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Joseph Pawlak

THE SPIRIT OF WOODLOCH HOSPITALITY | Woodloch Resort

~Shared by Mariann Crandall

Many times guests will ask me, “did you all drink the Kool-Aid?” It’s hard for people to understand how we can all be so happy and friendly all of the time, which got me thinking: what is the secret to the hospitality that we exude here at Woodloch?

To me it starts with the Kiesendahl family, the owners of Woodloch Resort. They have a mission statement, “to treat each and every guest as though they are family in their very own home.” They not only treat their guests that way, but they also treat their staff that way. You will always find them around the resort helping out, pouring coffee, refilling food, shaking hands with every guest that walks through the dining room, and remembering guests year after year. On top of that, they know the names of the 900 staff members employed here, and they happily greet us throughout each day.

I asked the owner of Woodloch, John Kiesendahl, how he thought the spirit of hospitality lodging, romantic getaways originated. He answered, “the spirit of Woodloch’s hospitality started with my mom, Mary Kiesendahl. My dad, Harry Kiesendahl, was the business man, but my mom was the heart and soul of Woodloch. She was the out-front face of Woodloch, and she loved every one of our guests. In the beginning when there would only be 30 or 40 people staying at the boarding house, you would always see her out with the guests, making sure that everyone was happy. Her spirit of sincere concern for others’ happiness was contagious to all of Woodloch’s staff and genuinely appreciated by our guests. Mom’s kindness, friendliness, enthusiasm and personalized hospitality are the foundation of Woodloch’s tradition of warm hospitality. For the past 54 years, her loving example has been the cornerstone of our mission statement.”

I also talked to Alexa Peregrim, who just started at Woodloch in January 2012, working in reservations and the dining room. She says, “Woodloch is such a fun place to work! Co-workers, managers and owners are so kind and make me feel like I’ve known them for years. It really allows me to feel comfortable and excited to go into work. Everyone at Woodloch was very welcoming towards me when I started working. The people I have met have already become great friends and colleagues even though I’ve only been here for a short time!”

I’ve worked here for nearly 16 years, and I don’t feel like an employee; I feel like family. I think that’s how most of the employees feel, and that emotion gets passed on to our guests. I’m not sure that its something you can teach. It’s something that you have to experience. Hospitality is infectious, and a smile goes a long way.

No Need to Fly . . . The Woodloch Convenience | Woodloch Resort

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No Need to Fly- “The Woodloch Convenience”

Will our flights be on time? How much extra will I have to pay to check my bags? What are the new security restrictions on carry-ons? What are the size and weight limits again? Will we get the kids from one end of the airport to the other without any problems or stops along the way?

Between flight rules and restrictions and cramped quarters on planes, consumers are looking for less hassles and more convenient methods of travel. This often means staying closer to home, somewhere within driving distance.

Only two hours from New York City and three hours from Philadelphia, Woodloch is an easy and scenic trip from almost anywhere in the Northeast. You’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to get here. Round trip, we’re less than a full tank of gas away from New York City! Why travel far when your best vacation value is so close to home?

Set on over 250 acres in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Woodloch Pines features its own private lake, mountain vistas, and expansive grounds which together serve as a playground for all kinds of fun! With multi-generational activities, including a Broadway-style theme show and a variety of recreational activities and interactive games, Woodloch is often referred to as a “cruise on land.” Batting cages, bumper cars, arts and crafts, go carts, game rooms, horse racing, mini golf, trapshooting, ice skating, boating, zip lining . . . it’s all in one place!

No driving miles to get to the tennis courts or the pool. No need to load the car full of beach gear and then drive to the ocean. Just walk out of your room to the beach and lake; towels are waiting for you on the chairs! No need to pack equipment either. We provide you with all the gear you need, whether it be for snow tubing in the winter or waterskiing in the summer.

And the options don’t stop there! Woodloch truly has something for everyone. Just down the road at Woodloch Springs is our award-winning, 18-hole, championship golf course. Or if you prefer the ultimate in rest and relaxation, head to The Lodge at Woodloch, voted one of the best destination spas in the world by Travel + Leisure.

One place. One price. Endless options!

