On a scale of 1-10, you truly are a 25!…read more I've just returned from my 7th year in a row, week-long stay at Arowhon Pines, where perfection is the watchword, where attention to detail is evident at all levels, from the continuous renovations that blend into the environment so well you'd think they'd always been that way, to the lovingly prepared food always with a new twist every year, to the friendly and helpful housekeeping staff, to the hardworking kitchen and dining room staff; to the groundskeepers and maintenance men, whose invisible presence is felt in all the beauty, cleanliness and perfection around the property. Nothing is too much trouble for the approachable yet unobtrusive staff. I ate well, slept well, played well and worked well. Heaven couldn't possibly be more beautiful or more perfect. Coming back is always like coming home to an amazing family. It's my annual pilgrimage for rest, rejuvenation and restoration, while the Arowhon muse helps me write up a storm on my books and blog. Thank you to Theresa, Adam, David, Edward, Erik and everyone for your effective, tireless, welcoming hospitality. I didn't think you could improve on perfection, but you've done it again! On a scale of 1-10, you truly are a 25!

(Late to review) I…read morewent here with 4 of my friends for a friend's birthday at dinner time. My friend graciously paid for everyone (yay!!) and it was $75pp for an all you eat meal. It was delicious and scrumptious. The appetizers and desserts are the highlight for sure - there's sushi, chicken wings, sandwiches, a variety of dips and veggies, soup etc etc. For the entree, you can eat two entrees, so I got the steak and fish. The steak was great but the fish could use more seasoning. The desserts were so great - full selection from mousse to date squares. After the meal, you can sit outside in the balcony and it's truly beautiful. Algonquin Park at its finest. It was definitely one of the best meals I've had this year. We sat for too long and they shut off the lights at around 9:30pm for the main lodge and that was our cue to leave. :)

I had an amazing weekend here sharing the chalet with a group of friends to celebrate opur mutual…read morefriends wedding! We arrived on Saturday around 2pm. We had a bit of time to relax and explore the property before the first ceremony and buffet dinner that night. The second day we had a gourmet breakfast brunch and then most of the day free to wander around more, enjoy the hot tub, and get ready for the second ceremony on the dock. Weather was perfect both days - high 70s, sunny, intermittently overcast, and really everything you could want for a summer wedding. Our actual chalet was amazing - beautifully decorated, spacious for the 4-5 of us, and had great views of and direct access to the lake. Our air conditioning unit did leak a bit but other than that, no maintenance or mechanical issues. Our unit had 1.5 baths - the extra half bath really made a difference in us being able to get ready at a leisurely pace which made the experience that much more pleasant. As far as the rest of the property, the communal pool and hot tub is actually in a relatively small enclosed space, but still brightly decorated/furnished and a fun spot to hang out. The lobby, bar, and lounge area are great for relaxing or you can sit out in one of the many adirondack seats overlooking the water. And the formal dining area where we had the buffet breakfasts and plated dinners was so elegant, stylish, and luxurious. Lots of white, clean feel, etc, and best of all, an actual piano! All in all, we had a great time and to share the chalet for two nights among 5 people, the cost was much more reasonable and easier top swallow. Highly recommend checking this spot out if you are ever up this way! @azfitfoodfun

Review from James (age 6) "It is great and fun. Everybody should go there. I made a snow man that…read morewas giant, almost bigger than myself. I bet you will do something fun too. Also, the hot tubs are very nice but make sure you don't go in too fast."

Recently stayed here for a few days. Beautiful views and nice resort…read more Pros: - Food was quite good - Staff were welcoming and pretty friendly for the majority. - Outdoor whirlpool was really good / strong pressure and hot temps - Rooms are spacious and cleaning staff are helpful. Example: Will lay out your toiletries neatly on a towel in the bathroom lol - They have Kayak/ Canoe/ Paddle - I enjoyed kayaking around a little island in a group. They go fast though, so be prepared to go at it like an exercise session. It's not leisurely lol Cons: - Staying in the 2nd building is a bit of a trek if you need to go to the main building a lot. Unless l you rather be closer to the water and the Deck. They have golf carts to take you up to main building too but I think it's a bit of a wait sometimes? - Drinks were not great. Sodas are flat, cocktails are not that good and wines are $30 for a half glass. Beers are okay. - Never got a welcome cocktail but when I was leaving I just asked if I could have one and was asked a lot of questions for some reason so I just gave up. lol Overall, I would recommend as scenery is quite nice but there are a few spots they could improve on considering they are charging quite a lot per night during high season.

