Enjoy Luxury by the Lake at Family-Friendly Blue Harbor Resort

Blue Harbor Resort offers luxury on the lake, not far from home. The resort is located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin overlooking Lake Michigan, a few minutes from downtown Sheboygan. The resort is a 2.5 hour drive from Rockford, Illinois.

*Disclaimer: Our stay at Blue Harbor Resort was sponsored. Our opinions are our own.*

When we arrived at the Blue Harbor Resort, we were immediately impressed with how grand it is. The sprawling resort has 179 rooms and 64 villas. We arrived at night to a view of twinkle lights in the trees that looked magical. The interior of the resort is beautifully decorated and exceptionally clean. This breathtaking resort gives you immediate coastal vibes and makes you understand why they call Sheboygan the Malibu of the Midwest. The lobby and many of the rooms have beautiful views of Lake Michigan. The resort also has an easy-to-access path to the lake and lighthouse. 

The hotel has a variety of suites available including the Kid Aquarium where we stayed. The room has a cute aquarium theme throughout with turtle and fish wallpaper. The room slept six and included bunk beds, a queen size bed and a couch with a pull-out bed. There were TVs in both the main area and the kids’ bunk bed nook. My kids really enjoyed sitting on the top bunk together and watching TV before bed. We also had a beautiful view of Lake Michigan and the beach. The room was clean and equipped with a small fridge, hair dryer, coffee machine, and toiletries that smelled amazing.

You could spend your entire vacation at the resort if you wanted to! The resort is packed with things to do, most notably, a fantastic indoor waterpark called Breaker Bay. There’s also an on-site arcade, mini golf, spa, outdoor pool, and five restaurants. In the evenings, you can sit around a bonfire outdoors and enjoy S’mores hour or rent electric bikes to cruise around town.

Why should you consider a stay at Blue Harbor Resort for your next vacation? Here are the highlights of this family-friendly resort!

Breaker Bay Waterpark

View a list of current hours here

Breaker Bay Waterpark is a great size with many attractions, but it is not so big that you will lose track of your family. It’s heated to a comfortable 84 degrees year-round. The waterpark is clean and easy to navigate with bathrooms on-site.

Upon checking into the hotel, you will receive wristband passes for the waterpark as well as tickets for towels. When you’re done at the waterpark for the day, you can give your towels back in exchange for tickets for the next day (if you’re staying more than one day).

There are tables and chairs throughout the waterpark for families to sit and place their bags instead of the traditional lounge chairs you might see at other indoor waterparks. We enjoyed this touch because it was convenient if you wanted to get a snack or drink from the Rocky Bottom Snack Bar located inside the waterpark. The snack bar serves hot food like burgers and fries as well as chips and other snacks, soda, water, and alcoholic drinks for those 21 and up.

Check-in to the resort begins at 4 pm, but guests are welcome to arrive as early as 1 pm to enjoy the waterpark on their arrival day. You may bring in a small bag containing your swimsuits, etc. to the waterpark. Locker facilities are available for a fee. You can also access the waterpark earlier than 1 pm, for a $25 fee per person. Check out is 11 am, but you are also welcome to stay until 4 pm at the waterpark.

Breaker Bay Waterpark Features

Toddler Tides – Toddler Tides includes a play structure, two slides and spraying features. My five year old loved this section and my eight year old could comfortably play here too! We saw kids as young as one enjoying the area. There are several geysers in the floor throughout the waterpark with a few of them located in front of the Toddler Tides section.

Indoor surf simulator – This is a very cool attraction that allows one person at a time to surf on a double man made wave. This is one of the only surf machines in eastern Wisconsin! People were attempting to surf on their stomachs and knees while we watched. In order to use this part of the waterpark, you need to sign a waiver at the front desk so be sure to do that before you come to the waterpark.

Lazy River – The lazy river is a great size for families. One lap around the river takes about five minutes, but you can ride around as many times as you’d like. There are single and double tubes available to use in the lazy river.

Hot Tub – If you want to warm up, there’s a hot tub on site for kids 12 and up and adults to enjoy.

Lily Hopper – Kids can try to navigate the lily hopper, which has three large floating lily pads with a rope net strung above them, to get from one side of the pool to the other. This is located in the family pool area, but is roped off. You’re able to watch your kids on this attraction while enjoying the family pool.

Water Basketball – Basketball hoops are located in both the indoor family pool and the outdoor family pool. The depth of the family pools are 3-4 feet and perfect for playing a game of basketball.

Breaker Bay Pier – Kids can play on this four story structure that has spraying features and waterfalls throughout. It is also directly beneath the giant dumping bucket. At the time of our visit, the bucket was not working. We didn’t mind because there were plenty of other water sprayers and small fountains to walk through if you wanted to get splashed.

Waterslides – There are a few waterslides for the family to enjoy at Breaker Bay! There are two body slides that kids must be 42” to ride. These are a fun ride with a lot of twists and turns at a reasonable speed. These slides do not end in a pool so you can simply stand up and step over the side to get out once the ride is over. No swimming is required.

