Bala Bay Inn

Bala Bay Inn

3063 Muskoka District Road 169, Bala, Muskoka Lakes, Ontario P0C 1A0 Canada
Not so 'haunted'.. if you ask me!
Traveller (19)
Muskokas Best Patio voted by "The Muskokan"
Room & Suite (5)
Dining Room
Dining (1)

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Avg. C$155 /night, 11/4 - 11/5
C$289
per night
C$221
per night
C$152
per night

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About

3.0
#2 of 2 motels in Bala
4.2 of 5 bubbles
Location
2.8 of 5 bubbles
Rooms
3.1 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.4 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
3.6 of 5 bubbles
Service
3.3 of 5 bubbles
Sleep Quality
We are proud that the Bala Bay Inn is 101 years old and was the first brick hotel in Muskoka, Ontario. During your stay, you can see and feel the colossal history that once took place in the hotel. After several renovations, the current owners of 7 years created a wonderful boutique hotel with 35 rooms located in the heart of Muskoka. With a #1 rated patio by "The Muskokan," you will be sure to be provided with excellent service, cold beer and great food. Bala Bay Inn has also become the perfect destination for affordable, memorable weddings, where you feel like you own the hotel for the weekend. With an exceptional wedding planner, and a great banquet team ready, you are sure to have the wedding of your dreams. We are also a great location for partygoers and concert lovers. Being across the street from the Kee to Bala, we can offer a safe and friendly place to stay after attending your favourite concert. Like us on Facebook for frequent updates and giveaways! We appreciate all the feedback that we have received, and are pleased to tell you that we have made several changes to the hotel and improved all of our departments. We look forward to exceeding your expectations and providing an unforgettable Muskoka experience. FUN. FRESH. FABULOUS. Come join us.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Wifi
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Wine / champagne
Highchairs available
Non-smoking hotel
Room features
Air conditioning
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quaint

Location

3063 Muskoka District Road 169, Bala, Muskoka Lakes, Ontario P0C 1A0 Canada
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 65 out of 100
65
Toronto Pearson Intl Airport
148.1 km
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119Reviews2Q+A24Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
Barbara B wrote a review Aug 2024
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We did not stay at the Inn. We just went for dinner.
The menu was sparse. 4 of us had the chicken club and non of us finished it. It was cold and the chicken was dry. We had to ask for more mayo but that didn’t really help. The corn on the cob was cold. Not cool but cold. And the butter stuck on the outside. Didn’t eat it. I asked for tea and they didnt have coffee or tea at the restaurant. The fingerling potatoes were good and hot. My husband had the trout and it was good. It was to come with a sauce which he got for his last 2 mouthfuls.
They need to do a lot of work before I would go back or recommend it to anyone.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2024
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jan H wrote a review Jul 2024
2.0 of 5 bubbles
They just reopened last Friday after some renovations. We went for lunch and were very disappointed!!! Food menu was very limited. Ghost Kitchen food was terrible.
Toughest chicken wings we have ever had. Presentation also very limited. Poor experience and won't be back or recommend it to anyone. Place felt dirty!!!! They need to pick up their socks. Staff knew very little about the restaurant or Inn.
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Date of stay: July 2024
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
3.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
2.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
2.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: only had lunch
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynette wrote a review Aug 2024
Newcastle, Canada
2.0 of 5 bubbles
We were curious about the reopening on this iconic hotel in Bala.

We were so disappointed at the very poor "update". The entry pad is still unfinished. The decor is still so very dark and even though they are trying to keep it traditional. Who needs dark red flock wallpaper!! Bar is also very poorly designed. Not welcoming from the lobby. We felt bad.

Dark lobby, dark bar, and a porch that had no atmosphere at all.

Sorry did not see the rooms. But this place was just not welcoming at all.

I think that it could have so much more potential in a lovely Muskoka town.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: I guess wait till it's been open a bit longer???
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy G wrote a review Aug 2024
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Stayed last night for Kim Mitchell concert and was very disappointed. Paid $350 for a tiny basic basic room with not even a box of Kleenex in the room. No AC in building, room has fan though so luckily it was not hot yesterday. 2 flat pillows on bed, no chair in room, no hair dryer so bring your own, no coffee machine or mini fridge or anything like that. It’s just a bed and bathroom if that’s what you’re looking for! Should’ve just took Uber instead.
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Date of stay: August 2024
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
1.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Bring all amenities as there is nothing but bed and bathroom and towels.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Prince P wrote a review Aug 2015
Barrie, Canada
1.0 of 5 bubbles
We recently stayed at the Bala Bay Inn; for a concert at the Kee. I had called and spoke to Britt, who accommodated us with a room with two double beds. I had specifically asked also for a cot as the two males did not want to share a bed. She said no problem!

