Briars Resort and Spa

Cleanliness . Nice breakfast

The property was okay

The wife and myself stayed there for our 50th anniversary and loved it. We stayed for 3 nights without any regrets. There is a short staffing issue but you would not have known. They are very professional. Meals were excellent and served in a timely fashion. Our room was clean, as it should be, with no complaints. We played 2 rounds of golf next door and enjoyed every minute.

It’s gorgeous

The pools were all closed

We arrived to be told the indoor pool, outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna were all out of order, since at least the day prior. This should have been communicated when it happened so that we had the choice of cancelling before making the drive up. Our "Lakeview" room, which we paid extra for, had zero view of any water. They refused to refund the "Lakeview" portion of the rate we had paid, and also did not offer a better room, even though the resort was empty (3 other cars in the parking lot, entire hotel and grounds were devoid of any people). Room was exceedingly small, "TV" was the size of a computer monitor. The beach is across the road and a fair walk. The kayaks are available on a totally different beach further away, but you would have to "call" someone so that staff would meet you there to get the boats out. Zero customer service. False advertising with amenities and rooms. Such a shame, as this place could have a lot of potential.

We’ve been coming here frequently for 18 years, and have watched the resort rise, fall, adapt, and change owners throughout. About a year ago I left a great review because I felt like maybe things were turning around. But I was mistaken. The last decent getaway we had was in May of this year, and the only reason it was bearable is because the veteran staff were outstanding and the service was exceptional (despite the resort’s challenges). Recently we went back for another stay and discovered the place in absolute chaos. Almost all the old service staff are gone and replaced with a bunch of new staff that can’t figure out their plans or work around the service. Stopping in for lunch, one of the new waiters didn’t even notice us, and a second waiter walked right by us ignoring our presence to speak to his colleague. When they mentioned we could sit anywhere we noted we wanted to look at the menu first, as we were standing next to the shelf. The waiter didn’t even know which menu to give us, he was fumbling around. WE had to show him which menu was slated for lunch. (We’ve been there enough to know, but as a server that’s embarrassing). We decided to skip lunch. We went for a swim, and if you’ve been around the Briars you know that something is always broken; sauna, jacuzzi or pool. Last time, pool was down, jacuzzi was waiting on a maintenance part (for a year…) and sauna was broken. This trip, jacuzzi wasn’t working, sauna was good, but the pool heater was not functioning so the water was incredibly cold. We’ve grown to expect this (which tells you something about how serious the owners are about maintenance of amenities..) but we’re disappointed nonetheless. They had two events double booked for the night; a wedding and a family reunion. If you can believe it, they fit the wedding in the bar area, and the family reunion in the main buffet/manor dining room. Logistically, large events are booked in one of the Main Halls, and weddings often in the manor dining area, which allows the bar to stand alone for guests and for the servers to have the space to fulfill orders. This wasn’t the case. And when we came down during dinner and asked if the bar was open some new servers told us no, and that we had to sit down in another small room to be served. This has never happened in all 18 years of our visits. They had multiple guests in the resort not affiliated to either major event booking, but they (we) were treated as secondary guests that couldn’t even sit down on the patio to enjoy a drink. The next morning was no different in service, not surprisingly. A month ago, breakfast hours started at 7am. A year ago, breakfast started at 6. This morning? They changed it to begin at 8am, but the buffet didn’t start coming out until about 9am. Imagine having 60+ hungry guests sitting and waiting for the buffet to be served, then wait for utensils that weren’t available when the food came out, and then to unfortunately have to eat watery eggs and cold bacon, wait for bread and butter because that’s the last to come out, and my goodness if they didn’t have enough staff they forced the receptionist to assist in getting things ready. (The receptionist is probably the last one standing from the old veteran crew and she’s a gem, Prada takes care of you, it was unfortunate to see her pick up the breakfast staffs slack.) Once we sat down with food though, if you can believe, the server who is meant to come provide you with coffee or tea was never in the room for more than a second. She NEVER came to any table to offer drinks, or even say hello. For context, the coffee remains on the server bar, and guests are not allowed to go there (there are signs posted to that effect) because the servers use that space for logistics—and they’re supposed to serve you themselves. Not a drop of coffee or tea was ever provided. Some guests ended up serving themselves, tired of waiting for staff who were busy setting tables in other rooms instead of bringing a smile and “good morning” to the guests. We were going to stay the whole weekend, but immediately after breakfast got our things and checked out. That was the most unbelievable stay we’ve ever had and I really don’t know if we will set aside time to book there again. Other things to note just because we are familiar with how the resort is run when well oiled and functioning at a 4star level; normally garbage is clean and the area surrounding it is maintained. This time there was trash everywhere, bins overflowing, and unlike even a month ago, recycling and garbage were not split. It looked disgusting and lazy and I’ve never seen the resort be so careless with their trash. They have resident raccoons (who we’ve helped get out of the bins on more than one occasion because they get stuck inside) were probably overjoyed at the utter mess, but that’s not how the resort was run before and I don’t know why it’s run like this now. The rooms (some of them) have gotten upgraded, mostly in the Leacock wing, and we knew that the Bourchier wing was supposed to get the next round of renovations a couple months ago, but it turns out they didn’t. Toilet has little pressure and the tub barely drains. I can’t imagine a reason why the “new” owners would let things slide so poorly, seeing as they’ve had nearly 10 years to bring the briars back to life as they initially said they would when they took over. But after getting rid of all the historical accessories (paintings, statues, basically everything that the Sibbalds had generously put on display to evoke that historical feel), and slowly driving customers away with their incompetence in management, resort care, and maintenance, the only thing I can assume is that they’re not invested in what the Briars was meant to stand for, and would rather turn it into some sort of private money pit. Getting rid of the veteran staff that spent decades building beautiful customer service, and who went above and beyond to provide the best guest experience is like the last nail in the coffin. The place is stark, sad, and no longer feels welcoming. It’s like an era of beauty has ended, and that’s the biggest disappointment.

