Name: Highland View Resort
Address: 751 McGregor Bay Rd, Keene, ON K0L 2G0, Canada, Bailieboro, Bailieboro, Bailieboro, K0L 2G0, Canada
Rating: 7

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Highland View Resort

Bailieboro

We've been coming to Rice Lake for more than 50 years as a family and were traveling with three generations, ages 10 - 77 this trip.  In all the decades, we've never had a worse experience with hospitality on Rice Lake.  

The private pool that led us to choose this resort had clearly not been maintained this year; possibly longer - it was murky and filled with frogs and insects. We were told on check-in that it was not available. Had we known earlier (the owners clearly knew and chose not to tell us), we would have booked another location.  The community pool was not available all week either, and had a sign that read "closed for your safety" all week - whatever that means.  

The house we stayed in was filthy.  There were dead insects clinging to the walls and spiderwebs that had been there for years throughout the house. 

There was not a suitable place to sit in the house.  Kitchen and dining chairs were broken, or so nearly broken (including nails sticking out of them) we were afraid someone would get hurt.  The living room sofas had so little support they were impossible to get up from and were very dirty. The other chairs were torn, stained, and ripped.  The carpet was original to the house and has clearly never been cleaned. 

The bathrooms were barely functional.  The lower level toilet wasn't working upon arrival - this was fixed in a couple of days. The downstairs shower didn't work at all - a trickle of water came out when turned on. The water throughout the house was so hot that we were concerned someone would be scalded; any other running water at the time of a shower created intense temperature shifts that were so extreme we had 8 people reminding each other not to turn on other water when someone was in the shower.

The lower level, which included a bedroom we were counting on, was uninhabitable due to freezing temperature, intense humidity, large number of insects, an unsafe staircase with 6" steps and wobbly railing (this is a safety hazard that is sure to get someone hurt), and strong smell of mold/animal.  

The pontoon we rented had a tear across the entire back seating area. When we asked for a gas check mid-week, whoever checked the gas failed to reattach the gas hose, and had we not realized and known how to fix it, would have been stranded in the middle of the bay. 

Beneath the deck poison ivy flourished, and reached up through the wooden slats.  The grill had some kind of nest in it - we didn't even try to turn it on.   

The most frustrating experience at Highland View was how we were treated.  We felt unwelcome and a bother at every turn, and there were few because the staff and owners clearly did not want to interact with guests. The office phone was rarely answered, there was never anyone on/near the docks, and the couple of times we stopped in the office to ask a question, we felt like a major imposition.

We were referred to Highland View by the previous owners of Sunset Cove who set an incredibly high standard for what resort ownership should look like. 

I can't recommend this place to anyone, and want anyone considering staying here to have a clear picture of what to expect.



Inhospitable Highland View Resort

This was our second stay at this resort. The property is huge with many amenities and beautiful salted pool. The resort has everything you need: docks for fishing, boats to rent, free canoe and pedal boats, free life jackets, firepit, cottage outdoor chairs, volleyball court, small splash, playground, small beach area but everything could use a fresh look, re-paint or just a better clean.

Cottages are just basic, nothing special, old furniture (no AC), but kitchen (a bit small) is very well equiped with new pots and everything you need.

Lake is not swim-able, its shallow, dirty and full of weeds. And not very good for fishing either.

The highlight of the resort is the infinity pool, not huge but nice view at the pool with clean salted water, I would add a washroom by the pool and more lounges.

The staff was great, was not busy so they let us for an early check in and late check out. Thank you.

Nice resort but the lake not so much

We stayed in a 3 bedroom cottage. Upon arrival our keys did not work, but we were helped and things were sorted. Next we had no hot water. It took a day and we were back up and running. The small unconvinced were fixed with minimal disruption to our trip. The bed are a little worn, but the cottage otherwise has everything you need. The full size bbq was a nice feature on the back deck. 

The staff brought us purchased wood, $10, daily but it burns quick. Check around the area for hardwood. It might be better. The staff also brought us fresh towels throughout the week, which was enjoyable. And they took out our garbage from our back deck, mid week. 

Wifi is in the front office only. You need to be in the front to access. 

Balls are available for outdoor volleyball pit, or basketball. Canoes, paddle boats and  kayaks area available for use and are free. 

There is no lifeguard at the pool which makes things more relaxed as long as your kids are good swimmers, which ours are. The pool is set on a hill and overlooks the lake. There is an area of shade and loungers. 

Improvements could be made by including a children’s program and by having some beach to lounge at. The current beach is surrounded by a park, fishermen and boats docked. 

Overall a restful resort to stay for a week. The surrounding area has plenty to see and do! 


Beautiful setting, peaceful place 

The cottage we had was on two levels.  Lower was perfect for kids, two bedrooms with 3 beds and a living room with tv.  Upstairs was another bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen.

We went out on the lake several days and didn't manage to catch anything big but did get some medium sized perch and many sunfish.  It was still fantastic being out on the beautiful Rice Lake.  The resort supplied, free of charge, the fishing equipment.

We used the pool every day.  The resort offered tubing three times a week which was fun and the resort property was very well maintained.

Thanks to Mike for an excellent family vacation.

- Sarah

Cottage was perfect, resort beautiful

Very pleasant and well-maintained grounds, lots to do, great for kids. The weather did not co-operate for our 4 days but this is not the resort's fault.  The bay on Rice lake was completely choked with weeds, a bad year I think.  The tiny beach was unusable.The staff were co-operative and friendly.
Out group of 6 adults and 2 teens stayed in joined-together cabins 14 and 15, they were adequate for our group but had seen better days.  The TV in unit 15 didn't work, the toilet tank in unit 15 would not fill unless the tank lid was lifted and a lever on the water valve jiggled (started to work ok the last 2 days).  The sliding patio glass doors and sliding screen doors on both units were horrid and inoperative, one of our ladies broke a fingernail using the doors.  Otherwise, the cabins were generally ok but we will probably look elsewhere in the future.

Pleasant surroundings but accomodation so-so

We received exceptional service and consideration. We were unable to make it to the resort until after midnight, we informed management ahead of time and they were incredibly considerate, they allowed us to arrive at the resort that night and check-in the next morning. The cabin was kept clean and we had a lovely time out on the lake using the complimentary canoes, kayaks and paddle-boats. The cabins are nicely spaced out and the resort itself does not feel over populated. Overall it was a very nice experience.

Highland View Resort

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