Dock Life Beach 1 – Cottage 12

Had a great time. Definitely would go back again.

Place is close to beach and has a good view. On the website it says that there is air conditioning but we quickly realized that that was false. One of the workers turned on the “air conditioning” before leaving the cabin we were staying at only for us to find out that it was actually a fan! The inside of the cabin was heating up like an oven so if you are planning to stay there I would recommend bringing a fan or two of your own. On our second day at the cabin we noticed that the bottom of the toilet started leaking. We paid for two nights but since my kids and I found it almost impossible to fall asleep due to the heat we decided to leave after one. Overall, I think this cabin is only suitable for two people and it needs maintenance.

If you want a woods/hunting camp experience- this is the place for you. If you expect more than 1-star accommodations when you’re paying 3 to 4 star costs, read on:

Positives first:
1. 5-min walk to the beach
2. On-site parking (though tight)
3. Quiet after dark
4. Nice flat area alongside the River to sit
5. Close to restaurants, groceries and shopping

Negatives
1. Mice and mice droppings inside, including on the kitchen counter
2. Cramped quarters (1 adult, 3 kids - we were on top of each other)
3. Local AC (window unit; possibly has never been cleaned) is in the bedroom and does well there but not anywhere else. Ended up buying a fan for the living room.
4. Rain Water (and aforementioned mice) coming in under the door because the door sweep is long gone exposing a 1-inch plus gap
5. “communal” bbq’s - no means to clean and were not clean and did not use for obvious reasons
6. Old beds that have been rebuilt with 2x3 and 2x4’s. Mattresses have long long long passed any level of comfort and should be discarded. Ended up buying an air mattress just to get some comfort.
7. Mish-mash of cutlery and plates. Not a full set - bought more from the dollar store
8. The bathroom has many signs of heavy wear and damage like broken tub enclosure in multiple areas that had been caulked over. No fan in the bathroom became a sauna (the bathroom window is on the parking lot/ no privacy to open window)
9. I have never got down on my hands and knees and wiped down a floor and counters with Lysol wipes until here!

Etc etc etc.

I had only read Air BnB comments prior to selecting. I wish I had read Google reviews - they are more similar to what I experienced and you get to see the Owners response and reaction to people’s complaints.

Finally. What did I do about it? Well, reading the Owners comments to peoples reviews on Google, my opinion was to just book a hotel Elsewhere and salvage what comfort we could for the last 2 nights. Now, when I checked out, I told the on-site manager why I was leaving early and she assured me she’d tell the owner. Normally, you would expect to hear from the owner in such circumstances. Near 2 weeks after checking out, I have not been approached by the owner. And before you ask, I did my part by explaining and complaining to the on-site representative. The ball is/was in their court at that time.

I’ve travelled the world. This is the first time I truly truly regretted the accommodations. This place cost about 2k for 7 nights - non-refundable.

Good luck.

This place, in my humble opinion, is not at all worth over 200 bucks a night (maybe 60). I guess the location means hosts can charge what they want but I would not go back. The overall vibe was depressing. We checked out a night early because we didn't want to be in there for another night. The pictures didn't look great but it's worse in person.

More concrete details: The AC wasn't working and smelt off, the bathroom was moldy and the shower was all cracked, only two of the windows had screens on them, meaning only they could be left open to allow a breeze through. Parking was unavailable when we got back from the beach, literally not one spot for us to park. One of the bbq's had dirty dishes piled in it meaning there was only one for all the cottages to share. No clean BBQ tools provided. We didn't sleep in the bedroom due to the claustrophobic feeling in there, and worry about the broken AC making us sick, instead we slept on the futon. Good thing we spent all day at the beach since the cottage just felt bad. Some people might not find it the same, this was just our experience. Staff were very friendly, no complaints about the staff at all.

For those unfamiliar with Wasaga, this is super close to beach area 1 which is the more built-up strip with stores, etc., Not the more naturalized beach areas.

Talbot is an amazing air bnb host. Him and his staff are extremely professional and will take care of your stay.