Backgrounder
Woodloch Pines Resort History
The serenity of Lake Teedyuskung was what drew Mary Mould to Woodloch and as a young girl, she vowed to return often. Not being able to describe the majestic beauty of the lake, Mary brought her high- school sweetheart, Harry Kiesendahl there in a van that barely made the mountain drive into the Poconos. Harry could now understand the enthusiastic way in which Mary spoke of Lake Teedyuskung, and her summers in Hawley Pennsylvania.
In 1944, Mary married the energetic and enthusiastic football hero of Baldwin High School in Long Island, NY. They weathered Harry’s tour of duty in WWII and settled down to start a family. Thoughts of the shimmering Lake Teedyuskung were frequent but pushed quickly aside as the task of raising their young family, which now included John, Nancy & Steve, took precedence.
It was nothing less than fate when Harry Kiesendahl saw a listing in the New York Times, a small resort for sale on an unidentified private lake in Northeastern Pennsylvania. A quick phone call confirmed his suspicions, the unidentified lake turned out to be Lake Teedyuskung! It was truly meant to be, the sale of the Lochwood Estate by owners- the Svenningsens, to the Kiesendahls went smoothly. In April of 1958, the sale was final and Mary, the children and her parents packed up and moved to the little lake in the middle of the woods. Harry made the commute from his Long Island business to be with his family on the weekends at Woodloch Pines.
The winter was tough, but soon enough spring had arrived and there was a lot of work to be done on the little resort that was 12 acres in whole, a main lodge, annex and two cottages. Forty guests could be accommodated at one time at Woodloch, and during their first summer as owners, Harry and Mary saw to it that every room (and every belly) had been filled!
By 1961, expansion had doubled the size of the resort and by 1983 the resort had grown into 150 acres with almost a mile of shoreline and 135 rooms. Harry and Mary Kiesendahl’s dream had become a reality, and that reality was Woodloch. Throughout the history of the resort, a number of traditions have contributed to the phenomenal success, the most important being the highly personal treatment of guests. “It’s as if they are company in our own home.”
Woodloch Pines Resort:
The full Woodloch Resort consists of over 1,200 acres and can accommodate over 1,000 guests. The main Woodloch Pines Resort has been the vacation spot of choice for generations of families over the last 55 years. Woodloch Pines features 160 guest rooms in 4 different room categories. Best known for the nostalgia factor that guests feel when they experience the resort, the authentic hospitality and memorable experiences brings generations of guests back year after year. Woodloch has one of the highest loyal guest return rate in the industry. Woodloch Resort offers a unique and ever-changing lineup of activities for all ages such as:
- Daily planned activities by a dedicated social staff
- Nightly entertainment from comedians to live music, featuring a Broadway-style theme show that runs twice a week and changes annually.
- Indoor activities such as indoor pools, Woodloch Forest Playground, gymnasium, toddler room, arts & crafts room, Wii Center, Arcade Center and more
- Outdoor activities such as nature trails for hiking and biking, lake activities such as boating, water-skiing, kayaking and lake-side sunning; pool and lake swimming, bumper cars & boats, tennis, miniature golf, climbing wall, seasonal snow-tubing, archery tag, and more.
- Event, group and meeting services and facilities
- Teambuilding activities
- Three meals per day served in either the Woodloch Pines Main Lodge or the Inn at Woodloch. Additional resort food and beverage options include The Country Store and Deli at The Inn, The North Lodge bar and The Beach bar for burgers and snack items
Woodloch Springs Golf Course and Community
Woodloch Springs is an 18-hole championship golf course situated on over 600 private acres of pristine course and manicured community living. The course is a par-72 Poconos golf course winding its challenging way over 6,579 yards of fern-carpeted forest, lush wetlands and broad upland meadows. The golf course at Woodloch Springs has been given many prestigious recognitions including Golf Magazine/Golf.com deeming it as “one of the finest courses in America” and rated “4.5 Stars” by Golf Digest’s Best Places to Play. The golf course at Woodloch Springs is a family friendly course, dedicated to growing the game of golf. John Pillar, Director of Golf at Woodloch Springs, and Secretary of the Philadelphia Section PGA, is recognized as one of America’s Top 50 Kids Teachers by US Kids Golf.
The Country Club at Woodloch Springs offers a variety of Club Memberships for the golf enthusiast or even the recreational golfer. The Sports Complex is a 17,500 square feet, 3-level, elevator accessible gym with an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tubs, tanning beds and state-of-the-art fitness equipment. Memberships to the Sports Complex are offered and are also included in the Country Club membership as well as to residents of the community, staff and even members of the surrounding communities.
The Lodge at Woodloch
The Lodge at Woodloch is an award-winning luxury destination spa located across from the Woodloch Springs community. The Lodge at Woodloch opened in May of 2006 and is rated one of “The Top Ten Destinations Spas in the World” by Travel Leisure Magazine and a “Top Ten Resort in the U.S.” by Conde Nast Traveler.
Guests of Woodloch Pines can experience true luxury and relaxation at the award-winning destination spa, through Day Spa Guest Passes. If guests would prefer to stay at The Lodge, they offer 57 guest rooms, each with a private veranda with lake views or rock waterfall views. The Lodge at Woodloch also features a unique approach to dining featuring five-star gourmet meals that are healthy, delicious and artfully prepared. The Lodge at Woodloch offers indoor and outdoor whirlpools, an indoor pool with HydroMassage WaterWalls, full fitness center, luxurious spa treatments, outdoor adventure program, fitness and wellness classes as well as special speakers and workshops to ensure a well-rounded visit. The Lodge at Woodloch is located on over 150 pristine acres of private land to ensure luxurious serenity.
Woodloch Real Estate
The beginning of Woodloch Real Estate dates back to the creation of Woodloch Springs in 1991. Today the Real Estate team is a small hand-picked staff with an average tenure of service to Woodloch of close to 10 years and an average tenure in the real estate business of over 20 years. Woodloch Real Estate only works on Woodloch-related projects and this specialization gives them an enormous advantage of being able to provide inquiring families the highest level of attention. Their experience with Woodloch and the real estate business ensures the highest level of hospitality, professionalism, experience and knowledge. Woodloch Real Estate offers custom-built homes in quaint communities surrounding the Resort. Private Home and Townhome prices range from $259,000 to several million dollars. Several purchase plans are available ranging from quarter shares (Four Seasons Plan), Timeshare, full purchase and more.
Employment
Woodloch is the largest employer in Pike and Wayne Counties with almost 1,000 employees in the summer season including an international work program. Employee turnover is remarkably low at Woodloch with a handful of staff who have worked with the company for over forty-five years. Woodloch believes that the employees are the most important key to success and honors them with award programs, yearly bonuses, health workshops, dance classes, use of facilities for staff and family and much more. Woodloch was voted “The number one place to work in Pennsylvania” by Team Pennsylvania Foundation in 2004. Woodloch generates the most tourism dollars in the Pocono Mountains Lake Region and attracts over 50,000 guests per year.