Upon arriving the motel looked reasonable; the best part being the location. We checked in with Britt, who said (and I quote) "If your cot is not in the room call down and I will bring it up". So.. the cot was not in the room and she brought it up with extra sheets....so far so good. Fast forward a hour or so later we return from dinner at another restaurant, and I am called over to the front desk. Britt is there with a old lady(who I assume is the owner) stating she had took the cot as it was meant for another guest!!
FIRST! ITS ILLEGAL TO ENTER A GUESTS ROOM AFTER THEY HAVE CHECKED IN!
SECOND! SHE OFFERED NO SOLUTION IN RETURN, WAS RUDE, CONDESCENDING AND HAD ABSOLUTELY ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE! HER RESPONSE "YOU CAN GO ELSEWHERE" well thanks a lot lady! The only other hotel in town is booked, so congrats you win on screwing your customer there!

We had no choice but to stay as we had paid a lot of money for the concert. So since they entered the room illegally, moved our belongings and took the extra bedding my friend slept on the disgusting floor.

Then there's Ken. The only reason I know the owners name is because locals in town also complained of him; stating hes aggressive and has a bad temper".
He openly talked about kicking guests out and was shouting and screaming around the motel for the rest of the night.
Never would I give this place another dollar! They already took $250 for 1 night
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Date of stay: August 2015
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Go elsewhere/ just dont go at all
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary Ann D wrote a review Jul 2017
Naples, Florida
1.0 of 5 bubbles
The Bala Bay Inn is now owned by the JW Marriott and used for staff housing.
There is a restaurant on site but rooms are allocated to staff of the JW Marriott in Rosseau. The Shamrock Resort in Port Carling is another resort which is about 15-20 minutes from Bala. As well as the Sherwood Inn.
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Date of stay: July 2017Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel101222 wrote a review Nov 2013
Ottawa, Canada
1.0 of 5 bubbles
I have stayed at the Bala Bay Inn twice and after the second time there is NO way I would stay here again. The rooms are mediocre at best, but not very clean and definitely not worth the price of the room. The front desk staff were rude and uninformed about hotel policies. The main issue I had with the Bala Bay is the fact that we were not told to lock our room after CHECKING OUT the next day (we just left and dropped our keys off at the front). After we had checked out the very, very small TV they have in the room was taken by another guest. The Inn immediately charged the credit card they had on file ($200 !!! No way the TV cost that much) without any warning. Moreover, when we called the Inn the clarify what the extra charge was for the staff were so rude and accusatory. Why anyone would steal a TV out of a room that had their own personal credit card on file is beyond me. The hotel had no official camera evidence of the TV being taken and they didn't tell us to lock the room after check out to avoid a situation like this. The Inn wrote a report full of FALSE information and no real evidence.

This Inn is a SCAM. They try to scam innocent people out of their money. Never would I suggest this Inn to anybody. Rude staff, scams, lies and cheap rooms all make for a hotel from hell.

DONT STAY AT THE BALA BAY INN.
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Date of stay: August 2013
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
1.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
1.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: All rooms are cheap and not worth your money.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
canadamom7 wrote a review Sep 2015
Toronto, Canada
1.0 of 5 bubbles
I was well prepared for the noise level (ear plugs packed). What went wrong.....everything

- single room (1 bed) even though double room booked beginning of June with deposit & then paid in full prior. Sorry at my age I don't share a small bed with my best friend (I'd be hard pressed to share that size of a bed with my husband) and I do not sleep on floors. Ended up sleeping on a couch.

- wacky owner in a huge pick-up truck who yelled at me at three o'clock in the afternoon...rolls down his window screams what do you have in that cup, my reply "water" his reply still yelling "yeah well it better be, I don't want to have to come over and check your cup, we are going to have a busy night here blah,blah,blah. I replied "excuse me? I'm almost 60 yrs of age and your going to do what? This man has some serious issues and angrily rolled his window up and took off rather quickly for a small parking lot.