Filed Under: Summer, Travel Tagged With: family vacations in pa, Pocono resorts, poconos

Poconos Profile: Say Hello to Bob! | Woodloch Resort

Visit Woodloch, and a flock of blue shirts known as our Social Staff keep guests running and having fun. Today, I’d like you to meet Mr. Bob Filarsky, the man who supervises all of the chaos …

Please tell us the tale of how you started working for Woodloch.

I started here in June of 2003 on a Recreation Management Internship. When that summer was over, they asked me if I wanted to stay just to help out with the Haunted Hayrides that fall … that was almost 9 years ago now!

As an activities supervisor, please tell us what your favorite activity here is and why.

Tough question. My favorite thing to do here is drive a ski boat. You are in the sun, out on the lake, driving a boat … don’t think I have to say anything else. My favorite activity here is probably Double Dare. Just the fact that you have guests from 6 to 60 years old diving into chocolate sauce and begging to be squirted by a hose amazes me. It really brings out the inner child in everyone, and I can’t imagine another place where they can do that.

What was the most rewarding/memorable experience you have had with a guest here over the years?

It was actually driving a ski boat. It was probably about 4 years ago, and it was a beautiful quiet day in the offseason, and the lake was like glass. I had an older gentlemen come to go skiing. He was probably 60 or 70 years old and told me he hadn’t gone in about 10 years, so I was a little nervous, but he was in good shape and really wanted to go. He got up on the skis no problem, did his two laps around the lake, and I dropped him back off at the dock. When I got back to the dock to help him, he had tears in his eyes and immediately starting thanking me. He said it was one of the best times he ever had skiing . He said it really brought him back and that would be the last time he would ever go skiing. He was really moved by it and to see that genuine reaction from him really reminded me of what we actually do here.

Outside of work, what is your favorite hobby / pastime?

I really enjoy watching football. I am a huge
Vikings fan and all year long I look forward to the 16 Sundays I get to watch football. I also really enjoy cooking. I worked as a cook in high school and throughout college. I didn’t want to make a career out of it, but it is a big passion of mine.

What is your favorite movie of all time, and why?

Another tough question. I will give you two answers. I am a huge Chris Farley fan so I’ve seen the movie
Tommy Boy more than any other movie in my life. I can basically recite the whole movie. I also love the movie Fight Club. I just thought the whole gist of the movie was genius.

I know you are a big football fan. Make a Superbowl prediction.

New England Patriots win it all, with Rob Gronkowski as MVP.

Family Fun with Woodloch's Winter Olympics! | Woodloch Resort

class trips, group events

As a lifelong resident of the Pocono Mountains, I have to say that this has been one of the most bizarre winters that I can remember. It started off with a Halloween mini-blizzard which ushered in almost a foot of snow, followed by a solid two and a half months of . . . nothing. And I do mean nothing. I have always expected at least some powder on the grounds in January, but the grass is still remarkably green.

Yet when you come to visit us here at Woodloch Pines, we find a way to bring winter, even if Mother Nature has other plans! During the few cold snaps we’ve had, we stockpiled mountains of snow for the situation. And every time temperatures permit, we make more.

Thankfully after New Years, we were able to have our first Winter Olympics by the lakefront. Events are new and unique as always. This year incorporates the use of “double-tubes,” fun with frisbees in our “Kan Jam” event, bowling in the snow, and cramming your entire team into one of our giant tubes! (Quite honestly, I’m rather envious that I am working these events while everybody around me is having an absolute blast!) As always, top teams are awarded the coveted Woodloch medals. And of course there’s always the consolation prize of hot chocolate by a warm fireplace.

From the outside looking in, I can understand how some of our new guests may be a bit intimidated. The best advice I could give new friends is NOT to be bashful with these games. I have worked here for 14 years now and have NEVER seen anyone walk away without a smile, even if your team comes in dead last! The true “Spirit of the Woodloch Games” lies in the fact that we strengthen family bonds and meet new friends playing these crazy games, in both success and the occasional failure. Being open-minded and trying our games will bring out the best in everyone around you.

Like everything here at Woodloch, a blog article really does not do these games or the resort itself justice. This truly is a vacation, or rather an experience, that needs to be felt firsthand.

T-Shirt Time in the Poconos! | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch's Wall of Fun in the Poconos!

