Lodges at Timber Ridge & Splashatorium by Welk Resorts in Branson, MO

My sister has a time share and we chose the Branson Welk properties. To say we were impressed is not even close to how wonderful our rooms and our weeks stay was. Immaculate rooms, completely stocked on anything one could possibly need. The beds were like clouds, just heaven. Our adjoining rooms made it even better for us to be together at a very important time in our lives and still had everything we could possibly need should we choose have a day alone. Quiet beautiful surroundings, amazing staff, great restaurants and attractions within a half hours drive. I really can't describe how amazing our week was to be able to reconnect and be so at home and truly enjoy our time together. Thanks to all at Welk for all you do and helping us to have such a beautiful and memorable stay.

We had 2 two bedroom units and it was just right for our family ages 8 mo. to 89 years. The units were beautifully decorated, clean and well supplied with kitchen items. We were located just a short walk to the pool, activity and work out area. There was something for every age group.This was a family vacation over Christmas and even on Christmas day we had fresh linens delivered. I highly recommend this resort. The staff was very accommodating and friendly.

We stayed in a small 1 bedroom because we are Welk owners. Had to sit through the upsell "owner update" to stay. Fine. But the lady was not trying to hear us when we said we are not buying any more "points". 2.5hrs later we were able to go. Fine. The "suite" was small. Kitchen is more like a kitchenette. Full size fridge, which was good, and a tiny dishwasher. The dishwasher is obnoxiously loud. It did have a small stacking washer and dryer which came in extremely handy. They provided 2 loads worth of soap (the super cheap kind) with downy dryer sheets. The bathroom door was a barn style sliding door. Aesthetically pleasing but not very functional. No bathroom lock. We must have been in one of the ADA rooms because our bathroom vanity did not have any drawers. Minor inconvenience. Shower had little to no water pressure but the water did get hot. The bedroom was nice, the bed was comfy, and had approximately no less than 1200 pillows on the bed. (I am exaggerating but there were 5 or 6). They were all the same "softness" and very thin. Walls were thin, I could hear the guy next door snoring. I could also hear the people on the other side blasting music. The fan in the bedroom had one speed. No bueno. Balcony had 2 wooden rocking chairs which were nice. We were facing Wyndham resorts so there was not really a "view". The pool was nice, not big, but my kids had fun on the slide. Overall I'm not sure this is what people are looking for in a resort.

