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Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock

3.0 star property

Photo gallery for Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock

Front of property
Indoor pool, open 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, lifeguards on site
Luxury Cabin, 3 Bedrooms | Living area
Reception
Mini-golf

Reviews

7.4 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Hot tub
  • Breakfast available
  • Bar
  • Pool
  • Gym
  • 24/7 front desk

Explore the area

Map
2643 IL-178, Utica, IL, 61373
  • Grand Bear Falls Indoor Water Park
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Starved Rock State Park
    ‪4 min walk‬
  • Matthiessen State Park
    ‪12 min walk‬

Room options

View all photos for Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Hot Tub

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Hot Tub

Standard Room, 1 King Bed, Hot Tub

  • 37 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Family Suite with Balcony, 2 Queen Beds with Sofa Bed

Iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Family Suite with Balcony, 2 Queen Beds with Sofa Bed

  • 37 sq m
  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

View all photos for Family Suite with Balcony, 2 Queen Beds with Sofa Bed

Iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Family Suite with Balcony, 2 Queen Beds with Sofa Bed

  • Sleeps 6
  • 2 Queen Beds and 1 Double Sofa Bed

View all photos for Villa, 2 Bedrooms

Iron/ironing board, free WiFi, bed sheets

Villa, 2 Bedrooms

  • 167 sq m
  • Sleeps 9
  • 1 King Bed, 1 Twin Sofa Bed, 2 Queen Beds and 1 Queen Sofa Bed

View all photos for Luxury Cabin, 3 Bedrooms

Luxury Cabin, 3 Bedrooms

Luxury Cabin, 3 Bedrooms

  • 260 sq m
  • Sleeps 18
  • 1 King Bed, 1 Large Twin Sofa Bed, 2 Queen Beds, 2 Queen Bunk Beds, 2 Twin Bunk Beds and 1 Queen Sofa Bed

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About the area

Utica

Located in Utica, Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock is next to a golf course, a 4-minute walk from Starved Rock State Park and 12 minutes by foot from Matthiessen State Park. .This family-friendly hotel is 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Illinois River Winery and 1.5 mi (2.5 km) from Deer Park Country Club.

What's nearby

  • Grand Bear Falls Indoor Water Park - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Starved Rock State Park - 4 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Matthiessen State Park - 12 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Illinois River Winery - 3 min drive - 2.4 km
  • LaSalle County Historical Society & Museum - 3 min drive - 3.0 km

Getting around

  • Mendota Station - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Casey's General Store - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Casey's General Store - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪The Rootbeer Stand - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Back Door Lounge - ‬6 min drive

About this property

Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock

Family-friendly hotel with free water park access and bars
Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock offers 92 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Televisions come with cable channels.

Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access.

An indoor pool, a children's pool, and a hot tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a complimentary water park, a lazy river, and a 24-hour fitness center.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Make yourself at home in one of the 92 guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards.
Enjoy a range of recreational amenities, including a complimentary water park, an indoor pool, and a lazy river. This hotel also features complimentary wireless internet access, an arcade/game room, and gift shops/newsstands.
Grab dinner at Jack's Place, a restaurant that specializes in American cuisine. You can also grab snacks at the coffee shop/cafe. Relax with a refreshing drink at one of the 2 bars/lounges. Buffet breakfasts are served on weekends from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include complimentary newspapers in the lobby, a 24-hour front desk, and ATM/banking services. Free self parking is available onsite.
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM on weekends.
Jack's Place - This family restaurant specializes in American cuisine and serves breakfast and dinner.
Treetops Cafe - This café serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Open daily.
J.H. Higby's - Onsite bar. Open select days.
Bear Island - This bar overlooks the garden. Open select days.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Weekend buffet breakfast available 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM for a fee: USD 15 for adults and USD 12 for children
  • 2 bars/lounges
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • Bear Island
  • J.H. Higby's
  • Jack's Place
  • Treetops Cafe

Things to do

  • 18-hole adjacent golf course
  • 24-hour gym
  • Arcade/game room
  • Children's pool
  • Concerts/live shows
  • Free water park
  • Games
  • Hot tub
  • Indoor pool
  • Lazy river
  • Mini golf
  • Playground
  • Volleyball
  • Waterslide
  • Wine tasting room
  • Wine tours

Family friendly

  • Arcade/game room
  • Children's games
  • Children's pool
  • Free water park access
  • Indoor pool
  • Lazy river
  • Lifeguards on site
  • Mini golf
  • Playground
  • Waterslide

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • ATM
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Gift shop/newsstand

Business services

  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • In a state park
  • Picnic area

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible public bathroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 42-inch TV with cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Ice maker

More

  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Connecting rooms available
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Phone

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in is available for a fee
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
Late check-out subject to availability
A late check-out fee will be charged

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property

Renovations and closures

The following facilities are closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:
  • Bar/lounge
  • Dining venue(s)
  • Indoor pool
  • Hot tub

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Deposit: USD 500 per accommodation, per stay
  • Service fee: 3 percent

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: approximately USD 15 for adults and USD 12.00 for children
  • Early check-in is available for a fee (subject to availability)
  • Late check-out is available for a fee (subject to availability)

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted

We should mention

Pool access available from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation
Some facilities may have restricted access; guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation

Property is also known as

Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort Utica
Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Utica
Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort Oglesby
Grizzly Jacks Grand Bear Hotel
Grizzly Jack`s Grand Bear Hotel Utica
Grizzly Jacks Grand Bear Resort
Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Oglesby
Grizzly Jack's Bear Oglesby
Bear At Starved Rock Utica
Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort
Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock Hotel
Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock Utica
Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock Hotel Utica

Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock Reviews

Reviews

7.4

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 259 out of 784 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 222 out of 784 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 144 out of 784 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 79 out of 784 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 80 out of 784 reviews

7.6/10

Cleanliness

7.8/10

Staff & service

7.2/10

Amenities

7.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Patrick

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Kristy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service

Buyer Beware!

