Name: Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake
Address: 11000 Craguns Drive, East Gull Lake, Brainerd, Minnesota, United States of America, East Gull Lake, Cass County, US
Price range: US$169–US$319 per night
Rating: 8.08

What guests think

Across recent reviews, Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake is praised for friendly staff, scenic lakefront views, and many on site activities, while feedback also notes older buildings, some dated or confusing areas, and a generally large, spread out property.

Rooms range from remodeled and spacious with great views to older or smaller units with temperature and maintenance issues, though maintenance is often responsive. Cleanliness feedback is mixed, with many clean stays but several reports of dirty areas or missed housekeeping. Dining options and quality vary, with limited hours or menus at times and some overpriced or mediocre meals, but others enjoyed good food and bar service. Expect a classic lakeside resort experience with lots to do and some dated elements.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Expansive resort with many activities (pools, beach, playground, pontoon rentals, golf, tennis/pickleball, walking track, and boat tours). Layout is large with many stairs and limited elevators, some facilities feel dated, and occasional pool or hot tub issues are noted.

Related guest reviews

8

Gail

5 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The inside area where the bathrooms are near the outdoor pool was not clean at all. It just looked like a place where no one cared. The lack of elevators or convenient ones was tough, because many flights of stairs were necessary to get to our room.

10

Trista

26 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Sidewalks needed to be salted. Very hazardous

10

Rex

18 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Had not been to area before this 4-night stay for attending a boat show. Our particular accomodation was a suite with elec. fireplace in space having King bed. Had 2 T.V.s, a full-size, cold refrigerator, 4-cup drip coffee maker. But, bring your own coffee or take am hike to lobby for their excellent complimentary coffee. The room was clean and well-kept. Enough towels, etc for entire stay. Indoor tennis/pickleball, pool, and walking track. Very nice!

10

Keith

9 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

We stayed here for a family vacation. Had a great time. Restaurant, pools, beach, playground, pontoon rental, golf, tennis were all great. Cabin was clean and comfortable. Would stay here again.

8

Lance

12 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was very well upkept, the staff was very pleasant, grounds were clean, quiet, vast (as ther was alot to do from indoor pool, out door pool, the swiming beach, many rental options, play ground for the kids and the floating platform/gungle gym in the lake.) Many room options, cabins to bigger housing options or just stay in the main lodge. I got over 10,000 steps in just walking around the main building. BIG... Onsite bar / restraunt. Theres irmas kitchen. Food at indoor pool side. Sun deck. Breakfast in the morning. To planning your wedding venue onsite. Large boat tour of the lake. And many other things to do i probably missed... so go stay for 2 days to a week or more. Something for everyone. And only a few minutes from brainard and nisswa. So have fun and happy resorting...

6

Engela

29 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room cleaning is currently not included. Assume it will be changed over time with the new owners/management. Lodge layout is a bit confusing with stairs up and down to donning room, pool and sport/fitness areas. Building was a bit cold.

10

Timothy

2 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

There was lots of activities available

8

Beverly

9 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We were on a top floor with twin one year olds. No elevators. Hard to get up steps. Could not use stroller. Hard to find parking near our room at times. Room was very nice and view was fantastic.

10

Dan

15 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

All the staff were pleasant. Captain Todd a local treasure, blessed to have had time with him. Music was good. Welcoming atmosphere all around. Enjoyed an evening fire on the beach.

4

Hanna

16 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hot tub wasn't working and floating stuff in there and dirty

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Cleanliness feedback is mixed: many guests found rooms clean or newly updated, but others reported issues like dirty bathrooms or floors, mold or dampness, and lapses in common-area upkeep or housekeeping during stays. Standards appear inconsistent across units.

Related guest reviews

2

Lori

19 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

We were extremely unhappy with our stay. The room was filthy and looked like it hadn't been vacuumed. There was a hair on the bed and another that matched it on the toilet. There was greasy fingerprints on the walls and air conditioning controls. They never cleaned our room or gave us clean towels. When we called to requested them we waited over an hour, then gave up and left. They apparently dont clean the rooms unless you ask, but never informed us or had any signs or paperwork telling us to call and ask to have the room cleaned during our stay. So if you like clean rooms, clean sheets, clean towels, shampoo, conditioner, or the coffee they claim to provide...this place isn't for you. Wasn't impressed at all with the food either. I'll be staying at Breezy Point from now on.

10

Kate

29 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

NO KIDS. The lake view was excellent. Enjoyed watching the float planes. My room was very clean and comfortable. The staff was helpful and friendly.

8

Gail

5 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The inside area where the bathrooms are near the outdoor pool was not clean at all. It just looked like a place where no one cared. The lack of elevators or convenient ones was tough, because many flights of stairs were necessary to get to our room.

