Elmhirst's Resort
1045 Settlers Line, Keene, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Ontario K0L 2G0 Canada
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About
#1 of 2 hotels in Keene
Location
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Our fully contained lakeside cottages are open, providing a safe and fun location for a lakefront cottage getaway. Lakeside cottage resort open year round. Fully equipped cottages with fireplace, kitchen, TV & DVD, wifi in cottage; BBQ deck & dock. Dining room & Pub on site; indoor & outdoor pools; boat & motor rentals; golf next door; tennis; sightseeing flights; horseback riding nearby; walking & biking trails. Full service Spa onsite. Activities available include wine tasting, farm visits, sleigh rides, kiteboarding, corporate team building and more. Ideal for family vacations, getaways, weddings, groups & corporate meetings. Family owned & operated. Catering to international guests. Pet friendly.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Beach
Boating
Books, DVDs, music for children
Wifi
Hot bath
Indoor pool
Outdoor pool
Heated pool
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Outdoor dining area
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Canoeing
Tennis court
Fishing
Patio
Table tennis
Children's playground
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids' outdoor play equipment
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Spa
Facial treatments
Full body massage
Manicure
Massage
Pedicure
BBQ facilities
Self-serve laundry
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Room features
Private beach
Dining area
Fireplace
Housekeeping
Coffee / tea maker
Kitchenette
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Private balcony
Separate living room
Sofa
Telephone
Oven
Refrigerator
Stovetop
Radio
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Languages Spoken
English, German
Location
Contact
1045 Settlers Line, Keene, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Ontario K0L 2G0 Canada
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279Reviews14Q+A44Room tips
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We were a group of 5 seniors who had stayed at Elmhirst years ago. This time we thought we would rent the 5 bedroom cottage for our yearly get together as it’s all on one floor. The cottage has comfortable beds and two okay bathrooms but the living room/kitchen area is outdated and not welcoming. Upon opening the patio doors we found black mould on the inside at the top area that looks like it has been there a long time. This was easily seen and very unhealthy for any guests. The stove is very old and the general kitchen area is small. The overall look of the cottage is dark, unwelcoming and unhealthy. It is very expensive for what get. The check out time of 10am should be extended to 11am so guests can enjoy breakfast and then cleaning up before packing to leave at a respectful pace. We will not be returning again.…
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Date of stay: October 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Katie Edwards, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Nov. 16, 2022
Hello Sandra, Thanks very much for joining us at Elmhirst’s Resort for your recent stay. We also appreciate you taking the time to pass on your thoughts. We are very sorry to hear the experience did not meet your value expectations. I will share your feedback with our team to improve the experience for all of our guests. We continuously work on renovating and updating our cottages. We will use your post to make sure renovations satisfy our guests’ expectations. We hope to be of service to you in the future and extend our best wishes for a festive Holiday Season.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
You only get one chance to make a great 1st impression and Elmhirst clearly understands that philosophy by having Alex as their concierge. Very helpful, friendly and a pleasure to deal with. We had the opportunity to visit Elmhirst Resort mid-week, in celebration of my daughter's BD. We stayed in FreeSpirit 2, an accessible cottage to meet my daughter's needs and were pleasantly surprised at how big and immaculately clean the cottage was, with an incredible view of Rice Lake. We spent a fair amount of time in our cottage (unfortunately the 1st day was mostly rain), but did have the chance to enjoy a spa afternoon with Jewel and Michele, which we thoroughly enjoyed (hot stone massage/facials). We had purchased a spa package with meals and while we did visit the Hearthside Dining room a couple of times, we loved that we were able to get take out on the evening following our spa treatments as we just wanted to relax in the cabin, messy hair and all. Overall the food was good on each occasion but a suggestion would be to offer more larger meal sized salads. Wait staff were incredible - very engaging and accommodating (Janalle/Steph). I would highly recommend this resort for the 'family vibe', the wonderful staff, the beautiful cottages and the dining experience. We will be going back again soon!…
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Date of stay: May 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Greg Elmhirst, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Jul. 10, 2022
