Howdy folks! Long time no blog. Life has been hectic for me, to say the least. From starting a new job to taking up baking as a hobby, I have had my hands full. But I'm back with my first-ever hotel review (and hopefully many more to come).
This weekend, my momma and I had a mother-daughter weekend at Eganridge Golf and Country Club. Eganridge is located in Bobcaygeon, among the gorgeous Kawartha Lakes. The drive-up is stunning, especially now when fall colours are everywhere, and once you arrive, you are guaranteed a great view of Little Bob Channel. If you get a Terrace room like we did, the view from the balcony is beyond words. The area is tranquil and a nature-lover's paradise, nestled in its private forest area. It's also a popular wedding venue, especially in the fall when the leaves are changing colours. In fact, they set up the ceremony right under the tree in the below photo.
Check-In (10/10)
The staff I spoke with from the start to the end of our visit were so sweet. The check-in process took 2 minutes (probably the fastest I've been checked into a hotel), and the staff were happy to book meal reservations at the on-site restaurant.
Amenities (9/10)
Hotel amenities can make or break a trip regardless of where you travel.
Upon check-in to the room, you find all the classic mini shampoos and conditioners. But unlike other hotels, this hotel shampoo actually seems like it washed my hair. You also get robes and slippers to wear during your stay at the hotel. A cute little surprise was a fresh ice bucket with a complimentary bottle of wine. This is perfect if you're not into the typical coffee and tea in hotel rooms.
Beyond the room, you get access to the onsite sauna (and you can pay a little extra to book a private sauna if you choose), as well as an outdoor pool and a steam room. Safe to say, I did not know what a steam room was because I was a tad concerned when it filled with white smoke and couldn't see my hand in front of me. They also offer scented sprays to enhance the experience. As a gym rat, you already know I searched for a gym the moment we checked in. The gym has a few cardio machines and a stack of some lightweight dumbbells. Not bad for a spa and country club, but I wish there was a little more equipment to work with. One more note - there is a firepit that is lit every night on the back patio. Also on the back patio is corn hole and other outdoor entertainment.
If golf is more your speed, Eganridge is a country club, which means golfing is readily available. There are also golf carts for rent if you don't feel like lugging around your clubs.
Cleanliness and Appearance (8/10)
At first glance, the room and hotel are spotless. Even walking into my room, I could smell air freshener and cleaning products (that's a good thing, by the way). The dining areas were spotless, and I regularly saw cleaning staff around the hotel.
I will say, upon further inspection, there were a couple of cobwebs on the chandelier in our room. That, along with a couple of appearance factors (the curling shingles on the roof and the potholes on the driveway up to the hotel), make my rating an 8/10.
Food (7/10)
There are two on-site food options: the dining room and Stables Sports Bar and Patio. You can purchase hotel packages with one or multiple meals included; however, we just added the breakfast option.
For a late-night snack, we went to Stables and tried the spinach dip with nacho chips. All in all, it's not a bad snack at all! The chips were a little stale, and the dip was a tad over-salted, but it is just cheese and chips - so no complaints here. Prices at Stables are not elevated like typical hotel restaurants. Instead, they are comparable to Applebee's or Kelsey's.
For breakfast, despite being told that it was a selection off a menu, it turned out to be a breakfast buffet. I'm not upset by unlimited food, but I would have liked a heads-up before pre-planning my breakfast order. The food was good, and there was a large selection of drinks, food, and pastries. The star of the show were the home fries!
Local Area (9/10)
Downtown Bobcaygeon was a cute little area with a park, river, and cute shops. There are also plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. We decided to try Graz, which was honestly phenomenal for the price. Consider you will spend around $20/person give or take. I had the pulled BBQ chicken sandwich with fries, and my momma had the fried halibut sandwich. Both were on ciabatta buns, and the portions were big enough that neither of us could finish it all.
As I said, there are also some super adorable shops on the downtown strip, and I'm pretty sure some guy named Bigley owns most of them because his name is literally everywhere. Some cute stops my momma, and I found were Douglas and Son and Kawartha Lifestyle.
The only annoying thing about the Bobcaygeon and Fenlon Falls area is that everything closes at 5 PM. . . on a Saturday night. All I wanted was a little snacky, and I ended up at Tim Horton's (aka the only place open a little later).
Overall Stay (8.5/10)
Overall, Eganridge is a gorgeous 4-star hotel that met the purpose of my momma-daughter weekend - Total Relaxation. We had a great time, from the sauna to the view of the leaves changing colours from our terrace. While we did not get a chance to enjoy all of the many spa services (manicures, massages, and more), we had so many things to do we didn't need to be pampered all weekend.
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