- rules & regulations stated were insane, I haven't been read that kind of riot act since I was 16 on a High School trip. Listened to the front desk clerk itemize to the 30 something yr old girls in front of us....that don't kick anyone out of the hotel at night but if they are too noisy they will make them pay for the room next to them. Take your name and will check your name on a list when returning to the hotel (Yep that actually happened)

- toilet broken in the morning when inside plastic arm broke and toilet could only be flushed by sticking your arm inside the completely mold filled tank and pulling the chain. YUK (no phone in the room to call the nonexistent staff).

- 9 am no coffee served in the lobby/restaurant/bar...told go across the street to the cafe ...upon return the front door is locked waited until another customer let me in

- no check-out, just throw your keys in a box (I guess they don't want to hear the complaints)

$250.xx a night, save your money take a cab to any other place
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Date of stay: September 2015
3.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RonKVA wrote a review Sep 2015
McLean, Virginia
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Our party of seven stopped in at the Bala Bay Inn for lunch at the end of August 2015 after having viewed its ample, attractive menu on the Web and having heard positive reports about its meals and service in past years. We did not stay there overnight so I can’t review the hotel itself – only the restaurant, which was largely a disaster. Starting off, the tablecloth was so dirty that we had to ask the waiter to change it for a clean one, which he cheerfully did. Then it turned out that the key items we had wanted to order – based on the ample menu listings we had seen on the hotel’s Web site -- were not available. We were told that things at the hotel were “in transition” and there was a new chef, so the Web menu was totally obsolete. But we were already seated in the restaurant and the kids were hungry, so we ordered what we could for them and the adults. Some beverages and dishes even from the “current” limited menu were not available and others ranged from mediocre to just OK. It wasn’t all terrible – I’ve had a lot worse -- although hungry as we were, we probably left more on the plates than we ate. The waiter was very helpful and accommodating, but the kitchen service was slow. Perhaps we just came at the wrong time or – most likely -- in the wrong year. I hope the Bala Bay Inn eventually gets its mealtime act together and restores its former good reputation, but right now I can’t recommend its restaurant.
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Date of stay: August 2015Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nursey02 wrote a review Aug 2015
Toronto, Canada
3.0 of 5 bubbles
My boyfriend and I have been visiting every year for the last 8 years and I've noticed the place becoming increasingly shabby and the service lacking. We were actually thinking about getting married here, it says "wedding specialists" right on the sign in the front. We visited this week and asked the man at the reception desk if they had any information on wedding services, he pointed us over to a pamphlet stand at the front (which had nothing related to weddings). We told him there was nothing there, he shrugged. We were a little confused and my boyfriend asked "you have weddings here right?" And his reply was "yea." He didn't even look up to acknowledge us or offer any additional information. I am pretty upset about this because I had my heart set on this location, and it seems like you aren't too interested in hosting weddings??

Then we ordered some lunch on the patio, there was only one other couple eating. The server although nice got our entire order wrong, didn't offer to fix it (but brought us a dessert to make up for it), we had to ask for cutlery..

Just pretty disappointing, it's sad to see because I remember this place being so much better.
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Date of stay: July 2015Trip 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 as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy G wrote a tip Aug 2024
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
"Bring all amenities as there is nothing but bed and bathroom and towels. "
Read full review
Lynette wrote a tip Aug 2024
Newcastle, Canada16 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"I guess wait till it's been open a bit longer???"
Read full review
Jan H wrote a tip Jul 2024
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"only had lunch"
Read full review
Jodilibra wrote a tip Sep 2016
Barrie, Canada9 contributions8 helpful votes
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"There are "good" rooms?"
Read full review
Wiaruz wrote a tip Aug 2016
Toronto, Canada4 contributions3 helpful votes
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Ask for the cleanest room."
Read full review
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Bala area.
PRICE RANGE
C$172 - C$230 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
bala bay hotel bala, bala bay motel
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Bala Bay Hostel
LOCATION
CanadaOntarioMuskoka DistrictMuskoka LakesBala
NUMBER OF ROOMS
34
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Bala Bay Inn - UPDATED 2024 Prices, Reviews & Photos

Frequently Asked Questions about Bala Bay Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Bala Bay Inn?
Nearby attractions include Bala's Museum with Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery (0.9 km), The Kee to Bala (0.2 km), and Balacade (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Bala Bay Inn?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and free parking.
What food & drink options are available at Bala Bay Inn?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Bala Bay Inn?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Bala Bay Inn?
Conveniently located restaurants include Bala Falls Pub, Dons Bakery, and Ice Dreams Soda Shop.
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