2

Matthew

22 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

This property was in disrepair. The room was damp and dirty, and our feet turned black from walking on the floors. There was also an unknown white powder on one of the beds, which was disturbing. The hallways were dingy and damp, and the ceiling tiles were falling down. The rates were incredibly high due to peak season, so I assumed that the property would be comparable to others in the area. It turns out that this was just an attempt to gouge unsuspecting travelers and take advantage of limited lodging during the summer. We went home after one night. It was a terrible experience, and I would never come back or recommend this place to anyone! Worst birthday ever!

8

Joseph

1 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Our room was nicely renovated. Very modern, spacious & clean.

2

Camille

10 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Insect eggs and lerve on the counter in the bathroom.

4

Megan

5 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I am sad this didn’t live up to expectations as we were super excited. There was a ton of mold in our room which really made my 1 year olds asthma flare up. Didn’t end up being enjoyable for anyone

10

Haley

5 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We enjoyed our stay at Cragun’s! The room was clean, spacious, and remodeled with a great view of the lake.

6

JEFFREY

18 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

THE RESORT STAFF WERE VERY FREINDLY AND NICE. THE VIEW OF THE LAKE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS NOT GOOD ABOUT THE STAY WAS WHEN WE GOT TO OUR ROOM THERE WAS A DIRTY TOWEL IN THE BATHTUB AND HAIRS ON THE RIM OF THE TUB.

10

Willie

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The view of the lake was right outside our door. Sun rise from the room every morning was beautiful. Super clean room and looks updated. The staff was veery easy to ask question while using text messaging. Made it much easier than walking up to the office as the place is huge.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms vary widely: many are remodeled, spacious, and have excellent lake views, while others feel dated or small with inconsistent HVAC and occasional maintenance issues. Noise can be a factor depending on neighbors and hallway activity.

Related guest reviews

6

H

23 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed at Cragun's over MEA. The area around the resort was beautiful. The cabin we stayed in was old, worn out, and not very clean. The furniture was uncomfortable, the stove/oven were from the 1980's and heated food unevenly. There was no WIFI and besides the indoor pool there was limited entertainment for young children.

10

Susan F.

10 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The property is very family friendly. Lots of activities for families. Staff was very friendly and helpful. The suite we had had a wonderful view of the lake but the room could use a bit of updating.

4

Jiongwen

4 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Service was minimal, and we didn't feel particularly welcome. The room felt a bit outdated, and the beds were too soft for comfort. We also had trouble sleeping due to loud snoring coming from a neighboring room.

10

Michelle

22 May 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Weekend getaway! While the resort is older, they are working to update the rooms and we were fortunate to stay in an updated resort room with a deck and full view of the lake! The update was well done and included everything in the room - making our stay incredibly comfortable! We wanted to love the Sunday brunch, but it was pretty mediocre. The service was great through out our stay and we hope to be back!

10

Haley

5 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We enjoyed our stay at Cragun’s! The room was clean, spacious, and remodeled with a great view of the lake.

8

Beverly

9 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

We were on a top floor with twin one year olds. No elevators. Hard to get up steps. Could not use stroller. Hard to find parking near our room at times. Room was very nice and view was fantastic.

10

Jeremy

22 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great environment, beautiful views and friendly staff. We had a problem with the fireplace, within minutes they had sent someone to fix it. Also the lock on the door into the room was not functioning, again they sent maintenance to fix it within minutes! Other than those couple little things, it was a great time! The room was great and I would recommend this place to many of my friends!

8

Patricia J

7 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Noisy air conditioning

2

Anthony

13 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The door to our was flush with the floor on one side, and about two inches from the floor on the other side. During the night, some drunk guests were sticking there hand into the room through this gap. The heat in our room didn’t work properly. When the heat was set at 65, the room was 76 degrees. I turned the wall thermostat down to 56, and the heat didn’t go down. We eventually had to turn the heat completely off, which isn’t ideal in Minnesota in January. The room was expensive, and would have been a miserable experience at half the price.

10

Willie

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The view of the lake was right outside our door. Sun rise from the room every morning was beautiful. Super clean room and looks updated. The staff was veery easy to ask question while using text messaging. Made it much easier than walking up to the office as the place is huge.

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Service

Service is frequently described as friendly and helpful, with quick maintenance support and convenient communication. However, several guests cited miscommunication at check-in, inconsistent restaurant service, and limited response to noise or accessibility concerns.

