Grand Bear Resort At Starved Rock Utica, Utica ~ Discover room options, reviews & pricing

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Key details

About the Hotel

2643 Il Route 178, Utica, Illinois, United States of America, 61373

Grand Bear Resort At Starved Rock, a 3-star family-friendly hotel in Starved Rock State Park, features an indoor waterpark, indoor amusement park and conference center with 11000 square feet of meeting space.

Diverse Room Options

Each accommodation at Grand Bear Resort includes cable TV with premium channels, microwave, and refrigerator. Select rooms offer separate living areas, patios, and fireplaces, while luxury cabins feature fully-equipped kitchens and large dining tables.

Multiple Dining Venues

Jack's Place Restaurant & Bar serves American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Treetops Cafe provides coffee, breakfast items, and ice cream, while The Canyonside Bar offers drinks with canyon views.

Family Entertainment Facilities

The indoor water park complex includes a pool, lazy river, kiddie area, and hot tub. Additional recreation features arcade games, miniature golf, laser tag, ropes course, zip line, and craft activities.

State Park Access

Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock sits 1.5 miles from Deer Park Country Club and provides access to Matthiessen State Park and Buffalo Rock State Park. The property enables outdoor activities including hiking, biking, horseback riding, and rafting on the Illinois River.

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Select your room type

The hotel offers a variety of rooms including double rooms, family rooms, and suites with breakfast, free cancelations, and special deals

Queen Room

Max:

6 persons

250 sq. feet

Bed options:

2 King Size Beds

Shower

Heating

room details

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Queen Room

Max:

6 persons

250 sq. feet

Bed options:

2 King Size Beds

Shower

Heating

room details

Check Prices

Two-Bedroom Villa

Max:

9 persons

1605 sq. feet

Bed options:

2 King Size Beds

Shower

Fireplace

room details

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Getting around

Check out the full range of transport modes

City Center

Utica 2.4 mi

Airports

Central Illinois Regional (BMI) 67.7 mi

Chicago Rockford International (RFD) 74.0 mi

Facilities

The hotel offers amenities for your comfortable stay and unforgettable experiences

Free Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi in rooms

Free parking

24-hour services

24-hour reception

Babysitting

General

Non-smoking property
Free Wi-Fi
Parking
24-hour reception
Elevator
ATM/Cash machine
Gift/Newsstand
Fireplace

Guest Parking

Dryer
Cookware/ Kitchen utensils

Services

Newspaper service

Dining

Paid breakfast
Restaurant
Bar/ Lounge area
Picnic area/ Tables

Business

Meeting room

Children

Game room

Room features

Free Wi-Fi in rooms
Sitting area
Tea and coffee facilities
Dining table

Bathroom

Washing machine
Free toiletries

Self-catering

Dryer
Cookware/ Kitchen utensils

Media

Flat-screen TV
AM/FM alarm clock

Room decor

Carpeted floor

Location

2643 Il Route 178, Utica, Illinois, United States of America, 61373

Map view

2643 Il Route 178, Utica, Illinois, United States of America, 61373

City landmarks

Parks

Starved Rock State Park

5000 ft

Parks

Matthiessen State Park

1.5 mi

Saint Louis Canyon

3100 ft

Aurora Canyon

1.2 mi

Public Building

Starved Rock Lock and Dam

1.4 mi

Oglesby

Lover's Leap Overlook

1.3 mi

Oglesby

Pontiac Canyon

1.3 mi

Wildcat Canyon

1.5 mi

201 Donaldson St North Utica

SRE Playland

1.3 mi

Oglesby

Eagle Cliff Overlook

1.4 mi

Dee Bennett Road

Grand Village of the Illinois

1.4 mi

Oglesby

Beehive Overlook

1.5 mi

Matthiessen State Park Fort

1.6 mi

229 Clark St

The Rock and Soul

1.6 mi

French Canyon

1.8 mi

101 E Canal St

La Salle County Historical Museum

1.7 mi

IL-71

LaSalle Canyon

2.1 mi

IL-71

Tonty Canyon

2.0 mi

Nature reserve

Pecumsaugan Creek

2.4 mi

Owl Canyon

2.4 mi

Starved Rock

2.8 mi

Split Rock Lake

2.8 mi

IL-71

Hennepin Canyon

3.0 mi

Museums

Hegeler Carus Mansion

4.1 mi

Nearby

2643 N State Route 178 Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort

Grand Bear Water Park

600 ft

Restaurants

Jack's Place Restaurant & Bar

300 ft

2643 N IL Rte 178 East Side of Building

Reviews and Ratings

Feedback from previous guests about their experience.

84%

were satisfied with the hotel and would gladly return

8.4/10

Great

Rooms

5.4

Location

6.8

Service

6.0

Dining

5.0

Alfred

United States of America, January 2025

6.8/10

I had a mixed experience at Grand Bear Resort. The indoor waterpark was fun for the kids and the villas were spacious, but there were definitely cleanliness issues and the dining left much to be desired.

Rooms

6.0

I stayed in a family room, but it felt cramped with a small balcony. While the bathroom was clean, the overall cleanliness left a lot to be desired, which was a letdown.

