Trailsman Lodge

Breakfast was included and served in a huge dining room overlooking the lake. There were eggs, bacon, yogurt, juice, toast, banana bread, cereal, and more. We had a comfortable king bed, a pleasant lake view, and a bathroom faucet that lit up when the water ran. Getting into town for dinner took under 10 minutes by car. The drawback was a bright streetlight outside our room that kept switching on and off overnight. The blackout curtains mostly blocked the glare.

We did get our money back, but only after a long, heated argument with the owner, who was dismissive and rude when we asked for a refund. The room was filthy: the bed smelled sour and putrid, as if someone had been sick in it and it hadn't been cleaned. There was blood on the chair, cobwebs in the corners, black mold in the shower, and grime or stains on the walls, table, floor, and even the light switches. We expect basic sanitation, and this felt unsafe and completely unacceptable. Read the other reviews and the same pattern seems to come up, with the owner blaming customers instead of taking responsibility for the rundown, unsanitary rooms. This place shows no standards or respect for guests. Avoid it.

The location is good, the views are nice, and the staff are very friendly. The rooms were clean, though this is a lower-end motel. We had several problems: the toilet leaked and water had loosened the tiles, the shower pressure was awful, and the older window air conditioner was loud and didn't do much. TV and Wi-Fi were unreliable too. Breakfast was good one morning, but the turkey bacon the next day tasted like cardboard.

I never stayed at the hotel, but the booking portal was awful and felt almost fraudulent. I tried to reserve a room and got an error, yet the booking apparently went through without any confirmation from Trailsman. Since I heard nothing, I made other plans. While traveling to Cape Breton for vacation, I later got a message saying the room was ready. I missed it at first because service on the way was terrible, and by then I had checked into another hotel, so I couldn't check in here. They still charged me. They had my phone number and email, so I don't understand why they couldn't send a confirmation when the booking was completed, especially if they could contact me on the day. I disputed the charge, but I guess that didn't help. I lost over $200, and wouldn't be surprised if this has happened to other people. I wouldn't recommend this hotel because of its terrible booking system.