The second set of slides are dueling tube slides. These slides reach the top of the indoor waterpark and can be ridden down as a pair or by yourself. We tried both of the slides and they were very fun! Both slides are fast and have a section where you go through a waterfall and then a dark tunnel for a few seconds. Both end up in a pool that you can access the lazy river from or get out using the steps. Kids must be 48” to ride alone. Kids under 48” can ride with an adult in a double tube.

We could easily spend the whole day splashing in Breaker Bay! Make sure you plan to spend several hours enjoying the waterpark during your stay.

Here’s a video of our time at the Breaker Bay waterpark!

On-Site Fun and Dining: Mini Golf, Arcade, and Five Dining Options

If you’re looking for something to eat, you don’t need to leave the resort! Blue Harbor Resort has five dining options on-site including The Beacon Restaurant, On the Rocks Bar and Grill, Rocky Bottom Snack Bar, Shoreline Cafe and the Sand Bar.

The Beacon Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner, but is closed for lunch. The restaurant is located in the beautiful lobby. We had breakfast at the Beacon Restaurant during our stay. It was a buffet style with donuts, muffins, pancakes, eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, coffee, juice, and more. We were able to be seated after a very short wait and were in and out within 30 minutes. 

On the Rocks Bar and Grill is also located within the resort’s lobby and serves lunch and dinner. You can get a drink here, some appetizers like cheese curds, and a variety of pizza. While we were there, they also had live music during the evening.

The Rocky Bottom Snack Bar and the SandBar are located in the indoor waterpark and outdoor pool areas. The Rocky Bottom Snack Bar offers burgers, pizza, and more as well as beer and cocktails. The Sand Bar is temporarily closed, but typically offers poolside service of food and drinks.

The Shoreline Cafe is a grab and go coffee and confections shop that sells baked goods, ice cream, and coffee.

Mini Golf is open during waterpark hours and offers two indoor courses with glow-in-the-dark play. The $9.50 admission allows you to play both the Mayan Temple course and the Egyptian Pyramid course. There is also a Lost Temples course on the second floor of the Breaker Bay Waterpark.

The Pier Fun Zone Arcade is also open during waterpark hours and offers a variety of new and classic games. The games use card-readers so you don’t have to bring cash or coins. There is also a build your own stuffed animal station on-site.

In the evenings, the resort hosts a S’Mores hour and outdoor bonfires, safely contained in large stone fireboxes, for families to enjoy. There are Adirondack chairs throughout the property where you can sit and enjoy the views.

You can also take a stroll to the lighthouse or walk around Lake Michigan from the convenient paved path just behind the resort.

Treat Yourself to a Spa Day

While the kids play, make sure to take some time for yourself! Blue Harbor Resort has a spa on site that offers a variety of services including massages, body treatments, skin care services, and nail services. You can view a list of services here. Prices start at $30 for spa services. They also offer kids’ mini mani and pedis!

Make a spa reservation by calling 920-457-9880 or emailing spa@blueharborresort.com.

Walking Distance to Great Food, Dessert, and Shopping

The Blue Harbor Resort is within walking distance of a shop-lined street filled with restaurants and stores. We were able to visit two places while we were staying there.

Harry’s Prohibition Bistro (668 S. Pier Dr., Sheboygan, WI)

Harry’s Prohibition Bistro is situated on the river and surrounded by other shops. The restaurant, and the surrounding buildings, have a coastal vibe from the outside, but once you enter, you’ll be transported back to prohibition days! The restaurant is themed as a 1920’s era bistro and wine bar. We were seated in an open air patio where we enjoyed a view of the river and some perfect 70 degree temperatures!

Harry’s Prohibition Bistro serves Italian food specializing in authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizza! The traditional Naples pizza sets itself apart by its thin and chewy crust. We started with The Flapper appetizer which was olives, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto-di Parma and delicious bread. We then tried the Margherita pizza and the Tartufo pasta which was drenched in truffle oil and packed with bits of portobello mushrooms in each bite. My kids got linguini and red sauce and both proclaimed it the best they’d ever had. Our dinner finished up with the Campfire Pizza, a S’Mores inspired pizza with perfectly melted marshmallows. This restaurant was a family favorite!

South Pier Parlor (434 South Pier Dr., Sheboygan, WI)

During our stay, we also stopped by South Pier Parlor to get a sweet treat. This shop is located on the waterfront, directly across the parking lot from the Blue Harbor Resort. They are open from early April to early October. 

They serve Cedar Crest ice cream and also offer malts, shakes, and specialty sodas. The interior was very cute and had a motorized train that ran on a track around the restaurant. 

We had a fantastic stay in Sheboygan at the Blue Harbor Resort and will absolutely be back again! If you’d like to experience some beachside luxury in Wisconsin, book your next stay at Blue Harbor Resort!