Canoe Bay

We booked our stay and were not sure whether we would be happy. A few bad reviews on here had us a little concerned. Let me tell you...those reviews were either from people who are spoiled and entitled, or they simply had an unusual experience. We were SO happy with our stay here. We are nature lovers and were amazed when we first got there and had the deer come right up to us on the deck. We found the staff to be very friendly, and all our needs were met and more. It was the perfect getaway for our anniversary. We had privacy, a very comfortable and very clean cabin with cozy beds and all the amenities needed. Beautiful views off of our deck and a short walk to the lake. Our first morning we took the canoe out on the lake. It was so beautiful and I took some amazing pictures. We took a walk through the gardens and the lillys and hydrangeas were in full bloom. All the colorful flowers were so beautiful. We ate in the dining room for two nights and it was wonderful as well. The food was delicious and we left feeling way over full. The breakfast and lunch delivered to the cabin made everything so easy and relaxing. I really can't say anything bad about our stay at Canoe Bay. It was the perfect place to completely decompress and relax. We hope to return someday and enjoy some of the other things we hoped to have time for.

This is one of the nicest trailer parks I've visited, but at $550 per night I expected a luxury experience. Instead, nearly every aspect of our stay fell well short of that standard. Even at half the price, I would have expected substantially better. The warning signs started before we even checked in. Another guest was asking the front desk for coffee and ice because neither was available, and also requesting fans because the air conditioning in her room had failed. At check-in we discovered that the onsite restaurant wasn't really a restaurant in the traditional sense. Dinner was available only at 7:00 or 7:15 p.m., with a fixed menu of beet salad, halibut, and lemon panna cotta for $85 per person. Since we preferred to eat earlier, we had to drive into town to find a local tavern. Within 30 minutes of arriving in our room, the power went out. Without electricity or air conditioning, the room quickly became too hot to be comfortable. We asked whether we could receive a refund since sleeping there no longer seemed reasonable. The initial response was simply that our request would be forwarded to management and that we could cool off at another building on the property that had backup power. Only later were we told we could receive a refund—but only if we left immediately. If we stayed the night, despite the outage, there would be no price adjustment whatsoever. Rather than drive three hours home, we stayed. The power eventually returned. Int he morning the expensive "hot" breakfast was delivered late and arrived cold and there was an extra charge for delivery at checkout. The gardens are attractive, and the property itself has charm. Unfortunately, beautiful landscaping cannot make up for unreliable infrastructure, inflexible dining, and service that falls well below what a $550-per-night property should provide. I left feeling that this hotel charges luxury prices while delivering an experience that is nowhere near luxury. I would not choose to stay here again, nor would I recommend it to others.

It feels rare to find places off the beaten path that can deliver a high-quality experience, but Canoe Bay does that. We visited with relatives who have been there twice and always talked about how magical it is. The property is tranquil, beautiful, and balances outdoor options with comfortable lodging. Enjoyed the dinners at the restaurant and the breakfasts delivered to our cabin. Loved being there in July, and want to return in the winter to enjoy the fireplaces.

Quiet, Luxury, Nature, Fine Dining, Adult Only. This was an amazing experience. We stayed in the Lodge in a fireplace room and it was perfect. Huge jetted tub, private deck, slippers, robes, down comforter on a super comfy bed. The library and all it has to offer is right outside your door. Breakfast delivered to your room (and lunch if you would like). The three course dinner meal was an experience of fine dining, fun to get all dressed up and be served food we don't normally dine on. We felt right at home here. We kayaked, put our feet in the water, hiked around, enjoyed the garden and each other. This is a perfect getaway for a nice quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of life. Customer service was top notch.

OMG this had to be THE WORST place we’ve EVER stayed at!!!! First and foremost, let me state there was one very nice person there: Kristin. She was very polite and respectful. The rest of them, including the manager named Renee were GOD AWFUL!!!! - First, there was the pre-arrival. Prior to getting there, I called and asked if we could extend our stay. One of the individuals called “Saige” was reluctant to do in the first place!!! Saying phrases like “uhhhh we really don’t do stuff like that around here.” Really lady? Wow, great attitude to have. When I asked here to call me back after she said she needed to speak with her manager….she NEVER DID!!!!!! I had to call back a few times just to request an update!! When I finally got the answer I needed, she seemed upset by her manager’s decision…taking forever to answer me because she was annoyed….and was very rude and tangential in the conversation. It was so bad, I had to tell her to please speed it up and STAY ON TOPIC!!! - Second was the actual arrival. When we got there, the manager Rene was ALSO a bit standoff-ish. She never apologized for Saige’s behavior and gave us this vibe that we didn’t belong. For instance, when I offered to work out a deal with them that would accommodate them for an additional day’s stay, instead of her doing her job and looking into this immediately, she said “let’s just reschedule and reevaluate this conversation towards the end of your stay.” WOW, REALLY?!?! However wait………it gets even WORSE….!!!!!! - Third, During arrival. When we got to the suite, we noticed our request for additional items was not already in the room. When I requested those items, it was met with WOEFUL resentment from Rene!! I made the request around 5:30pm-ish……after calling multiple times….our stuff didn’t come until almost 10pm!!! Again…WOW, really?!?! But wait….it gets worse..! - Fourth, during the stay. During our stay, although the room was cleaned as requested, we noticed our room only had one robe (after all of the nonsense we went through earlier….did NOT want to experience that again!!!!), the INTERNET absolutely was terrible!! It was worse than dialup internet!!!, there were BUGS EVERYWHERE….it was so bad we noticed RAID Insect Traps in the suite (I kid you not!!) and the phone reception was again GOD AWFUL and DANGEROUS!!! - Fifth the “Phone.” GOD FORBID something happened to us in the suite! Oh wait, it did!!! The issues I brought up above…..we had to go to a phone ALL THE WAY to the Reception Building just to call. Several times just to get the stuff in the room, btw!!! Of course Rene was very nonchalant everytime, but seriously….There’s NO PHONE in the room…?!?! Not even a landline..?! - Sixth, the food. Ok seriously….this is a Relais de Chateaux establishment, right?! So the guest service was already terrible, the food is THIS BAD as well?!?! During breakfast, our food was so salty we had to THROW AWAY after ONE BITE!!! Lunch was just as bad because the cheese was outdated! My spouse LITERALLY got sick from the grilled cheese. DESPICABLE. However, the worse of the trip is yet to come….. - Seventh, the departure. When I brought up the bug issue, the front desk had the SHEER AUDACITY to say to us,”…we recognise Northwoods Wisconsin is not for everyone.” Ok……..let’s pause for a moment here….what does that even mean?! Are you REALLY saying to your guests that they don’t belong there?!?? As a minority, I found that not only out of line, but EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL and DISCRIMINATORY!!! Who says that to a guest?! I mentioned that this was supposed to be a Relais de Chateaux and EVERYONE should feel welcomed!!!! We could put up with a lot, but that’s where, after everything that preceded, it was time to leave. We requested an early departure (which they told us to do prior to our saying, btw) and got out of there. Ok this had GOT to be THE WORSE RESORT EVER!!!! I wouldn’t even call this a resort…..let alone a Relais de Chateaux establishment!!! We URGE you all, please STAY AWAY FROM THIS RESORT!!! NOT RECOMMENDED!!!!!! Between the poor attitudes, customer service, poor food, even poorer internet + phone reception and (speaking of reception) and ABSOLUTELY BIASED and BIGOTED language, Canoe Bay is NOT RECOMMENDED!!!!!! Save the $2000+ for an ACTUAL luxury resort.