Our group of ten family members stayed here recently and were sadly disappointed. The…read moreaccommodations are not actually a lodge, but rather a hotel. The views were fantastic and our room was comfortable but certainly not a lodge experience as advertised. Our dinner in the restaurant was a disaster from the beginning. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation so expected a slight delay in service. That delay eventually became on hour before the last person in our party was served a drink. The only wines available from the wine list were much more expensive than those unavailable. The vast majority of the beer selection was also unavailable. This was communicated to us after a thirty minute wait after ordering. The wait for food after ordering was two hours or more. When it did arrive it was cold and obviously had been sitting for quite some time. The staff don't appear to work together, while waiting for our meals, some servers were setting their tables for breakfast. We were told there was no manager available to speak to us but eventually someone came and comped some of the items. Breakfast was great the next morning with lots of options. Bottom line is don't expect a lodge and eat dinner somewhere else

The Keltic Lodge is very lovely, and the staff most attentive. We did enjoy the restaurants and the…read moregrounds. As a treat I had a 90 minute massage which was exceptional. My only regret was the quality of the bedroom at the lodge itself. Before making your reservation make sure that you have a room with a view. You are surrounded by the majesty of Cape Breton so it is hard to look out your window only to see a wooden staircase.

These cabins are amazing! Nestled in the base of the hills, surrounded by gorgeous trails and…read moreocean! My partner rented one for us for our anniversary, and I was expecting to rough it for the weekend. Oh nooooo.... not at all! Beautiful grounds, too if the line bbq equipment, everything but a stove! This place is luxury for its price point. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Even offered to give a chunk of butter because we forgot to grab some for the corn! Also, there is a great restaurant across the way, and the liquor store next door. There is no fire pit, and this isn't exactly rustic. This is very much for people who love the outdoors, but also clean bathrooms. The room was so clean! Soooooo clean! Soooooooooooooo clean! Call me paranoid, but this is a thing for me. All in all, this place is worth every dollar! A lovely way to stay-cation. Between hiking, drinking, and just enjoying the scenery a sketch pad and some charcoal - this place will provide lovely memories for a lifetime!

What a great place to stop! We stayed at Skyline Cabins while making our way around the trail. The…read morecabin was extremely clean, and well situated just past Cape Smokey in Ingonish. The couple that look after the cabins are friendly and down to earth. They made us feel very safe as this cabin is located very close to the highlands. Beautiful convenient location but don't sit out at night in the back as this area has bears and coyotes. No complaints!

A lovely place to camp out. I attended a wedding here and we were so well received. The cabin had…read moretwo bedrooms, a shared bathroom, a couch /chairs, and a kitchen area. Plenty of space and a great view of the landscape. We were in cabin 11 which isn't too far from the reception (where meals are served, wifi, and board games) but if it's raining I recommend taking the car. There is a beautiful beach very close by (10 minute walk not even) and it was great to visit at night and in the day. The staff is great and the service is excellent.

Not being familiar with the area, we took a risk selecting this accommodation. We were not…read moredisappointed at all! Upon arrival, we asked the front desk staff a number of questions about the area, and were expertly directed to the places and activities we were interested in. We made a reservation for dinner and were seated by the window with a view of the ocean. The waitstaff was very pleasant, and the food was divine! We had the spring salad, which had a medley of local greens (even some mint!) along with rhubarb, baby turnips, and a delicious dressing. My husband's steak was cooked perfectly rare--just how he likes it--and the accompaniments were steamed fresh asparagus and amazing mashed potatoes. I had the fresh halibut, reportedly right from the waters visible from our window--and definitely tasting as so--served with fresh asparagus, and roasted red potatoes and turnips. Dessert was lemon cheesecake with blueberry sauce drizzled over, and warm apple spice cake with homemade maple ice cream (to die for!). After dinner, we enjoyed a walk on the property's beach to watch the sunset, sitting in Adirondack style chairs. There was a spot for a fire, but we didn't have matches to light it with. Our room was one of the log rooms, which are 3 to a building--all facing the ocean, with large sliding glass doors and a small front porch. We were in the middle room, so the porch was private with walls on each side. The beds were incredibly comfortable, with fluffy pillows and crisp, fresh linens. The bathroom was spotless, with extra towels and toiletries. The one downfall to this room was the level of noise present from the other two rooms; we could hear the conversations from both sides. However, the view made up for the noise! A continental breakfast was included, and had a variety of homemade muffins, incredible bacon cheddar scones, and oat biscuits (my new favorite treat to go with my coffee!). There were also a few different cereals, as well as hard boiled eggs and fresh fruit. I took a to-go coffee and sat on the bluff enjoying the morning sun. We only stayed one night, but should've stayed our whole vacation! We will definitely be back--we loved it!

