The Lobby Cafe

The hotel is really nice. Sympathetic staff willing to help. A special shout out to the Recreation Manager that went above and beyond to assure the kids club could still run by the end of the summer. The hotel offers a good variety of activities. My suggestions for improvement: 1) although the rooms are very clean and well maintained, the age can’t be disguised… it desperately needs an update/ remodelling!! 2) game room is also very poor in offerings, 3) I think the guest experience can be upgraded with more offerings in activities, like Zumba or gym or any sports lessons available for guest.. I mean, the daily programming could be richer. Apart from that, restaurant prices are very expensive!!! Rooms could offer more structure for inside cooking (just more space, plates and silverware would already help).

Picked Madden’s after my Tripadvisor research and boy am I glad I did. Travelled to Madden’s with my aging in-laws and small kids (4yo & 8yo) and there was something for everyone. The golf course was great, esp the “Social 9” which is a very accessible option for first time and new golfers (especially kids). Our family of four over our six days really got value out of the rec pass and would recommend that option for those planning to be on the property for several days. For $100 we had access to the law games, water toys, yoga classes, etc. The restaurants were very good - great beer and wine selection and tastier food than some of the off-property restaurants we visited. We didn’t do all inclusive but wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for other based on the delicious meals. Our family stayed in a Mission Point cottage and loved the proximity to the amenities and privacy. The rooms were a bit dated but just the right size and well apportioned. Housekeeping was very attentive and thorough, which is a sign of a well-run property! We dropped our kids off for some time at the kids camp, Adventure Cove, and they couldn’t have been happier. It was an expense, but they feed them and sent them home happy and tired. What more can you ask for?! We would definitely visit again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to our closest family and friends.

You HAVE TO KNOW this is a superb resort ..... when all I really want to do is CALL OUT THE EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE that made our most recent stay so WONDERFUL: (and in NO order!!) Angie/reservations; SheliI/reservations, BlakeA/recreation director, Brian/marina director, Kelly/marketing director, Tom/head golf pro, Evan/head golf pro-West course, Jason/starter-East course, NateW/Classic Grill maitre d', DaveM/waiter @ Classic Grill, Paul/19th hole, ElizabethK/recreation ..... and MORE.... Each of these poeple made SUCH a lasting and POSITIVE impression on my wife and I. Sure, the food, the service, the views, the golf, the scenery, et all was fabulous. But it's MADDEN's PEOPLE THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. Wow, talk about pampering and making you feel good!! R&R here we come .... to Maddens! When people say "Minnesota NICE".....the staff @ Madden's on Gull Lake is who we think of .... all the way down in the western suburbs of Chicago. And because of these lasting impressions.....we'll be coming back for years to come! Thank you all! P.S. if you come up to fish @ Madden's.....be sure to hire "Walleye Dan". Madden's knows him VERY WELL. Be sure to see my TripAdvisor review.

My extended family gets together every 4th of July. This was our first year at Maddens. AMAZING. We encountered professional, friendly staff from the top down. Truly like a family there. Besides the staff the grounds are beautiful and there are so many activities for people of all ages. A special shout out to Suzanne who went above and beyond to accommodate the needs of my family.

My boys and I attended the Father/Son golf tournament in May and stayed in one of the cottages on Mission Point. We had an amazing stay. We did have one slight hiccup which Taylor addressed and rectified for us with great care. We can’t wait for what will become an annual golf event for our family at Maddens. -Andrew Sullivan Travel Consultant AAA Minneapolis

My husband and I went with our daughter and grandkids, ages 8 & 10. We were there from Wed - Sat and had an amazing experience. I have never had everyone on staff treat us as if we were the only ones there. We were on the "Schools out - kids eat - play free" package. Well worth it. Breakfast & dinner were included as well as golf, non-motorized water activities and activities at the Tennis & Croquet Club. The grandkids did the kids club and loved it. We initially thought they would only be there in the morning but they wouldn't leave so they were there all day. They played games, did arts and crafts, went on nature walks and after lunch both days, the staff took them to the beach and they went tubing & boating. We were also at the beach and watched the staff interact with them and you could tell they enjoyed their job. We decided to enjoy as many aspects of the resort as we could. We had a pontoon ride, kayaked, water biked, used the stand up paddle boards. The staff at the marina was more than helpful. Conner at the Tennis & Croquet club was our instructor for croquet and lawn bowling. You can tell he loves his job and I want to give him a shoutout. We also played shuffleboard many times and used the bikes from there. My husband and daughter also golfed the social 9. We rented a golf cart for 1.5 days to get around the resort and that was well worth the money after walking everywhere for the first evening and next morning. We looked at the daily schedules many times to make sure we weren't missing anything. There was a free happy hour meet and greet and we got to meet some of the marketing staff. It was fun to talk to them. We ate at both restaurants and also the 19th hole. All the food was very good and more than we could eat. My husband and I came up to Maddens for many years in the 90's as he was on the board of directors of a large business and this is where they held there yearly board retreats. We did more on this trip than in the 10 years we were there before. Some of the property did need updating but it didn't affect our stay. We stayed in Mission Point and the rooms were great, overlooking the lake. Again, the staff was amazing and we look forward to going back.

