Lake James Camping Resort & Marina — Hotel in Marion

During my 6 month stay at this Camping Resort & Marina. May thru Oct. I don't see how they can be classified as a Resort. There's not a bar or restaurant. There's not even a play area for the kids. They do have a covered area in front of the bathhouse where they play bingo. They didn't have a pool until the new area of the campground was built across the street from the main lake access part of the campground. The pool was supposed to open on Memorial Day weekend and it didn't open until the 3rd week in July. They had 3 managers during my 6 month stay. Burt, Vickie and Bridget. This camping experience was a total nightmare for me. I've always tent camped and enjoyed very much. I thought buying a camper and having it a permanent location (on a lake) would be perfect. NOT I moved the camper into a new location of the park. When it rained it washed mud down on the back side of the campsite over into the front ruining an outdoor rug from mud stains. I personally dug a ditch to try and convert the water. This helped to some point, until, it kept getting worse and worse. Come to find out there was a sinkhole washing out behind my camper also in front of the camper. I would fill in the hole if front each time it rained and washed out. After continuously complaining about the sinkhole. The sinkhole was exposing power, water, & gas lines. I asked for a refund or to move to another location in the park. After about a month of me complaining, Vickie finally agreed to let me move to another location. I had to pack up everything, grill, chairs, table, awning, all outside supplies. During this time the landscaping crew ran over the corner of my 12x16 outdoor rug and damaged it. I had to call the power company to disconnect this location and reconnect at the new location. All of this extra time and trouble all on my dime not even an apology from anyone. The complete place wasn't landscaped and the drainage setup correctly. There was a real hard rain one day and it rained so hard it washed all of the gravel stone beside the new pavement on top of the pavement. Which in return left 1 foot ditch beside the pavement. Some campers were not able to get into or out of their parking area until it was filled back in. There was always an constant issue with the internet going out. It was impossible to watch TV. We ended up going to Walmart and buying a DVD player and buying some movies in order to watch TV. Now let's talk about water access. You can't keep your boat at your camper. They have a designated spot about 3/10's of a mile from where you put your boat into the water. You can't leave your boat trailer at the area where you put the boat in, it has to be taken back to where you store your boat. Then you have to go all the way back to where your boat is and park. When you get back from your day on the lake. Drive back 3/10's mile to get your trailer and go back to load your boat. Drive back to the designated storage area to park your boat. (Which is not fenced or gated.) Put a lock on your boat and hope no one steals it or your stereo equipment, life jackets, etc..Then drive back to your camper. I do not know about you all but damn if I'm about to give out from all the driving just to put a boat in and out of the water. They have places you can keep your boat in the water all the time for the fee of about $2,400.00 a year. I have pictures of all of the above, but I think what I've said is enough. This camping experience let me know that I do not want a permanent site this campground or any campground at the rate of $9,500.00 a year and they don't even want you staying there during the Winter months. I gave the camper to my son so he could take the grandkids to different locations and stay for a day or so, then return home. (Nothing Permanent) Bridget didn't come in to manage until I got ready to leave the campground. I think she is doing a better job managing the park now and fixing all the issues left...

SCAM and a RIP OFF!!!!!!!

Summary: Everything advertised about this place when I booked was a lie. It is NOT a Resort, does not have functional wifi or pool and has a 50 foot “beach” shared by over 100 sites. STAY ANYWHERE ELSE for less!!! The locals even call it a scam!

FULL STORY: My husband and I are primitive campers and capable of roughing it. My problem is I hate scams and rip offs. This campground was both.

I found it using a web search early May. I had family driving in from NY who required wifi to telework during the trip. Their website advertised a “Resort,” pool, wifi and beach.

When we showed up July 4 with our pop up, they told us the pool never opened (mind you they were advertising this as of May) and we could not use the bathrooms at the pool which were in walking distance.

I explained to the kind lady at the office that I had a 5&7 year old and a pop-up and needed a bathroom. She said I had the option of driving a mile away every time we needed to go.

Brenda the office manager came out. She stated “this place is meant for self contained units.” I asked her to show me where it says that on the website, and she couldn’t. I was in tears explaining that my brother had driven from NY and their website lies had put us in an awful situation. She said she’d give us a refund for the camp site, but that was the best she could do. I told her that didn’t solve the bathroom problem. She said she’d offer us a cabin but they were all dirty. (I found out later from the staff that all the cabins on July 4 were clean and Brenda had lied.) SPENCER HAS SINCE REFUSED TO REFUND US! Said he “can’t make those decisions.”

My brother ended up driving back a day early (to New York) because their WiFI never connected, and he couldn’t telework.

Their false advertising is so awful that the locals asked if we got our money back when we found out what a dump the place was and laughed. Notice their website doesn’t have any close up pictures of their Resort. At best it’s multiple steps DOWN from an RV ONLY KOA campground because at least those have walkable bathrooms.

In the end this place is on par with a primitive, over crowded campground with no amenities (pool, beach etc). Their lies put us in a literal “crappy situation” we couldn’t wait to get out of. I’m angry because I hate getting scammed and ripped off and this place manages to do both by charging ridiculous prices to pee...

I have been waiting a full calendar year to write this review. My experience with Lake James Camping Resort & Marina has been absolutely miserable! Prior to the opening of the Mountain View side, I was on a waiting list for 2 years extremely excited about the opportunity to become a seasonal/annual camper. I was one of the first campers to secure a spot on the Mountain View side and was the very first member to build a “permanent” (floating) deck. I signed a seasonal contract and put up with TONS of issues without complaining. The pool not opening for months after we were promised, no wifi constantly, no water, no bathrooms or shower facilities on the Mountain View side because they are only open when the pool is open, etc. All of this and I never complained. I signed an annual lease for the 2024 year thinking things would get better as they were working out the growing pains. Unfortunately, in late December 2023, I had extremely rare health complications that lead to me needing open heart surgery and being unable to travel to the campground. We made the manger and the owners aware of our situation hoping we could switch back to a seasonal contract. We even had my cardiologist write a personal letter stating I would be unable to travel for several months after the surgery. The cold hearted owners not only refused to respond to us directly, they had the manager respond that they absolutely would not switch our contract because “nowhere in the contract does it say you have to use the site.” We ended up only being able to use the site for maybe 2-3 months and it went to waste the remainder of the time. I had my attorney review the annual contract thoroughly and I would caution you that there is no possible way to get out of it. There is also no guideline for why they can kick you out. They can literally kick you out at any time for any reason. Even writing this review before my lease was up was grounds for termination because it’s “not acting in a family fun way.” Don’t be like me and RUN from...