Joshua Cho
1/5
Unfortunately, our 24 Hour Experience at the North Experience was far from satisfactory and was plagued by multiple disappointments. Firstly, our pick-up was nearly an hour late, setting a bad tone from the start. Upon arrival, we were greeted by by two different staff. Half of the group were taken to their rooms and given a proper orientation. The other group - our group - was guided by another staff member, whose main priority seemed to be going home.
We were hastily walked to our rooms, without proper introduction to the property, leaving generalized confusion. Furthermore, the absence of orientation to the facilities, including the communal teepee, Cabin room, breakfast options/timing, or snowmobiling/snowshoeing opportunities, was incredibly frustrating. We were not instructed on timing of check out and when we would be having breakfast the following day. We didn't even know what was offered or what we could have done on the property until the end of breakfast the following day when we inadvertently heard from another staff member and other guests who were given the proper orientation.
Our group was treated completely differently from the other half of the visitors.
Our igloo entrance was buried under snow, unlike the other four igloos with properly shoveled decks - clearly indicating a lack of attention to basic maintenance. We had slipped twice coming out of our igloo and even when we alerted staff, nothing was done to help the situation. Our outdoor wooden chairs were half covered in snow and, again, our igloo and our very presence seemed more of an afterthought and inconvenience for the staff.
Inside the room, we found essential signs missing, such as a price list for the mini-bar, leading to confusion and potential overcharges. The dinner portions were notably small, leaving us feeling unsatisfied. The sauna experience was disorganized, and the hot tub was out of order, depriving us of promised amenities that were critical in our decision making in choosing to stay at the glass igloos. We were under the impression when booking this experience that the sauna and hot tub uses wouldn’t be limited to certain hours, let alone be completely unavailable.
Professionalism amongst the staff was also disappointing. We were constantly reminded by a staff that she had to leave by 9, which led to the aforementioned lack of orientation and instruction to the facilities and experience. The ambiance was further tarnished by staff members audibly expressing frustration, shouting profanities audible to the guests from a distance.
The lack of adequate restroom facilities, with only two communal stalls for thirty people, was unacceptable, especially considering the influx of visitors who did not book the 24-hour experience using the amenities until after midnight. We were told explicitly to avoif the use of bathroom in our igloo. The supposed luxurious experience was nowhere to be found, with empty shampoo and conditioner bottles adding to the list of shortcomings in the communal areas, in addition to dirty bath mats and used rags laying out. Without any soap, shampoo or conditioner, we were unable to shower and did not feel comfortable using the sauna knowing we were unable to shower.
The Google and booking.com reviews were misleading, painting an inaccurate picture of the quality of the experience. Overall, our $1000 per night experience was a complete letdown, and we would not recommend this experience to anyone seeking a pleasant and fulfilling stay. Don't waste your time or money. We are beyond upset about our experience.