Although the room was adequate, clean enough and spacious enough there is a reason this "resort" is so cheap in the winter- there is NOTHING to do. Of course the outdoor mini golf is not open is the frigid temps, but you think an indoor water park and arcade would be a great family get away for a when its too cold to be outside. Nope. It is a complete ghost town. The hotel reservation even said "free breakfast" which was not available. Absolutely everything is closed during the week. Make sure to call the resort directly if you plan on using any amenities because the staff I talked to said it is very frustrating for them also because guests obviously travel to be there and then are disappointed that things like the pool are not even open due to low staffing and no warning is offered on the website as to what days and times they might be open so the staff are the ones that get yelled at by guests when they don't know day to day what will be open.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

Juan

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Expedia / Reservation shows Free Breakfast and there was none. In fact the restaurant and the cafe were not even open! There was coffee maker at the room, no water at exercise room, no water bottles at the room, hallways were dirty… not good.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Maiya

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

jean

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alejandro

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Best getaway from Chicagoland
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Antonio

Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Sirivanh

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

Marisa

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

David

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service
The villa was very spacious. However, wifi was very spotty, jacuzzi didn't work, and kitchen had very few pots and pans. The waterpark locker room is small and pretty useless if you need to change.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We took our 3 grandchildren ages 6, 8 and 10 to Chicago as a Christmas gift. We chose this resort because of the water park. They had a blast! We then drove to Shedd Aquarium for a day, which was a very doable drive, 1 1/2 hours and still had time for them to come back and swim. The life guards were very observant of the kids swimming and did a great job. The amusement center was an added bonus as well as an on sight restaurant, snack shop and bar. We would definitely recommend this facility. J & K Harkness Laingsburg, MI
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

6/10 Okay

Amber

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
We stayed in hotel. Pros: close proximity to everything. The food was better than expected at cafe and restaurant. No complaints there. The beds were comfortable and spacious. Kids had a good time. Now the cons: the place was freezing! The waterpark water was cold. The kids of course got used to it but for my husband and I, we felt like we were being tortured everytime we were there. All the adults stood around freezing knee deep in the water. A much needed light in our room didn’t work. Had a hard time getting any internet on devices. Very weak, nearly nonexistent WiFi. Overall, we had fun and for the price I’d recommend for a few day stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

Anna

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Located near Starved Rock State Park, Grand Bear Resort seemed like the perfect family-friendly getaway, but our experience was a disaster. While the location is great, the resort falls short in nearly every way. Cleanliness: The rooms were filthy—stained bedding, old mattresses, and a sunken, unusable couch. The bathrooms smelled bad, with mildew on the shower tiles. Floors were sticky, and dust was everywhere. Waterpark: The indoor waterpark was in terrible shape, with mold on the walls, peeling paint, and cloudy water. The lazy river looked dirty, and the entire facility felt unsafe and neglected. Noise Levels: Loud music and banging continued past 1:00 AM nightly, despite the advertised 11:00 PM quiet hours. Our complaints were ignored, and a room change request was denied. Room Maintenance: Furniture was old, mattresses lumpy, and the heating system unreliable. The overall condition of the room made it uncomfortable to stay in. Internet and Amenities: The Wi-Fi barely worked, and Other amenities were outdated and poorly maintained. Overcrowding and Service: Overcrowding made the waterpark chaotic. Staff were unresponsive to complaints and poorly trained, offering no solutions. Grand Bear Resort has potential, but the lack of cleanliness, maintenance, and accountability makes it impossible to recommend. Until major improvements are made, avoid staying here. Rating: 1/5
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cesar

Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alejandro

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff it’s very helpful great get away writhing two hours away from Chicagoland
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

2/10 Terrible

Jasmine

Travelled with family and small children
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I arrived and booked for priority 1pm check in and didn’t get a room to about 4 with rude front desk service after charging a priority fee yes it was refunded but inconvenient to wait around three hours to have no answer when room will be ready ask to talk to a Manager and told they will call me same day and still no call 5 days after told twice they will call the villas walls where filthy and so many bugs from water and lady bugs in villa not just I was waiting for my room several others where waiting and they got offered game cards and free breakfast as I was speaking to two others as I was just told someone will call me with no offer of anything while waiting the pool was freezing cold end up sick from it and so many water bugs in water kids where scared of didn’t get to enjoy at all ask to double check water temp and told it was already they couldn’t do anything over all not a great experience I have been here two other times with no problems but different people working this year
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cindy

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fun for the kids.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jermaine

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

4/10 Poor

Lucas

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

6/10 Okay

James

Travelled with family
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Janay

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

Marie

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Sarah

Travelled with family
Liked: Staff & service, room comfort

It Was Alright

We stayed in a Villa for our family Christmas weekend. It was nice to have a space we could all share and be together in- especially one that had the water park for the kids. (They all gave the water park 👍👍). The property has seen some better days, though making it over priced for what's being offered (throw in the $750 deposit and it was real overpriced). There's a lot of Maintenance that needs to be done and the cleaning wasn't great. Despite that, it provided us with the space we needed to make some great memories, and for that I'm grateful. I'm not sure what we'll do in the future, but this one isn't being crossed off the list for possibilities.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

4/10 Poor

Laura

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

2/10 Terrible

Bradley

Travelled with family
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024