Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark

My husband, my 5 years old son and I visited Dubuque for the first time and we stood at Grad Harbor Hotel and Waterpark for 3 nights for Christmas and totally loved it. Reading the mixed reviews I was skeptical at first, but getting here totally different story. Starting with checking in which was very easy. Tanya was very professional and explained everything very well. We saw her few times and every time she smiled and engaged making guests feel welcome. Also at the waterpark the employees were nice and helpful. Rooms very clean and found the bed comfortable . ( I’ll attach pictures) the pull out couch was very helpful my 5 years old son loved it. The view amazing we were at 7th floor facing the river. Waterpark was great, very clean, newly remodeled I guess, water good temperature Wonderful for all ages, slides are really nice. Jacuzzi area is big enough and water temperature just perfect. Games room lots of fun we had. Breakfast is area spacious and clean. For a breakfast included with the stay I think the options were fair . We will definitely come back, since is a great price for the quality.

This hotel is gross. If you’ve ever been to a hotel you consider to be “nice” this will be a REAL bummer for you considering that our room rate was over $200/ night! If you don’t care about your accommodations or maybe have never stayed at a hotel, this might seem reasonable. The room we stayed in had hair all over the bathroom towels and bed sheets and comforters. There was someone’s food in the fridge. Wonder when the room was cleaned last. The in room ac/ heat went on and off without any reason and the room temp was inconsistent at best. Everything was old, damaged and dirty. Rust , dirt, peeling wallpaper throughout. Stained chairs and curtains. Lumpy pillows. For the price we paid, the accommodations were really bad. The folks at the desk were nice.

The room was well kept. The front desk gentlemen was very pleasant. Our only disappointed was the breakfast buffet. The scrambled eggs had a bad taste to them. The sausage overcooked. The wrapped muffins were dry. And there was no attendant around. Tables were not cleaned off.

The best part of this resort honestly wasn’t the waterpark — it was the kids’ room. Brad, who runs it, brings such a thoughtful and intentional approach to what he does. He wasn’t just supervising; he was truly engaging with families. Most days he ran the kids’ room from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and even helped each family create keepsakes from their trip, which was such a special touch. Every night we were there, he hosted a skee-ball competition right in the game room for both kids and adults, which everyone loved. Then from 7–9 p.m., he ran a pool party with organized games every 15 minutes, keeping the energy high and everyone involved. He truly made our trip memorable and has us already excited to come back to Dubuque.

We stopped here for a night, before heading to ski. It's the perfect little overnight getaway that won't break the bank! The watepark kept both my 11 and 3 year old entertained for the evening. My oldest especially liked the guy in charge of the games, he was really great with the kids! Thanks for a fun night!

$500 for one night. The water park hasn’t changed at all… About the only good thing about our stay was the breakfast and… the concession prices aren’t bad.. otherwise, no late check out, the lady said we couldn’t swim till 2 even though I had a letter from check in that was highlighted stating we could, the arcade was pitiful, almost all the games were broken. Oh and the freezing cold lobby, no heat at all I feel bad for guest services. Idk. As much money as people are paying you think they can afford heat and renovations…. Won’t be staying here again. Taking the 2 hour drive to Wisconsin dells next time 💯

We go every year with our young children (1 and 4) as well as my mom and teen siblings(13 and 17) and everyone has stuff to do and have fun. The staff are amazing and very friendly. The water park is large enough where the kids think it’s amazing but also small enough I feel comfortable letting the teens go off on their own and able to spot them when it’s time to go. The rooms were very typical hotel rooms, never had a problem they are clean. The WiFi is pretty slow but 🤷‍♀️ no biggy The breakfast was large and great quality It’s close to the aquarium so we also go there as well! Definitely worth the money to go here! We’ll be going back next year.

Check your bill before checking out! They charged us $40/night for a rollaway bed that we never reserved, never discussed with hotel staff, and we obviously never used because there was no rollaway bed in our room. When we brought it to the front desk's attention they blamed me for using a third party booking even though we booked directly through their website. I'm normally a pretty calm person but every reason they gave was even more unbelievable than the last. It sure seemed like a charge they all in periodically to see if anybody catches it, then blame the system for it. Pros: The lifeguards were very friendly and did a good job of being present but not intrusive. The breakfast was pretty good for a continental breakfast. The location is great right by the river and near the Mississippi River Museum. The water park is small but was entertaining for the kids. Cons: Shady business practices. The beds are very firm. The rooms could use some more soundproofing to combat the train and all the kids running around.

