Note To City Council: He Knows If You've Been Bad Or Good
Written: Dec 13 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quiet, uncrowded in off-season, limited development
Cons: Limited development can also be a con if you're looking for a good meal
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| shmoopie13's Full Review: Indiana |
While making a trek through the Midwest about two years ago, I decided to get off the Interstate and make a detour to a little town called Santa Claus, Indiana. As a diehard postcard collector I try to visit the unique places depicted on the cards in my collection. Sometimes it's just a cool Paul Bunyan statue I'd like to see, other times it's the whole tacky tourist trap like South of the Border which entices me. I knew there would be at least one cool Santa statue that I could photograph in Santa Claus. And certainly they would have some great postcards for sale in town too, or so I thought.
The town of Santa Claus is located about 8 miles off of I-64, so it isn't too far off the beaten path. This was a last-minute idea, so I stopped at the Indiana Welcome Center as I entered the state and looked through their brochures for information about lodging. I found a pamphlet for Santa's Lodge & Resort and decided that would be ideal. I phoned the hotel for reservations and was a little surprised that the rate was about $80 for a single. My visit was during the latter part of March, and based on other literature I read, the off-season was clearly in effect. I decided I would treat myself anyway and maybe I could get a special AAA rate or something when I arrived.
After exiting the Interstate, you drive south on State Road 162 for a few miles and then the road will come to a T. Make a right, and follow the road about a mile. You'll see Santa's Lodge on the left side of the highway. As you drive into town though, take note that there isn't much around. Especially in what definitely appeared to be the off-season. My older postcards showed an amusement park called Santa Land. It was interesting to see that it was now called Holiday World, which was closed and a sign in front said they would reopen in May. There was a convenience store, a car wash, a grocery store, a few small restaurants (no chains like McDonald's though, which would normally be a plus but read on), and some other businesses were lining the road between the highways' intersection and the hotel. Not that I expected a whole village of Christmas-themed stores and other 'attractions', but I thought there would be more for a visitor than what I saw. In their defense, sort of, most of the businesses have Christmas-sounding names. They also have a large park which looked inviting, had it not been so cold and rainy. I will admit that I ventured down only a few side roads, but from what I could see I probably hit all of the major thoroughfares nearby.
Before I tell you specifically about my experience at Santa's Lodge, let me tell you about the rest of my stay in this little town. There is indeed a Santa statue near that T in the road. However, unless you have a zoom lens on your camera, you will not get a decent shot of it. It sits quite a ways back from the road, with a big fence surrounding what appeared to be a pasture in front of him. I was pretty disappointed, but I thought I'd at least find a postcard or two to commemorate my visit. I looked for a gift shop but ended up at the convenience store. They had about 4 or 5 different cards advertising Holiday World but none of those showed Santa. And there were no other cards depicting anything else in town. Disappointment #2, which wasn't the last.
The rooms at Santa's Lodge are fairly large and appointed nicely. I'd say they are about the standard of a recently-built Comfort Inn. The hotel was undergoing some renovations while I was there, and the noise was considerable. The exterior definitely has a 'lodge look' which was created with 100-year-old timbers. The grounds are very nice, with a pond on the property. However, the biggest plus, for me, is the large Santa statue greeting you as you arrive. No need for a zoom lens here, nor to photograph the cute snowman statue near the lobby and restaurant. I occasionally have postcards printed from photographs, and these two are surely on my 'To Do' list for future projects.
The front desk clerk was not amenable to discussing the room rate when I checked in, so I decided that I would just write it off to poor planning. I've always tried to book my hotel accommodations in advance, and this trip was proof that I shouldn't stray from that in the future. Again, the room was comfortable and clean, but it wasn't anything special and definitely was not worth $80 plus tax in the off-season with construction taking place on a new wing right outside my door. I was also somewhat disappointed in the fact that a family with lots of children was in the room above me. I withstood the running and pounding until after 11pm, when I phoned the front desk. A terse apology was offered, but the noise continued. As expected, no adjustment was made to my room rate upon checkout. Santa knows when you are sleeping and he knows when you're awake, and he definitely put a checkmark in the 'Awake' column for me that night!
Now, I must tell you that I'm not one of 'those' people... I worked in hotels for MANY years, and I know that they aren't the most peaceful places on Earth. However, we usually tried to place families in rooms on a lower floor so that the sort of thing which disturbed me wouldn't disturb other guests. If someone did complain, we usually phoned the room and asked the parents to intervene, especially if it was late in the evening. Many times we took a couple of dollars off the other guests' room rate, or offered them a discount on their next visit. That's what you do to ensure guest satisfaction.
The hotel also offers a full-service restaurant, St. Nick's, which was open during my stay. However, as I was seated by a hostess I was told the only food offered that evening was a buffet. I eyed it and was immediately wishing there had been a McDonald's on the main drag through town. I thanked the hostess and said I really wanted something light instead (a white lie... I wanted something that looked edible). I would have been thrilled if the buffet had included a salad bar, but it did not and all that I saw looked old, stale, dried out and unappetizing. So I decided to hit the grocery store, Holiday Foods, and purchase some sandwich fixings and possibly some postcards. Again, no cards, and I've wondered which town you have to visit in order to get postcards of Santa Claus, Indiana. It's very odd indeed!
I'm sure that the renovations are complete now, so any future visits would not involve the noise. And, going during the regular season, which I assume is May through at least September, would offer you more options for dining and entertainment. However, not all vacations are planned for those specific times, and off-season usually has its advantages. I was not able to come up with any I could offer for a visit to Santa Claus, Indiana. If I were one of Santa's helpers, I'd certainly put the management of Santa's Lodge on my naughty list! The only thing which saved them from getting a lump of coal in their stocking was that they did have a couple of nice postcards of the hotel for sale.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shmoopie13
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Member: Leslie
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
Avid fan of hockey and Barenaked Ladies. Postcard collector. Traveler.
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