Eagle Ridge is located in Galena, IL, just 20 minutes from Dubuque, IA. As someone who was raised in (and has lived in) several different areas in Illinois, the hilly terrain of Galena is a refreshing change to the flat farmland that so typically describes Illinois.
In my most recent trip to Galena, it was not to review the town, but Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa. Of course, that name would be familiar to any golf fanatic, as it is home to three challenging 18-hole golf courses and one executive 9-hole course. Eagle Ridge is located in the Galena Territory and is made up of 6800 acres of lush hills with the golf courses and villas carved into the landscape.
The main building at Eagle Ridge or “The Inn” is decorated in dark wood and richly colored fabrics that lends itself to a very welcoming and comfortable feeling when you arrive. There are 2 types of rooms at the resort. You can choose to have a room right off of the main Inn or rent a villa.
The villas are furnished, one bedroom apartments that include a washer/dryer and a full kitchen stocked with dishes, silverware, etc in each unit. Our villa was woodsy, comfortable, and clean, however, the bathroom hadn’t been updated in quite a while. The avocado green shower (with non-slip adhesive stickers) was a blast from the past and made the property feel very dated. It wasn’t exactly what you would expect to find at a resort, but on a whole, the accommodations were equivalent to that of a 2 star hotel. On a side note, our villa was below grade (almost like a basement apartment) and had a partially enclosed, outdoor stairwell leading down to it. If I was a woman traveling alone or just traveling with another female, this below grade location would be very creepy and very possibly unsafe. Galena, in general, has a very low crime rate, but I don’t see why I should tempt fate. I would suggest staying at the Inn or requesting a 1st floor villa when making reservations.
The main restaurants at Eagle Ridge are located at the Inn. There is a fine dining restaurant and a casual pizzeria. The fine dining establishment had a nice variety of items on the menu, but from appetizer to dessert, the meal was unimpressive and we were quite disappointed. Most of the food was of mediocre quality and it appeared that more time was spent writing the descriptions of the menu items than on the actual recipes themselves. One redeeming quality was the breakfast buffet that they offered each morning. The quality and variety was more in line with what you would normally find in a resort environment.
Although I am somewhat spoiled when it comes to good pizza because I am from Chicago, the pizzeria had respectable pizza and it was perfect after a long day on the golf course.
As with most golf courses, there were casual dining restaurants in all of the clubhouses. The final restaurant we visited was Spike’s at the General. The atmosphere was pleasant as the restaurant looked out onto the first hole and practice green. Our meal at Spike’s was the best of the trip, however, the quality of the wait staff had something to be desired. When we asked for an extra napkin (we ordered ribs…), the 16 year old waitress offered us the napkin that had been adorning the tray she had been using to serve meals on. Also, the bus boy stacked extra place settings from other tables on the end of our table. If we had been at Denny’s or IHOP, we wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but this was supposed to be a restaurant at a resort. We, by no means, are that particular about our surroundings, but I think by now you see a theme building – these are NOT things that are typically seen at a resort.
Of course I couldn’t go to Eagle Ridge and not go to the spa during our visit. I mean, what kind of review could I possibly offer if I left out information about the spa? Anyway, I arrived 15 minutes prior to my service as requested and the girl at the front desk checked me in and whisked me to the locker room. It was drenched in soothing colors and lush fabrics. I already felt relaxed! Once I changed into my robe, I moved into the dimly lit waiting room. As with most spas, there was cucumber water and tea for us to sip as we listened to soothing sounds of waterfalls and bamboo chimes blowing gently in the wind until… Apparently, the spa was directly under the convention/meeting room area and the peaceful sounds of waterfalls were interrupted by the sounds of banquet catering carts with loose wheels rolling across the floor above us. Surprisingly enough, I was quite amused by this – almost to the point of outright laughter. It was just one more missed opportunity – the opportunity to demonstrate that they truly deserved to be considered a “resort”. Although I feel that noise from the catering carts could have ruined the spa experience for some, the services I received were wonderful and I would recommend the spa to men and women alike.
Even though we enjoyed the challenging and picturesque golf courses at Eagle Ridge, I hesitate to call it a “resort”. Most resorts pride themselves on taking care of the little things – Eagle Ridge fell short in so many areas that I can only recommend it for the golf and the spa. On a scale from 1-10, I would have to give Eagle Ridge Resort an overall score of 5.
If you are a golf fanatic like me and want to make the trip, my suggestion would be to stay at a bed and breakfast nearby and drive to the resort. There are many quaint bed and breakfast establishments within a 10-15 minute car ride that offer all of the comforts of home, along with a lovely, hot, homemade breakfast to help you start the day out right. On the way back to your room after golf, stop in downtown Galena for a bite to eat – You’ll be glad you did!