Nick Y.
Yelp
First...the Villas are very nice. New, well constructed, nicely appointed and nothing in them is particularly cheap. The things to do onsite are good for children and families, putt-putt golf, boat dock with tubes, paddle boats, life jackets provided, etc. There is a Zip-line for use as well. The beds are very comfortable. These are the positives.
The negatives are: If you bring a boat, you will need to use a ramp which is 20 miles away in Lampe proper. Baxter's Marina does NOT have a ramp, but the state park campground does. The "ramp" advertised is a dirt road leading to the water that locals use to put in Jon boats,etc. I checked it out on Google Earth in advance and am sure glad I did. You can see where a number of people have been stuck using that mud ramp. Not suitable for normal size boats. The weekend we were there, the internet went out. I called the maintenance man but it was not fixed until Monday. All of the units were out...not just ours. It was fixed when the regular crew came on Monday so it could have been fixed on Saturday if they had tried. This would normally not be a big issue, but one thing they will tell you is that reception is not good for any cellular phone or hot spot. We own several redundant devices and none of them would work from this location. So...if the internet they provide is out...you are without communications.
The instructions for use and clearance are annoyingly "direct". I like direct, but I don't like to be threatened. It was made vividly clear that if you took an inside towel to the pool and it became clorine-stained, you would be paying $15. There were other "directions" that detracted from the welcoming atmosphere which could have been put forth. Nothing major and we are compliance type of people, but it was annoying. A few more "pleases" would have gone a long way. They seem to want to provide nice things for you to use, but were obsessing about the use...sort of a contradiction.
Lastly, if you want seclusion...this is the place for you. There is virtually nothing relatively close. Branson is 45 minutes away. Stores in Kimberling City are north of Lampe about 30 minutes away. One or two good restaurants in Lampe exist, but they have odd operating days. So, be prepared to come and take care of yourselves; i.e., cooking, entertainment, etc., or be prepared to drive. The hills and roads are narrow and steep, so driving is tedious.
I gave this 3 stars because the negatives I elaborated on can be fixed and it will be up to the management if they choose to make these great villa's better or dismiss my comments. One will notice I did not mention money. The four nights came to $1600, but that is not an issue...or my issue. I am glad to pay for nice things...and they can do better with some relatively simple fixes...that do not cost money.
Lastly, the ladies who man the rental desk are very nice and responsive. Unfortunately, I do not think they have visited the property. I was telling them things about the ramp, etc., and one of them indicated they had not been there. A one day visit to the property would certainly enhance their operating abilities. I was glad to give them updated information on the boat ramp, etc., but I know they would have rather been able to provide accurate information upfront. However, these ladies did a fine job and clearly are the lynch-pins of this operation.