May 26, 2026 Thank you so much to The Briars and your amazing staff. My daughter and her husband celebrated their first anniversary with you on May 25, 2026, and every moment was perfect for them. Your staff was extremely attentive when I wanted to add a few extra touches to their experience. The wine and chocolate-covered strawberries were a very welcomed surprise and made their stay even more special. Their wedding at The Briars last year was absolutely unbelievable. There was never a request too difficult to accommodate, and your team helped create memories our family will treasure forever. The Briars has a long history in our family. My daughter’s grandmother “summered” in Jackson’s Point with her maid and chauffeur many years ago. We even had photographs of her enjoying Easter Tea at The Briars around 1940. It is wonderful to see that the warmth, elegance, and hospitality of The Briars continue through the generations. Thank you again for making such special memories for our family. Warm regards, Cathy

My wife and I have been a few over the past 25 years. It had been such a lovely place to go. The resort was beautiful, the action to Toronto fantastic and the amenities were great - pools, tennis, spa and dining. Our recent trip May 17th was terrible. The place is run down. The out door pools loo,ed like something out of a horror movie and the indoor pool was our of service. The dining was mediocre at best and the tennis courts were overground. Obviously not maintained. The hallway leading to our room smelled of mi.dew and old smoke with liter and bags of laundry tucked into corners. Our room - the carpet and walls were stained. The faucet was broken a d the glasses provid3d were dirty. Finaly we had soap fro the sink but none for the shower. When we wnet to ask for soap we were to.d we should have brought our own. Unbelievable! They eventually brought soap, a lower grade then what you would receive at a budget motel. The golf course was great but dont waste your money on the resort - The Briers is gone. It is now the has HavaNap.

