My family just returned from a weekend stay and I would like to say that my twelve year olds enjoyed the water park and game room. What I would like to say is there appears to be a heavy fee surrounding this and the clerks must certainly be "commissioned" because there is a lot of nickel and diming when it comes to negotiating rates with the package as stated by the other reviewer.The facility however being new is clean with lots of help. One more thing children ages 6-14 are allowed in the jacuzzi with an adult but no one seemed to be monitoring this!

We've been coming here for years because it's a great place for the kids (esp the Alcove or Loft rooms!) so when we heard the water park was opening we booked for Feb/school vacation week. WHAT A WASTE! For almost $500 a night, the park is not more than a few slides a small wave pool that the kids can only stand in (no jumping or any real fun) and a jacuzzi that seems to break down more than it's open. They charge $40 pp for the "water park" and there is no real pool and you cannot pay for outside guests to join you. When we booked they claimed we had to purchase the water park package which added nearly $200 a night to our room rate! Then when one of the managers later told us, "oh no, you didn't have to book the water park package" and basically tried to tell me I was lying until another guest stuck up for me and said, "I'm sorry to butt in but, she's right--we were told the same thing..." wow. Still waiting to see if they will do anything to rectify the situation for us. He told me even though the jacuzzi wasn't open, I could still use the water park (Oh right: with my bad back! THAT's why I went down to use the jaccuzzi!) What a nightmare. It's so sad because this place really was great for families--reasonable--great food (buffet) nice people/staff and great location. But at $500 a night I can stay in a 5-star hotel in Disney! Actually, friends stayed at a beautiful place for just $160 a night--[--] -- rooms a bit small, but for that price I could have paid for TWO rooms and still made out cheaper than here this week. ugh. I still recommend this hotel, but please, please please don't by the water park package--just get up here and pay for one day at the Water Park and you'll save yourself a lot of cash. Cheers!

This was the tenth Thanksgiving we have spent at the Red Jacket, and unfortunately is probably the last. When our family first started visiting the Red Jacket around Thanksgiving, the place was a bustling, charming hotel with a family feel. We loved the manager's reception before Thanksgiving and of course the beautiful holiday decorations that went up the day after. It was an enchanting place to be.
This year the hotel was an absolute ghost town. We understand that the MAJOR renovation for the indoor water park is ongoing and drives away families, etc. However, the hotel was still open and should have been operated as such. It was cold and pretty desolate. Service was pretty shabby. There were exactly 6 people at the manager's reception with one server with one tray of pretty nasty appetizers. They were obviously deep fried in old oil. It was depressing. Oh, and no manager. If you have a "manager's" reception, at least have the decency to show up.
I will say
our meals (sans one in the bar) were very nice. The food in the a.m. and the Thanksgiving meal were lovely and so was the service.
Although the hotel has been renovated, the rooms are still a bit dated. Small things like daily newspaper delivery, are not offered any longer. The accommodations are what they are, but nothing special for the price you pay.
Long story short - if you advertise and sell "packages"; make sure you follow through with them, otherwise it is just another night in a cold and quiet hotel. Everything changes, just hate to see it change in this way.
We have nice memories of the Red Jacket, and I hope this water park brings them the business they anticipate. Our children are older now and the water park does not excite them much.
Clearly the hotel is going for the young families, which is fine and I am sure much researched. I wonder if they will loose any conference/social business.
Good luck to the Red Jacket - we will search for the magic at another destination next year!

We booked through expedia, about $150 a night for mountain view. For North Conway defenitely a "resort" style property set on a large piece of land, unlike most other hotels of the area. Check in and service was very friendly, we got a VCR/DVD player installed after we asked. Rooms and hotel are somewhat dated, but expected for a rural NH location. Fairly standard hotel room. Defenitely clean. The view was nice.

During the summer, coming with kids, I could see the hotel as ideal. Game room, pools, restos, and a lot of land would work. They are building this huge indoor water park and while the construction is inconvenient, I would go back here with my kids in the future. I'm sure without the construction (and when its finished) stays would be great, expecting the rooms to be what they are.

We had a nice time - the breakfast buffet Saturday morning was only $13 and great, don't miss it. If you're going to North Conway to shop you could probably stay cheaper elsewhere, but we were happy.