A little over 2 hours away from Metro Detroit, Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, OH makes for a nice getaway. The hotel features something for everyone in the family. The waterpark is the main attraction, with slides of varying difficulty, splash zones, zero entry pool for babies, hot tubs (both kid and adult versions), lazy river, and a regular pool for water basketball and wading.
There were plenty of chairs around the park to place your belongings, but also lockers available for rent. The restrooms/changing rooms were being renovated and appeared new and clean. However, the men’s room was not ready yet and they had to use the one in the hallway. The lifeguards were amazing, plentiful and proactive in keeping all children safe. We stayed within eye shot of our kids at all time, but I felt totally comfortable allowing my novice swimmers to go down the slides they felt comfortable with, knowing the guards were right there.
Life jackets and puddle jumpers were available to borrow and the towels were always stocked. The waterpark is kept at 84 degrees, but it wasn’t too hot or too cold. My kids enjoyed listening for the bell to wait in anticipation for the dumping bucket.  
If you go during the summer months, the outdoor pool is also available for use. We found this one a little less crowded, and definitely quieter than inside the waterpark. It also featured a zero entry and had adequate number of chairs and shaded areas.
No outside food or drink is allowed in the water park, but there is a concession stand available., with typical amusement park fare. If you are going to be there a few days, I recommend getting the refillable souvenir cup. 
Eventhough the waterpark is the main attraction, there are so many other things to do. The arcade was a big hit. Each of my kids bought a $20 game card and had about 30 minutes of game play.
There are also events happening all throughout the day in the main lobby and in the Kids Club room. Yoga, games, face painting, crafts, nature walk, story time and even a dance party for the tweens/teens.
One of the activities my kids were looking forward to the most was doing the MagiQuest. We were given a wand by some friends, but you can also purchase or rent one there. Then we added a game ($14) and they were on their way. There are enchanted objects on all 4 levels of the hotel. Once the wand is waved in front of them, they come to life. This time, we did the Lightning Quest and had to find 6 objects around the hotel. It meant a lot of up and down stairs and was a super fun scavenger hunt. In the evening, there is a knighting ceremony in the lobby for those little Magi who completed their quests.
The hotel room, was pretty standard, although they do offer themed rooms with log cabin bunk beds. We had a traditional family suite with two queen beds and a pull out sofa. There was a mini fridge (with two complimentary bottles of water) and a microwave. The housekeeping staff were so friendly and accommodating. And there were A LOT of them. We saw them cleaning all the time. Our room was ready early and we were able to check in at 12:30. It was so nice to get settled in our room before heading to the waterpark. Our key was in our wristband, so no risk of losing it at the waterpark!
We didn’t venture off the campus to eat (we brought a lot of our own food), but we did get a pizza from one of the restaurants. It was reasonably priced ($15) and tasted good. There was also a sweet shoppe and a Dunkin Donuts in the lobby.
One thing I will NOT recommend is getting the all-you-can-eat breakfast at the sit-down restaurant. The food was terrible and not worth the price (I was offered to add it on when I booked). There are plenty of restaurants within in a 5 minute drive if you want a sit down breakfast.
Overall, we had an amazing stay at Great Wolf Lodge – Sandusky, and can’t wait to go back.
