Black Forest Lodge And Cabins

After checking in, went to the room and noticed it hadn't been cleaned and prepared yet. Had to wait an hour for housekeeping to get the room ready before we could go in. They offered to upgrade our room for an extra fee. Not my fault the room wasn't ready when I checked in. I decided to wait for the room to be cleaned rather than pay extra.

Needs serious help!

I didn't like much about this place. The woman behind the front desk was nice enough, but she did not have a good front-desk appearance. She was the only staff member I saw the entire time I was there. I stayed on the second floor of an 8-unit building. The room was drafty, and although there was a fireplace, there was a big hole in the back where the outside air just whistled through. There was no mattress pad, just a single flat sheet on top of a bare mattress. The bathroom was clean but there was no holder for the toilet paper. The sink was cracked and old. The old and dirty carpet was full of charred spots from sparks flying out of the fireplace. The room was not vacuumed each day. The bedding was old and tacky. I didn't want to look at it too closely. The room is full of things that don't match and are just plain ugly. Old thrift store paintings, half-broken lamps, etc. There was a hole punched in the wall. No coffee machine, no microwave, and a tiny TV that looked like it was suspended from an upside-down coffee table nailed to the ceiling.

On the other hand, with some help, this place could be lovely. There are cabins, chalets and two-story motel-like structures scattered throughout a woodsy copse with birds singing and sunlight slanting through the trees. The air is clean. The manager (owner) takes pride in her plants and she tends them carefully. From the road it looks like a big Swiss chalet, and it's sweet. Most rooms have a fireplace. I understand there are saunas in some rooms. At night the place is quiet after everyone settles down. I guess this place caters to skiiers and other sports enthusiasts who don't care where they sleep and just need a place to crash. It was the least expensive place on KAYAK that met my needs, but it was still a bit pricey for what I got. Someone call Hotel Impossible! The place has amazing potential, but it would be a HUGE project to bring it up to par. I am planning on returning to Big Bear often, but I won't be staying at Black Forest Lodge.