Terms & Conditions.

Be safe on the water, treat the resort like your own place, show up for your booking, and we'll take great care of you. The rest of this page is the legal version of that.

These terms (“Terms”) govern your use of this website and any booking you make for lodging at The Hillside Resort or a vessel rental from Hillside Marina (collectively, “we”, “us”). By booking, signing our waiver, or using this site, you agree to these Terms.

• All bookings are confirmed when payment is received. Prices are in USD and may include a refundable damage deposit hold in addition to the rental fee.
• Payment is processed by Stripe. By booking, you authorize us to charge the card you provide for the rental fee, any add-ons, sales tax, the damage deposit hold, and any post-rental charges described below.
• Walk-up bookings at the marina are completed by texting you a Stripe payment link — the booking is not confirmed until payment clears.

• 7+ days before start: 100% refund.
• 48 hours to 7 days: 50% refund.
• Under 48 hours: non-refundable, except in the cases below.
• Weather hold called by us: 100% refund or reschedule, your choice.
• Vessel mechanical failure on our side: 100% refund.
• No-show: non-refundable.

Genuine emergencies (death in the family, hospitalization) are handled on a case-by-case basis — just call.

• You must be at least 18 years oldto rent a vessel. South Dakota boating education may be required depending on the vessel and your age — we will tell you at checkout.
• All renters and passengers sign a waiver acknowledging the inherent risks of boating, jet-skiing, and water activities.
• We can refuse or end a rental immediately if a renter or passenger appears impaired, is operating the vessel unsafely, or refuses to wear required safety equipment. Refunds in those cases are at our discretion.
• You agree to operate the vessel only on Lake Madison and within posted no-wake zones and idle areas.
• Return the vessel by your end time. Late returns are billed at a per-hour late fee disclosed at checkout.

At checkout we authorize a damage deposit hold on your card. We do a quick walk-through with you before and after the rental. If everything's clean and intact, we release the hold — you'll see it back in your account within 5–10 business days.

If there's damage, missing equipment, fuel below the agreed level, or excessive cleaning required, we will capture the deposit (or part of it) and document the reason with photos. If the cost exceeds the deposit, you authorize us to charge the card on file for the documented overage, up to repair invoice cost.

Disputes about damage charges should be raised within 7 days via lodging@hillsideresort.com.

Boating, jet-skiing, swimming, and lake activities carry inherent risk including injury and death. By using our vessels and facilities, you assume those risks for yourself and your guests. Our liability is limited to the amount you paid for the booking, except where applicable law requires otherwise. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot legally be limited (e.g. gross negligence, willful misconduct).

By providing your phone number when booking or at walk-up, you consent to receive transactional SMS from Hillside Marina about your booking — confirmations, payment links, reminders, weather notices, and review requests. Message frequency varies and message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Full SMS policy in our Privacy Policy.

• Don't try to break, scrape, or overload the site. We log and may block abusive traffic.
• Don't book under a false identity or use a payment method you're not authorized to use.
• Photos, copy, and design on this site are ours — please don't republish them without permission.

Items left at the dock or in a cabin are held for 30 days. After that, unclaimed items are donated or disposed of. We're not responsible for items lost on the water.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of South Dakota. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Lake County, South Dakota.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in effect when you booked applies to that booking.

The Hillside Resort
46042 238th St
Wentworth, SD 57075
lodging@hillsideresort.com
(605) 838-7953