First the hotel has the most friendly staff. They were very accommodating regarding the indoor Waterpark. They were also very helpful with getting discounted tickets for the aquarium next door to them. The hotel itself is very kid friendly. Besides the Waterpark they have a kids play room with activities daily and an excellent arcade The rooms were very clean and tidy. They do serve a continental breakfast. Eggs, link sausages, potatoes, biscuits and gravy and cereal are available. The indoor Waterpark is excellent. They have several pools. The kids pool goes to a depth of 3 inches to 1ft 6 inches. The largest pool is 4 ft deep. It has several indoor water slides, 1 of which allows inner tubes to be used. Lifeguard staff are on watch at all times. The Waterpark provides towels for use and keep an ample supply. The main water playground can be used by kids and adults. The water is kept relatively warm and is well chlorinated. The bathrooms have shower facilities.

Had so much fun here with my family! Hotel was very accommodating and front desk associate, Austin, was very friendly and helpful! Definitely will return.

Save your money and stay at a regular hotel. Pulling up to this hotel we expected a high-end feel. When we got to our room, we were instantly disappointed. The room is filthy and outdated. The waterpark (if it can even be considered that) is so small and dirty, and a majority of the games in the arcade were broken. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Especially at almost 600 bucks for a weekend.

Heat index outside was 104. We were looking for an indoor pool or Waterpark for us and our grandkids (ages 6 and 4). We were surprised by the availability. It was small but perfect for our needs god the day. The price was also extremely affordable ($12 per adult, $10 per child) for an all day indoor water park, small as it was. We'd come back again.

We received a very warm welcome from the front desk employee who checked us in and was very informative and helpful. The room had a bad smell and there was a bottle cap and some food on the carpet next to one of the beds. Otherwise the room was clean and a very nice size for us (3 adults, 2 kids). The waterpark was a lot of fun, the kids had a blast. A lot of the structures were rusted and old-looking but that didn't take away from the fun we all had. Unfortunately we were not there for the days the Kidz Klub was open, it looked like a lot of fun. The arcade was great, and I wish we would have had time to try the laser tag they have. Breakfast was included in the price which is unusual and really nice!

4/5 stars for rooms being dated and needing some work- we drove 3 hrs each way from Indiana for a little weekend getaway over new years 2024-2025. we rented a suite that had a king bed with a stand up shower and soaker tub and a living room area with a couch that pulled out into a bed and a kitchenette area with a breakfast bar and some stools, microwave and mini fridge. there was no stove or hot plate but there was a mini sink in that area. the room was dated and worn in some ways, but overall I felt it was clean enough. I was not disgusted but it was clear that typical maintenance and updating was needed. The sheets and blankets were clean and there was not a bad smell or anything so it served its purpose for two adults and two young children. I was worried about this place due to negative reviews but I went into it with an open mind. The front desk staff was very kind and seemed happy to assist in any way they could. there is no room service and the only food options are the restaurant in the hotel which closes at 8pm, the snack bar in the water park itself which seemed to have a lot of decent options (we didn't order anything from there though), and local fast food places 5-10 minutes within driving distance. As far as the waterpark goes- our experience was lovely. The place seemed overall clean! there was a good amount of lifeguard staff and a few people walking around cleaning as needed, a child had a toileting accident and another family dropped some food or drink near the snack bar and the staff blocked things off and started cleaning whatever the mess was immediately and thoroughly. 2 adult hot tubs we good sized and parents were good about not letting children play a lot in them. There wasn't a film floating on the water at all, the pool deck and tables and chairs were clean and there was always plenty of clean dry towels available. The water and air temperature was comfortable as well. there was a good sized baby area for the really little ones. The larger structure did have some rust spots and wear and tear present but I haven't been to a water park structure that didn't have that. overall it was structurally sound and I felt comfortable and not grossed out by anything. Breakfast was provided each morning and there was a little bit of everything available but not an over abundance. Toast, bagels, cereal, scrambled eggs, sausage... enough to start the day before going to swim. For the price it cost, we felt we got plenty for what we paid. We will visit again when we need a little water getaway on a budget.

On top of the fact that two elevators aren't adequate for a hotel of this size, one of the only two elevators was out of order during our 4 day stay. Our family along with several others were forced to use the stairwell the entire time due to extended (30 minute) wait times. Staff seemed generally apathetic and oblivious to this as we all lugged suitcases up and down a crowded stairwell. I could never recommend this hotel but it appeared to be one of very few options in town.