Thanks very much for choosing Elmhirst's Resort for such a special occasion and for taking the time to leave tour feedback. Getaways like yours are always a special pleasure to host and we are thrilled to hear you enjoyed your stay. I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to respond, there seems to have been an interruption to my Tripadvisor notifications. We do our best to offer experiences for a wide range of occasions and make it possible for guests to enjoy them in their own way. I will share your feedback with my team because it's always a big boost to hear when we are successful. Hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer and hope to see you again soon! Best wishes,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We decided to visit Elmhirt's Resort over the March Break. We went with our family of 4 as well as my mom and her husband and felt that a 3 Bedroom Cottage would be roomy enough to suit our needs. After growing up in the Peterborough area, we chose Elmhirst because of their reputation and felt it would be a good choice. The "Deluxe" Cottage was far from deluxe. Upon entering the cottage it was very easy to tell that the cottage had not been updated/renovated in many, many years. It actually felt that the decor was from the early 90's. The appliances were extremely old. There was tin foil inside the stove-top elements and the microwave was so tiny and it barely fit inside the cubby that it was placed in. There was barely enough plates and utensils for the 6 of us and the ones that were there were bent and some were falling apart. I tried to cook my daughter pancakes for breakfast but the pan was so old that it stuck to the bottom and could not be flipped. The furniture was dirty and the floors were scratched up and the carpets inside the bedrooms were stained and had many marks. The wallpaper had been ripped but was patched up and re-applied. The bottom park of the screen door was completely ripped out and had not been repaired. There was an iron imprint on the carpet in one of the bedrooms. Everything was old and they were not dusted or cleaned very well. The phone inside one of the bedrooms was a rotary phone.....our children were amazed by this ancient artifact located on their bedside table....LOL!! Considering we paid $1000 for our 2 night stay, we felt that the accommodations would have been more up-to-date (at least within the last 10-20 years). To put this into perspective, in the past we have cruised over the March Break and have paid around $5000 for a 7 night cruise which would include our accommodations, entertainment, food and drink package for a family of 4....but at Elmhirst the $1000 was for the 2 nights inside this dingy and unwelcoming cottage. We were extremely disappointed and will never go back. I'm writing this review to inform customers so that they are more aware of the type of accommodations at this establishment. It has seen better days. The positives were......Excellent WiFi and the heating system had been updated.…
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Ask which cottage has been last renovated.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Greg Elmhirst, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Jul. 10, 2022
Hello Julie, I'm sorry for not responding to your feedback, it appears there was an interruption in my notifications from Tripadvisor. On the subject of your feedback I'm very sorry we did not meet your expectations on this stay. In all sincerity your feedback is quite subjective, we are constantly upgrading features and facilities throughout the resort. In the past 2 years we have implemented noels than a half dozen solutions to make comma nidation and shrive faster and more convenient. There were also no less than 3 active renovation sites in progress at the time of your visit; a cottage, a foodservice outlet, and a guest service facility. I respect your opinion and once again regret that we did not meet your expectations. I also feel you could and should be kinder.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
If you're looking for a great cottage vacation for your family this is the place. With kids there is so much to do and plenty of activities planned by the friendly staff. Our family have visited the last three summers and have enjoyed our time so much we added a winter long weekend stay the last two years. Summer: enjoy the pool, lake, lake slide and trampoline, kayak, canoe, and water skiing all included (you have to pay to rent at most other resorts!). Winter: Ice skating on the lake, carriage ride, a farm to visit, ice fishing, tobogganing, indoor pool. If you want a break from cooking, the restaurant and take out use locally raised meat, fish and vegetables and is delicious. We had a lot of disappointing cottage vacations growing up and this is the kind of place our family wishes we had discovered sooner so we could have visited when we were young. Visiting Elmhurst takes the stress out of planning a family cottage vacation because they have everything you want and need. Rice Lake is one of the nicest lakes I've ever visited and we look forward to our return visit every year.…
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
First a couple of good points : bed was comfortable, views were great, cottage size was big for two of us in a 2 bedroom cottage Food: very expensive for what you get. Moldy fruit was served to me. Spa- very unprofessional. Don’t waste your money. Reserved a 90 min hot stone massage - the stones were not ready for another 30 min, had to wait while staff changed linens- very un prepared don’t think they disinfected - loud noises from gym next door drained out relaxing music. Staff left room 3-4 times while I waited for massage to begin and my time had started. I had to cancel massage on the spot. If you’re going to go, don’t pay for any extras. Just bring your own food and enjoy your company.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
This was our first visit at Elmhirst Resort. For the amount of money we spent to rent the 4 bedroom cottage, it was incredibly disappointing. The cottage was dirty and small...one of the toilets didn't flush properly, one of the shower doors was falling off, the living space was so small, the heat stopped working, all amenities were closed due to a funeral (which we should've been made aware of when checking in). We weren't allowed to have more bath towels for 12 people because front desk said they had a shortage. The service was horrible. We will definitely not be returning.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Don't waste your time or money!