My aunt had an extra week through her timeshare company (one that allows people to stay at different hotels around the country) and gave it to me and my brother. She suggested we stay at Welk because she's had great experiences with other Welk properties in the past. We were supposed to check into a lodge room on Friday the 6th and stay through Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, when we got there at check-in on Friday, we found out that somehow, because they don't use that timeshare company anymore, we would have to stay in a hotel room until Monday. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except (1.) I had called twice the week before to confirm everything was ready and that we wouldn't have any surprises when we got to Branson. The person on the phone was nice enough but kind of treated me with a "duh, of course everything is ready!" attitude (2.) I am severely chronically ill (kidney transplant survivor, autoimmune and neurological diseases, med-induced diabetes...) and have to have meals carefully planned, so much so this is the first trip I've been on for a while. I was very leery of being away from home, especially for a week. But because we knew we'd have a microwave and refrigerator/freezer in our room, we planned carefully and figured we could do it. I brought my own food that needed to be frozen and then microwaved. They offered to store it in their break room freezer and use a downstairs microwave, which worked but was pretty difficult. (3.) My aunt paid an arm and a leg for this timeshare and was TICKED. We were offered two, 2-day free stays in the future which was nice, but it didn't help my food situation. Long story short, we ordered a pizza through room service. We're not picky when it comes to pizza- I always thought pizza was pizza. My brother called this pizza "horrifying." I ate two slices because I'd given myself insulin (I'm diabetic due to anti-rejection transplant meds... it's more like Type I than Type II diabetes. I have to basically get my body ready to eat- pizza requires a lot of insulin but I didn't really have a choice since my food was fairly inaccessible- I could ask for someone to get it in the freezer anytime, but that was easier said than done since it was check-in and the people at the desk were busy) and literally had to eat carbs. We NEVER throw away food, but the pizza was so bad, we threw it away, and I spent most of the night keeping my blood sugar high enough to be safe (low blood sugar can be deadly) with glucose (sugar) pills that I carry in case of an emergency. It was rough. It would have been fine had a had easy access (without asking and waiting, then going downstairs and waiting in microwave line) to a freezer and microwave. But I didn't. By Saturday morning, we were planning on going home because our schedule was so off (my body has to run on a schedule), but my aunt made some phone calls and got us moved into the lodges early. (They just "happened to have an open lodge this morning." Imagine that.) We also got $150 worth of vochers for room service and activities (instead of the 2, 2-night vacations in the future... we have no interest in returning in the future. Also, we were not charged anything- I was concerned we would be, since the resort apparently no longer uses that timeshare company. Thankfully they honored it anyway- they should have but it wouldn't have completely surprised me if they hadn't). It sounds like the manager who moved us did a great job (my mom, aunt, and brother were mostly in contact with her, as I wasn't feeling well at all, with my blood sugar thrown completely out-of-control) I was ready to go home and probably would have, had I had enough energy to make the trip home, which I really didn't. Thankfully, two housekeeping guys were sent to help us move from the hotel to the lodges. They were FANTASTIC. I wasn't the happiest person in the world, and I tried SO hard not to take it out on them. While remaining professional and not speaking poorly of management, they were totally sympathetic and just wonderful. While moving I spoke to another housekeeper named Tori. She understood my health challenges and was super helpful as well, making sure the guys understood I couldn't walk too far. (They already did, but still.) I feel like things really changed at that point. After that, literally everyone we met was just terrific. I think every "worker bee" (the lowest level people and lower management) we met was great. Very professional but also very kind and down-to-earth. One probably saved my life... I'd met her at the Splashatorium the night before (when using our freebie vouchers). The layout of the Splashatorium is kind of weird, in that you have to walk outside and around the outside pool (which is covered for the winter) to get to the other side of it (unless you walk under a waterfall). I have glasses, and glasses and the indoor Splashatorium don't go together. They fog up. So I had gone in the wrong door, exited and was cleaning my glasses when I just about stepped into the deep end of the outdoor pool because I couldn't see it. (The pool cover makes it look flat.) The woman saw it from the activity center and ran out and yelled "STOP!" My brother was a few minutes behind me (he was coming to the Splashatorium in a few minutes) but I probably would have drowned by then, probably pulled down by the tarp with not a lot of people around. Apparently I was not the first person this woman had saved. She was so great in general as well. I think her name was Jeanine or something similar. As far as the Lodges themselves, they were nicer than a hotel room that I would pay for. All we needed was functional, and the Lodges were functional. I had a microwave and a freezer and so much more. That said, for the price someone would have paid, it wasn't awesome. The toilet kept running and finally overflowed on our last day (and our poor two housekeeper guys were sent to clean up... I don't think the toilet had flushed well all week, so urine, toilet paper, and poop went everywhere. They fixed it with a smile and cleaned better than I have seen hospital rooms cleaned. So more kudos to the lower-level workers! But not to the facilities.) The back porch area's door didn't have a lock; they kept it shut with a PCV pipe. Lots of things like that. They didn't bother us (except the toilet) but considering the hotel is expensive and supposed to be upscale, it seemed like it cost (someone) a lot. The lower-level workers are fantastic, but at the upper level somewhere (maybe even Welk itself), it seems like a lot of things seem to go wrong. I get the idea that the other Welk Resorts are different from this one. There were safety issues here, too, especially the dangerous outdoor covered-pool winter thing (they did have signs up on the day we left that said "DO NOT CROSS POOL COVER," but I'm not sure they would have helped someone like me who wasn't wearing glasses... there should really be an extra gate around the outside pool. The area is gated, but it's really hard to see the outdoor pool at night in the winter.) And the PVC pipe "lock" didn't seem super safe, either. I think it would have been a poor experience at best if it weren't for the "grunt" workers. They were the best. Everything else was just okay for the price my aunt paid.

It was in a beautiful setting, but still close to all the attractions. The best thing about the experience was the quick check in and out. The staff was very friendly and gave us everything we needed. The unit was very well maintained and beautiful. Great place to stay!