Service

7.0

The staff were friendly and accommodating, which was great, but I noticed they seemed a bit stretched thin across the hotel during our stay.

Location

8.0

The resort is super close to outdoor activities like Starved Rock, which I loved. It made our excursions easy and fun.

Dining

5.0

I wasn't impressed with the food options. The dining wasn't worth the prices they charged, and my experience at Jack's was pretty bad.

Facilities

7.0

The indoor waterpark was the highlight for the kids since it was geared towards younger children, but I also saw lots of trash around that needed cleaning.

Donald

United States of America, December 2024

6.2/10

I had high hopes for my stay. but it didn't quite meet my expectations. While the spacious accommodations were great for me and my daughter, the cleanliness of the sofa bed was unacceptable. The water park was enjoyable, and the staff were friendly, but the dining options left much to be desired. I'll likely reconsider before returning.

Rooms

5.0

Our double queen room was spacious, but the sofa bed was in terrible condition with stains and was twisted out of shape, which was really disappointing.

Service

5.0

The staff were friendly and accommodating, but they seemed overwhelmed by the issues presented, like the dirty mattress.

Location

7.0

It's conveniently located near hiking opportunities, which I appreciated for our day trips, but the surroundings weren't as clean as I would hope.

Dining

5.0

The dining options were extremely limited, serving mostly pizza and a taco bar, which were not appealing, especially with cold ingredients.

Facilities

6.0

The water park was fun and not overcrowded, which made for a pleasant experience, but there are definitely cleanliness issues that need addressing.

Cecil

United States of America, December 2024

7.4/10

My stay at Grand Bear Resort was quite disappointing overall. While the vicinity to nature is a plus and the indoor waterpark could have been enjoyable, my experience was marred by cleanliness issues and poor service. I encountered a series of unsettling problems that overshadowed any potential fun I could have had. 😞💔

Rooms

5.0

The room I stayed in, a double queen, was in bad condition. The sofa bed had a disgusting mattress covered in stains, and the pullout couch was unfit to sleep on due to its rips and dirt. It definitely didn't meet expectations for a family resort.

Service

5.0

Customer service was lacking as well. Although I received a refund for the room, the staff seemed indifferent about the state of the accommodations. They also mishandled my dining orders multiple times, and there were concerns regarding safety in the pool area that went unaddressed.

Location

5.0

The location is wonderful as it’s close to Starved Rock State Park, allowing for some lovely outdoor activities. However, that was one of the few bright spots during my stay.

Dining

5.0

Dining options were limited and disappointing. The on-site restaurant only served pizza or a taco bar, with the food being unsatisfactory in quality. I expected more variety and better quality for a resort-level dining experience.

Facilities

5.0

While I appreciated that the waterpark area was clean, the overall facilities were let down by the condition of the rooms. I also didn't find the organized activities engaging enough to compensate for the negative experiences in other areas.

Bernard

United States of America, October 2024

6.4/10

I had a mixed experience at Grand Bear Resort. The waterpark was a hit with my toddlers, and the arcade offered great fun at an affordable price. However, the room cleanliness left much to be desired, and I was disappointed in the dining options offered during my stay.

Rooms

5.0

The family room felt cramped and was not as clean as I expected. There were signs of neglect like food around the bed and a dirty ceiling. While the bathroom and couch were clean, the overall cleanliness of the room rated poorly for me.

Service

6.0

The staff was friendly and accommodating, which I appreciated when it came to addressing our needs. However, they seemed overwhelmed at times, which impacted service speed.

Location

6.0

The resort's location near outdoor hiking areas was ideal for enjoying nature, but the resort itself felt a bit outdated and not properly maintained.

Dining

5.0

Dining at Jack’s was a major letdown, especially the steak and chicken Alfredo which were not worth the price. The overall food quality could use significant improvement.

Facilities

8.0

The indoor waterpark was a highlight for my kids, though it had its issues like cleanliness and ant presence around the pool area. The arcade, on the other hand, was fantastic for kids and offered a wide variety of games at low costs.

Milton

United States of America, October 2024

6.4/10

My stay at Grand Bear Resort was a mixed experience. While I found plenty of activities for my family, like the arcade and the outdoor playground that the kids loved, the condition of the rooms left much to be desired. As I hope to see refurbishments in the future, the pleasant atmosphere combined with engaging activities keeps me considering a return visit.

Rooms

6.0

The rooms definitely need updating, as they felt quite dated. However, our room was spacious and accommodating for my family of four.

Service

7.0

The staff were friendly and welcoming throughout our stay. They were attentive, especially during check-in; however, my experience with addressing some issues was somewhat mixed.

Location

8.0

The resort's location is excellent for those wanting to explore nearby state parks, enhancing the overall experience.

Dining

5.0

The dining options were a bit of a letdown and overpriced for what was offered. We enjoyed our meals, but the variety seemed limited for families.

Facilities

7.0

The indoor water park was a highlight and kept my little one entertained. Although there were some cleanliness issues, the pool area was generally acceptable.