The Ocean View Motel is in a great spot both in terms of the view and the location within the area…read more It is within convenient walking distance of several places to eat & drink, and easily found right off the main road. The staff is great to work wIth and very friendly, and the view from the front porch is incredibly relaxing. Overall, a great place to stay in Cheticamp--I would definitely come back on a return visit.

We stayed here just one night. We reserved one of the regular chalets but when we got there we…read morewere upgraded to the delux one with the whirlpool tub... Can't beat that!! This place is as scenic as it gets... right on the water, excellent views. The chalet was extremely clean and the staff was very friendly. Whenever we plan our next trip to Cape Breton, we would definitely consider staying here again.

The English Country Garden B&B was our rest stop of choice after deciding to drive along the Cabot…read moreTrail last fall. Cape Breton is absolutely beautiful in the fall with all of the deciduous trees changing colour! This B&B was absolutely what we were looking for in a weekend away. The rooms have all been uniquely decorated and are named to match their motif: The conservatory room, Rose cottage, the African room and the Russian room. The later was the room we chose and it was a-mazing! This was my first experience with a king size bed and I was in heaven. A family of four could sleep quite comfortably in a bed that size, just sayin'. The Russian room also overlooks a lake in the backyard and has a massive tub complete with jets! (woooo ahhhh...) My affinity for lime green and purple was happily met in the massive headboard and general design of this room as well. I recall the breakfast we had the next morning being delicious also. Definitely avail yourself of this B&B if you head up to do the Cabot Trail this fall! With such a mild autumn so far, you're bound to still catch some of the natural beauty of the trees changing colour. Our B&B proprietors had a wealth of information on the walks and hikes in their area as well. Be forewarned: There is a tiny little $5 ferry barge that you have to get on in order to start the Cabot Trail. We weren't told about this and as a result drove around for an hour trying to find another road... there is no other road. Get on the ferry.

From the owner: High quality appointed bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms. Full cooked breakfast included in all…read morerates.

The room was nice & the bed was comfortable. What made us unhappy was not just the 10am checkout,…read morebut our interactions with both staff & the owner. We were traveling for 6 weeks staying in at least 12 different places) and this was literally the ONLY place we stayed where the checkout was before 11am. Getting ready to pack, I saw a guy getting ready to clean another room & asked if checkout was at 11. He called back something like "sounds good" About 10 min later a woman knocked on our door & not very nicely, told us check out was at 10 & we owed $20 for the late checkout. We went up to the office & spoke with the owner. Customer service did not seem to be his priority as he would go back & forth between being snarky & not. In the end, we were not charged the $20, but the experience left a very sour taste in our mouths.

Rooms- exceptionally clean Grounds- also exceptionally…read moreclean Owner- one of the most difficult people I've met in some time. The owner actually had two pages of boxes to check making sure there was no damage to any of the rooms or what was in the room. He actually had a box that said, please do not use the towels to clean your vehicles. He also would not allow one of the people I was staying with to park his trailer behind the motel because there wasn't enough room..... which was not true! The trailer is a single motorcycle carrier! Long story short, if you can find somewhere else to stay in the highlands, stay there.

From the owner: Just what you are looking for, ocean views, comfortable and relaxingread more

Eating at the restaurant at Chanterelle Inn was one of the loveliest and most idyllic dining…read moreexperiences I've ever had. First of all, the genre is, in their words, "Cape Breton Fresh" cuisine, prepared in the "Slow Food tradition." Indeed, the place is a venerable Slow Food institution, with chef Earlene Busch having been selected to represent Canada at "Terra Madre" in 2006 and 2008. Needless to say the food is of incredible quality, prepared with incredible care and attention to detail, and it's almost entirely local and organic. The bottom of the menu literally features a list of where every menu item and ingredient comes from, including many things from the property itself. The cream of mushroom soup was, as one would only hope from a restaurant called Chanterelle, absolutely outstanding, the mushrooms all picked from the inn's bountiful grounds. The tomato and basil soup that my partner had was also excellent and very fresh. For mains, we had a local sole filet topped with crab, and a kebab of local beef and veggies - both delicate (not at all overly rich) and delicious, and accompanied with delightful small fruit and vegetable sides. A strawberry and rhubarb fool for dessert rounded things out perfectly. As much if not more delightful than the food, however, is the setting, the service, and the overall ambiance of this friendly country 'eco hotel'. We sat on the screened-in veranda at sunset, overlooking one of the most perfectly bucolic country settings imaginable, rolling wooded hills above a creek pierced by the occasional farm house or church steeple. Our waitress was sweet and knowledgeable (the herbs were from her own garden on the premises) and the other innkeepers (including Chef Earlene herself) stopped by to check on everything and chat - this after they'd already been very accommodating to our casual arrival early evening without reservations (not an easy thing to do at a restaurant where absolutely everything is cooked to order). The joyful chatting of a few other guests and the buzzing of humming birds at feeders along the porch completed the picture. Truly one of the most relaxing and delicious dining experiences I've ever had, can't recommend it enough.