On your first visit to Woodloch, it is our hope that you get the chance to strengthen bonds between both family and friends and leave us with a lifetime of memories. Upon your return to us, we thoroughly enjoy seeing those fortified connections come back- often, that spirit takes the form of team custom T-Shirts. We’ve literally seen HUNDREDS of unique garments pass through over the years!

poconos family, luxury spa

In summer of 2011, Woodloch hosted its first ever “Team T-Shirt Contest.” Guests had all summer to snap shots of their teammates wearing their custom-made shirts and then tag us in their photo on Facebook. Once all submissions were reviewed, voting for the winning t-shirt began. Since final voting was very close, we ended up with 2 winning shirts, which are now proudly shadow-boxed and on display in our North Lodge on the famous “Wall of Fun!”

The winning design was submitted by “The Weenies” consisting of the Stewart, Marinis, Gulmi, and Robinson families. The groups met and became friends here over MANY years of family vacations. In spirit of the games, they felt it was necessary to make a shirt of their own. “We tried to include many of the things that made Woodloch special and that only those that go would really understand,” says Megan Stewart. “Only those that know Woodloch could identify all those times giving your child money for the game room, the importance of checking out and buying yet another sweatshirt, comprehend the excitement of winning a horse, and understand the stress when reviewing your bar bill. The final item is of course the most precious one. The friendships we have made are the most valuable things of all.”

The runner-up design, created by Brianne Pepe, is a “mad lib” salute to her family’s Woodloch vacations. She and her family have been guests for over 15 years and made many friends along the way. “Over the years we have made a bunch of shirts, some using old activity sheets, some using our inside jokes and even one to celebrate our friends 21st birthday,” says Brianne. “This year we wanted to make a shirt that all of us could wear. John Gavin came up with the idea of making a Woodloch mad lib and I took the idea and ran with it. I wanted to make sure it could be personalized for

hotel resort, class trips

everyone and really describe the Woodloch experience. I wanted to leave room for things to be funny, like talking about JK’s pants, and leave opportunities to be a little bit sentimental too.” Brianne is already in the planning stages for next years shirt!

All in all, it’s not really what these shirts look like or how flashy and appealing they are. It’s about the good times with great friends that they will ALWAYS represent. Long after you leave our lots and start the tread home, the memories from your Woodloch vacations live on in your team shirts- perhaps best exemplified by these two outstanding designs. Perhaps Ms. Stewart said it best- “Our friendships continue because Woodloch brought us together. For that we will be forever grateful.”

Woodloch: A Family Vacation Creating Lifelong Memories | Woodloch Resort

You know that warm welcoming feeling you get when you’re amongst family and good friends; that closeness, acceptance, and general feeling of well-being? That’s Woodloch!

Family is the word that comes to mind when talking about this fun-filled, all-inclusive Poconos resort. It’s like my friend Sharon B. says, “Working here for 27 years, I have seen and experienced families enjoying our resort and each other . . . such a wonderful feeling, from the owners to the landscapers, everyone has a ‘happy’ attitude that bounces off the guests.”

“What’s special about Woodloch to me is that we offer many activities like our family Olympics and the Amazing Race that give families of all ages the opportunity to compete with other families while working together to win,” says reservationist Jeremy B.

“What I find endearing and very unique about Woodloch is how our guests look forward to seeing their favorite staff members as if they are family or old friends, mirroring our very own mission statement, to treat every guest as company in our own homes,” Selina T. says.

Working in Woodloch’s reservations department, I am lucky enough to speak with numerous guests each day, from newcomers to frequent visitors who have been coming to Woodloch since it opened its doors back in 1958 — before I was even born!

There are so many wonderful different stories of families capturing priceless moments and memories that last a lifetime. For example, there was the exuberant young man planning to propose to his girlfriend, complete with a horse-drawn carriage ride. Or the woman booking a 60^th anniversary celebration for her parents, both 83-years young, who made me laugh about how much her father loves racing down the snowtube run.

It’s like my friend Sarina B. says, “We all take dozens of vacations in our lifetime, but few, if any, will create the lasting memories of child-like happiness that Woodloch gives you.” That’s the good stuff.

Or how about the poignant story of a young mom who had bravely battled breast cancer, and upon receiving a clean bill of health, thought not of herself but rather surprising her son with a return trip to Woodloch for his birthday. There are no words for that.

Each story is unique. Each story is touching. Each story is Woodloch.

Creating Lifelong Memories in the Poconos