Beautiful setting by the lake with lots of beautiful trees and impressive buildings. I have to say I was disappointed with the attention to detail, cleanliness and over all condition of this once beautiful resort. This resort is in desperate need of some repair, deep cleaning and general attention to service. The overall décor is quite dated with carpets needing replacement, colour schemes to be revisited unless you love the '90's. While our room was clean, it was missing robes and the ashtray outside had old cigarette butts in it. Bed was comfy. It looked like the hallway had not seen a vacuum in a while and the hallway leading from the wing of the hotel we were staying to the main part looked like it was in desperate need of a handy man to fix it up and repaint it. We couldn't get hot water to our bathroom sink. The food was hit and miss. Servers are overly casual in their tights and sweatshirts. My partner enjoyed a lovely lamb shank while the soup, salad and bruschetta left a lot to be desired. Breakfast buffet was not elaborate and looked to have been sitting for a while, was picked over when we arrived at 9:00 AM. I think it was replenished near the end of our meal. Many of the plates had old food stuck to them and it took a few to find one clean enough to eat off of. We went up to the look out tower only to find hundreds of dead flies on the window sill and on the floor. This property has definitely seen better days, which is disappointing. Was expecting more of a high end / classy weekend. It has so much potential but sadly misses the mark.

I booked a special weekend for my friends and I for Nov 21-23. Every year we plan our time together well in advance. Today I received an email from the Briars Resort and Spa stating our weekend, this weekend, had to be cancelled because the resort is closing for the week. It stated they would refund my $100 deposit, were sorry, and I could re-schedule for another time. I actually called because I could not believe this late notice was true. If I had cancelled this late with them they would have kept my $100 deposit. The person who I spoke with could not tell me why the Resort was closing and acted like it was not a big deal. I was not offered any compensation for this late cancellation notice, such as a free night or free dinner etc,, absolutely nothing. All she said was sorry, and when I said I would never book with the Briars Resort ever again she said ok. After the phone call I responded to the email and did not get a reply. I have never dealt with such terrible management and business etiquette in the hotel industry. The hospitality industry is all about the experience and meeting the needs of clients. I would absolutely not recommend the Briars Resort and Spa to anyone for any occassion or event.

The nature around, the views, the lake are very beautiful

Cold water in the pool Old, falling apart carpets, bathrobes, some towels. The facility asking for a very deep renovation

Received a gift certificate, when an appointment was attempted to be scheduled, they weren't able to honor it. Waited for a call for an appointment,certificate expired they extended it. Months passed still unable to honor it. They agreed to a refund, 7 weeks of calling put on hold . The took my credit information, 6 promised call backs not one ... I call introduce myself to the Manager Daniel and got a dial tone . No call back , Received a call back promised 5 business days refund second week nothing. Called 2 more times put through to accounting no answer, left information messages no call back. Warning this company doesn't take responsibility for anything only takes your money. It is seemingly like some kind of scam desperate measures from a poor run failing business.

The buffet breakfast was good. The location of the inn is nice.

The inn needs a lot of maintenance work and a lot of cleaning! Our friends had no heat in their room. Our toilet ran for half the night before my husband got up to fix it. If some work isn't done soon the place will be falling down. Such a shame. It was once a very beautiful place.

Mother treated my sister and I to a three day getaway for our anniversaries. Been here before. Thirty and twenty plus years ago. One was over the Holiday season with the Levee dinner. Excellent! Now to this time. Dirty and rundown. Toilet paper rolls on the counter beside the sink. No shampoo. When requested we were asked to come down and get it. Hand sanitizer container was empty as well. That is just in the room. Staff was excellent especially in the dining area. Food was very good. No wait since we never saw any more than three other visitors in our three days. Golf was fine. Nice track. In conclusion, not worth the bang for the buck.

Huge disappointment! Such great potential given the history and location. The entire resort is run down. Cottages were horrible. Room balcony filthy, towels were old & worn. Dining room closed & only 1 person attending to the lounge. This person was new & was expected to be bartender, waitress & server. Drinks were not mixed properly. Food was terrible & all overpriced. Breakfast was to be included until 10am. We found dining area closed at 9:40 am. Not offered any discounts for any of these overpriced services. We were at this resort to celebrate an anniversary & immediately left the next morning. Save your money until some big changes are made.

Glorified super 8 with a cracker barrel. Place was run down and literally falling apart. Dirty and no staff- stuck in a bar area as opposed to dining room - complete embarrassment for mother’s 85th birthday dinner. The Sibbald family would be mortified.

