telemark resort

We stayed in a one bedroom, one bath condo with a washer/dryer, king bed, and screened-in porch for a week the end of July. I was not optimistic since the reviews are all over the place, but I was pleasantly surprised at what we found. Yes, they are a bit dated - older TVs (not flat screens) but the channels came in very well and we had about 12 stations. The appliances were a bit dated also, but worked just fine. The Internet connection was great, we never had a problem and it was never down. The size of our unit was huge. The nights got very cool (lower 50s) and when we arrived late afternoon the air was on and it was freezing (by my standards). We later found out that the propane was turned off for the season but had the place toasty in short order using the gas fire place and electric heaters in the bathroom and bedroom. The unit was very clean and quiet except for the people next door who chose to do laundry or shower at 5 a.m. and it sounded like they were doing it in our unit. A big jacuzzi tub was in a room adjoining the good size bathroom. The nights are quiet and dark, not like the city.We are from Madison and this life style was very quiet compared to home. At first we thought “what are we going to do?” Well, we found a lot to do. We visited seven waterfalls out of the more than 20 some in the area. This entailed a lot of hiking, some was very strenuous and some were easy short walks. We only paid for two, Morgan Falls $5/car and Copper Falls State Park, the rest were free. We shopped in Cable and Hayward where we visited the flea market and farmers market. We spent the day in Bayfield shopping and eating and took the Grand Apostle Island tour – it was a wonderful day. We hiked about the Telemark grounds, attended the Firehouse 50 bike race in Grandview and just relaxed.The Telemark Lodge is in quite disrepair. It's a shame to see a facility that in its hay-day must have been quite an awesome place to visit and stay. There is no pool on site so you have to travel about six miles to Lakewood Lodge to use their indoor pool or the beach. The outside pool is for Lakewood's condo owners only. The indoor pool had a lot to offer, a sauna, nice restroom facilities, a shop that served ice cream cones, etc. but it was quite dark inside and we didn’t want to be inside so passed on the opportunity. Make sure you eat at the Brickhouse Café –fantastic.

We used to be timeshare owners at Telemark,and had some time/points left to use up. I hadn't been in the condos since they were renovated and I was impressed for the most part. Our condo included a gas fireplace and a jacuzzi tub, nice touches, and there are very nice x-c ski and snowshoe trails right on the property, although the snowshoe trails were poorly marked and most of the time we were making it up as we went along. This is a very nice, scenic piece of property, we snowshoed to the top of Mt. Telemark and enjoyed the view. The only complaint I'd have is that no one told us the electric baseboard heat was connected to load management. One night it was like -15 and the electric company cut off the power to the baseboards. In addition to the fireplace the condo had an electric thermal storage unit, so it's not like we were going to freeze, but both heat sources were in the living room, with baseboards to supplement in the dining room, bedroom, and bathroom, and it got a little chilly in the bedroom and bathroom in the two hours before the baseboards came back on. It wouldn't have been much of an issue if we had been aware of the load management, but since we weren't, we got a little concerned. I'd like to see someone reopen the lodge at Telemark, having a restaurant and some other amenities on the property would be a plus, but this is still a nice place for a quiet getaway to the north woods.

The unit was a 1 bedroom with 1 bath. The location is in the woods (so if you are looking for nightlife this is not the place). If you want outdoor activities and a National Forrest this is a good location.

What BS!! It was obvious that nothing has improved since our last visit, yet the host of the show stated that it was now a FIVE STAR RESORT!! Not true--it would be kind to give it TWO.

We stayed in a condo the week before Labor Day. The unit was fantastic - it had a kitchen and dining area, washer/dryer, big bathroom, amazing whirlpool tub, cute screened-in porch in back, and a king-size bed. We were with our 17-month-old twins and two pack and plays fit easily in the master bedroom. We really enjoyed the hiking trails around Telemark, saw several deer, and it was very peaceful and quiet. Because Telemark is well-known for biking and skiing, it was very quiet when we were there in late August. The Lodge seemed a bit Shining-esque, to be perfectly honest, but since we were staying in the condos rather than the Lodge, this wasn't a big deal. What we disliked most was that we had hoped to spend more time at the resort enjoying ourselves, but the outdoor pool was closed and the indoor pool was freezing. It literally may have been 60-something degrees. We visited Lake Superior during our trip, and it was warmer than the indoor pool at Telemark. We were very disappointed. The playground was also a little run-down - there was a plastic climbing structure that was broken in places with sharp edges, and there was some garbage on the ground. There were also some creepy rundown buildings and the ski lift looked to be in bad shape - this may be a different story during ski season. The restaurant was only open on weekends, and we ate breakfast here on the first and last morning of our visit. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. The staff at the condo office were very friendly as well.

A small group of us stayed at this resort last weekend and it was horrible! After returning home, my mother and father in law who are 80, received a letter saying they were being billed $250 for a duvet cover that was missing from the room. They are 80 years old and have never stolen anything in their lives! Needless to say, this was a complete lie and a way for this run down old place to try and make a buck. When talking with the General Manager, Robin, he said that is their policy and the duvet cover was missing. This place is absolutely pathetic! Whatever you do, DO NOT STAY AT THIS PLACE. THEY CLEARLY HAVE MAJOR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND ARE LOOKING TO SCAM PEOPLE TO STAY A FLOAT!

Nice place to stay with hiking trails, swimming pools, and delicious food!! Very spacious place to find a relaxing area to read, visit, or just rest. Only one thing the coffee shop wasn't open long enough.

