Our Stay at the Crystal Springs Resort!
When you start to hit a wall, it’s probably about time for a vacation. We began to hit that wall in early March of 2021, and decided that it was time to head out on another adventure. Unfortunately - even in a non-pandemic year - most major theme parks in the Northeast remain closed during the early months of Spring. So, instead of our usual theme parking adventure, we took a short trip north to spend a long weekend at ‘New Jersey’s favorite resort’, Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, NJ! We spent our entire stay at the Grand Cascades Lodge and barely left the property; and, we would not have had it any other way. And for all that time on property, would you believe that we didn’t play so much as a single round of golf? Below are some of the highlights from our trip, but don’t forget to check out our in-depth vlog of the experience to really get a sense of how the resort is laid out, what the rooms look like and what our overall thoughts on the stay were!
The Room
Our room in the Grand Cascades Lodge was a Timber Creek Vista Suite (King) and featured all of the following private amenities:
Tub/shower combination
Two (2) closets
Gas fireplace
Full-size fridge/freezer combination
Coffeemaker
Stove
Oven
Dishwasher
Table and chairs
Washer/dryer combination
Couch w/foldout bed
Bluetooth stereo with USB outlets
Smart TV with digital cable and Chromecast capability
Private balcony with an AMAZING view
Our king size bed had a relatively firm mattress which was just our style. The one thing about our stay that we weren’t particularly fond of was that the walls from room to room were a little thin. This wasn’t a problem for two of our three nights, but on the Friday night of our visit there was a bachelorette celebration taking place in the room next door to ours, and it was difficult to drown out! The other amenities, however, totally made up for this one dismaying element, and we used the heck out of that fireplace as it was pretty chilly on the weekend of our stay.
The Food
There are four restaurants that can be accessed without leaving the Grand Cascades Lodge, and one small cafe which we’ll revisit a little later on. The restaurants that were open during our visit were 1) The Crystal Tavern, 2) The Springs Bistro and 3) the Restaurant Latour. The restaurant menus become increasingly more expensive in listed order, and the dress codes increasingly strict. You can also order anything from any of the restaurants on property and have it delivered directly to your room, if you are staying at the Lodge. We had intended to eat at all three available restaurants during our stay, but after our first meal at the Crystal Tavern we found ourselves going there every time! The meals at the Tavern were absolutely delicious, quite filling and much more affordable than those found at the Bistro or Latour. This said, none of the food on property is cheap! We don’t regret eating on property for most of our stay, but if it suits you, you can always visit one of the grocery stores or markets just ten minutes away and cook your own meals to save a couple hundred bucks.
The Spa
The Reflections Spa is located directly underneath the main lobby at the Grand Cascades Lodge and is situated between elevator and pool area(s). There are bathrooms located just outside the spa’s main doors and shop, for those that need to make a stop on the way to spa services. Part of the bundle that made our stay more affordable included a couple hundred dollars in spa credit, which we elected to put towards two (2) 100-minute massages with the massage therapists at Reflections. The massages included hot stones and the experience was absolutely to die for, but be advised that the fees associated with each spa service do not include gratuity. Since we’re historically bigger tippers, our final tally at Reflections came to a sizable total. It was, however, worth every penny to have an extended massage treatment after over a year of pandemic-fueled stress!
The Wine Cellar
The wine cellar is located directly beneath the Crystal Tavern in the Clubhouse area of the resort, but it can be difficult to find without help! We walked right past the hidden door almost a dozen times before finally opening said door to find a winding staircase and a labyrinth of historic wines. On the weekends, a tasting and a ‘Wine 101’ class are held in the grand sitting room of the expansive cellar, and although we were exploring the cellar during one of the class sessions in progress, we chose not to participate as it would have been an added fee. You are able to freely navigate the cellar at any time of day or night using a self-guided tour accessed by QR code, and during select hours of each day you can even buy some of the wines to take home!
The Pool
Without question, the best part about our stay at Crystal Springs was the indoor/outdoor pool complex, dubbed ‘The Biosphere Pool’. The indoor pool area features an aesthetically and environmentally appealing blend of real, living greenery, false rockwork and chlorinated swimming water. Waterfalls cascade down the false rocks to form drapes over caves where you can sit with your friends or family and watch the world float by. An impressive water slide allows you to glide down through the caves and rockwork and plunge into the clean water below. A tank of exotic fish sits nearby the main pool, seamlessly blending into the environment and helping to immerse you in the illusion of swimming in a tropical paradise. And, at night, the pool is illuminated by several dozen underwater lights that pulse in color variations as if to inspire some sort of dance party. The complex also features two incredibly large heated pools which are outdoors, and a tiny cafe that sells handmade gelatos, cocktails, sandwiches and snacks. We spent several hours every day and night of our vacation in this pool and have exactly zero regrets. Short of a Disney resort, we’ve never seen or experienced a more enjoyable or better themed pool area!
The View
Lastly, how could we talk about any kind of mountain resort without talking about the view? We mentioned earlier in our room description that each room has a private balcony, but we can’t possibly undersell the value of that balcony and the view it provides. Every window, every door and every angle offers an amazing view of the nearby mountains, the golf greens and the property. On a clear day - as we were fortunate to have for two of our three days on the property - you can watch a beautiful sunrise in the East and a beautiful sunset in the West.
The Vlog
So, have we convinced you yet that Crystal Springs is worth a visit? If not, check out our vlog from the weekend’s stay to get a closer look at all of the above-described amenities and experiences, and to see a full resort tour and room tour! It may take a couple months of saving, but we’ll definitely be back to Crystal Springs in the months and years to come - and maybe we’ll even stay a little longer next time!