We checked in there on December 26 for a two night stay. It was a little after Christmas getaway for our family and the grandchildren.. We booked for two queen beds and a sofa sleeper to accommodate three adults and two teenage boys. Upon arrival we were told That our room wasn't available. All they had was a king bed. We were upsold another $200 to actually get the room we booked. We went along with it just because the grandkids were looking forward to spending a couple days at the waterpark. The waterpark itself was in a sad state of disrepair. There were rusted bolts everywhere. The giant bucket was coated in rust. We were supposed to have free passes to the Mississippi River Museum. But we were charged for those also. The continental breakfast was garbage. This was not the first time we had stayed at this hotel. They used to have the continental breakfast in Tony Roma's restaurant. It was great when it was in there. But the little area that they had for the continental breakfast was not equipped to handle 200 people. It consisted of runny scrambled eggs and greasy link sausage. The room itself was filthy. There was hair all over the shower. And for two days, we didn't have any hot water in any of the showers. We were told the first night that they would have someone look into it. We were also told that it was only in our room that it was a problem. We found out when we checked out two days later that the entire hotel was having a problem and they didn't want to tell anyone. During check-in, we were charged a $50 room deposit to cover any charges that may be put to the room. We were supposed to get that back about a week after checking out. We never did. We will not be back.

I have no idea why the rating for this hotel is so bad--we almost didn't go thanks to that, and I'm really glad I gave it a try anyway. Great Wolf in Bloomington is where we normally take our 3 kids, and I'd say this waterpark was about 75% of the size. I thought this hotel was cleaner than that hotel, AND THERE'S CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST INCLUDED! 3 nights here cost less than half what it costs for 3 nights at Great Wolf, and the food and drinks at the hotel were all very reasonably priced. Four full days in Dubuque wasn't enough--we did not run out of things to do. Is this hotel perfect? No. But the pool temp (water and air) were great, there's a hot tub next to the kiddie pool, and the staff are outstanding. While we were there, there were a couple of technology hiccups (one of the elevators was down and a couple arcade games weren't working properly). The staff did everything they could to compensate for this. They comped us our credits when games didn't work at the arcade, and they gave us 4 free games in their special laser arcade game to make up for it. We've all been there when things go wrong/don't work with technology--it happens. The staff's response when things went wrong was always above and beyond. In fact, the staff is so great that one day while we were there, my 4 year old went running and tripped and scraped his knee as we were walking back into the hotel from the museum next door, and the gal at the front desk came running over to us with bandaids. I don't have enough positive things to say about this place--don't listen to the people griping in the other reviews. This place is awesome. We WILL be back!

Stayed at the Grand Harbor Hotel. I called and verified the water park times and was told they upended at 9 am. We checked in and were told the same thing. Sadly, we were told incorrectly. They didn't open until 4. The Waterpark was packed, with adults bringing coolers of alcohol. The hotel staff at night was great!, however, the day staff was VERY RUDE!, There was one lady who yelled at customers, including myself!! (About the Waterpark). The beds were uncomfortable, the pillows were worthless!, Breakfast was horrible the first day (Thursday) it was cold, and when I tried to mention it to the staff, they were just as cold and rude! I do NOT recommend this hotel!

I've been here a few times and although it's not a 5 star hotel and it's mainly for kids it's want bad until this visit. The room we got was just nasty. Crud on the walls the beat up furniture looked like it came from a garage sale. When we asked for another room they told us forget about it because we booked it through Expedia. I said no matter where I booked it from I should get a clean room. They disagreed. Went to Tony Romas for a beer and an appetizer the bar was sticky and I mentioned it to the bartender but she didn't get the hint so we moved down a couple seats and guess what. It was sticky there also. We're very disappointed this time around. This is the last time we're going to stay here for sure. I guess for our weekend getaways we're going to have to go to Wisconsin.

Every year we take our Girls on a Christmas Getaway and this year we came here! We have tried almost all the water parks in Iowa and this is the biggest and has the most to do. The main area was filled with slides and fun water activities. Our whole family enjoyed chilling on the lazy river. There is also a larger water slide, a smaller kids area, and two hot tubs. We paid extra for a bigger room and that was really nice and cozy. I believe a standard room is around $80-which is a steal!!! The arcade was fun and my kids loved earning their prizes from a machine rather than a face-to-face person & they love that skittles machine. The waterpark area could use a little refresh--but it kept our family busy for hours.

The waterpark is absolutely disgusting. ALL of the innertubes are extremely deflated. You can practically fold them in half. There were lifeguards wearing jeans and acting unattentive. I would not feel safe leaving my kids' lives in the hands of these teenagers. This place has not been updated since the day it opened, and it's gone downhill fast. The hotub and basketball pool were closed, the stairs to the tube slide were slimy and gross, and I can still feel the water burning in my eyes. Came on a monday around noon and pizza had a 40min wait time. The arcade is decent, though a lot of the games weren't working. Not coming back unless a lot of things change. 1/10.

Rooms are dated, dingy and beaten up. Elevators are crowded and under capacity for a 7-story hotel.

Never again not worth $275 for one night!! PROS: friendly staff and location is decent CONS: 1. Police activity on our floor was a red flag for safety concerns 2. outdated/rooms are old, walls are thin, smelled musty and hallway smelled like weed. 3. Loud establishment people in hallways talking super loud, yelling and partying until 5am 4. People running around halls and banging on walls all hours of night/morning If you love not sleeping, hearing people all hours of the night in your hall yelling, talking, banging on walls, .then this place is for you! My husband and I went for a relaxing night on the river but got ZERO sleep and left ASAP the next morning! The hotel is over priced and room was dated/smelled not to mention the safety issues with police activity

where to even begin! Tony Romas restaurant is fantastic! but thats all at this place. we checked in to our rooms but they didnt give us shower curtains. so we call the front desk and no one answers. finally go down and tell the desk myself and they give me deer in headlights look! Pool area: they had all season plus months of covid shut down to clean the rust off their pipes. couldnt be bothered. the food at the "bait shack" at the pool was atrocious. greasy and a lot of it was still cold. the ketchup from the pump dispensor had separsted and had some kind of particles in it. pretty sure it got us sick. we go to their arcade. half the machines are broken and some look fine, take your money, and dont work. so after dealing with that we go to cashout our tickets in the prize vending machine. yep its broken too. finally, at night, cockroaches came out of the vent in the bathroom. at that point i was just done. please do not come here

We booked in January for 4 days at end of March stay. This hotel has a water park. When booking the 2 joint rooms we asked for water park access we told them we are booking here for the water park. They proceed to take our reversion for 2 rooms for 4 days. Upon arriving to check in on A Sunday (until Wednesday) the front desk informs us that the water park is closed Monday-Wednesday (New Hour created by the managers).... I asked them why they didn't inform us when making the reservation back in January? Their answer was talk to our Manager Sue Moran. (More like Moron) who is home on a Sunday. They claim the number they had on file was wrong so they could not contact us via phone call. I said " We are in the year 2024 why couldn't you email us? " Oh our system doesn't let us. I asked did all of the reservation have the wrong phone number? They answered "no just yours" ok so you couldn't email me ? I'm the only person in your reservation list that you had the wrong number? Front desk: "no our system will not allow us". Me "so you'r telling me you can see my email address on file, you emailed me a reservation confirmation in January for March, but you can't email me to tell me you have changed your hours to close the water park from Monday to Wednesdays?" They answered no we can't. Stay away from retards running this joint. Common sense dictates you inform the one client you couldn't get a hold of. What kind of idiotic Morons Are these mangers ? Sue Maron you must be the dumbest manager around. You had over 2 months to notify 1 client. Get off the heroin and smac, sober up and go find some common sense.

Worst overall experience I've ever had at a hotel. Terrible service. Definately not a 3 start hotel. It's like they just opened and don't know what they're doing yet. Oh yeah, did I mention it's overpriced by about $100/night.

Rooms were not clean. Gum under sink on floor. Mold on walls near shower. Furniture extremely dated. Coffee maker in room was covered in something sticky. Free breakfast had very few kid options and the breakfast area was way undersized for the amount of hotel guests. Water park has not been maintained and is dirty with one pool area closed. Food not available in water park. Not enough seating and tables for the amount of guests at water park. Drive further and go to the WI dells.

The entire hotel is in need of a lot of maintenance. Starting with the waterpark, the bottom of the kiddy pool is awful. It's painful to walk across and both of my children ended up with scraped knees and toes because of the roughness. Also, some of the lifeguards seemed entirely inattentive. There were CONSTANTLY, young (5-10 years) children who were unsupervised in the top whirlpool. It would be so easy for a child to drown up there. Finally, the room... yuck! It was filthy! The lamp looked like it hadn't been dusted in a year. There was visible dust on the wall behind the beds, as well as along the floor. Belongings from another guest remained in the room. The furniture was beat up, chipped, and sticky. The shower water diverter gate only partially worked, which resulted in water pouring out the tub spot, as well as down the shower head. The curtain rod was falling off the wall. The tile under the sink was absolutely filthy. Just a very dirty room that was badly in need of a cleaning and a refreshing. Would not recommend and will not return.