After nearly 5 years we returned for our anniversary to find that not only has not much changed, in…read morefact, the services at the Marriott have been in decline. Everywhere that I go I have to clean my own chair and seats. This was a sign. First, everything is overpriced. If paying $700 per night wasn't enough, nearly every item on the resort is expensive in a way that does not map to its proportions. $18 for 3 oysters doesn't align with MP, $30 per child to jump on an inflatable raft on the lake, $150/hr jet ski rentals are just the tipping point. Look, I understand that the resort is for people who are privileged and certainly we are one of those people, but that doesn't mean I want to be raked over the coals for every little thing on the Resort. There was a time when everything was included, call me old fashioned, but what's included here? The service and attention to detail is greatly lacking and some staff informed us that it was their first day on the job. It was like pulling teeth to get information out of the front desk. Those failures of the staff are a direct result of poor leadership, and I think the lack of leadership is showing throughout the business as a whole. The spa was underwhelming as well, the two massage chairs (that are not cleaned between uses) and the Amazon 'reflexology' foot massage machine (which only does the right foot), accompanied by an oxygen concentrator that requires you to put on nasal cannula to inhale through some colored liquids for "relaxation" did not give me 5 Star vibes. I did however like the 18+ pool provided by the spa (despite the weeds growing up through the hardscaping), but do I think the whole thing is worth $100 day pass....I do not. The Avalanche Cold shower is to a cold plunge as a tomahawk is to a vegan hamburger, one is playing at being like the other but fails in all the ways that matter. We ate at the Chophouse, which was not bad, I recommend the short rib as it's been braised well. I had the lobster Thermidor as I am picky about steaks and how they are cooked. The lobster was underwhelming and was more of a canner than a mature east coast lobster. The spinach they served with it was overly bitter and should be dropped for the menu, it's not a 5 star vegetable. Use the lobster claws and shells to create a stock and use that to do a nice risotto with the Thermidor. I'm being overly picky but here is my last gripe. If you bring cutlery to a table, don't bring it in hand, use a plate with a napkin on it or a tray. Use oyster forks and small spoons where necessary. Do more. If you're charging $250 for a 50 ounce tomahawk. The service had to match those prices. If not, you cheapen the whole experience Marriott. 3 stars for the lake view.

If you want amazing sunsets on Lake Nipissing, then you need to come here for dinner. We didn't…read morestay the night, but the atmosphere and food were second to none

Ok, we haven't stayed but 8 of us pulled in by boat for dinner and it was nothing short of…read morespectacular. This spot is worth the drive by boat or car. It is like something out of a movie set that time has slightly left behind. Rustic cabins and a main lodge line a bucolic beach with water so warm and shallow that you have to wander out for ages before it gets deep. The menu was expected... wings, fingers, fish and chips and not exactly cheap, but the food was hot and delicious, the service was great (I barely finished a beer when the next arrived - just the way I like it!), and we left full, happy and wet from the post-dinner swim.

This lovely lodge has it all - delicious food (all included), cozy accommodations (wood-burning…read morefireplaces), and a tranquil environment with as much or as little as you want to do. Highly recommended!

Outdated and run down…read more The food was delicious, we love the breakfast room service, but the cabin we stayed in needs some fixing. I wouldn't step on the front porch for fear I'd go thru. We had a terrible smell in the coffee bar area the first night, I'm sure it was a dead something, they took care of it right away! Charging extra for the in room coffee is very cheap! Come on!! The foot stool in our room has seen better days, it was FILTHY! There's old and there's need to be replaced, the patio chair covers are disgustingly dirty and old. I'm sure they're at-least 30 years old. Small details like updating visions and tub stoppers (brown and disintegrated) can go a long way. We had a private parking spot next to our cabin and STILL got charged parking fees. That's a bit ridiculous, for the price everyone pays there is plenty that should be included. Ice to get the park pass for free, we used it daily. I'm not sure I'd recommend to anyone, unless they got it as a gift.

when you come here. you know why they take your money in full before you see your room…read more dirty. lots of saftey and health issues. fire places useable. broke screens. bass of fire box burned out. hot tubs dirty unmaintained food was less than exceptable grounds are very un kept. they said they are going organic. not correct. just not doing maintenance Wish I could put pictures on this review!? Save your money. Go somewhere else Please !!

I went to Deerhurst for a company conference recently, it was my second time visiting, but I'll…read morecount it as my first time since I was able to experience much more of what it had to offer this time around. Driving up there with the fall colours - spectacular. It's really in a beautiful spot, so it had that going for it. It didn't have....much else? I mean granted - I was NOT going there for golf, and it's more of a golf resort. There is not a lot to do once you're there and it's off-season. We did the escape rooms (2 out of the 4) and they were FANTASTIC! Well put together, good props and the rooms were fun. They weren't too hard to figure out but a fun challenge. Aside from these rooms and some ax throwing...that's it for 'fun'. The restaurants were fine - breakfast brunch was a good mix, dinner was tasty...I had steak on one of the nights and it was delicious and made with care. Nothing stood out about the food, it tasted good and there was a decent variety to choose from. The rooms were very run of the mill, kinda outdated and what you might expect at an older resort in northern Ontario. Nothing to rave about. Was this the place I'd choose for a company retreat? Probably not - but only because you're stuck in 1 spot eating at the same places every day...but if you're only here for a day or 2, it would be ok.