This is a review only for the tasting menu dinner at the hotel restaurant. In a word - it was…read moreterrible. It's hard to imagine how the "chef" could have failed so miserably on every one of the seven courses. We had tasting menu A. The first course was a whipped blueberry fromage mousse between two beet chips. The mousse was fine but the bottom beet chip was limp and soggy. The soup course was described as fire roasted NS tomato and sweet pepper potage. It was lukewarm and tasted like tomato sauce out of a jar. Next came a grilled ceaser [sic] salad that was limp, soggy, and tasteless. The barley, summer corn and saffron risotto that followed was exceedingly bland. We tried each of the main courses offered. The seafood stew was both lukewarm and bland. The scallops and shrimp in the stew were fine but we couldn't locate any clams in the small bowl and the fish pieces were very chewy. The smoked pork loin was good - it was the sole dish served that had any real flavor. The menu then offered a palate cleanser, curiously after the main course. It was a dollop of rhubarb sorbet drowning in a really awful glass of champagne. We were looking forward to the brownie a la mode for dessert, thinking no one could ruin a brownie and ice cream. But instead we got a berry crumble that was dry, not even warm, and utterly tasteless. Granted, the meal was not particularly expensive as compared to other tasting menus. But relative affordability does not excuse a basic lack of flavor in the dishes served. It seems that Chanterelle is trying to do an upscale cuisine that is beyond the chef's capabilities. Our eggs-bacon-potato breakfast the next morning was great.

This is one of the worst hotels we have stayed for our Maritime tour. If I could give 0 stars for…read morethis place, I would have. We were welcome by Donna (staff) and there's nothing welcoming about it. She hurriedly talks about the hotel info but it's more of a mundane task for her instead of being an enjoyable part of her job. Downsides: Accommodation -We were placed in a room that is dated, dingy and smells moldy/musty. -Floors have several stains in them (see pic) and the carpeted floors were uneven and makes squeaking/creaking noises when you walk on it. -We were informed that we have a waterfront view which is partly true. When you're in the lower level rooms, your view will be obstructed by trees /shrubs so it is very unlikely you will see a full view of the Bras d'Or Lake. -Outlet plugs were limited and situated in very hard to reach places. If you didn't bring a power bank, your electronic devices will be nowhere close to you. -Washroom is very small and taking a shower is very unpleasant since it's slower to drain and basically you're standing in water. Dining -Place is very remote, not a lot of places to dine and no shops close by. It will take you more than 20 mins to walk to the nearest restaurant and 5 to 10 mins by car. -That left you with no choice but to dine in their restaurant called McCurdy Dining Room that has limited choice of menus. Food is mediocre and very expensive for a rural place. Seafood chowder is watered down, not a lot of seafood in it and a little bit spicy. Their Seafood Pasta is bland and has more noodles than sauce/seafood. Same goes with their Chicken Parmesan Pasta. You also have to wait for a long time for your food as they're understaff and trying to accommodate more customers that they can handle. -Breakfast was included when we booked our room. It's a buffet style and you get the basic breakfast of eggs, sausage, toast, etc. Upside: Nothing good about this hotel and wouldn't even recommend this to my worst enemy!

We headed to the eastern coast of the Canada for the first time ever this summer…read more It was a fabulous trip, and a highlight of it was visiting Cape Breton and Baddeck. We were lucky enough to stay at the Silver Dart Lodge in Cape Breton. What a wonderful location. Overlooking the the lake, and each room has a small patio and chairs to sit and enjoy the views. The folks at this lodge were so friendly and helpful as well. East coast friendliness is definitely evident here! :) Beds were comfy and rooms were well appointed. Separate sink area from the shower/toilet room. Ample closet space. 2 comfy chairs to watch a flat panel tv and free wifi. This hotel also has a great dining room and is not far from downtown Baddeck and other attractions like the Alexander Graham Bell museum.