We went for a three-night weekday get-a-way package that included free breakfast. Stayed in a nice 2 Queen cabin on Mission Bay. The staff and front desk went out of their way to welcome and accommodate us. The service and food in restaurants were excellent. Be sure to have dinner at Mission Point.

It is a step back in time with great food. The breakfast BLT is fantastic.

I was very satisfied with the call in reservation system used. The rep was extremely helpful and answered my resort related questions as I hoped. She was able to transfer me to the golf Pro Shop for those questions I had. My room was clean, ready for use and in top condition. The location within the hotel part of the resort was excellent in that I had no rooms above or below me. The room amenities were plentiful and the free WiFi and TV (several channels available) were put to use. There are numerous shops and outdoor recreation options but my stay was strictly golf oriented so I didn't get to any of them. The package included daily breakfasts which were nice. The guest service in each restaurant was top level. Evening meals were a bit spendy so if you are somewhat budget conscious or with family Baxter is only 8 minutes away with LOTS of food options. The resort even left a nice birthday gift in my room when I first checked in. Parking was usually sufficient but I was not sure if it would be during the weekend if a large gathering showed up. Checkout went smoothly and quickly. Overall I very much enjoyed my stay and would recommend Madden's to anyone considering it.

We went for a girls weekend. We put together an agenda together before we went visiting area attractions. We got there Friday and on a whim we paid 5$ for a pontoon cruise. We met Blake, our captain and he had a great co-captain. He was with recreation and explained all there was to do on the resort. Agenda canceled and we signed up for some things around the resort. Trap shooting was our favorite! Blake was a great/fun teacher. Took his time with our whole group. Several restaurants on the resort. The pub was a lot of fun. Had a folk band there on Saturday and such a fun bartender. Rooms are older but beds and linens are comfortable and soft. Housekeeping was great. Don’t forget to tip. Only downfall, we wanted a spa weekend on the resort, we called weeks before to schedule appointments and they were all booked. All the staff was very friendly. We are scheduling the same weekend next year! It Was a fun getaway.

Booked in on the Pure Classic golf package with a 2-bed room at Mission Point for 4 nights and had such a blast we extended one night lodging-only for a total of 5 nights. I have stayed at Maddens in a mission point duplex before during labor day weekend back in 2016 on the labor day package. On that trip back in 2016, I felt the service was good, the resort a bit "tired" and the food was good but nothing to write home about. That package included neither food nor golf at the Classic and I never went down there the whole time I was there. Fast forward 4 years later and WOW what a different fantastic impression I now have of the place. The staff blew us away and the Classic, having never played it before was amazingly beautiful and challenging. Detached from the main resort, the Classic at first felt like a totally different resort and we were intimidated at first. We are pretty amateur golfers and after our first round decided to splurge try out a caddy for a day. We were immediately put at ease and despite our novice ability we were able to have a blast thanks to our awesome caddy Thomas. We liked him so much we had him caddy for us again the next day and then hit the jackpot with Levi for our last round. Midway through, we opted to take a lesson from one of the young Pros named Tanner who helped us a lot. He then met with the caddy about what he worked on with us, who in turn helped us during our rounds. Levi had me do a little tweak after the second hole on our last round and I played the best game of my life. Thanks guys! The pure classic package includes breakfast, which we took each day up at the Madden lodge. It was fine, breakfast is breakfast. A meal I view more for utility than pleasure and it was perfectly good and the staff cheerful. The Classic Grill is fantastic and having been on the meal plan prior, I never ate there. We ended up having 2 lunches and 2 dinners at the Classic and everything was well presented and by far the best food I've had outside of MSP metro area in Minnesota. I would recommend adding a captain's list and/or getting some corivan selections to match the high calibur food. The manager there Evan, learned our names and made us feel like we were the center of the universe. We had some apps at the 19th hole and Dinner at Mission Point as well. We found Dan the manager to be very welcoming and, like Evan, made us feel special. We opted for the rec pass for $45 and used it to walk the social 9 on our arrival day which is a fun little warm up round before hitting a big course. At the croquet club we played tennis Sunday and were impressed with the hospitality and knowledge of things to do in the area from Connor the young guy working the desk there. (Be sure to do the zip line at mount ski gull)! We only used the Marina on the last day when it got into the high 70s. Bailey was helpful with the water bikes and super friendly. We feel like we got our moneys worth on the rec pass. Options are fun! I cannot wait to come back. Yes, some of the resort is a little dated and the outdoor pool could use an update but that is the appeal of the place. However, it is the staff that makes Maddens so special! I've stayed at St Regis and Ritzs with butler service etc and Maddens blew them away with it's the slightly more casual and far more genuine hospitality. Well done. We will return!