite pricey. The community fire pits are a great touch, with plenty of wood provided for guests to enjoy a classic evening of s’mores.

As a gesture of goodwill for the pool closure, the resort offered us a two-hour pontoon rental, which was appreciated but didn’t fully make up for the disappointment and lack of communication. We tried to rent a fishing boat, but it had mechanical issues. The marina crew was super helpful and gave us a good deal on a full-day pontoon rental instead, which turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Big thanks to Rob and Casey at the marina—they were friendly, hardworking, and made our experience so much better. The kids had an absolute blast on the lake!

We also enjoyed the ice cream shop and took out kayaks and other water toys, which were reasonably priced and lots of fun.

At first, we weren’t sure if we would return or recommend Ruttger’s to others, but the marina crew truly turned things around for us and made the end of our trip memorable. I would recommend this resort to families and groups, but I really hope management improves communication, keeps the website updated, and ensures rooms are ready and clean for arriving guests. With a few improvements, this could be an amazing place for a...