We stayed from Mon - Fri (Jan2 - Jan6, 2023) and it was our first visit to Deerhurst. No thanks to…read morethe unseasonably warm weather, there was rain from Mon - Wed which kept us from our original plan to hit the slopes for the week. Thankfully, Deerhurst had enough indoor activities (pool, game room, climbing wall, escape rooms, nightly activities including a very good magic show...etc) to keep us busy until the weather finally cleared enough to go skiing at the nearby Hidden Valley Resort on Thurday and Friday. Our room was well appointed (stayed in Summit Lodge) but there were a few things that did not work very well (fridge didn't get cold enough and water pressure in the shower was weak.). It was also inconvenient to schlep all our gear up and down the stairs without an elevator but that's on us. Note to self for the next visit. We ate at the Maple bar (tavern?) on our first night (nachos, wings and a pizza) and the beers (Muskoka brewery) were flat and the food was ho hum. Next morning's breakfast buffet at the Compass fared a bit better with good selection of entrees but weak coffee. Freshly squeezed OJ was a big hit with our girl. Last night's dinner at the Compass was probably the best meal at the resort but rather pricey for what you get (2 drinks, charcuterie board, octopus salad and chicken fingers for $100+). There was a magic show we attended with incredibly kind magician, Don Gudel and the infamous Cookie the Rabbit, which my daughter loved! The magician was patient and genial. He took the time to give ALL the kids who did not get a chance to volunteer during the show a chance to experience his magic first hand by staying a whole hour later to entertain his little guests. We got a chance to stroll around the resort grounds and from what we could see, it would make for a very lovely visit during the summer months as well. Maybe that's what we'll plan for our next visit to Deerhurst. All in all, we enjoyed our stay here and would consider returning.

The GOOD: gorgeous lake front and beach area. Lake was lovely for swimming BUT we were here…read moremid-week and it was empty and all boats were docked so not sure how it would be on a weekend. The WEIRD/NOT GOOD - uh...resort fee charged BUT none of the paddle boards/canoes etc are available until after 9am on Fri (we were here on a Thurs) 2. No one ever answers the phone or the front desk when calling from within the room...we called to ask WHY IS THERE NO HOT WATER...is it a cold shower resort??? 3. Now terrified to order food from that restaurant...we should have done deeper review research We won't be back or recommend but we did manage to enjoy a nice swim in the lake This place could be renovated and turned into a super awesome place !!!!

This place was the most amazing shithole I have ever stayed in. The only thing resort about it was…read morerestoring to alcohol in order to get through the weekend. Norman Bates would not have stayed there. I walked into their crappy entrance and noticed immediately the place needs to buy a broom and sweep up. Once inside the lobby I felt a quantum leap into the 1980s....um 40 years of decor no no's that was a no back in 1980. The checkin lady was nice but had zero hospitality training. But the concierge was clueless... oh wait there wasn't one. My favorite part was Lake E.coli - I mean it was late September and already cold so I didn't need to be greeted on checkin with a big sign stating the lake was closed for recreation because of Escherichia coli that s a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Credit Wikipedia If you dare to stay bring your own booze, as the bar is only open from 5-9p. And you are going to need a lot of booze, some gummies, and maybe a few vicadin for good measure because no early checkin. They are hard core on 4pm checkin which in hindsight is fine because you will want to spend the least amount of time in the dingy - hey was there a sale on shit brown and peestain tan paint, craphole of a room. So because I could get in my room I took a stroll on the resort grounds - well that was a mistake, see pics. I used the gym which was nicely equipped and even had the smell of dead jimmy hoffa - awe the ambience. The lake was pretty to look at.... Fredo your my older brother and I love you, now you go swimming first and let me know how it works out. So not a great stay but boy did we have some laughs anyway. Ps the room photos are misleading because there is no scratch and sniff on them to enjoy the smell of death warmed over. Thank you Canada for legal weed as that was helpful too.

New management. Seem like nice people. 90.day cancellation…read morepolicy means I will only ever make a last minute booking now, even though I have come here for the past 10 years. Dishwasher is a super great upgrade. I don't miss washing dishes!! My cabin was the same as ever and that's how u like it.

been coming here for a decade or more. so has my family. new owners...nope…read more Not the same calibre - and not kind to me. This next trip I just booked to Huntsville, guess what - ain't staying here.