Knickerbocker Mansion — Hotel in Big Bear Lake

We had a lovely stay two years ago at the Knickerbocker, so were looking forward another quiet, romantic visit. Unfortunately, the first sign of trouble was during our check-in, when we were asked if we were there for the wedding (we weren’t – what wedding?). When we inquired about the next morning’s breakfast arrangements, were told that it wasn’t included in the room rate and that reservations were needed (a bit of a disappointment.) Then they remembered to tell us that be breakfast would not be offered that morning due to the private event (the wedding, again.) So no breakfast available at a B&B – even for a price… WiFi was supposed to be available; we were told that the password was on a card in our room (there was no card), then we were given a password that didn’t work. The mansion and the grounds are beautiful, and if it weren’t for the wedding on Saturday, we would have had a chance to enjoy them. Instead we were pretty much stuck in our room, with the wedding and the reception going on just outside. The DJ played music until after 9pm, the other guests (those there for the wedding) paraded back and forth past our room all afternoon and evening. Since we couldn’t easily make our breakfast reservation for the following morning with the wedding festivities going on, we left early the next day. In our opinion, the innkeepers really should have contacted us ahead of time to notify us of the wedding event and given us a chance to rebook for another date. Our advice to others? Make sure that there isn’t a private event on the weekend you...

I am really disappointed with my experience with Knickerbocker Mansion. We go to the Big Bear car show every year. We made reservations with the Knickerbocker a year in advance for this year's show. Unfortunately, there was a fire in Lake Arrowhead where we live and we were evacuated during the same week of our reservations. Additionally I had a death in my family at the same time. I called on Tuesday to cancel reservations for Friday and Saturday. I was told ok. And that they had had a lot of requests for rooms from Lake Arrowhead residents due to the fire. Today , Friday, I received a call from the owner asking me for my credit card number because I owed 50% of my reservation according to their policy. I was under the assumption that I had 72 hours to cancel. I was advised no. I needed to cancel 2 weeks in advance of the reservations. I was not told this info at the time of booking. I have several problems with this answer. First, we were not told this rule, second, this was not a planned cancellation it was an emergency, third it has been my experience that mountain people help each other in times of need, not capitalize on a neighbor's misfortune and fourth there was nothing mentioned about a cancellation fee during the first call on Tuesday . I provided my credit card number, but really feel let down by the...

My husband and I had our wedding and reception at the Knickerbocker Mansion, and it was the PERFECT venue for us. The landscaped grounds, the feeling of seclusion being surrounded by the forest and the sweeping view toward the lake from the outdoor deck combined with the rustic elegance of the mansion and its bistro made for a truly exquisite setting. And I cannot say enough about Vickie and Ed Harris and their staff. They are the warmest, most accommodating hosts you could ever ask for. They went above and beyond to ensure our event went off without a hitch. Vickie frequently checked in with me to see if there was anything I needed (we stayed in the Mansion Suite). We had a couple of last minute requests, and they simply said, “If that’s what you want, we’ll make it happen.”

It poured rain in the hours leading up to the outdoor event. When the rain stopped just 45 minutes before the ceremony was to begin they scrambled to dry all the chairs for the wedding and get the tables for the reception set with tablecloths and our centerpieces. It gave me a great deal of comfort knowing they were taking care of things while we were getting ready for our nuptials.

Overall, this was a five star experience for us. I recommend the Knickerbocker Mansion and Ed & Vickie Harris wholeheartedly for any event you may...