Caberfae Peaks — Hotel in South Branch Township

Let's start with the positive. It was my first time at Caberfae and though small, it commanded a lovely, ski resort atmosphere that you would expect in Colorado. I poked around and saw that it's well-equipped for lodgers and day visitors alike, with places to buy food and drinks, picnic, hang out (there's a nice big wood fire in one of the communal buildings and an outdoor patio with electric fires) and park. It even snowed the evening I left, so it felt extra cozy and wintery. In that way, it did not disappoint. I got hurt biffing it down one of the intermediate slopes and was able to get some care at the 1st aid/responder building, so that was a great thing to have as a resource. The staff there were just lovely. The downsides: I stayed at the Mackenzie Lodge. Again, it looks really cute and updated from the outside, but on the inside, feels more like a hostel (trust me, I've been to my fair share around the world). They had a tiny pool and jacuzzi outside which was bursting with family-sized parties. I get it, Caberfae is very family and beginner-friendly, but it couldn't hurt to have a sign up sheet or "timer" system (ie: you have to get out within 20 mins--it's usually recommended for safety reasons to not stay longer than 15 mins anyway) to regulate how long people use it and so that everyone gets a fair shot. Drove 3 hours to this location, so let's just say that I was pretty disappointed to not get to use it. The front desk service wasn't bad per se, but they did the bare minimum (sign this paper, here's your key--hostel vibes). I had to keep asking basic questions so that I felt I had a handle on what was available and when (for instance, the fact that they don't offer evening skiing--yikes). The area where you can store your ski equipment is very nice but pretty crammed, so to avoid the major traffic jam of people at the start of the day, I decided waited it out, as 2-way movement was impossible. There also was no public lounge area, which I thought was bizarre. There is a restaurant, but I just wanted somewhere to chill & drink my coffee. The lowest floor (basic backpacker hostel vibes) is completely under-utilized (hint: renovate it for public use! Paint a fun mural and throw some comfy couches and armchairs down there, for Pete's sake. Have a bookshelf filled with games and books. It looks like an abandoned basement from the 60s down there). There aren't individual coffee makers in the rooms, which I feel is pretty standard everywhere, motels included (they did offer coffee/hot water near reception). Would I go back? Possibly. Not that they could help it, but the runs were also super icy and minimal if you are a beginner, so for now, I'll be exploring other Michigan ski...

The skiing and the customer service were terrific. What started out as a small disaster ended as a great trip. We had reservations for 3 days and nights over the busiest time of the year, the week between Christmas and New Years. We were making a six hour car trip when bad weather delayed our arrival by a day. We notified the hotel a day after our expected arrival (our mistake) and they had predictably rented our room to someone else. The General Manager immediately secured the last available room in nearby Cadillac and offered us free lift tickets and rental equipment for our daughters for both days we would be skiing. It would have been nice to be able to ski to and from our room, but the courtesy of the staff and the quality of the skiing more than made up for the 15-20 minute drive from the hotel. It is hard to imagine getting any better customer service and that alone would have been enough for us to make a return visit, but the skiing was fabulous! The lift lines were very long at the peak times of the day, but the staff handled it all without fuss. Our family has skied for years and our now college-age son skied junior competitions when we lived in Alaska. Our grade-school-age daughters are still learning. With such a wide range of abilities in our family I can say that the terrain at Caberfae is as good as any we've skied. There are features even in the green runs that can keep experienced skiers entertained while the more challenging blue runs are wide enough to allow less experienced skiers a chance to grow their confidence. Unlike some places we've skied, the black runs are really difficult and can challenge even accomplished skiers. The terrain and wide variety of runs resulted in both the most- and the least-accomplished skiers in our family singing the praises of this resort. On the other side,of the coin, the overall infrastructure could use a good dose of capital improvements. The lodge is rather small and the food options on the premises are very limited and suffer from a lack of adequate space. On the other hand, many families/groups set up in the lower level with tailgating-style food spreads they brought with them. While it was a neat option, it also added to the overall lack of seating for those who didn't secure a table early in the day. We didn't get a chance to stay in the lodge, but it looked as if the other comments about the room amenities and conditions are still valid. In sum, the runs and the customer service will make Caberfae worthy of return visits, but it will be a tough call on whether we will try to stay on the premises or opt for a room in...

Honestly this place should be getting a 5 star review from me. The slopes were great, the food was good, and we loved the atmosphere. Unfortunately, I can not give that perfect review due to an altercation I had with an employee.

My wife and I had used the facilities restroom in the lodge. After coming out of the men’s restroom I stood near a far wall waiting with my mask on for my wife to exit the ladies room. I was then approached by an employee who said “ we can’t have you hanging around in here”. I replied that I am just waiting for my wife and we will be going right back to skiing. ( at least 3 others were also doing the same thing and waiting for their spouse). The employee continued to press the urgency of me needing to leave. I then stated that” I will not be leaving until my wife is with me”. The employee was not at all understanding and still pressed the situation and threatened to “get the owner out here”. At this point I was fed up with this employee and responded much more sternly and advised him that he could get the owner involved if he needed to but I was still not leaving my wife. Also, acknowledging that he would need to tell all the individuals waiting for their spouses to leave then. Once my wife exited the restroom we immediately left and the employee followed us out like we were some criminals. Once out of the facility he continued to stare me down until we grabbed our skies and left from sight.

We let the situation go and tried to enjoy the rest of our vacation. The next time we had to use the restroom, we again went into the lodge and counted at least 8 other individuals standing in the lodge. At this point, we decided to take this up to management regarding how terrible we were treated. I was told that the management was not in for the night, and the would reach out to me the next morning. They took my phone# and name down, but I did not get a response from them the following day.

I understand the COVID-19 protocols businesses are doing and trying to keep everyone safe. At all times I had a mask up and was further than 6 feet from anyone besides the employee who approached me. We simply wanted to use the restroom and then go back skiing. Shame on ANYONE who tells a man they can not wait for their wife for her safety. We are grown adults with grown responsibilities but were treated as children and harassed.

5 stars for Caberfae (all of the other employees were very respectful and friendly) 1 star for the terrible employee -1 star for management not reaching out to attempt to...