Staying at The Edge--It's all about family
Written: Jan 31 '07 (Updated Jan 31 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Waterpark is fun and safety-oriented; room is great for a family of six.
Cons: Parking is inconvenient.
The Bottom Line: This is a fun and comfortable place to stay and play.
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| lmkramer's Full Review: Best Western Edgewater |
Now called The Edge Waterpark and Resort (www.duluthwaterpark.com), the Best Western Edgewater in Duluth has been newly expanded and remodeled.
With our family of six, it's often difficult to find a motel room that can accommodate all of us. When we were looking to book a long-weekend getaway in Duluth, The Edge was the only place with vacancies that could accommodate us. We've never been to a waterpark resort before, but my husband thought it would be fun, and with some winter price specials, we were booked.
We pulled into Duluth at about 8:30 p.m. and could see the motel logo from I-35 as we neared our exit. With a quick left, right, and right, we were in the registration parking area. The lobby is not huge, but it does have a nice window overlooking the waterpark, so the kids were entertained while I checked in. The desk service was friendly and prompt, and soon we were in our room.
Our room was huge! A waterpark view "suite," it had two queen beds, a pull-out sofa, a table with four chairs, large dorm fridge, and microwave. We found plenty of places to stow our four suitcases and various tote bags so they were out of the way. A porta-crib fit nicely without being in the line of traffic. And the large window overlooking the waterpark provided constant entertainment for the kids. Even our one-year-old could see what was going on out there!
The parking lot was full, and my husband had difficulty finding a place to park in to bring our luggage in, and then a permanent place for the night. Several cars were parked on the street.
I stashed our things in the dresser drawers and cupboards under the bar/counter, and did a quick read of the guest information binder. Since it was too late for us to get suited up for a swim that night, the kids and I headed to the front desk to check out a game. The desk agent opened a floor-to-ceiling cabinet loaded with board games to checkout for free. We could keep the game (we chose Sorry) until we checked out, or exchange it for another at any time.
The next morning, we headed to the breakfast area. This isn't the usual little corner that seats 10 or 15 people. It is a large room with double lines, several tables that seat six and a bunch that seat two or four, and an ample number of high chairs. The usual cereal/pastry/fruit fare was available; nothing fancy but not a disappointment. Excepting the granola, all of the cereals were sweet kid favorites--not a plain Cheerio was to be found! The breakfast area, too, overlooked the pool area on one side, and Lake Superior on the other.
After a morning outing, we headed to the waterpark. A sign I saw said the capacity was 550 people, and although it was very busy on a Saturday afternoon, it didn't seem crowded. We checked out life jackets for the kids (you can use theirs but can't bring in any outside floaties) and headed for the water. Our six-year-old was in the 3-4' area instantly, practicing his moves from swimming lessons. The 2- and 4-year-olds headed for the zero-entry, 8" deep kids' area, with a bridge and small waterslides. There is a big bucket of water that douses the front, zero-entry side every few minutes, so we headed for the back side where it was calmer.
I took a ride on the lazy river in a tube with the 1-year-old, who enjoyed it except for the three spots where you can't avoid the "rainfall" from above. This river is really lazy--we stalled out a few times and had to paddle our way along at times. Stairs at various points make entry and exit easy.
When the baby got cold, I headed to the huge towel cart and grabbed some to wrap her up, then sat down to watch the action. The 3-4' pool area had a "vortex" pool that swirled, basketball hoops, and a few smaller, quieter alcoves. On one end were lily pads that kids could walk across the water on. Lifeguards were in all parts of the park; I suppose there were 8 or more on duty at a time. If a kid fell off the lily pads, the lifeguards were in the water instantly to scoop them up.
No outside food or drinks are allowed in the pool area, but they have pizza and short-order items available for purchase. The prices are on the high side, but not any more than you'd pay at a movie theater or amusement park.
Tables and chairs and deck chairs are available in several locations around the water park, and there is a mezzanine with more seating and tables available.
The baby and I headed up to our room after 2 hours, but my husband and the other kids stayed a while longer until they were wrinkled and tuckered out. They showered off in the locker rooms before heading up to our room.
This place is sprawling, and it's somewhat confusing to figure out the floor structure, elevator layout, and location of the breakfast area.
I was assuming that the free Internet was wireless, but after an evening of frustration in not being able to connect, I checked the guest service folder and found that only some rooms are wi-fi; others require a cabled hookup, with cables available for use from the desk.
Requests from the front desk varied in execution speed. A portacrib, which I had requested in our reservation, took about 30 minutes to be brought. The first Internet cable I requested never came, but the second one came in a matter of minutes.
This room was quiet when the waterpark was closed. We occasionally heard something from the hallway, but nothing from the adjacent rooms. The beds were comfortable, and the pillows some of the best hotel pillows I've used. When the waterpark was open, there was the usual noise from there that could be heard. The park closes at 9 or 10 p.m. so it didn't keep us up too late.
Billboards advertising the park on the drive up from the Twin Cities include a reservations number, but it would also be helpful to remind you of the exit to take, especially since Duluth has exits at both 21st Ave. W and 21st Ave. E.
There are several restaurants nearby. Perkins, Dunn Brothers Coffee, a bar and grill, and an assortment of fast food joints are within a few blocks, as well as gas stations.
A daily coloring contest and craft sessions on the weekends made the stay even more fun for the kids.
There is also an outdoor pool, play area, and basketball court, which were closed in the winter, but the outdoor hot tub was open during part of our stay.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lmkramer
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Location: Small Town, Southern Minnesota
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Currently a full-time mom and farm "assistant manager"; formerly a school librarian and student.
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