The Double JJ Resort in Western Michigan
General Information –
The Double JJ Resort is located in Rothbury, Michigan. Rothbury is a small town just about an hour north of Grand Rapids, and about 3 hours from Detroit and Chicago. Double JJ is a golf resort with a western theme. The resort is divided into three main sections. For this reason you need a car or will need to take the shuttle to get around.
1. The Thoroughbred – This is the area in which the Thoroughbred Golf Course and Sundance Saloon/Steakhouse are located, and this is where they are building the indoor waterpark. Lodging in this section is available at The Loft Hotel, The Homestead Condominiums and The Thoroughbred Suites. Of all of the accomodations, these would probably be your more “upscale” or lavish as most other accomodations are quite rustic. The Loft Hotel offers basic accomodations for one or two with twin beds or a queen bed, or family accomodations in a 2-bedroom suite. Jacuzzis are also available in the loft hotels. Also in this area of the resort are the Homestead Condominiums. These are available for ownership and are said to be quite nice. If I ever go again I will stay in one of the condos. You can get a very small condo with just one bedroom or go for a three bedroom/three bath if you have children. Last but not least in this section are the Thoroughbred Suites. These are the best for large groups. The largest suite is over 1500 square feet and sleeps eleven people. The cost to stay in the Thoroughbred section ranges from about $139/per night (in the Loft Hotel), to as high as $800+ per night in one of the suites.
2. The Back Forty – This is the most popular area for families. Located in this area is the swimmin’ hole with waterslide, equestrian center, arts & crafts center, general store, the Shooters restaurant and more eateries, tennis and basketball courts and more. Lodging in this area includes the RV Park, Log Homes and Cabins. We stayed in one of the cabins. It was nice for a cabin, but still quite rustic (they used burlap sacks for curtains, I consider that to be both rustic and cheap). We were pleasantly surprised however that our cabin came with a master suite with a jacuzzi. There was also a loft area with two bunk beds and a sleep sofa in the tiny living area. The cabin could comfortably accomodate a family of four. These cabins usually rent for about $180-$200+ per night depending upon the season, and the log homes slightly more, although they run lots of specials throughout the year. To be quite frank, I’d never pay this much for this cabin, it’s just not worth it, but it might be with the right package (one that included free golf or horseback riding, etc.). RV spaces average around $32-$50+ per night depending upon the season. Now the log homes are the nicest accomodations in this area. They come with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and an upper loft that sleeps four. Because the log homes are owned, this is part of their timeshare program and rates were not available.
3. The Ranch – is the all adult section of the resort. No children are allowed. This section is only open May – October and is only for the person looking for a real adventure. There are no telephones, televisions or other amenities in this section. It’s a true get-away experience. The ranch offers bunkhouse accomodations (some with jacuzzis), private horse back riding trails, private lake, swimming pool and hot tub, weekly rodeo, nighttime activities such as stage shows and casinos, and a private dining area. Rooms on the ranch range from $120-$500+ per night.
Activities –
As you can see just from my summary of each section of the resort, there is a lot to do. We enjoyed playing a round of golf at The Thoroughbred Golf Course. This is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by the famous designer Arthur Hills. It is really a beautiful and challenging course. If you’re not into golfing, how about some activities from the Wild Wild West? You can enjoy a trail ride, cattle drive, barrel racing, a breakfast/dinner ride or just take a carriage ride. The kids can enjoy corral sessions, pony rides and/or a family rodeo and pig roast (the rodeos are a blast). There are also seasonal activities. In the summer you can enjoy the swimmin’ hole, stunt shows, a petting farm, and/or fishing. And in the winter you can try snow shoeing, dog sledding, and/or snow tubing. There are lots of things to do for the “outdoorsy” and “adventurous” types. Others might simply want to enjoy the spa services and see the others back in the room. Beware – if you don’t purchase a package deal, the cost of activities can really add up. I’ve been told that a family had to pay $25/person just to use the outdoor swimmin’ hole.
Guest Services –
We arrived on a Thursday and left on a Saturday. During the evening on Thursday and the day on Friday it was kind of slow around the place, and the service truly lacked. First, we did not realize the resort was divided into sections and we had to backtrack to even register because we were staying in the Back Forty. The food at the Sundance Saloon was very, very good. They mostly offer ribs and steaks, but my husband and I both had a delicious pasta dish. Because we had a new waiter, we were offered free dessert because of the poor service (it was pretty bad). Our bill without drinks, and no appetizers came to about $30 (not bad at all). We also had lunch there on Saturday, and the service was much better. The cost for lunch was around $20. I had a delicious perch sandwich on an onion bun, and my husband had a spicy chicken sandwich. The portions are huge so you get quite a bit for your money. We also ate at Shooters which is located in The Back Forty. This is more of a casual kind of bar. One night we just had a snack of fried mushrooms and soup, and another day we ate lunch there. The prices were extremely reasonable and again the food very tasty. I believe we spent about $15 for lunch and about $10 for the snack.
No one seemed to know much about the “Stake You Claim” deal. When we arrived we were given wrist bands and told these were for the “complimentary” activities including the golf. These were like hospital wristbands and they seemed to really bug my husband. The clerk told us we could not get the $25 voucher until we sat through our presentation but no one knew what time we were scheduled for our presentation. Overall, we felt kind of lost because everyone was asking each other what came with our package. I also witnessed someone with a wedding package having some trouble. It seemed that there was a mix up with their spa services.
Lastly, my husband and I decided to sleep in on Friday morning. At 8 a.m. or so housekeeping was at our door. Because they are cabins it works a little differently. My husband was not dressed and they could see clear into the room. He just asked them if they could come back later. They were back in about 45 minutes and we were in the process of getting dressed so my husband had put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. When we were leaving, we noticed that they’d left us a bag with towels, toilet paper, coffee, etc. It was clear that they were not coming back and they didn’t.
Summary –
Because we got such a great deal I cannot complain. Would I go again? Probably not unless my husband were willing to put me up in one of the nice condominiums (hey, I’m more of a spa girl than a cowgirl – this western stuff just doesn’t work for me). I was also quite displeased with the service although it was much better on Friday night and Saturday morning as the crowds were coming in. I also felt there was a lot of “misrepresentation” as far as what would be presented at the sales presentation. I’ve also had some neighbors experience some somewhat “misleading” advertising with this resort.
Sidenote – They also do destination weddings, group meetings and even corporate meetings. My husband attended a team planning session at Double JJ. He said it was lots of fun as they give you team building activities such as wall climbing.
