Chula Vista Resort Review

Tim and I spent Dec. 19 and 20 at Chula Vista Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. We were last in the Dells in 2007, but stayed at another resort. This was our first time at Chula Vista, which is an all-inclusive indoor/outdoor waterpark that's a little out of the way and away from the main strip in the Dells. We got a killer deal called the Great Escape, which included a two-night stay for two with waterpark admission, meals and drinks for $199.


For that price, we had to temper our expectations. What can you really expect for that price? Even with tips, we spent a very little amount of money and have no clue how the resort makes money on this deal. Meals included dinner the night we arrived, breakfast, lunch and dinner the second day and breakfast the day we departed. All of the meals were at a buffet, which had a salad bar and soup as well as kids options at every meal. The drinks were more than I expected and included specialty and mircobrew beers, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails and other tasty treats. We also got unlimited DVD rentals, but so did everyone else, so the machine was pretty picked over for the entirety.

We had an awesome time. The waterpark had lots of options for older kids and adults and we barely waited in line for anything. There were tons of slides and a water roller coaster. The indoor hot tub was kind of cold, but the outdoor hot tub was lovely.

The Good
The water was awesome. It was clean, well-supervised and safer (feeling, at least) than some of other facilities I've been to. While it's in a separate building from the hotel and condos, it's connected through an underground tunnel.

The Bad
If I wanted to be really diligent about my diet or exercise, this would not be the place. The healthy options for food were limited and very repetitive. The "gym" was a hotel room with two ellipticals, a stationary bike and two treadmills.  All the equipment was cheap and didn't have programs (first world problems, I know ...).

The Ugly
 The room. I had low expectations, but the room could use some work. It was set up like a motel in that the sink was outside of the bathroom and the closet was open. Not a fan. The towels were also threadbare. I use nicer towels for Napoleon's baths. Also, bring your own toiletries. There's no conditioner, which I needed from the chlorine. Our room had a ground-floor view of the parking lot, so I would suggest asking for a river-view room on a higher floor.

If you have the time to take advantage of the deal, do it. You will get more than your money's worth and have a great time, as long as you're not expecting the Ritz on a Motel 6 budget.