upon arrival, it's apparent this place is pretty laid-back. there's no check-in, the staff is dressed neatly in a button-down and khakis (no suits), and after a quick orientation you're off to do as you please. we went when it was pretty cold (i wondered if the temperature was in C or F at first) but because of the fluctuating global warming winter weather, there wasn't enough snow on the ground to do winter activities (e.g. ski--they have 5 slopes including a black diamond, ice skate, snowshoe, sledding). we did some hiking including climbing up the black diamond slope and visited the o-furo. other than that, we ate a lot, used the gym, tried our hand at stave--which is actually quite addictive but slow progress, and my guy always looked forward to building another fire in the fireplace. the property has hiking boots, walking sticks, fanny packs, skis, sleds, hockey skates and sticks, canoe.
food: they have really good ingredients for the food but the flavors are a little understated. there's a good variety of cuisine from mexican to asian to creative american. the food is elegant but sometimes you just crave a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. i think the portions are enormous and had to stop finishing my meals cuz i was never hungry for my next meal. afternoon tea is set up with teacakes and a bowl of fruit but you can knock on the staff door and ask for fresh tea, tea sandwiches and scones. they didn't have clotted cream however.
atmosphere: as other raters have said, there's a lot of regulars here, something like 75% of guests are repeat customers. we didn't get anyone's names but we chatted with many guests who were friendly. mostly people are in their own world tho. the first night, the GM introduced himself and went about taking care of the guests just like other staff. outside of mealtime, you'll rarely see any workers, or guests, around the main house. the artwork, which is everywhere, is fun to check out too.
overall, you can just ask and do and eat whatever you want here. it's a fun place, not stuffy and very relaxing, and staff/service is definitely up there--friendly, professional but not overdone.
