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December 2023 by marcin c
Very disappointing experience. My husband and I and two friends stayed there for one night. The place is dirty, one room was cold since the heating didn't work. Our friends had to sleep with their winter jackets on. Beds are one of the most uncomfortable ones I have ever slept in. The bathrooms were dirty and the toiletries seemed like someone had used their half used bottles. Three of us are vegetarian and basically the option for us was to get rice and the meat had been taken out from the dish. Not something you want to pay so much for. For our vegan friend there were no options at all.The place is dated, dirty and what you can feel everywhere is the astonishing and completely ungrounded sense of entitlement and pride that the owners project in the descriptions and policy signs they placed all over the establishment.It all happened a few years ago yet our friends and us can't stop going back in disbelief to that awful experience.I am sure my review is going to be followed by the owners telling me it is a 150 years old “poor” lodge. No, there is no good explanation of the disgusting shape you keep this otherwise beautiful building in. I was born and raised in Europe and I have seen beautifully maintained buildings that were hundreds of years older than your lodge. The chutzpah with which the owners respond to bad reviews is astonishing and off putting.
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November 2023 by Marcin C.
Very disappointing experience. My husband and I and two friends stayed there for one night. The place is dirty, one room was cold since the heating didn't work. Our friends had to sleep with their winter jackets on. Beds are one of the most uncomfortable ones I have ever slept in. Three of us are vegetarian and basically the option for us was to get rice and the meat had been taken out from the dish. Not something you want to pay so much for. For our vegan friend there were no options at all. The place is dated, dirty and what you can feel everywhere is the astonishing and completely ungrounded sense of entitlement and pride that the owners project in the descriptions and policy signs they placed all over the establishment.It all happened a few years ago yet our friends and us can't stop going back in disbelief to that awful experience.
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September 2023 by Carol Altobell
Very interesting place. Almost a little spooky. Owners are great people. Very friendly. The breakfast was awesome! Will stay again forsure!
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August 2023 by Janey Russell
We had a big family wedding at Outing Lodge, for around 140 people.The venue is beautiful, like an English country estate. It's not just a showpiece, it has history and character, both in the house and throughout the lovely grounds.The food was delicious, service was excellent, and we really felt looked after and cared for.Much of the success was due to their help in planning how it would all flow, and in their exceptional catering. I couldn't recommend them more highly.
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August 2023 by zap zap
Enjoyed an outdoor wedding ceremony followed by lovey dinner, beverages, and dancing in the dark on the lower level. Outing lodge is just minutes north of Stillwater. It has a casual feel to it. Nice place for a wedding. Staff was very nice.
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July 2023 by Madison Peterson
We came here for our anniversary and could not have been more pleased with our experience! The owners are so kind and genuinely care about all the guests. Breakfast was delicious and the bike trails near by are wonderful if you get the chance to explore them! So thankful we had the opportunity to stay at this historic location.
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July 2023 by M3654JRheidia
We had a wonderful stay! It is an historic building & so yes, the floor did creek, the shower was a bit "rustic" and the AC units where floor and window units. But the building was kept at the perfect temp, the rooms were clean & well kept. Hands down the most comfortable and enjoyable B&B Stay we have ever had! Breakfast was wonderful & the owners were a joy to chat with! I wish we would have made time to go for a hike or scout out the beautiful property more!
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July 2023 by Tom K.
The room and lodge were clean. Otherwise, this was disappointing. The lodge is beautiful but the grounds aren't maintained well. The room is very basic and although "themed", it wasn't. It's definitely over priced and we can't recommend it.
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June 2023 by katacha
The Outing Lodge is a truly unique place that will stand out as the high point of my trip to Minnesota. It is a B&B with a lot of character and quirkiness, for those looking for something different from a traditional hotel experience, close to Stillwater and Minneapolis. Each room has a distinct style, which you can see on the web site; I stayed in the Robert Frost room, which is huge, airy and bright. Breakfast was varied and plentiful, and I also enjoyed wandering the grounds and admiring the gardens and other outdoor and indoor spaces. The owners were welcoming and friendly, and accommodated a late check in. It is an old building, with all that entails, including some uneven flooring, window air conditioners, and no cable TV. All of that was fine for me but might not be for everyone - wifi worked great, though!
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May 2023 by Rebecca Pearson
We just loved the atmosphere and service. The place and history are amazing. The breakfast was delicious and better than we anticipated. We sat down with the owner and had an interesting chat. Very glad we chose this place and would definitely come back again.
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May 2023 by Adrienne Fitzer
A year ago today, I got married at The Outing Lodge. Today, we stayed here for our 1st anniversary. We also have attended a dinner event here. We love our experiences with The Outing Lodge and recommend this beautiful bed and breakfast for events, dinner, or an overnight stay. The Robert Frost room is our favorite.
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March 2023 by Rachel Carlson
We ended up leaving at 1:15am to go home so we could get some sleep. The bed was very hard & uncomfortable & we couldn’t find a pillow that wasn’t completely flat or hard as a rock. I am writing this review at 1:20am as we are driving home. And that is how disappointed I am of this stay.
