This is a WARNING regarding my first and worst experience with the Wichita Mountain Lodge of Medicine Park, OK. Our reservations for August 16 and the
17th for my son's Basic Training Family Day and Graduation from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma were ruined by the owner of this place.
I'm glad to say that my time in Oklahoma is over! First off let me begin by saying how wrong I was to assume that the operation of the Wichita Mountain Lodge and the Cabin in the Woods, was a professional one.
The owner, Evanna Betcher, has no clue what is being reserved in her facilities and she has no plan of enforcement either. She never honored our reservation and obviously overbooked the cabin and tried a BAIT & SWITCH to get us in another rental for the same money.
In NO WAY did we get to enjoy the advertised peaceful mountains from a wrap-around covered porch overlooking a private lake. NOR did we have the chance to unwind on a private dock under numerous shade trees.instead we found our cabin occupied by a grandmother and six kids, flanked by a receding pond and an owner quickly trying to push us into a rent house to double her income.
On Thursday, August 17th after a long hot Family Day Presentation, we showed up at 12:30 as instructed by Donna, the reservationist. We found the cabin still occupied and only the housekeeper was home. We were told to come back at 2:30 so she could clean it.
We drove around for 2 1/2 hours with my son who was exhausted from a long day of training in preparation for his graduation. So we returned to the cabin at 2:45 pm to be told by Evanna Betcher, owner, and her daughter that the cabin was occupied and the guest and her 6 grandkids were gone and had no intentions of moving out.
We don't believe that they were ever told that the cabin was reserved for the next two days. She planned for double the money! BAIT & SWITCH to a military family! That was some way to treat a family whose serving their country. It was a slap in the face to my family as my son stood their in his dress greens wondering why this day was going so wrong!
So then Evanna Betcher says she has this cottage just right down the road that usually rents for more but she'll let us have it for the same money. Then she says we can still come down and fish and swim.
We went to see it. I can't believe that she had the nerve to call it a "cottage" and say it had a "great view". The only view it had was a ditch and a road. It was just an old rent house that she was trying to sell! I don't even think it had been cleaned lately, since she stomped a bug in the kitchen while we were there.
When I told Evanna that we had reserved this cabin months ago and that we really wanted to fish and be in the secluded environment that we were promised, she just said she didn't think she could get them out that night, but we still could go down and fish and swim.
Now truthfully, who would walk 2-3 miles down a road to fish and swim by a grandmother and her 6 grandkids for the same money as the cabin by the lake? NOT ME! We came to have the area alone not with a bunch of kids! And who'd share a tiny round pool with 7 other people? NOT US!
Not that anyone cares, but we found extremely omfortable lodging in both the after many hours of driving and calling around.
Everyone in Medicine Park felt very bad for our situation and went out of their way to keep our opionions of the up and coming town to be positive.
My opinion of this town has been rescued by these nice folks. We also patronized the and loved it as well as the.
But as for the Wichita Mountain Lodge, well it makes Oklahoma NOT "OK"! Every time I tell about my first trip to OK, I will give this lodge the negative attention it deserves. I would say we spent about $500 in Medicine Park over a 2 1/2 day time period and feel that we have a right to warn other potential guests about the Wichita Mountain Lodge.
The Chamber should really consider warning folks about the many disappointments associated with this business. It really could hurt the revitalization of such a quaint town and I'm sure it has punished the other businesses as well.
I understand this business ruined the reservations of a whole Boy Scout Troop last year!
Lisa
Dover, Arkansas
U.S.A.
Font color="red" sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome!
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