This hotel is not being maintained. Our room was dusty as if it had been unoccupied for weeks but it was not dirty. The shower bar had been pulled out of the wall and reattached with half effort, two screws instead of four, all sideways and wonky. This didn't directly affect our stay but it's like no one cares. The waterpark is atrocious. The swim suits of the family members who played in the baby pool water smelled like body odor instead of chlorine. Those same family members all became sick upon our return home. The children who stayed on the slides never got sick. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. I picked up a rusty hinge from the floor of the kids spray area. The structures are rusting and I don't think the waterpark floor is swept or cleaned at night. Garbage and debris were found scattered about regularly (balls of hair, food garbage, hair ties, etc). The netting in the children's structure is shredded. Foam that is wrapped around the poles for safety is ripped apart. There is also the apathetic life guards. I would never leave my children unattended with them. They follow no protocols for always keeping their eyes on the water. One sat in a chair half asleep. I'm not sure they are even trained in water rescue. We were so incredibly disappointed with the condition of this place. We came two years prior and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately we will not ever be returning.

definitely a one star hotel, first if you have a child under 2 stay away you will be up all night with the trains, they run nonstop with the horns, crazy. Beds are horrible, no ac so had to leave the door open in march it was so hot in there, unfriendly staff at night, tv is so outdated I think I had a better one in 1980, oh actually I know I did! Definitely you have been warned that it's not a great stay. Also watch your own child, shouldn't have to say that but many parents are stupid, because as a former lifeguard, these kids watching your child have no training!

I read the previous reviews so I was skeptical about staying here but did it anyways because we just wanted to get away for a couple days. We got a double queen room that was clean and nice. Beautiful view of the river. If it wasn't winter I would have been outside walking in the mornings. The bed was comfortable, bathroom was clean so overall we didn't have an issue with our room. Parking is free. Free WiFi as well. The free breakfast was very busy. Which I expected from previous reviews but they did have a decent spread and they kept up with demand I thought. The first day we took our food back to our room and the 2nd day we stayed and ate downstairs. I was more annoyed with crazy kids not listening and screaming than waiting in line. Coffee is important to me and their cups sucked plus they didn't have lids for the coffee so I could take it to go without burning myself. It was hot! We got tired of waiting for the elevators so we took the stairs. I just old my kids it was good exercise and we'd get there faster which was true. The exercise room was nice as well. Couple nice machines and weights. It gets the job done. The waterpark is definitely outdated but we still had a good time. Our kids loved it and we went there both nights we stayed. They provide towels and they do have a concession stand. It does need a good cleaning structure wise or a complete overhaul but the water quality was typical on all the other indoor waterparks I have stayed at. The staff were friendly and nice. I would agree $150 per night is more then I would like to pay considering but free breakfast, free entry to the waterpark, free parking, free wifi and a clean room it was fine. We had a great time and good memories together.

I wouldn't even let my dog swim in that nasty water park ! If you prioritize your kids health stay away. Should of taken better pictures but didn't want to get in the water.

Second time here and will be the last. This place has become so rundown its basically a motel 6 with a water park. Lady checking us in was incredibly unpleasant. Found out from locals the hotel house cleaning staff has a reputation for theft..

Poor training, communication, service and in poor repair. We were charged for rooms we didn't use. Getting a refund was a multi step process and multiple calls. Some staff were friendly and othees complained about their job and wanting to go home. A disappointing experience at best.

This place looks amazing on their website. Upon arrival we soon saw very different. Our room was clean with a nice view. The Waterpark, dingy, outdated, rusty. With resurfacing the pool and some paint this place would be nice. $177 a night, is a rip off for what we found when we got there. Complimentary breakfast, includes sausage, biscuits, gravy potatoes and powdered eggs. Milk and two kinds of juices. Should have spent money elsewhere. Lazy river is short, bottom of pools are rough and I'm surprised there aren't more kids with road rash. The slides are eaten away at from chemicals.

On the phone, said I could get a specific room and in person Shante said that the room was full. Shante proceeded to talk down to me during our entire interaction. I'm disappointed because we come here frequently and the staff is normally friendly and accommodating. There were museum discounts last year but not this year. Why?? The lady in front of me paid $119. I paid $209 w taxes. Person behind me paid $246 with taxes. Just saying.... Air BNBs are what we will try next time.

From the moment we checked in it at Grand harbor it was an unpleasant experience. Firstly we were given a different room then we reserved. We were told when we came into the room and called down stairs that this was the only room left and it was supposedly better then What we reserved. The light in our room wouldn't work and we had to call maintenance. They were very prompt on this and we thought that was our last issue. We were only in our room for about an hour due to the water park and dinner. Only When we came back to our room and spent time In our room did we start to realize how disgusting thing were and the poor state of our room. I have listed below all of the issues we experienced. The sliding door to our closest was broken and wouldnt slide without coming off the hinges. There was crumbs, hair, dirt and who knows what else inside of our made beds. There was hair hanging from a screw on a wall. The screen door to the window of our room the screen was broken. We paid more for this room then any other hotel we've ever stayed at and it is also the most disgusting. We spoke to management about the state of the bed room before we noticed all the other things and they offered a $30 refund and a gift certificate to the hotels restaurant. The following morning during check out we spoke with management again and got a full refund.

