I’m all about expectations when traveling and this is especially helpful in Big Bear where the accommodation range is extensive.
First, none of the rooms identified as “suites” really are suites. The Kitchen, Garden, Spa and Lakefront “suites” are all single room hotel rooms with no separate bedroom. There is only one real suite and it is a two bedroom suite with a full kitchen. This unit is shown on the website but is not identified on the property map. In this suite, bedroom needs to be defined loosely here as there is no closet, no dresser and no TV in the master bedroom. The only bathroom in the suite is accessible only through this master bedroom.
At the Big Bear Lake Front Lodge you …
Can expect: pretty good location, comfortable beds, clean bedding, working kitchen appliances, hot water, reasonable quiet, great views, lake access (including boat dock for swimming or boating), generally friendly staff, generally clean rooms (our carpet clearly had not been vacuumed but was cleaned upon request), small but safe play area for kids 4 and up.
Cannot expect: dish soap, dish towels, working lights in refrigerator / stove, toaster, anything other than basic cooking utensils (eg. no spatulas), cooking knives (i.e. cannot cut an apple),mixing / serving bowls (we tossed salad in a sauce pan), BBQ tools, charcoal, matches, ice (even for purchase and despite what the room book says), ice trays, TV channel guide, alarm clocks, phone in room, screens on all windows, pillowcases on all pillows or real houskeeping services during your stay. If you ask the front desk for any of these items, you can expect to get a nicely stated “NO”.
Bottom line: Good place to stay if you can get a solid discount and can bring with you all of the things you will find lacking in the rooms.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC