Fireside Lodge — Hotel in Big Bear Lake

Despite all the reviews, we decided to stay here Labor Day weekend 2014. This place is NICE! We booked the 2 bedroom cabin with complete kitchen that holds 8 people. We were unsure what to expect since they don't have any photos of the 2 bedroom cabin on their website. their pool was a nice size and very clean. The cabin was detached from the lodge building and has a grassy patio area with bbq right outside the door. Kitchen was roomy, has full sized refer and stove. there is also a dininroom table that seats 8. bedroom #1 has 1 full bed tv and closet, bedroom #2 has 2 full beds and closet. living room has futon tv fireplace and a great view of the lake. the bathroom has a shower/tub combo sink and toilet with a nice heat lamp in the ceiling for those chilly mornings. the kitchen was stocked with plates, bowls utensils for 8 people, pots and pans and a coffee maker. i suggest bringing a pot holder if you plan on cooking, that would be the only thing missing. the bathroom was stocked with shampoo, body soap and lotion. although the tv in the living room is equipped with a VCR...if you plan on coming to big bear to sit in front of the tv then you have it all wrong! the dual pane windows give a nice view of the lake. there was also free wifi in our cabin should you need it. their breakfast room in the main building is a short walk across the parking lot and has 4 dining room tables for seating, coffee 4 types of cereal, bagels, juice and a waffle maker. the host was very polite and always made sure there was stock of everything there. the patio area outside of our cabin has a bbq, picnic tables and lounging chairs for your convenience. i will stay here again. it was quiet and everything was clean and organized. the price was great for what they offer and a plus note they are right across the street from the bowling alley and funplex for nice evening activities to do with the kids. they are also located right in between 2 marinas should you want to rent a boat, it is in...

I am sad to give this rating but when it comes to lodging, customer service is critical. There are so many other choices I could have made. I will never stay here again nor will I ever recommend. When I checked in at 9pm, the grumpy young guy did not welcome me with a smile, a hello or even thank you for choosing Fireside Lodge. All I got was 'what's your last name'. I learned very quickly that the unit I thought I was getting was not the case. The guy had an answer for everything...guess he was never taught how to treat customers. He did everything he could to make me feel uneasy and that I was wrong. I was miserable. He told me if I did not like the room within 30 minutes of arrival, I could cancel. I was so tired - I said the room was fine. MISTAKE. The room was not as clean as I would have thought with COVID. The comforter was worn and old - little tattered so I was thankful I brought my own bedding and pillows. Their pillow covers were like paper and rough. The floor in more than half the room creaked - and when I brought it to their attention the next morning I was told it was too expensive to fix because it's old and she suggested moving to a suite...of course for more $$$$. I felt awful for the people in the unit below mine. I booked this place because it fit in my budget. Lesson learned is when it comes to personal enjoyment, pay the extra to ensure you have an enjoyable experience. I am happy that other folks gave good reviews but keep in mind they were in suites - not in the motel room. If the owner would take one piece of advice, learn to treat people with better service. Even a smile can make a bad situation better. Pretend to care. Best wishes to the owner. No worries that this pain in the axx customer will never come back or...

“Looks Good From Far, But It’s Far From Good!”

If you’re thinking of staying at Fireside Lodge in Big Bear based on the photos — don’t make the same mistake I did. It may look decent from the road, but once you check in, the truth hits fast: this place is run by people more interested in cutting costs than providing even a bare-minimum guest experience.

It started with the check-in: my key and Wi-Fi instructions were handed to me in a tattered, obviously reused sleeve, pulled from a stack of equally overused materials. A small but telling sign of what was to come.

The grounds are in disrepair, the outdoor furniture looks like it was dragged off the curb, and the common area outside our room reeked of pot — thanks to neighboring guests lounging in broken plastic chairs that wouldn’t be out of place at a junkyard.

Inside the room, it got worse. The bedding looked suspiciously unwashed, the furnishings were outdated and grimy, and the overall feel was less “rustic retreat” and more “neglected roadside flop.”

After a full day of driving, hiking, and paddleboarding, all I wanted was a clean room and a hot shower. What I got was so off-putting I slept in my clothes and seriously debated whether to stay at all. I had booked two nights, but bailed after one — even knowing I’d forfeit the second night’s cost due to their arbitrary 30-minute refund window. That’s how bad it was.

Yes, they could repaint and toss the junk furniture, but it wouldn’t fix the real issue: ownership that cuts every corner and shows zero regard for guest comfort or pride in their property.

Do yourself a favor: spend the extra $20 and book literally anywhere else. Fireside Lodge may fool you with its photos, but it’s far from good — and even farther...