I stayed one night at this hotel, something I really regret. I booked the room, I thought, by calling the front desk. I didn't know it but was on the phone with Hotel Planner .com. The person on the phone never mentioned that they were a .com. The room I requested was to be a double queen room. It was a single queen with a hide-a-bed couch. The first strike. We get into the room and immediately notice a patch of fibers missing from the carpet, the size of a cup saucer. Strike #2. My wife looks at the heater and finds filth in the vents, she cleaned them not wanting to breathe that air. Strike 3. I turned on the TV and found food on the screen. Strike #3. Upon checking out the next day, I asked the desk clerk about the $50 recovery fee, finding out when it was supposed to be put back on my card, the Lady told me it would be no more than 2 business days. The recovery fee was for anything extra charged to the room. I had no extra charges. My stay was March 10, 2024, today is April 9, 2024, I am still waiting for my $50. I called my credit card and put a dispute for the $50 charge. Strike#3. My cost for one night in Grand Harbor hotel in Dubuque Iowa was $217.53. I urge anyone in the Dubuque area if you can't find a room anywhere else in town please just sleep in your car!!

This poor hotel... could really be something great- maybe it once was. Although we have a corner room with beautiful view, the room is very outdated, the patio door does not have a lock and open to a dangerous drop. At least there's a new desk chair - ha! The breakfast is a joke! Such a small area for the huge group of people trying to squeeze in for the terrible selection of food. The food layout makes it terrible to even hold your stuff. To add to it, no sound breakers so it's loud. Sure love that in the morning... the Waterpark is in dire need of updates. It's kid friendly, fun and clean but the walls of the pools have chipped away, most tubes are leaking, the metal is corroding on everything. They should really consider adding more seating at the pool considering the huge groups make it hard to find a place to park.

At first glance, we were pretty happy! Check in was very pleasant, our room was ready early, and we were anxious to get to the water park! That excitement quickly petered out... The Waterpark has been very poorly maintained. The textured pool bottoms were thick with dirt and grime, and the texturing was actually pretty rough! We all had scrapes over our feet and legs. The main play structure was covered in rust and corrosion, and some of the netting was moldy. The locker room was FREEZING cold! The snack shack food was mediocre. The icing on the cake, though, was the lifeguard who seemed to be extraordinarily intoxicated. He could hardly keep his eyes open and barely able to communicate. The room was OK. I never expect much from a pull-out couch, but even my 6 year old son couldn't stand the mattress! It was thin and you could feel every spring. Overall, I doubt we will be back.

When we first walked into the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark we noticed the lobby is clean and the natural light is awesome. Don't expect any hospitality though as there is no water, coffee or anything of that nature set out for guests. We discovered you can get to the beautiful walkway on the Mississippi River so take some time to go for a stroll along the walkway. We took a few walks and loved it. So gorgeous and relaxing. We checked into our room and it was clean but could have been cleaner because it smelled like stale smoke. We think maybe it had been a smoking room at one point in the hotel's history? I even ran a diffuser and sprayed room spray - that didn't help. We also discovered the second morning that the AC unit may be faulty because it smelled like something was burning. We checked out that day anyway so not sure what it was - maybe just an old unit? The indoor pool area was our main reason for booking this hotel because we have two little boys and it seemed like a fun getaway. But, it was really gross. Just to be fair to the resort, I'm sure it's tough to keep up with the demands of cleaning and maintaining a waterpark of that size,.. however.. it was gross and was clearly neglected. The flooring of the walkway areas had light texture to it so you can see the dirt. The main play area that was like a water jungle gym had lots of rust. The main play area had a metal lever that lost it's rubber and it was open metal lever pointing outward - such a safety hazard! The pools showed a clear water line of erosion. The floor of the pool had so much grit to it that one of my sons and I accidentally scraped our feet in the lazy river and drew blood. The edges of the pool floor were crumbling and you could feel the soot underfoot. We stayed on a Sunday, Monday. Monday they must have offered a free local promotion because the place was insanely packed. So packed that there was literally maybe a foot in between people in the pool. Both days there was a shortage of inner tubes. Tubes are needed to ride one of the three slides. There were at least a dozen of them half deflated in a corner, just waiting to be blown up. They sat there for the full four hours our family was there on Monday,.. and the full 3 hours on Sunday. Kids were using other half-deflated inner tubes and going down the slide. Again... safety hazard? The lifeguards were comatose. I saw one little kid come down the inner tube slide, and fall right through his tube. The lifeguard was oblivious. My husband and I thought "it's the end of summer... maybe they are all ready to get back to school?" We purchased the package that included hotel stay, water park passes and vouchers for Tony Roma's restaurant which you can get to right from the hotel. The food at Tony Roma's was ok but do not order the latte's. They are more like Wendy's Frosty shakes than lattes and they are $6 each. Not worth it if you are a true latte fan.. but maybe worth it if you want a little shake. We were gone all day Monday only to come back at 7pm to a room that had not been cleaned. The front desk lady was very nice and gave me a $30 credit. The arcade area was fun but kind of a rip-off. We spent $40 and it was all over in about 30-minutes.