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Katie van Bruinessen, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Mar. 1, 2022
Hello Tina C., thanks for staying with us at Elmhirst’s Resort and thanks as well for taking the time to provide your feedback. We are very sorry to hear you were disappointed in your stay and were distressed to hear about the challenges you faced. We will certainly share your feedback with our team members to make sure these challenges won’t affect guests in the future. As you noted there was a celebration of life taking place in one of our buildings for my brother who passed unexpectedly. I did prepare the only guest recreation area in that building, our games room, for guest use and cleared an alternative entrance so guests would not be inconvenienced by the private function. Maintenance and housekeeping team members are available at all times to assist with cottage comfort and supply issues upon request by phone or text and this was in place notwithstanding the private function. The climate control in our cottages is provided by brand new heat pumps (they make the total resort energy consumption more than 80% renewable). They have wifi thermostats so we can assist with temperature control right from the office. I apologize if this information was not passed on to you correctly and for any other service interruptions affecting your stay, Best wishes for safe and happy travels in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thank you to the Elmhirst family for sharing your lovely resort and farm. Friday night to Sunday afternoon visit at Elmhirst Resort in Keene Ontario included six adults in a five bedroom deluxe cottage. It had touches of old furnishings and everything we needed. The beds are comfortable and the deck was furnished well. The grill needs to have the grates replaced for new ones and then old ones sent off to be cleaned as the rust and age was off putting. I admire the resort staff tenacity that must be needed to maintain and run this resort mid to post pandemic. Note the chef is a hidden gem. The menu farm to table, locally sourced. To stress how big the operations are off the top they have a resort, a farm, spa, plane rides, and horseback trail rides, pools and a genuine spirit to please. I can't imagine the effort it must take to keep everything going day in and day out with challenges that businesses are finding. staffing, supplies and just the personal resilience to get through another demanding day of running a resort with covid lingering nearby. My groups reiterated again and again kudos to the restaurant wait staff . Noting that I have made some observations. I loved that they tried really hard to keep the covid protocols and still give an experience that was generous to their guests. I found Fran and Karen trying their best to do what appeared to be background work and be friendly and attentive to staff and guests. You could feel their stress so I tried to make it short and sweet and easy when I made a request as we were not familiar with the processes. This could be one of the reasons you see in some reviews that they found front staff curt. It takes time to serve quests and each interaction reaffirms whether someone will return or not. I recall one of the interactions with the front line that could have gone better and I would have been received in a different context had the staff had time to have it. I gave in my key before ten oclock unsure of the protocol so rather than leave it in the cottage I brought to the desk and asked if they wanted to wait until the spa services that day were done to process my final bill and that we were looking forward to having lunch in the Hearth ... I was informed the bill had been processed, ( no problem I understood check out is checkout) and that the services from that day could be paid for at the spa or the front desk. I was informed that the restaurant was very booked on Sunday and unless I had reservations I would not get in. I found this information good to know but the way it was delivered was off putting. If time had allowed them, they could have walked with me over to the entrance of the dining area to inquire about a reservation for me. This would have encouraged business and allowed me to feel welcome. This allows for staff to nurture a relationship with guests and the business but instead they did the opposite. I felt discouraged. So I reported to the group that there would not be room for us to have lunch that day because we hadn't made reservations. I found this happened a few times in interactions with staff and finally came to the conclusion it was a lack of staff that was the problem and possibly customer service retraining was needed post survival from the pandemic. There was a similar incident the night before too. I am chalking it up to lack of staff because they didn't ignore us, they just didn't have an interaction that was customer friendly. The resort is big to start with and they have a finger in a lot of pots. There