July 4, 2022
Buyer beware! Let me tell you a story. When Covid hit in late 2019, the former resort owners told us they needed more time to clean the cabins for our week in 2020. We were only allowed to stay six nights but still paid for a full seven nights rate in 2020. Our extended family of 50+ members on an average each year, from 8 states, coming from all over the United States, and usually occupying the entire resort, understood the challenges with Covid and supported the owners in 2020. Note, no other resort on Ottertail Lake took that action in 2020 nor since then. The owners planned to continue the same policy for 2021. The family however did not fully understand that decision. Our cabin’s rate increased 2% in 2020 and 2021. The resort was sold and the new owners did continue the same policy of requiring a full week rate for six nights stay in 2021. That year they said they would consider going back to seven nights next year. They increased our cabin’s weekly rate 10% for 2022. When approached at different times by members of our extended family, the owners were emphatic that they were going to continue to only allow us to stay six nights, but still require that we pay the ever increasing weekly rate. For 2023 the rate continues to increase with only six nights being provided. The increase we were told at checkout this year was at least 5% and that it was increasing more the following week. We were offered the lower rate but had to confirm it at checkout.
This year in 2022 there was an unfortunate, tremendous storm on June 20th right around midnight, with severe winds. Several trees went down and several powerlines were impacted. Fortunately no one was injured at our resort. Power was out at our resort as well as other areas around the lake. The family pulled together to deal with a lack of freshwater and power. As a family we worked together and made things work. We survived. The resort owners did not contact us until later in the day after the power had been out. They provided no support to the members of the resort. Our first communication with them was when they called to inform us we would half to leave the resort.
Our extended family has often occupied the entire resort for nearly 10 years. This year was the 72nd year our family came to Ottertail Lake. The family decided enough was enough and no one renewed for next year to stay at Ottertail Beach Resort. I will add that the quality of the resort has declined. There were problems with air-conditioning in some cabins, poor internet service for some cabins as well as other deficiencies. Ottertail Beach Resort is beautiful. It is on a great part of the lake, however, you pay a price in many ways to stay there. There are other great options on Ottertail Lake. Our family explored other resorts and will be on Ottertail Lake in 2023. The family’s 73rd year! We are excited about next year‘s family trip and staying at other beautiful resorts on Ottertail Lake. Things happen for a reason. Some explainable and understandable, others...
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