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Places to Stay : Baileys Harbor

Gordon Lodge Resort
1420 Pine Drive
Baileys Harbor
800-830-6235 or 920-839-2331

If you haven’t been to Gordon Lodge lately, then you may not know what has changed at this resort, which is nestled on North Bay and Lake Michigan and sits on more than 130 acres. Sit back and read this review - you will be happy you did!

Here, “under new management,” means a new look and feel--from the flagstone walkways and pretty flowers to furniture and linens in the Lodge rooms and cottages overlooking the water. There are also restored and expanded buildings like the Gordon Lodge Event Center and Top Deck restaurant and bar. Work has been done from 2006 through 2009, and more is planned into the future.

Gordon Lodge is a Door County classic. It was built in the 1920s and reconstructed in the 1950s. Jeff Brown, general manager, says it was important to honor the past as more recent updates took place.

“We have had people coming back here for 40 years, and we didn’t want to upset them. So when we did décor, we wanted that 1960s vintage feel and we also wanted to have a contemporary feel for a new generation of families and couples to come here,” he says.

Checking in
It’s easy to find Gordon Lodge. Take Hwy. 57 to Hwy Q. Proceed on Hwy. Q about five (country) miles. (It will seem longer than five miles, but that’s about what it is). You’ll see the sign to Gordon Lodge on the corner of Pine Dr. and Hwy Q.

Head to the Lodge building, where you check in and get your key, whether you are staying in the Lodge (20 rooms available) or in a cottage (19 available).

Redesigned Lodge rooms
The 20 rooms in the one-level Lodge building are available as follows:

16 with king-size beds (one is a suite with a sitting room)
4 with two double-size beds (and those rooms adjoin)

All have private bathrooms and include flat screen TV/built-in DVD player and cable, refrigerator, iron and ironing board, hair dryer. Breakfast buffet is included, too, and there is more on that to come. High-speed Internet and a computer are available near the registration desk.

The rooms have new carpeting, furnishings, linens and painted walls. We really liked the interior design—a contrast of colors. The black wood furniture was actually made by a local craftsman. One piece holds the refrigerator, which the owners wanted tucked away yet convenient to their guests.

There’s a view of the water from the rooms, and each has a private patio furnished with seating. The bathrooms are freshly painted, and plumbing and fixtures are updated. The original tile from the50s remains, and it’s kind of fun to see the retro look here.

If you reserve a room at the end of the Lodge building, you get an extra set of windows and a panoramic view.

Cottages
Two of the 19 cottages were renovated, and more will be. So, if you want one that is all dolled up, ask for No. 2 “Aspen” or No. 14 “Walnut.” The former has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the latter is actually called the honeymoon suite with one large bedroom. Weddings are big here.

Your own private flagstone patio and entrance welcomes you to cottage No. 2.
You walk into a room with a focal point of a pretty stone woodburning fireplace. The stone was reclaimed from the original cottage’s fireplace.

“The owners are big into using what is here and recycling and being environmentally friendly,” Jeff says.

The bedrooms are carpeted, and there is hardwood flooring in other areas of the cottage. We liked the small and subtle kitchenette. Who wants to be in a kitchen on vacation, right? Here are just essentials: microwave, refrigerator, coffee-maker, some flatware. And a charcoal grill is available at this cottage (other grills are available to other guests).

The Walnut cottage has restored Douglas fir flooring throughout, a fireplace with a mantel built by local carpenters. In the spacious bedroom, they also built a bed frame that integrates with side tables. A private deck spans the length of the cottage and overlooks Lake Michigan.

Other cottages available include six Bayside cottages, which are adult retreats. These buildings sit on the edge of a bluff with the North Bay water below.

Lakeside cottages offer a full Lake Michigan view and include 12 others—in addition to the Aspen and Walnut.

“If you are looking for something more modern, fresher, the Lodge is for you. If you are looking for something more north woods, think about a cottage,” Jeff advises.

Breakfast buffet, Event Center
No little continental breakfast here. Included in your stay is a breakfast buffet, which is presented from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Gordon Lodge Event Center building.

“This is a big breakfast: eggs, waffles, pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausages, potatoes, biscuits, Danish, fruit juice, “Jeff says. Whew!

And the Event Center is a lovely setting for beginning your day. People choose this room with a tall stone fireplace, pretty wood dance floor and lovely furnishings for weddings. There is also a long and spacious sunroom, where you can relax with a book or newspaper before you begin your day’s activities.

Enjoy lunch and dinner at the resort’s Top Deck restaurant, a destination for live entertainment on Wednesday and Sunday summer evenings. (check out our Top Deck review).

Resort activities
And when it’s time for fun, you don’t have far to go. Gordon Lodge includes bike, paddle boat and kayak rentals in your stay. Also here are a new fitness center, tennis court and basketball courts and hiking trails. Swimmers will discover a private sandy beach and an outdoor heated pool and hot tub.

Nearby attractions
If you do choose to leave Gordon Lodge, there’s plenty to do. Bikers rave about rides on the winding Cty. Rd. Q. Also nearby are restaurants, unique shops and galleries in the quaint lakeside town of Baileys Harbor.

The Ridges Sanctuary, also in Baileys Harbor with an entrance on Cty. Rd. Q, is an internationally recognized rare natural area offering a glimpse at native orchids and plants listed on the Wisconsin Threatened and Endangered Species List. Nature trails are open to the public; donation is requested.

So if you want to stay near interesting attractions yet away from the fray in pleasant accommodations—many of them updated--on the water, give Gordon Lodge a call. And please mention the helpful information you garnered from DoorCountyNavigator.com.