Montauk Lodge — Hotel in Salem

A Very pretty setting but the facilities need major maintenance. Let me start by saying we weren't expecting a Hilton Hotel. We stayed in a "duplex" cabin. The unit we stayed in had a broken deadbolt that you could easily see from outside into the cabin leaving just the door knob lock to keep the door locked, even that you had to jiggle and shimmy the door just right to actually get it to latch. There was no chain or safety bar on the door (not that I expect some one to barge in my room in the middle of the night, but either way, not very comforting). The room was FULL of ladybugs (literally in the hundreds at least). I know that this time of year that we stayed they are really bad everywhere but there is no excuse for that many in the room, especially since that many couldn't have gotten in there between when the housekeeper came (we know they had came that day) and when we checked in. Obviously the bugs were ingnored. The bathroom in the our duplex cabin was TINY. The shower was very tight but even tighter was the toilet area. The walls around the toilet were only as far apart as the width of the toilet making it very awkward to use it. The shower stall was made to have a door but just had a curtain instead which meant regardless of what you did the bathroom floor got flooded. In fact, the floor was very squishy from obviously rotting floorboards from constantly being wet, add on the fact there is no bathroom fan and the window doesn't open means it gets wet in there and stays wet. I get that these cabins are "rustic" so the cramped spaces didn't surprise me as much as the overall blatant lack of basic maintenance in the cabins. The only pro to the room was that beds were very comfortable with very nice linens. I'm all for privatization of things but being this is a state owned park and facilities they definitely need to come in and make "Forever Resorts" (the private company that runs and maintains the facilities) spend some cash and fix these cabins up. At First I thought maybe it was just our cabin but at dinner one night some people sitting next to us were saying the motel room they stayed in was in pretty shabby condition also. Now, the restaurant/snack bar I would give a 5-star rating for. Both of them had delicious food, wonderful staff, and although the prices seemed a little high were resonable given they are your only option within 15mi drive and being "out in the sticks" I know getting food out there and staff to work out there costs more. Even the cost of the grocery items in the general store were very reasonably priced and not much more than you'd pay at a local grocery store. Overall a very beautiful park and the facilities are laid out well but until Forever Resorts fixes the place up I'd stay elsewhere even if it meant driving another...

This was an impromptu trip to Montauk and we reserved a cabin at last minute. The cabin did not show availability on the website, but we were able to get it by phoning them. There was parking for two vehicles and the cabin was only about 30 meters from the general store and dining area, which was very convenient. It was also only about a five minute walk to the trout hatchery and another five minutes to the fishing area. The room cabin was clean and comfortable. In fact, it looked like it had been recently built or remodeled, as all the caulking was clean and everything seemed to be extremely well maintained. The air-conditioning unit worked well and the temperature was comfortable. Amenities are similar to a hotel room. Bathroom has shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion. There is no hair dryer in the bathroom and no television, which might be the main things that you might miss if you are expecting a typical hotel room. The kitchenette had stovetop, oven, refrigerator, and microwave. There is also a coffee maker and filters, but not actual coffee. It's available at the general store, though priced similar to what you would get at a convenience store and not in small quantities. There were no paper towels in the kitchenette either, and I don't think there were dishes or cookware, but there were utensils. Sleeping accommodations were reasonable for four smallish people, and maybe five if someone were willing to sleep on the sofa. Be aware that the sofa does not have a back to it, so don't lean back on it. There is a wood burning fireplace, but you have to supply your own firewood. Convenience store has snacks, fishing gear for rent (maybe for purchase too, but I didn't ask), bait, souvenirs, dining counter with ice cream and desserts, and full dining room for breakfast (and maybe lunch and dinner too, but we didn't stay long enough to investigate those). There is a mill on premise, but it's closed so there is no exploring. The area was overall quiet and peaceful, at least on this one...

First, I've loved my experiences in Missouri State Parks in the past, but it's been a while since I visited one. I was hoping for much more on this trip than I experienced. We stayed in a cabin and my husband woke up with bites all over him. We thought to examine the mattress of his double bed for bedbugs. Sure enough - lots of them. We reported it to the manager and she agreed to refund one night as we definitely weren't going to stay for the third night we had booked. While we appreciated that, I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to stay in a state park cabin again. ||Among a few other things that were disappointing was that the quilt on my bed was completely lumpy and useless. All of the polyester had formed hard balls in the center of each square. I mentioned it to the manager, thinking she would be as surprised as I was by its condition. Instead, she told me that that is what happens due to washing them and they planned to replace them at the end of the season. ||The entire place needs a really thorough cleaning and review by the State Park headquarters. It's sad to see a historic CCC property be so poorly maintained. I also would not recommend the restaurant. My husband said it was one of the worst meals he's even had . . . and it's not cheap.||Now, about the unnecessary noise. We were sitting outside on the cabin porch in the morning and a Conservation Department truck arrived around 7 a.m. in a parking lot directly across from us. It had some type of grinder on the back and the driver drove back and forth across the parking lot for about 30 minutes making the most horrific noise. So much for enjoying the sounds of nature.||We loved the trout fishing and standing in the stream watching all the animal life that it supports but I think we'll have to find somewhere else to do it...