Related guest reviews

2

Lori

19 Jun 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

We were extremely unhappy with our stay. The room was filthy and looked like it hadn't been vacuumed. There was a hair on the bed and another that matched it on the toilet. There was greasy fingerprints on the walls and air conditioning controls. They never cleaned our room or gave us clean towels. When we called to requested them we waited over an hour, then gave up and left. They apparently dont clean the rooms unless you ask, but never informed us or had any signs or paperwork telling us to call and ask to have the room cleaned during our stay. So if you like clean rooms, clean sheets, clean towels, shampoo, conditioner, or the coffee they claim to provide...this place isn't for you. Wasn't impressed at all with the food either. I'll be staying at Breezy Point from now on.

10

Joseph

24 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place with great staff

8

Travis

10 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Overall good experience and fun, the guy at check in kind of put a damper on things. Seemed annoyed and not very friendly nor helpful.. came back later for questions and the director was there and was excellent. A few other run ins where the employees weren’t that great. Otherwise for the price and location it was fun

4

Andrew

8 Mar 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

We were excited to have our first stay at Craguns Reaort. The property itself is well kept, clean and our room was beautiful. The disappointment started when we hadgone to the bar near the reception area. It was a very busy weekend with a large dart tournament being hosted and hocley tournament in town as well. There was an arguement in the bar that was allowed to escalate due to security not removing the parties that were causing the issue. As a result of the escalation the bar closed an hour and a half early. This left several people with nowhere to enjoy the rest of the evening. The second disappointment came while trying to sleep. It literally sounded like a horse stampede with loud music from midnight until 0900. At that time we were getting ready for the day to leave. Needless to say we left exhausted and disappointed.

4

Stephanie

24 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We reserved a king room and were told we could have a rollaway for our son. When we arrived, the rollaway was not there. We called three times and were assured that a rollaway was coming. After returning from the pool at 11 pm, it still was not there. We called again and were informed that a rollaway could not be brought to our room because of the stairs. Somehow, they weren’t aware of the stairs at booking or for the first three calls. We were then moved to another room with two beds at 11:30 pm. We were also told that the only other option for breakfast was to order room service, if we did not want their $19 buffet, which was no bette than free breakfasts you get at many hotels. When we tried to call room service in the morning, we were told they were not open. So much miscommunication. This is our second time attempting to stay at Craguns for an event and the second time we’ve had to move rooms. We won’t be back.

4

Hayes

25 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was vast with plenty room. I arrived a couple hours early. I was told I'd get am email when my room was ready. I never did. The restaurants weren't open till five. There's a small bar by the check. The server new absolutely nothing and didn't care either. I asked for directions to the Legacy bar. He told me to look it up. I had to make to noise complaints for people partying on a deck below. I got apathy from almost everyone. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

8

Lisa

9 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Bartender was exceptional.

10

Jeremy

22 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great environment, beautiful views and friendly staff. We had a problem with the fireplace, within minutes they had sent someone to fix it. Also the lock on the door into the room was not functioning, again they sent maintenance to fix it within minutes! Other than those couple little things, it was a great time! The room was great and I would recommend this place to many of my friends!

10

Nicolas

1 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Everyone at craguns always makes us feel welcomed from check in to check out.

10

Willie

1 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The view of the lake was right outside our door. Sun rise from the room every morning was beautiful. Super clean room and looks updated. The staff was veery easy to ask question while using text messaging. Made it much easier than walking up to the office as the place is huge.

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Location

Scenic lakeside setting with many rooms close to Gull Lake and beautiful views. Convenient to nearby towns and events such as Brainerd/Nisswa and local tournaments.

Related guest reviews

10

Aaron

8 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Cragun's never disappoints!! We have been going there for years and it is ALWAYS a great time. Staff is friendly, rooms are clean, setting is beautiful.

10

Doreen

18 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Close to basketball tournament. There were people in the hallways drunk in the middle of the night but nothing was done about it. It disturbed our families sleeping

6

Joanne

18 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Beautiful lake

10

Jill

25 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

LOVED everything about our stay! Was only there a few days, but want to come back and stay in the one of the cabins (stayed in lodge this time). The property is stunning and there is so much to do and see. Food was great too!

8

Brandi

1 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Overall great experience. Beautiful view and great staff

8

Patrick

13 Feb 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Was nice being lake side and the room ha a nice little cabin feel to it. Great rate but it was in Feb. We'll be back though!

8

Anthony

22 May 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

You can't say enough about a room that's 100 feet from Gull Lake. Cragun's is a very nice place, but know that it's been around for a long time, so parts of the property, such as our room, are pretty old. They do their best to keep things up, though, so lots of credit there. Also be aware that you may encounter your share of Guys Golf Outings, girls and guys' bachelor/bachelorette parties, and all that comes with that, including rather loud conversations at 12:30 a.m. Nothing Cragun's can do about that--it's the nature of the place. But The Nature itself is magnificent, and once things quiet down, the nights and mornings are like heaven.

