We stayed four nights in this lovely cottage.
Pros:
The home is beautiful and the pictures of the home are very representative. We had good times in the hot tub and playing pool. An added bonus were the abundance of raspberry bushes on the roads around the resort which were starting to fill out, so we enjoyed fresh raspberries on our walk.
Cons:
Our biggest disappointment was the advertised “lake access” and “lake view”. The ad included 5 pictures of lake views so left us with the impression that the lake was close and accessible from the cottage. The actual access to Fiddler’s Lake was at least an 8 minute walk from the cottage and then there was a long walk through the woods to get down to the lake. There was certainly not a lake view from the cottage. There is no beach or dock to use, and no where for children to play in the water. We brought a canoe for use on the lake, but the portage down to the water was too difficult so we didn’t use it. Our main criterion for a summer cottage was the ability to be in the water, but it wasn’t possible at this cottage.
There are two floors and two of the bedrooms are in the basement- it can be quite loud when you are staying in the basement and people are walking above you so we moved our toddler to the upstairs room to sleep.
The owner was responsive to our inquiries and communicated perfectly in English. However, we did not feel the interactions, or the excessive signs around the cottage about possible fines that could be incurred, were welcoming. The communication was terse, mostly automated and never contained a signature. There was no effort made to provide any “value add”. For example, we asked for an early check and was told we could check in any time, but for an additional fee. There were significant penalties for late check out and for not depositing garbage in outdoor bins. We looked for a handbook to describe activities, attractions, restaurants, groceries, etc., but nothing was provided.
Luckily, we brought all the groceries and supplies we needed for our stay because access to shops wasn’t close.
Also we were surprised when a worker showed up to maintain the hot tub. He showed up unannounced without any warning and entered without our knowledge.
The property was advertised as being part of Fiddlers Resort but has no access to the resort or amenities.