The Balmoral Hotel

You do need to be able to climb stairs to reach the rooms, and there isn’t much bathroom counter space. A small table in there could help. Otherwise, it was a great stay. There’s a very nice restaurant on the main floor, and the Balmoral has a long, colorful history. The innkeeper, Liz, really understands how to make you feel welcome. Her personal attention at check-in made the place feel much more personal than simply handing money to a large operator for somewhere to sleep. Liz takes your stay personally.

We first stayed at this distinctive historic hotel while passing through Barry's Bay on our motorbikes. We enjoyed it enough to stay overnight again on a later trip rather than make the long ride home. Liz, the owner, is lovely and very accommodating. Both rooms were very clean, with comfortable beds, and the price seemed reasonable for the July/August high season. The restaurant is on the main floor, but we didn’t hear noise from it. The location is great, just a couple of minutes’ walk from food and shopping. We’d recommend it.

Balmoral Hotel was very clean and had cute decor. Our room, #7, had a king bed, full bathroom, mini fridge, Roku TV, and a ceiling fan. There were USB ports in the bedside tables, and a coffee and tea bar for guests. The mattress had a proper protector, which I appreciated. We were too tired to use the TV. The small comforts made the room feel good to come back to. We found the hotel after our car’s transmission failed on the way back from Algonquin. If you end up unexpectedly in the area, especially as a young woman stranded there, I’d recommend going here. Liz, who owns the hotel, was supportive while we talked through next steps. She was clear about what she could offer and what options she knew of, without taking advantage of our situation. We were fortunate to have access to the hotel and restaurant, since many places in the region close around 4 pm. After a lot of trying to solve the problem, we had the car towed to north Toronto and accepted a ride with Liz to Oshawa to the Go station. She’s well connected in the Barry’s Bay community and seems committed to fair, decent service, knowing her reputation and those of other local businesses depend on it. As a visibly queer couple, we sometimes find getting services in rural areas awkward, but that wasn’t an issue here and everything felt really chill. Her dog Honey is a sweetie pie. Bring a big stick and she’ll be your best friend.

Liz gave me a warm welcome even though I arrived late. My room was clean and spacious, and it’s hard to believe a hotel established in the 1890s has been kept up so well. Restaurants are nearby, so I didn’t have to worry about DUI. I had a lovely experience.