Rosario Village

Just left Rosario Resort orcas island . REVIEWS were not great. We give our room a top rating. It was perfect. Starbucks coffee maker, fright, microwave, robes, great bed, great view, lovely grounds. Check in was great, done remotely but very smooth

We have been coming to Rosario Village since the late 1980's. The many times we stayed at Rosario were such amazing stays. The buildings were old, but in working order and seem to add to the charm. The Marina restaurant had such good food as did the restaurant in the Mansion. On this visit reservations were made over the phone and then all other communication was through text message (with phone service at the mansion is very reliable)! There was a TV, but no remote or instructions on how to use the TV. We called the customer service phone number and basically no one really cared that the TV did not work. I was recovering from surgery and thought I could rest for a while by watching TV. Never happened over our whole stay at Rosario Village. Thought we might go to the Marina restaurant, but they had nothing that sounded good there (do not plan on eating there). Basically the whole rosario village seemed like a ghost town. So sad as it was our favorite place to stay on Orcas Island.

This was a destination for our family & friends for years, and now the new owners have ruined it! They fired Chris Peacock who had this place running excellent, and his mansion tour with music was enjoyed for years! ISSUES! 1) for 3 days there was no soap or paper towels in the men’s bathroom at the marina. 2) new tile in the showers without any hooks to hang your clothes while showering 3) $5 for a cup of coffee, and not opening until after 9:00! Folks that couldn’t understand English serving coffee. Roche Harbor is half that price. 4) the outdoor restaurant plays Mexican music, and serves a limited menu that is beyond a rip-off! This is America, and a Yachting Facility not Mexico! No fish & chips, menu nothing like it was which was full. There was maybe 2 families eating dinner. 5) Mansion wasn’t even open, and there was NO WORK being done like they claimed. The kitchen and restaurant was remodeled in the last 5 years; it’s closed cause they fired everyone! 6) They hired folks at the restaurant that show up & close when they want to! They don’t work hours posted! My 2 trips a year are done! You people have destroyed this beautiful place with poor and completely absent management.

I will start with the positive. The location and grounds are lovely. It is close, if not hiking distance to the Moran State Park which is a not to be missed wonderful part of the Island. The rooms are big, but certainly not in the mansion the picture shows. The Moran Mansion, once the hotel's location for a five star restaurant is now closed. There is now staff on site. The only amenity is the marina restaurant and store, which is not great and closes early. So, when we got there at 8:30, hoping for some late (not really late by my standards) they were closing. It was a hot week and the rooms do not have AC, so luckily there was a fan to cool the uncomfortably hot room. Overall, the location and vistas are not sufficient to make up for the lack of amenities and staff. Then again, perhaps that is personal preference.

This was a filthy nightmare. The place smelled moldy, was worn out ten years ago, and wasnt clean at all. Layers of dirt on dirt. No management on site. All remote maybe in another country. Luckily the remote day manager acted responsibly when we he saw our text and pictures sent in to wherever in rhe world management was and helped get us a refund eventually. It did take him hours working hard through many rounds of negotiations with the unseen owners or powers that be to allow us to be refunded for the days we cancelled, and provide a 50% refund for the one terrible night we did stay. So thank goodness for Kay.

This “resort” definitely did not live up to its reputation. We were in an end room with a beautiful view of the water in the bed was very comfortable. The room was clean, but very dated. Entry to the room with the digital only and was very finicky. There was no air conditioning and when I called about it, they told me I was informed of this before my stay which I was not. We wanted to watch the Olympics, but the TV would not work. We called the front desk which is impossible to reach other than using your cell phone. Using their phone and pushing the front desk button gets you to an automated system that tells you to call them on your cell phone. They told us they would send housekeeping and no one ever showed up. You could never actually speak to a person face-to-face and I never saw any staff ever. Checking in and out is all on your phone in the cell service is horrible. I highly recommend you staying somewhere else.