Big Cedar Lodge

Reviews

• JA

  Jenna Akers

  Dec 27, 2025
  1.0
  We came during christmas and the resort in itself was great its a beautiful place. But ive never experienced such awful service at every place on the resort. For the price were paying i expect atleast some level of hospitality but it felt like everyone who worked here had no idea what they were doing. Checking in was awkward and it felt like we were an annoyance rather than guest. The restaurants were behind even with reservations and the servers acted like they were just hired (besides the restaurant under devils pool which actually was great) but truman cafe and devils pool itself were awful… the resort was set up for christmas and i understand that they allow people from out of the resort to partake in the activities but its a shame that the resort guest even with paying the crazy prices cant really enjoy it because of how crowded it is… Overall it was just a shame because ive heard nothing but great things and we were trying to use this trip as our honeymoon and it was just really disappointing
• CS

  Courtney Schooler

  Dec 27, 2025
  1.0
  Hello, I am a full-time resident in Ridgedale, Missouri, with a dock located in the same cove as Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake. I’m writing to formally request increased no-wake enforcement and patrol presence in this cove. This area has become extremely congested with boat traffic, particularly during peak hours. Despite clearly marked no-wake zones, a large number of vessels are entering the cove at speed and creating significant wakes. This is causing ongoing damage to docked boats and infrastructure, including repeated wear, scuffing, and strain on mooring systems. This issue is affecting multiple neighboring property owners, many of whom have invested heavily in their boats and docks. The consensus among residents is that this behavior is not malicious but due to lack of awareness and the absence of visible enforcement. Unfortunately, the cumulative impact is severe. Given the volume of traffic associated with the Big Cedar area and the known congestion in this cove, we are respectfully requesting: • Increased Water Patrol presence during high-traffic periods • Active enforcement of the no-wake zone • Consideration of temporary patrols or courtesy boats to educate incoming traffic We deeply appreciate the beauty of this area and understand its popularity. Our goal is simply to protect property, ensure safety, and maintain a respectful shared waterway. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We would be grateful for any follow-up or guidance on next steps. Kind regards, Courtney Schooler
• BM

  Breanna McCormick

  Dec 26, 2025
  4.0
  We just stayed a week at Big Cedar in the Falls Lodge for Christmas. We had a great time overall but our complaint is how overpriced the restaurants are and they didnt have a lot of kid-friendly options. One morning we had the breakfast buffet at Devils Pool, it was $90 for a family of 3 and the food was subpar. We had a better breakfast at a Hampton Inn on the way to Big Cedar. Due to the location of the lodge, there were not a lot of other food locations near by as another option. Our room was nice and so was all the staff we encountered. We used the shuttle service a lot and never had very long wait times. The property was well maintained and the Christmas decorations were nice. We wish the weather had been colder to feel more like Christmas, but we were able to go on a lot of walks to explore, which was nice too. Overall, we are happy with our time at Big Cedar and our 4 year old had a magical Christmas!
• TH

  Travis H

  Dec 25, 2025
  1.0
  I had stayed many times at Big Cedar Lodge and always enjoyed my stay until this trip. First we booked a room through their website and didn't think anything else about it. We made plans for other activities and to meet friends in Branson. The afternoon before arrival, I received an email saying our reservation was confirmed. I'm not sure where the ball was dropped on the confirmation. On our way, I called to see if we could check in an hour early, because we would be cutting it close and the woman on the phone said, we would have to come to the reservation desk to find out. I said that would be a problem, but can you tell me if guest had checked out that day or not, so I could make a decision if it was worth driving 20 minutes out and 20 minutes back. We decided to chance it because we didn't want to be checking in during the peak of Christmas light traffic. When we got to the front desk, the lady seemed to be have a bad day or was overwhelmed, either way, we where just trying to check in. Come find out they either stuck us at a off-site location or they were selling these locations without making it obvious that it was all the way down by the Hwy 86 bridge. She had me scan a QR code to pull up instructions The QR code was for iPhone users and the Apple Maps would not load the current location. She then instructed me put in the address and I confirmed it with her and she said it is taking you to the wrong location. She came back with a paper map that made it look like the property was just outside of the property. We pulled over to look at the map because the third road on the south side of HWY 86 was not the right location. In small print it says 5 miles. The lady said you will want to use the app to access the shuttle system. I asked how to do that and she said it was in our app. I had already downloaded the app, but when I got to the shuttle service, it wanted be to download another app. When I clicked download, it gave me an error. I returned to the front desk and another woman downloaded it straight from the Google Playstore. Once we got to the site, it is the equivalent of staying at a campground for over $300 a night. My wife's first comment was we should have just brought our camper. We waited until 4 (10 mins) because we never got confirmation that the room was ready. Once inside it appeared that the cleaner had left mid-clean. Cabinet drawers were open, dish towels were thrown in the countertop, etc. We left for dinner and when we came back, we couldn't get into the site. The gates were down and no clear instructions on how to get in. We tried scanning our room key, but that did nothing. Luckily a shuttle came and the driver let us come in behind him. This will definitely be our last stay at a Big Cedar Lodge!!!! In fact, if we could get our money back for the rest of our stay, we would head home today. What a disappointment.
• AS

  Alexis Small

  Dec 22, 2025
  4.0
  This was our 20+ stay at Big Cedar Lodge, but our first time in one of the lakeside cottages, and it was a wonderful way to experience the resort during the Christmas season. We stayed as a family of four (two adults, two kids) in a lakeside cottage with a loft, and overall it was a memorable and cozy visit. The cottage was clean and spacious, with plenty of room for everyone to spread out comfortably. The lake views were beautiful, especially in the winter setting, and added to the peaceful atmosphere. We appreciated the amenities, including welcome snacks, coffee, and tea in the room. One of our favorite parts of the stay was the wood-burning fireplace and the Christmas tree already set up in the cottage. It truly elevated the holiday experience and made the space feel warm, festive, and inviting—perfect for a December stay. There were a few design flaws worth noting. The cottage only has one mirror, and it’s located in the same area as the shower, so it easily steams up and makes it difficult for multiple people to get ready at the same time. There is also no full-length mirror. I want to see my entire outfit! Additionally, there were zero hooks to hang items like robes, towels, swimsuits, or coats to dry—something that would be especially helpful after swimming or coming in from winter activities. Because this was a longer stay, we expected daily housekeeping service. Unfortunately, this was not handled well. On the first day, housekeeping arrived around 6:00 PM, which was very late, and we declined service since our kids were already in their pajamas. The following day, the room still had not been cleaned by 4:00 PM, and I had to call to request service. Given that we had been missed the day before, I assumed our room would be prioritized, but that didn’t seem to be the case. This was disappointing and out of character compared to our many past stays. This was also the first visit where we felt a bit disappointed in the food overall. While there are plenty of restaurants on property, the menus start to feel repetitive across venues—lots of burgers, sandwiches, fries, and very heavy meals like prime rib or a buffet. After several days, the lack of lighter or more varied options became noticeable. A salad at one restaurant is the same one at another. The only truly elevated food experience for us was the small bites at Harry’s, which we enjoyed enough to eat there twice. Harry’s is a fantastic addition to the property, with a great atmosphere, well-executed food, and top-notch live music that really stood out. As always, Big Cedar offers plenty of activities to keep everyone busy. During this stay we golfed at Cliffhanger, used the spa day pass, played video games, went ice skating, enjoyed long walks around the property, swam in the heated pool, and relaxed while taking in the scenery.

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