8

Lance

12 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was very well upkept, the staff was very pleasant, grounds were clean, quiet, vast (as ther was alot to do from indoor pool, out door pool, the swiming beach, many rental options, play ground for the kids and the floating platform/gungle gym in the lake.) Many room options, cabins to bigger housing options or just stay in the main lodge. I got over 10,000 steps in just walking around the main building. BIG... Onsite bar / restraunt. Theres irmas kitchen. Food at indoor pool side. Sun deck. Breakfast in the morning. To planning your wedding venue onsite. Large boat tour of the lake. And many other things to do i probably missed... so go stay for 2 days to a week or more. Something for everyone. And only a few minutes from brainard and nisswa. So have fun and happy resorting...

10

tim

5 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 5 nights

Friendly staff, large room with a nice view of the lake. Would definitely stay there again

10

Dawn

19 Dec 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff and a great location. Warm and cozy cabin.

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Dining

Dining feedback is mixed: some guests enjoyed tasty meals and a good bar. Others encountered limited hours or menus, overpriced or mediocre dishes, and spotty service, with pricing and quality of breakfast drawing criticism.

Related guest reviews

10

Alyxandra

24 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great property - we came in during the off season, but even so this place was so great. Peaceful, quiet rooms, easy to follow maps are provided at check in. The place is old school, like Dirty Dancing resort vibes and grandma chic carpet in the hall, but the rooms were updated. We loved our private patio for coffee in the morning and our cozy fireplace for relaxing. There are minor things around the property that probably should be fixed (damaged siding, pealing stain on decks, rough parking lots (my suitcase could hardly handle it)). For dinner we dined at the property at the eatery right by the lobby. Limited menu, overpriced in my option - but expected given that it's a resort. What wasn't great was our particular server. I believe he forgot to put in our order since others who ordered after got their food first, then at the end the neighboring table got a bag for their leftovers, I had the pleasure of carrying multiple containers without one and not the managers I passed or the server who helped us offered one as I struggled with the door and boxes. It put a bad enough taste in my mouth that we ate off site for breakfast. Highly recommend the property - but maybe skip their restaurants?

6

Cindy

16 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Most of the resteraunts on site were closed

10

Chanda

23 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Lots of things to do, very family friendly. Staff was very helpful. Food was great. Bech was beautiful. Room was spacious. Im looking forward to coming back.

4

Damian

23 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Restaurant was good

8

Rebecca

3 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The Paddle & Canoe left a lot to be dedired. Food was NOT good had to send it back.

6

Ronald

19 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

I expedited some sort of dining room to be available. We were in the main lodge and the only thing was a very small and vary limited bar menu. It was bad.

4

Stephanie

24 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We reserved a king room and were told we could have a rollaway for our son. When we arrived, the rollaway was not there. We called three times and were assured that a rollaway was coming. After returning from the pool at 11 pm, it still was not there. We called again and were informed that a rollaway could not be brought to our room because of the stairs. Somehow, they weren’t aware of the stairs at booking or for the first three calls. We were then moved to another room with two beds at 11:30 pm. We were also told that the only other option for breakfast was to order room service, if we did not want their $19 buffet, which was no bette than free breakfasts you get at many hotels. When we tried to call room service in the morning, we were told they were not open. So much miscommunication. This is our second time attempting to stay at Craguns for an event and the second time we’ve had to move rooms. We won’t be back.

10

Makaya

9 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Delicious food, beautiful atmosphere, and plenty of fun things to do!

8

Lisa

9 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Bartender was exceptional.

8

Michael

23 Oct 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

I thought the area was beautiful, property was a little tired. My room was nice and worked. I thought the restaurants and selections were very limited and food was marginal. I found I visited a neighboring resort for dinning, which was very good. Dinning defiantly needs to improve

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$149
February	US$139
March	US$142
April	US$139
May	US$162
June	US$264
July	US$348
August	US$302
September	US$166
October	US$166
November	US$148
December	US$161

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17 $245	18 $192	19 $213
20 $170	21 $244	22 $276	23 $277	24 $319	25 $202	26 $246
27 $169	28 $245	29 $245	30 $245

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $213	2 $256	3 $256
4 $191	5 $213	6 $213	7 $213	8 $213	9	10 $278
11 $191	12 $213	13 $213	14 $213	15 $234	16	17
18 $191	19 $210	20	21	22 $170	23 $181	24 $181
25 $170	26 $191	27 $192	28 $256	29 $213	30 $181	31 $181

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

South 1-King Suite

2 Queen Shoreline Suite

2 Bedroom Lakeview Cabin

Executive Room, 1 King Bed

Upper Pool Room

Lakeside Lodge North King

South 2-Queens

Junior Studio Suite

3 Bedroom Lakeview Cabin

Lower Pool Room

2 Bedroom Hillside Cabin

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake

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Prices for upcoming dates