Windermere House

We enjoyed a wonderful 3-night stay at Windermere House. Gorgeous setting, of course, on the shore of Lake Rosseau. Very nice, well-appointed room. Great recreational offerings, all included (we availed ourselves of the swimming pool and hot tub, and took a pair of kayaks out for lovely paddle). Unusually friendly and attentive staff. Better than average complimentary breakfast buffet. Our only complaint was about the dining options. There are 2 venues: the high-end The Rosseau and the more casual Windermere Pub. Both offer beautiful indoor and outdoor settings; but both are very high-priced and offer a lot of dishes with excessively fancy ingredient lists, which offer more show than substance. Some dishes under-deliver, e.g., the pasta with "mushrooms": our servings each included a single halved mushroom. Vegetarian options are very few, vegan ones fewer. It was very difficult to find healthy food options.

The quality of the breakfast was excellent and the setting was beautiful. The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was quiet and comfortable.

The directions to the Windermere House from Toronto needed to be more detailed and accurate. It took us five hours to get to the resort from Toronto, twice the time required. This needs to be done immediately.

Beautiful view of the lake and well maintained property. Highly recommend

Great place but for how expensive the stay was, they need to invest in new pillows. All 8 people we were with had the same experience with the pillows and didn’t sleep as a result.

The breakfast was amazing. The staff was really really good, especially the blonde pub manager. We did some canoe for hours, the activities was really fun. The only downside is that we couldn't dine in the hotel because it was full. I would think they have a few reserved spots for guests that sleeps there but, no. That was a bummer, but we decided to explore the nearby towns instead and it was great!

The staff was exceptional and very helpful.

Just returned from a great vacation at the iconic Windermere House on Lake Rosseau. This resort had something for everyone, whether you are young or seasoned, whether you are looking for an active adventure or relaxing place to recharge. There is a heated outdoor pool and hot tub, barrel sauna huts, Tennis and Pickleball, many outdoor games, 2 campfire areas plus watersports, paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, beach area. My favorite was sitting on our balcony or in the Muskoka chairs overlooking the lake. There is a spa on the property to take relaxing to the next level. Breakfast was included in our rate, it was a good buffet and we ate the Pub one evening, good food with a great view. It is also a great place to start your adventures in the Muskokas, Port Carling and Rosseau are close by. If you are looking for a true Canadian vacation this is a great choice!

Our King size bed was lovely. The staff at the Lounge bar and at the Windermere Pub were fantastic- so attentive and professional and accommodating. Our complaints are as follows: One of the bedside lamps didn’t work. I asked for someone to please fix the lamp and when I checked in about the lamp, the front desk said they sent someone to the wrong room. There was a light out in the chandelier. There was a loud alarm going off in the room beside us. The pool was out of service due to ‘an accident’. The staff didn’t know where the steam room was. It was not worth the money.

Breakfast menu could be better.

The facilities, activities Centre and social atmosphere was great. Good updates since last year!

One server was really unfriendly and Made us uncomfortable, but all others were great. One senior staff member in particular we heard gossiping about our family in a negative way. She did not know I was behind her in the pub restaurant and I overheard her talking to the servers in a negative way about how we were letting our child watch TV while he ate one day at lunch (note that she had seen us not open a screen with our kids for 3 full days prior to that). I understand that everyone lets off steam once in a while but I thought it was unprofessional to do so in such an open way that the client could easily hear you. It was hurtful and we felt judged even though she didn’t know the circumstances of why we did that. That same staff repeatedly made comments regarding my other child not wearing shoes when walking through the hotel towards the garden and pool . At one point it was so tedious I asked if it was a rule because she kept ‘noticing’ my child’s attire and she told me that no it was not but she was concerned for my child. It felt like a strange fixation that she could not let go of. The food was hit or miss. Good sushi and steaks. Our kids did not like anything onthe kids mwnu, we tried them all. We noticed another family felt the same. 22 dollars for really really poorly made Mac and cheese or tomato sauce pasta. You might considering redoing the whole kids menu. Not the options (which are good) but the recipes.