Just got here, paid $325 after tax for what was supposed to be a suite, however is more of an expanded regular room. Nothing suite about it. In fact kind of pissed this room was $270. The room is clean, and the guy at the front desk was friendly warranting 2 stars. Interested to see how thee rest of the stay is. Wishing we'd have stayed at the holiday inn a mile away. My advice is book holiday inn if you can help it.

This water park is such a disappointment! It is dark, dirty, and run down. They need to close the place and give it a good cleaning and some fresh paint. The paint is chipping, there is sand at the bottom of the pools and it's noticeably dirty (even when they first open in the morning). The water park deserves 0 stars. The 2 stars are for the hotel which is just fine. The beds are very small but it is clean and we would go back if the water park part improved but as of now, we will never return. This is such a disappointment as there are really no other indoor water park choices in the area. If someone built a quality indoor water park anywhere in the area it would definitely put this place to shame!

We had a great weekend for our sons 13th Birthday. The service was great and view was amazing. He loved the Waterpark. We would stay here again

I'm not sure where to start. we wanted to do something fairly inexpensive with the kids for new years, so indoor water park it is. Here is where it starts to suck. after a $250 a night check in, we went to our room, worn out is an understatement to say the least. the beds were uncomfortable, the room was dirty. then comes the amenities, or the lack there of. -1 we were here for two days, we ran out of toilet paper, towels and coffee on the first night, our room was never cleaned even after requesting it be done twice. -3 the there is the room service, wait back up, there is no room service. we had to go to the restaurant, order and bring it back to our room. -1 now to the water park. the kids had a decent time but if an adult wants a cocktail to drown out the intense screaming that is the park, you need to order one before 6pm on a Saturday or your not getting a drink. -10 the concession stand was closed, so no snacks or drinks for the kids and your not allowed to bring anything in with you. i wont get into the hotel restaurant in this post but TONY ROMOS sucks and that's putting it mildly. bottom line, wisconsin dells would have been less expensive and way more fun!

I pooped and it smelled so bad my wife had to leave the room. Aside from that, we had a good time.

We stayed here for a business trip. Overall it was ok, no major downfalls. Just pretty outdated and dumpy. We arrived at 1pm, no rooms were available so we had to wait until check-in time at 4pm. *we did not try the water park, but it also looked outdated and dumpy when we looked at it. The conference center which is attached to the hotel is very nice. Tony Roma's is also attached to the hotel and we weren't fans of it. (See separate review).

Since it was during a popular time when we stayed, we paid more than I would have liked. But...we got a turret room and it was nice to have coffee, a microwave and ample fridge and food storage space. So we ate in for breakfast each day. Room temperatures in our two room accommodation seemed to run cool in the living room. The waterpark is good for up to tween years. But it runs more on the splash parkish side. Be sure to bring a wrap or beach towels, as the hallway leading to the elevator goes right past the main entrance so it's very chilly.