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January 2023 by Jodi P
It seems there are no recent reviews, and I truly hesitate to report negative things, though my intention is to be helpful to prospective overnighters. We spent $410 to stay 1 night, snowshoe, have dinner, and 2 drinks. We stay lots of places all over the country and to be fair, this price seemed reasonable. The highlight was the snowshoe (2nd time) and meal to follow. It was a decent workout and the staff are there to support your outdoor enjoyment. Staying overnight is a different experience. We can work with antiquities and charm, chilly rooms that have signage to only use the space heater provided rather than turn the thermostat up, toilets with old plumbing; even windows that drip and soak an entire towel overnight. My asthma was flaring up (which is not typical… I am a physician, so I am acutely aware of how to manage my health), so it was either mold or the cold room, or both. The room was clean - there were not bugs or dog hair (it is January), and no dog anywhere, per other reviews. I didn’t think to read any reviews before going since I have done the snowshoe event before and enjoyed it. We went there to be in the woods…for quiet and serenity. The bed was very hard and springy…we are not spring chickens… arthritis gets angry when there isn’t a soft place to land at the end of a day. At 1:30am the television across the hall was still blaring. There are stringent rules around quiet hours starting at 11pm (not an issue for us), and many more things that came as a surprise. Once I knocked hard on the door where the tv noise was coming from, a man (the owner) opened and graciously aplogized saying he fell asleep. By 7:30am, the tv was not as loud, but still heard. We didn’t shower or use any amenities, as the comforts of our home aren’t too far away. We hoped to play a game or two, but they were behind glass doors with covered planks in front of them. I asked if we could play the games and the female (owner) said yes. Wouldn’t you think she would escort us to them and get them out for us? We found a chess board so that sufficed, but not much to do unless you want to sit at the bar all night (we don’t really watch tv). Noting the bar experience, we met a friendly Veteran who chatted it up prior to our snowshoe and the female (owner) was smiling and seemed like she would be friendly, but things just started making sense after my return trip to get our 2nd beverage. Being a foodie for 30 years, I am picky about wine and there weren’t any I’d like. I chose a cognac, neat. Evidently, it was a “generous pour” the first time around, since the comment was so blunt I was a bit in shock. I said “thank you for that.” It made sense to me that something was amiss with the overshadowing of her to witness the next pour to be exact. She wanted to negotiate what a “neat” pour was, to ensure it wouldn’t be so generous this time around. She decided it is to be 1.5 Oz. It is in fact, 2.0 ounces. Weird. She also proceeded to show me a sign by the cc Terminal that read there is a 15% gratuity charge and 4% credit card usage charge. She inserted my card herself. Just odd, that’s all. Why was this in better sight? Felt like she was micromanaging my transaction. There are “surveillance camera” signs all over, which also lends a creepy vibe. I all of a sudden didn’t feel welcome for the rest of my time. Needless to say, it’s pretty remote. We couldn’t just go somewhere else for the rest of the eve. When owners aren’t walking among their guests making sure things are going well, and being the hosts you expect at every B&B. It’s not up to me to complain, it’s up to the business. I don’t appreciate the defensive vibe in all the negative reviews given. That seals the deal for me. Without action, words mean nothing. With the lack of sleep, in addition to being a naturally early riser, I was hoping to find water and hot coffee in the morning. Yes, I heard breakfast wasn’t until 9am, but I did expect to see something other than the lights out at nearly 8am. Breakfast was (for a foodie), subpar. We should’ve just left after waking up, but hoped
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January 2023 by Taylor
Honest review: I was the MOH in a wedding at the Outing Lodge a month ago and I was highly disappointed with my stay and the condition of the venue itself. There are reviews from 6yrs prior sharing the same experience as mine in 2022. The outside offers beautiful scenery for photos with a welcoming ambience but the inside was less than moneys worth standard. In my room specifically there was a dirty black used cleaning glove left in the night stand, the beds were very old, the water was freezing cold and took 10 min to get warm and heat up, the plumbing was very fragile and barely working correctly in most rooms, there was hornets EVERYWHERE. In the toilet bowl, in the light fictures, in the background of the bride and grooms photos CRAWLING UP THE CURTAINS in the dining area during dinner. On one half of the venue there is a desk where the staff openly eat their lunch and work while inches away guests arrive and decorations are displayed for a formal wedding? There was a major miscommunication between what the bride and groom had thought was the standard and what was actually played out. The drinks at the bar were very over priced and many difficulties accord trying to allow guests to have access to drinks initially. There is limited space outside of the dance floor for guests to move about downstairs. One positive was the complimentary breakfast in the morning provided to the wedding party who stayed. It was presented nicely and tasted good. The venue could easily take some time and money that is provided from weddings and events to invest in the property and renovations. I understood it was an OLDER property with HISTORY but it is not a functional clean comfortable property to stay at overall.
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October 2022 by DeAnne Curto
Come here to rest and be refreshed. Enjoy breakfast and conversation. Spend time in the upstairs library. Take advantage of the forest trails that surround the property.
