Sandy Shore Cottages

We only meant to stay one day, but the sunset and the chance to unwind away from the city kept us there for three. My sister, brother, and I had a roomy cabin at Sandy Shore Resort with two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, TV, and a bathroom with a standing shower. It was all clean and well looked after. The owner was polite, showed us around, and explained the rules. There was plenty to do. You can swim in the pool or go straight into the lake, which was nice and warm around 7-8pm in summer. The sunset was breathtaking, and afterward we could make BBQ. There's also a boat to rent for fishing and a large sauna. Best of all, there were no mosquitoes at Sandy Shore Resort, so sitting by the fire beside the lake in the evening was magical. I'd gladly recommend it to families who want some rest, fun, and time away from the city.

The pet policy was the main reason we chose Sandy Shore, since the website clearly called the property pet friendly. We drove from Toronto for a peaceful weekend after booking two months ahead, bringing our two small, quiet, well-behaved hypoallergenic dogs, a Cockapoo and a Dutch. On arrival, the owner said pets were allowed only in certain rooms, something never mentioned during booking. He explained that other guests might have allergies, but then the whole property shouldn't be advertised as pet friendly. We weren't accommodated or offered a fair alternative. Instead, we were sent to another cottage for one night rather than the two we'd planned, losing a night and dealing with the stress of learning at the last minute that our dogs were suddenly an issue. If you're bringing pets, don't rely on the website. This didn't feel truly pet friendly, and the way we were treated was inconsiderate and unprofessional.

There was no beach, and the seaweed in the lake came up to our knees. The pool was nice, but the owner kept walking by to check on us. We also left the porch light on for safety when we went out at night, only to find it off. When we asked in the morning if it had burned out and could be replaced, he said, “you left light on and went out so I turned it off, money, money, money”. We rented three of the seven cottages for a week at Rice Lake, where we've been going for 19 years. There was just one other cottage rented that week, and things felt bad from the start. The owner took a $50 cash recycling deposit that I must have missed on the website. We had to pay in full before arriving, which had never happened to us before, plus put down a $500 cottage deposit. Everywhere else I'd stayed charged $100-$200. We didn't bring a dog, but the owner complained about dogs sniffing plants near his cottage. We were told only dogs under 10 lbs were allowed, yet the cottage across from us had a chocolate lab and a huge white dog. The white dog was off leash and spent 15 minutes on my deck without anyone noticing. When we left, they blamed my husband for all sorts of boat repairs, despite renting the boats out every week, and charged us for lots of repairs. Our signed contract said $500 if there was damage. They held my $500 cottage deposit, the $50 cash recycling deposit, and my husband's $500 boat deposit for a week while the owner checked the motor. He blamed us for a lot of damage and we were charged more than $500. We only used the boat for morning fishing, not boating around or partying. My husband has rented boats every year and never damaged anything. Somehow they decided it was all his fault. This was our first terrible vacation there, and needless to say, we're not coming back.

We've been going to Sandy Shores since 2009, and it's always been perfect. The host and accommodation are great. This year we stayed in the two-storey, two-bedroom cottage, which was just right and worth the few extra dollars. Every cottage faces the lake and has a fire pit by the water. With so few neighbors around, it's a really restful, relaxing stay. My wife and I will definitely be back next year.