Not there yet!
We considered holding off reviewing this recent arrival to the Georgian Bay accommodation pantheon, given that much of its intended offering is not yet built. But because it is already marketing itself as a luxury experience, and to our mind charging as such, we feel the property is fair game to be reviewed "as is".
And as it is at the moment, The Dorchester is, in fact, a glorified rooming house, given that it only offers bedrooms - no restaurant, no bar, no room service, no concierge, no minibar, and no reception or housekeeping after about 5PM.
All you get for your money is your bedroom and free parking. In the morning, for breakfast, you need to hunt down one of Collingwood's rare-as-hens-teeth diners that open before 9AM (i.e. McDonalds). In the evening, in the immediate vicinity, there are scarce watering holes for a pre-dinner drink (except for one that seems bizarrely to only offer varieties of Caesars).
Given that you only get a bedroom here, we can happily report that our King room was mostly excellent. Nice bed, superb bathroom, quiet, a cozy armchair. From a strictly personal standpoint, we do wish however, that guests could opt for sheets & blankets rather than the duvet provided, but such option is not available.
Conversations with staff (during the hours that there WAS staff) revealed that a combination of water/plumbing and city permit issues have delayed construction on what is envisaged to be a bar, a restaurant, and a conference/meeting facility. We can only hope that all that happens, and soon.
A rumour we heard is that the wonderful Tremont Cafe might somehow be part of the dining solution. Having just eaten there, we have our fingers crossed that this proves to be true. We would return just for that.
But until this luxury-level rooming house becomes a fully fledged hotel, we will likely not return.
We'd be interested in hearing whether other guests feel the same as us about their experience at The Dorchester. read more