was badminton, tennis, ping pong, kayaks, canoes, outside giant chess, volleyball and on and on which means it gives a large number of activities which my guess would be because at full capacity and to keep everyone busy they must need a lot of self serve activities. One online books system for all items would be a great asset and relieve the stress on front line staff. One place to login, book your day including reservations for restaurants then guests who are computer literate and can self serve. This might help renew the vibe at front desk. Our five bedroom cottage had lots of room and was clean enough. I suggest a deep clean of the jacuzza tub jets and a lick of paint or rustoleum would put the older look decor over the top which again lends itself to the point of view that they are just doing enough with many fingers in a lot of pots and an influx of helping hands is needed. For example the kayaks which were our most used item lacked a cord and handle to help pull the craft on land, a five minute fix if there is time. The kayaks are very heavy and awkward to move on shore without a hand hold. Axe throwing was not available and horseback riding was all booked. I should have booked earlier. All in all when I polled our group we said a return visit is definitely worth it but we would need to check that our top activities were functioning and bookable. We had a wonderful quiet night time campfire with everything available to us easily. The outdoor pool was covid friendly and was clean and maintained well and beautiful. The inside pool liner water line needs cleaning badly. The water looked fine but a deep clean is needed now and especially before fall/winter hits. The gardens are established and beautiful with lovely trees and bushes and walkways. I wandered the resort in awe of lovely hydrangeas in bloom and lots of squirrels and chipmunks and even a hautey grey tabby. The farm view was awe inspiring and the chef's garden patch interesting to see. I have beautiful pictures of the heavy laden apple trees. The horses are friendly and the chickens calm and funny. What a pleasure to visit. The chef, whoever it is, knows their stuff. We had six guests in total who ate in the restaurants several times. and we literally ran out of items to try on the menu. Everything was so good. All the food was plated nicely and prepared wonderfully. There is a hidden gem in the kitchen. I hope they keep whoever they are. The wait staff were excellent. The orders are slow to come (lack of staff) but take time. This lovely venue where views of the lake are beautiful and the food is so excellent it is worth waiting for. We had lots of catching up to do with our six guests so we didn't mind. I was delighted to order a half pint of beer to pass the time. Take a deep breath Elmhirst staff and carry on, hopefully it will only get better. I would suggest you not grow bigger just hire more staff and be your best self. Many thanks.…
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Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Call and ask questions -
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Greg Elmhirst, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Nov. 1, 2021
Hello Marilyn, Thanks very much for bringing your group to Elmhirst's and thanks as well for your very kind and thoughtful review. I really appreciate the genuine consideration you showed to our entire team. I really appreciate the very specific feedback, its so helpful. Our team members will do their upmost to accommodate all guest service requests but there have been times due to public health orders and capacity limits where our foodservice outlets have been filled. Communicating this in the right way and trying to find alternatives makes a big difference though. We will use this information to coach our front office attendants. I will also pass on your accolades to our Chef, Jeff Curtis. He has been here for some time now and is very passionate. Thanks again for your consideration and support and best wishes for a safe and happy Holiday Season.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We have been to Elmhirst numerous times over the past five years. They have changed, maybe due to COVID or maybe just bad management decisions. I don’t know, but I do know we won’t come back again. The food, meal package, busted kitchen stove, no bathtub plug, door lock works on occasion, no service, no pool use availability, hot tub out of order, fitness room in dire condition are among a few reasons. Management response is lacklustre. An add on to your departure - you are now required to put your garbage and recycle in your vehicle and take with you or they charge your credit card $75.00. And they call that a COVID policy. Really!?!? Their preferred communication is text messages to which a guest cannot respond! Guest Service has gone in the toilet along with food and cottage quality. Maybe new ownership? Not really sure what happened. 🙁…
