Caveat emptor- buyer beware
I feel I need to write this review to warn others who may be considering booking a reservation at this lodge. The new owners of Manotak have a strict policy of "no refund of a deposit after March 1 (in advance of a stay) for any reason." This is stated on their website (click: book your stay, rates, deposits section).
After putting down a deposit nearly a year in advance, we had a serious family emergency come up that prevented us from being able to go to Canada (we would be too far away from elderly parents who were having serious surgery). Since the issue on our end occurred after the March 1 cutoff date for a deposit refund, we were denied a refund. We canceled a month in advance of our reservation, as soon as we realized our predicament, however there are no exceptions allowed to the policy of no refunds after March 1 for any reason. We asked if we could transfer our deposit to someone else... surprisingly, the answer was no. We were told we will have a credit on an account for future use.
Because of the two surgeries, and the fact that our aging parents are all still living, it will likely be some time before we could return to Canada. But after this experience with the new owners, we're not planning on going back to Manotak. Buyer beware: if you aren't willing to risk your reservation deposit, you might want to look at other lodges in the area. At the time of this writing, cancellations made in less than 30 days of the reservation result in a forfeiture of the entire deposit. Cancellations after March 1, result in a credit being issued. There are no refunds for any reason after March 1 and the deposit required per person is $250/person. See the lodge website to confirm these details. read more
