Great Wolf Lodge New England

Currently standing in the lobby waiting on my room to be ready. Its currently 5:44 I checked in at 5:25 and check in was at 4pm. I'm already not pleased and my trip is off to a bad start. I was told it would be a few minutes yet here I am 20 minutes later still waiting.

Today we drove two states away to start our four day, three night vacation with three kids under 4. Destination: Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. We were a day behind getting there, but accepted that we had lost out on a day of vacation. Well, turns out being a day late to your reservation means you miss out on your entire vacation. When I went to the desk to check in, I was told that since we did not check in on the first day, the reservation was canceled and the room had been sold. No contact about this from Great Wolf Lodge, even though we have been getting plenty of messages from them leading up to the trip. Also, no refund. And the hotel is sold out, so no option to pay for a room for the night and figure out the rest later. So Great Wolf Lodge has our payment for the room, and a payment from whoever is in the room tonight. Double selling rooms is straight up criminal business practice. I spared the staff from having to tell the crying children that their vacation was not happening. So now we are making the long drive back to Maine, took a week off of work for nothing, sad kids, frustrated parents, and ruined vacation.

Came for the water park slides and an overnight. The room was okay but the beds were the wrong size. Went to the water park which was a huge disappointment and filthy from strollers and spilt drinks. It was over crowded, kids running and screaming everywhere, with an occasional parent who was just oblivious. The biggest insult was the slides were closed. Restaurant wait staff did try, too little too late. After much discussion we were able to get a refund and left.

Like many others, we had both positive and negative experiences during our stay. The highlight was definitely for our child—he had the time of his life. Even more than the pools, his favorite part was playing MagiQuest, and he was thrilled to earn his Magi certificate before the weekend ended. Thanks to that, I’m sure we’ll be back someday. However, for the high price point, the hotel was missing some basic amenities I’ve come to expect. Small inconveniences piled up throughout our stay, making it less relaxing than I’d hoped. The biggest issue was the shower: the water pressure was barely a trickle, and the temperature kept swinging wildly between scalding hot and freezing cold. Honestly, it was the worst shower I’ve ever had in a hotel. We also had problems with the room’s fold-out couch. My child complained it was uncomfortable, and when I sat on it, I realized why—it felt like sitting directly on a board. It seemed there wasn’t any mattress at all, just the hard underside of the couch. The mini fridge froze almost everything we put in it by the end of the weekend. And another frustration: the hotel doesn’t provide “Do Not Disturb” signs. Housekeeping started knocking early in the morning, and when we asked them to come back later, they wouldn’t. We had to awkwardly request towels, trash pickup, coffee, and cups while we were still getting dressed. Overall, I felt less like a hotel guest and more like a camper at a summer camp—well-intentioned staff, but rigid rules, early mornings, little privacy, and worn-out facilities. Next time, we’ll likely stay at an Airbnb or nearby hotel and just get a day pass for the attractions!

Unfortunately our room was facing the lobby and is not soundproof. Quiet hours are from 11pm-7am, so if you have children on a schedule forget it. Two evacuations in our one night stay. Way too overpriced and overcrowded. Disgustingly warm pools more so than a heated pool. Not clean. Rooms needed updating.