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Date of stay: October 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Greg Elmhirst, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Oct. 30, 2021
Hello Joanne, We are very sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy your stay. Clearly we fell well short of your expectations and I apologize for that. We have invested in cottage renovations for several units, replaced entertainment systems and sun decks in more, and put new HVAC in every cottage in the past 18 months. We regret to hear you did not get the perceived value you were looking for from your cottage despite our best efforts. Constructive feedback is always welcome because it’s one of the best teaching tools we have and as such we seek input from our guests through a variety of channels. Guests reliably give us a general satisfaction rating between 80 and 90 % so I truly hope the service gaps you noticed are an isolated occurrence. In fairness to my team I need to mention the jacuzzi and sauna were not out of order, we were prevented from offering them because of COVID related public health orders. Also the SMS based messaging system was implemented to increase guest convenience. Because of demand and all recreational offerings requiring appointments to ensure guest safety phone calls jumped by 3 X and the MsgBox service allows us to answer more requests more quickly. It is definitely a 2 way service. We even use it to notify guests if their cottage is ready for an early check in. I apologize if there was some misunderstanding about the function of this service. The property is still owned and operated by the Elmhirst family for 4 generations and we are very proud of the experience our team is delivering across the property in a very challenging environment with novel health risks. We have created great memories for you in the past and I hope we get the opportunity to do so again in the future. Wishing you the best in the upcoming Holiday Season…..
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Spent a lovely 2 night spa getaway at Elmhirst Resort. The staff were excellent. Special thanks to Emma in the Spa and Georgia and the rest of the servers in the Dining Room. The food was excellent. Weather was cool but we golfed at Bellmere Golf Club, 10 minutes away. Will definately do this again.
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Quiet not, spa was noisy. Cabin was noisy, fridge having its last days. I thought there was an atv out side. It was our fridge. Moments cant! As i front line worker. I guess i could be worst. No fridge. Pool was unsatisfactory, swam into hair balls. **** Plus Cabin was clean. Bed was good. Beautiful grounds.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Greg Elmhirst, Owner at Elmhirst's Resort
Responded Nov. 1, 2021
Hello and thanks for staying with us. I apologize for the challenges you experienced during your stay. We also appreciate your kind words about your cottage and the grounds, In particular we were sorry to hear you didn't enjoy our newly renovated indoor pool and will renew our focus on those fine details to be sure guests receive the highest perceived value from it. I will share your feedback with our team to improve the experience in other areas for all of our guests. Best wishes and we hope to be of service to you again in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$229 - US$280 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
elmhirst`s hotel keene, elmhirsts hotel keene
LOCATION
CanadaOntarioOtonabee-South MonaghanKeene
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
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Frequently Asked Questions about Elmhirst's Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Elmhirst's Resort?
Nearby attractions include Lang Pioneer Village (5.6 km), Patricia's Gift Shop (4.4 km), and Elmhirst's Resort (5.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Elmhirst's Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an indoor pool, free wifi, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Elmhirst's Resort?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Elmhirst's Resort?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Elmhirst's Resort?
Conveniently located restaurants include Muddy's Pit BBQ, Hearthside Dining Room, and Islandview Harbour Marina Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Elmhirst's Resort?
Yes, guests have access to an indoor pool and a fitness centre during their stay.
Does Elmhirst's Resort offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers meeting rooms, a banquet room, and conference facilities.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Elmhirst's Resort?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and German.
Are there any historical sites close to Elmhirst's Resort?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Serpent Mounds Park (5.7 km).
Does Elmhirst's Resort have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the harbour view available here.