I love this place. Manitoulin Island is magical, and part of that magic is having small towns like…read moreGore Bay, and beautiful places to stay in like the Inn at Gore Bay. The straightforward name of this inn says it all: it strips away all the distractions to focus you on how peaceful and beautiful this town is.
Rooms: There are 10 rooms in this 2 storey inn (5 on each floor). The rooms are clean and immaculately designed (great local art). The beds are really comfortable, with plump comforters and fluffy pillows. The bathroom is modern, with good water pressure. The room is also well furnished, with a tv, mini fridge, coffee maker, microwave, and toaster oven. Wifi is strong enough, which is an essential since phone signal on the island isn't always the best. Oh, and my wife lived in the bathrobe they provided the whole time we were there since she said it was spa-like haha! Finally, whichever room you book has a view of the water, which allows you to watch the sunset from the comforts of your bed. Second floor rooms give you a further view of the harbour and town from the balcony, while first floor rooms allow you to walk out to the edge of the water. Either way, the rooms at the Inn at Gore Bay are a definite winner!
"Amenities": There's a restaurant right by the inn called 1890. It's helmed by chef Alberto, who studied at the George Brown culinary school, and it shows as his dishes are really tasty (albeit a bit pricey). Other than the restaurant, there's a good hiking trail a couple of minutes away, which leads you to the main lookout point in the whole Gore Bay (East Bluff Lookout). There aren't other amenities like gyms and pools and all that, but you really don't need those because of all the natural surroundings and activities you can do. I came here during fall, so not sure if they offer summer/winter activities.
Location: As mentioned, located right at the edge of the harbour/lake, so that in itself is fantastic. It's also steps away from a beautiful boardwalk that leads you to a park (fully equipped with a children's playground, basketball and tennis courts). Finally, it's also a 5 minute walk away from the main street of Gore Bay which has cute little shops, restaurants, a grocery, bank, library, etc.
Service: Tammy and her team are top notch. During the time of covid, they provided seamless service to ensure our safety (self check-in/out, basic cleaning like changing of towels/sheets as requested and taking out the trash to minimize contact, delivering the complimentary breakfast the night before, etc). Tammy was also very quick to respond via text to any questions/concerns that we had. And the one time we did actually see her in person, she was friendly, had such a great energy, and clearly loved the island.
Overall: Highly recommend staying here if you visit Manitoulin. It will definitely make you fall in love with the island and the friendly people in it.