WARNING VERY DETAILED HONEST REVIEW SHORTENED VERSION we would go back again but the beds sucked, and room smelt musty. Water park kinda run down. My daughter dont know the difference so she had alot of fun. We saw online that they were having a winter getaway package for 109.00 plus tax. It included a large 1 topping pizza from Tony Romas restaurant 4 sodas, 80 arcade tokens and access to water park with hotel room. I'll start with the food. The pizza was really good a little to much sauce but all in all it was good. The arcade was nice and my daughter loved the games. She is 4 and didn't really care about the tickets she just loved to play the games. All the games were working when we were there. The water park was ok. It is a bit ran down needs some maintenance, but my daughter did still enjoy it. I would out water shoes on my kid mext time. The bottoms of the pool were extremely rough and the pools sometimes had sand at the bottom. The slides were nice and they go pretty fast. The lazy river was jist a little circle and the tubes needed more air. This water park is more for younger ones 9 and under. Thry do have 2 hot tub spa pools and they are decent size. This was my child's favorite thing to do. They do.hace a DJ playing and he is really interactive with the kids and plays games. The kids were really enjoying the music and hula hooping. The life gaurd looked more lazy than alive. No expressions in their faces just some staring off into space. We would go back again despite the flaws. The hotel room was ok. Very musty smelling, the beds are rock hard and the pillows are like laying on flattened balloons. The fridge is very cold and they do have microwaves which worked great. Before we fell asleep we smelt a burning popcorn smell and my husband said we were mext to the laundry room which worried me but it soon wemt away. All I can say is the bed was horribke so if you already have back problems do not stay here. I kept tossing and turning all night. We went to tony Romas. Because we wanted dessert. I got the trio sampler and it was nothing special. The raspberry brownie was the best. The red velvet cake taste like freezer burn and the strawberry shortcake was ok. These are not made fresh you can tell. I'm a baker and know when things are fresh. The ice cream was very blah. They advertise fresh made daily.

Absolutely appalled by our recent experience this past weekend at the Grand Harbor. We had to pay $279 for a suite where the lights didn't work, the ceiling was falling apart, there was a pile of hair on the floor, the toilet clogged after first time use and then continued to run every 10 minutes making sleep impossible. The beds were horrible and the pull out for my kids was the worst I've ever experienced feeling every piece of metal from the worst mattress ever. They take advantage of this being the only big indoor waterpark around and it was an awful experience. I will never go back.

I wish you could review the water park separately from the hotel, because it's actually pretty fun. I came here with a Girl Scouts group of about a dozen kids and their parents, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. My daughter is six and she had a blast. So did I, frankly. There are two water slides plus one big one that you ride on a tube. There is a massive water play area which, while aging, has a ton of water traps and ways to soak your friends. There's are several pool areas for kids to toddlers and a big hot tub. Generally, lots to do. We killed 4+ hours there and she still didn't want to leave. Fun!

All the bad details from past reviews about this place is true. The hotel looks beautiful from the outside but when you walk into your room it looks like a Motel 6 or even less? We were given a room with 2 small double beds. I called the front desk and asked if we could get a room with a bigger bed. She just said firmly "No" and they are completely sold out so she won't be able to move us. We are here for work otherwise I would've packed and left. The beds look like they haven't been changed. The bed spread is badly wrinkled and does not look clean. I lift the blanket to inspect the sheets and the bed still have the crease from when the last person slept in it . I notified the front desk and within minutes they were in my room with new bed sheets. Because of their quick response I decide to give them 2 stars. I can hear my neighbors, kids running down the hall way and people passing by my door loud and clear. Noise from the room above isn't any better. There's nothing much I could say about the restaurant either. I can see that the people who work here are trying but they don't look any happier than I. This is such a shame because the scenic view and walkway on the Mississippi River behind this hotel is just amazing.

When we arrived in our room, there was a dirty cleaning rag left on the back of the toilet. The coffee maker was very dusty. While I was taking a shower the water in our room completely cut out for a whole 2 minutes. Lifeguards were inattentive at the pool, even chewing gum and blowing bubbles. Little kid area in the Waterpark was shut down for a few hours one of the days we stayed too. While waiting for an elevator and staff member was around the corner and swearing excessively. We stayed here a few years ago and had a great time, everything has gone downhill since. Would not recommend.

We drove 2 hours to come to this amazing water park. It was a rainy day on spring break in Iowa and this was just the right adventure for our family! My boys (age 11 and 8) loved the multiple slides and giant indoor playground. I was able to sit back and relax at one of the multiple table and chairs around the facility. Thanks for providing a really fun and exciting experience for our family!

The fresh deals package is a great option for a little family getaway. You get extreme value for the cost. I highly recommend checking it out for what you get with the arcade tokens, Waterpark passes and Tony Roma's gift certificate. The Waterpark is fun. The hotel is fine. The rooms are starting to get a bit dated and could use a refresh. Overall, it's a great place.

Water park had a lot of dirt/debris in the bottom of the pools. Arcade room had debris all over the floor, while the employee sat behind her desk on the phone. Room, broken handle in the bathroom, plus BED BUGS. Horrible night. Woke up itchy as all get out. They weren't little ones either, full grown adults ,huge.

Looks nice outside with good location. However the cooling and heating unit was loud not working properly. There are no device charging outlets very few outlets. No nightlight in the bathroom. Very dim lighting in the room. Stained worn out chair. Leaky tub faucet.