Bug-Bee-Hive Resort

The Ree Family spent an wonderful Christmas celebration in the main Lodge. Since we rent both units in the building, we have plenty of room for a lot of people with 2 areas to cook, eat and play games. Plus, we really like to be able to hop in the pool without going out in the cold. We booked again for next year!

Set on beautiful Lake Koronis outside of Paynesville, MN, is BugBee Hive Resort. We have been going to this resort with my in-laws every year for the past 30 years . We stay a week at a time. That is how much we love it! It's not perfect but where is? Staff are very friendly and helpful and are readily available throughout the day. Cabins vary in size and age. Some are very rustic and dated. Some are quite new and updated. Cabin prices for the week (Saturday to Saturday) are pretty steep in my opinion. There are definitely no deals to be found; not even for loyal, returning customers. Many of the cabins are pet free, unfortunately. Many cabins need some work on the inside to keep things in working order. Pool is very nice. Very beautiful lake. You can rent a very nice pontoon for the day or week. This year we had to compete with COVID19 and new construction as they are completing two new homes (4 cabins in total) so everyday we awoke to construction trucks and equipment. Not particularly restful or idyllic. Pool did not open until our last 2 days of our vacation (due to COVID19)which was a bummer for the kids. Also, for the prices you pay, you still have to bring your own towels and toilet paper. I think they provide you with 2 rolls to start with. Also, all of your own things like dish soap, paper towels, etc. you will need to provide yourself. kitchens have some basic utensils. Most annoying issue is the poor WiFi reception. This is an issue for those of us who need to remain connected even when away on vacation. I do hope this gets fixed. It does not seem to be a priority to them, however. The coverage is sporadic and slow at best. Thank goodness for cellular hotspots! Water in the cabins can be smelly due to sulfur. The resort is not particularly handicapped accessible as getting around can be difficult. The resort has a lot of steps in some areas and not all cabins are zero entry. Also the resort is set up from the lake.Every cabin has a charcoal grill to use. They also have a fire pit at the resort but when it is going the cabins can smell pretty smoky depending upon which way the wind is blowing.This is a great place for family reunions and general family get togethers. Highly recommend. Only downside is the cost. Overall, would rate this place 4 out of 5 stars. Again, not perfect but pretty darn close. Please consider a loyalty customer discount. God willing, see you next year!

Overall, it's OK but it seems like they've been letting the cabins slide since they added the conference center. It seems like there's no attention to detail - there were lightbulbs missing (someone took them out, why not go ahead and replace them?), torn screens, broken window cranks... we also had wasps in our cabin that the staff said they took care of but which came back night after night nonetheless. My 8 year old son is borderline phobic of stinging insects, so that was a real treat. I love this place but wish they would make more of an effort.

Great location on Lake Koronis. Indoor pool & spa is excellent for kids as is the beach & dock area. Many other recreational pluses: volleyball, biking/hiking, jungle gym, etc.

Bug Bee Hive Resort is amazing because they have crafts in the morning and they have an indoor pool. They have a lake you can tube in or go fishing. They have activities throughout the week you are there.

I can't imagine the amount of work it would be to run a family resort for so many years and it is a nice place, but it could be a fantastic place with just a little more investment in the details. Pros- great location, enough room for the entire extended family to spread out, luxurious adult swing chairs throughout the resort to relax, excellent organized activities for the kids, the new indoor pool is beautiful and an excellent way to cool off at the end of a hot day, they showed outdoor movies on a big inflatable screen which the kids loved, at one point they even gave away free root beer floats during a hot day. There are several fire pits and adirondak chairs throughout the campus to relax in at night and other areas to do campfire cooking if that is what you desire. There was always someone at the front desk and they were very helpful. Maintenance requests (light bulbs) were responded to within 2 days. Cons- Each of the mattresses for the 8 beds in our cabin were extremely old, decrepit, and hard, the only acceptable resolution to this issue is to buy new mattresses. Unfortunately, if you can't sleep, then the rest of your stay is heavily impacted. I would not stay at this resort again until I understood that all of the mattresses have been bought NEW in the past year. A bonus would be if the pillows and linens were also updated. The hydrogen sulfide smell in the water is still present. The internet in the cabins was not reliable and AT&T had no cell phone service. In the cabins away from the lake, many of the appliances did not work, such as air conditioning, de-humidifiers, and laundry. In the cabins where the AC worked, some of the bed rooms were ice boxes and you couldn't change that even if you shut the vents. Facts of nature- early in the summer, the lake had swimmer's itch so we could not go in. Also, it often looked like it was snowing with the amount of pollen falling from the trees. My allergies normally don't bother me much, but this location was an assault on my sinuses. I understand that the idea is for the rustic experience, which is what we were looking for. Overall, our family had an excellent time and we would definitely stay there again IF we knew all of the mattresses had been bought NEW in the past year.

This resort is run down and severely in need of remodeling. The staff, and especially Lori, are rude and indifferent to their guests. Rules, regulations and safety are completely disregarded. My best advice is to stay away.

Was here last weekend for a wedding. This resort has such great potential as it's on a beautiful lake and in a great area. However, the service is awful. Nobody was at the front desk all weekend. The number they left at the front desk wasn't the right number to get a hold of anyone either. The rooms don't come with towels, you have to pay extra, which is fine- but at least stock nice, clean towels. These towels were like the towels you use to lay on the floor when you're painting... Rags. Our cabin didn't have any AC except for in our room. So it was quite hot everywhere in the cabin.Also, the grounds were not kept up. There were weeds and pumpkin vines growing between the steps leading up to our cabin and others as well. The worst part of the stay was the dirty sheets. My sheets had hair all over them and small and large yellow and brown stains. Another girl from the wedding party also had dirty sheets, she actually got a rash on her arm after one sleep. She ended up having her husband bring her clean bedding from home. For 550.00 a night I expect WAY more. However, the wedding was great (not catered or put on by this resort)

Been here for 3 years and really enjoy it. Previously at Stonegate Lodge on the same lake for 37 years. Beach area in awesome and owners try really hard to make your visit fun.

My husband and I recently used their venue for our wedding. Things started out rough when we showed up for my husband to see the venue (14 months before the wedding-2 months after we paid our deposit) and we were told that our wedding day had been double booked and we needed to find another date or location. Not the best since we had paid deposits and booked all our other vendors. They did make amends for double booking. However my husbands parents had issues booking their cabin, and it wasn't until my husband wrote a review that we actually got a phone call back. We live out of town and at times coordinating day of details was difficult. For example, the month before the wedding on our final review/planning meeting the coordinator took a phone call from another bride and was on the phone for an hour. Nor did she write a lot of details down. For example the time we had set to decorate the day before the wedding the coordinator came late. Unfortunately not on time for any meetings. If you're a bride/groom-write/save everything. Especially for the charges. Day of details were missed -candles weren't lit, dessert put out early/not refilled, no assistance with guest parking, a boat if the parking lot blocking spaces. All details that were discussed and confirmed but not carried out. Our day was perfect because a tribe of family and friends stepped in! My family and friends helped with parking, lighting candles, opened wine, and served coffee. We hope changes are made because it's a beautiful venue for a wedding.Changed the review to one star-after reaching out to the owners. Instead of entertaining a phone conversation I received an email being called "childish" and this was after receiving unprofessional text messages.