We have been to several conferences at Telemark and have been pleased with the rooms and the service

If I could give this place a zero, I would. Their website boasts excellent customer service. Well we had to cancel our first night (weeks in advance) and when we came to check in on the revised night we were told since we cancelled the previous night, they won't let us check in early...really?! When we talked to the general manager, Robin, he said that they lose too much money checking people in early....seriously?! Definitely get a zero on customer service. Also, the website said that they get cable TV. Try a snowy screen and about 5 channels. When we called the front desk, they said that the reception won't get much better. NEVER coming back again. Will be telling all my Minneapolis friends to not come here and go to Lutsen instead.

We went there because we were in town for a wedding. This place is so old. Nothing has been updated at all. I think we were the only people there. It was a very creepy feeling and could not wait to leave. There was no staff or people there.

My family and I have attended the Birkebeiner for the last three years and I have to say, this year was our most enjoyable experience. Compared to the last times we were here, the hotel was almost unrecognizable. As a person that once managed a hotel and restaurant, I can say that there is still a great deal that needs to be done, but the renovations that took place from last year to this year were indeed impressive. Having said that, Saturday was an incredible disappointment. We arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 and sat down at the only table that was open. We were acknowleged right away and soon thereafter given menus and beverages. We were located at a table that faced the bar and it was obvious to me that the staff was working very hard in order to accomodate everyone. We were told by our server that there would be a wait, which we certainly understood given the circumstances. The staff was working very hard and very well together. Then something strange happened that, in my twenty five plus years in the business, I've never seen before. A man in a blue, button-up shirt came behind the bar and asked two women that were seated there to help him. From that point on it was a complete disaster. It was readily apparent to me that, even though the bartenders and waitresses were very busy, they were not confused. After this man and his help attempted to assist, it made a busy stituation into a chaotic one. I could see that four, sometimes five people were gathered around the register, that no one knew what food went where, that the waitresses were all of a sudden thrown off their rhythm, that where before there was simply a group of people doing their best to do their jobs, there was now complete and utter confusion. I saw a man circling the dining room with a tray of food trying desperately to find its table. It was sad, in a way, to see a place doing so well all of a sudden losing its way. I have been in this business for a long time and understand what happens when things get busy--what I don't understand is why someone would come along and, with all due respect, just get in the way. When my family sat down for dinner we were very happy, not only to see the restaurant thriving, but also, at least for me personally, to see the organization and competence of its staff. That all changed and so did my evaluation. I'm not sure who this man was, but if he is an Executive/Board Member, he should be ashamed of himself to make a great staff look so badly due to his actions. After our dinner I went to the front desk in order to speak to the owner, but was told he was busy. I hope he reads this and takes it seriously. This resort has an incredible amount of potential; sometimes, however, that potential can only be realized by allowing the staff to do their job--in other words, for the resort's benefit, let them do it.

Haven't stayed here in a whle, but I enjoy the atmosphere during the birkie. I love the big fireplace and the little shops. We also enjoy skiing around Telemark. It's an important part of the Birkie tradition.

We own at Telemark and LOVE it. My husband has always talked about fishing in the north and so I got here for him . We own at the Apple Pointe property which is 10 miles from the main lodge with 4 HUGE units, right on the lake, and so we stayed there one week the first year we visited: we loved it. Then, we stayed one week in the villas, the regular timeshares on site, as an RCI bonus vacation, and we also stayed in the lodge rooms. So we had the whole experience there! Since that first year, we have gone every year and it is our very favorite resort! We have stayed as long as 6 weeks in the condos, and we’ve been in both 1 Bd and 2 Bd units and lodge units. We stayed two times this year, July and in October. There are a lot of activities available as well as the cross-country skiing in winter, and hiking, fishing and swimming in the summer. We like an indoor pool when it’s cool and it has a nice one!The nearby town, Cable, has a population of 200 except during the International Cross-Country Ski Race when it swells to 20,000. The nearest big town is Hayward of about 2,000 and we think it’s big. The Cable library there is great – free to Telemark guests! - , the bookstore (Redbery)is my favorite and it has a very nice natural history museum. The friendliness of the people really make a difference at a place, and Telemark and Cable are superb.

A family wedding in the area brought us to Telemark Resort as I needed 3 rooms ( 8 people ) and the price was unreal for a Labor day weekend. Myself and many of the other relatives who stayed at the resort were actually suprised at what we found, not because of what they lacked but the actual history behind the resort and what the New Owner would like to see.So here we go.........................Rooms: Most guest rooms are very outdated and require new bedding and an update of the furniture. We later learned from the owner that these rooms were assembled much like todays cruise ships with all of the rooms built in pods and attached at he site, not bad for 1973 when it was built. Everything still needs the update but they are working on it.Lobby: Very nice and reminds you of a very large ski lodge type and you can picture the people during the winter. ( Note: This is the home of the Birkebeiner Cross Country Ski Race ).Pool Area: Indoor pool and hot tub were ok. the hot tub the first night was luke warm and the second was to hot. The second night was the night we were able to meet the new owner and he explained the history of the resort and his oulook for the future. The oudoor pool was closed for maintenance.Grounds: Nice except for the guest parking lot, that really needs improvement.Bar / Restaurant: We visited both days we were there for either drinks or food. Bar is well stocked, great selection and very generous on the pours. Food was good not great but worth the money that was spent ( except for chicken finger appetizer ).What's available: Mountain Biking, ATV Trails, Hiking / Running Trails, Golf Course next door, Handicap X Country training equipment ( I was impressed by that ), also trails for the summer time training.What to do: Plenty, we are talking about Nothern Wisconsin with fishing, boating, golf antiques, small shops and best of all the Great Outdoors. We enjoyed our visit to the Norwegian Style Antique store just as you turn onto Telemark Road.Would I go again / recommend : Yes and I am looking forward to the upgrades that are planned at the Telemark Resort.Please feel free to ask any questions.