Beautiful property not well keep up. 300 nightly no pool. Roof needs repair.

I would not stay here — the photos are misleading, the carpets were filthy and sticky, the furniture stained, the room smelled musty, staff was scarce, and I would’ve left immediately if there were any other options nearby. The fact that it is referred to as a "resort" is laughable.

Burnt Hamburg Bed great

My husband and I are well-travelled nationally and internationally and usually stay at 4+ star hotels. Rather than staying at a chain hotel, I thought it would be nice to stay at the Briars, based on your website and pictures. I regret not having read the reviews prior to direct booking. It generally takes A LOT for me to write a bad review but our recent stay at the Briars necessitated I write this review, to bring awareness to the management of our experience but also hope this lights a fire under some person or department to improve the several deficiencies we saw, if you want to see any repeat or future business. We stayed there Aug. 9-10, 2025 in the "premium studio king/suite with bed and breakfast". Thinking this would be a luxurious getaway, we were very disappointed. The pictures you see online are not what you see in person. The exterior and interior are tired-looking with peeling/cracking paint, overgrown vegetation in bed, weeds growing through the cracks in the sidewalk, empty outdoor pool that has been closed for some time. The indoor pool was also closed during our stay. Tired and dated furniture in the reception area. Cobwebs around the hallways leading from the Bouchier Wing (where we stayed) to the main building, more peeling paint, stained and unvacuumed carpeting in the Bouchier wing, cobwebs around the staircase and windows. In our room, dated dark and stained furniture. Curtains off their tracks hanging at the end of the rod; An old robe and used cotton swabs in the cupboard under the counter next to the room fridge. This is NOT the kind of accommodations you would expect at a luxury resort. We took the staircase at the end of the hall nearest our room to use the exit nearest the parking lot. Beside a vending machine (with "out of order" on the front), were two bags of soiled linens in clear plastic bags that stayed under the stairwell the entire time we were there (from the Friday night to our departure earlier this morning). As it was also very hot outside (29 C), we had to sleep with the air conditioning on at night. We set the thermostat for 73 F but several times in the night, the AC unit work us up as it was so loud. I had to sleep with a pillow over my head. Needless to say, I find myself exhausted today after arriving home. Lastly, the towels in our room were like sand paper - rough to the touch, thin white, small and worn and tears on the edges - you should be embarrassed to have this poor a quality of linens for customers paying $350+/night. When checking out, I did mention the lack of cleanliness of the hall ways, staircase and cover doorway leading from our wing to the area where morning breakfast was served. I said I don't know if you're short-staffed but your REALLY need to get someone in that hall to sweep the leaves and overhead cobwebs and dead bugs by the lights. The negative impression this leaves on your guests is very detrimental to your reputation and brand. There was a straw broom in the corner leading to the breakfast room (there the whole time we were there) that I was so tempted to pick up and sweep on their behalf but thought this review would light a fire under someone to go sweep around all the doorways and entry ways. Unfortunately, we will neither stay at this hotel again nor recommend this property to anyone in our circle or otherwise. When I was checking us out, there was a mother, daughter and child from Toronto complaining about their accommodations and how misleading the pictures on the website are compared to in person. The daughter showed pictures of a manicured exterior and the manager or clerk tried to tell her she was on the wrong website and that their was a Briars in Australia and that she wasn't looking at the right site. This was not correct as it was the same picture I saw when I was looking to book the hotel and is the same on on this review site. I waited until they left to voice my concerns to the manager on duty. I suspected this wasn't the first time she heard these types of complaints. I said, at the very least, get someone out in our building to vacuum and clear the cobwebs that we had to ensure we avoided as we walked to and from our room. In summary, we saw a very dated/worn interior and tired exteior, carpet threadbare in places, armchair stained in our room, curtains falling off hooks on curtain rod - our expectations of a luxurious resort fizzled after we arrived - I even felt the need to apologize to my husband for the poor quality of the "resort" and our room. Briars Resort management - fix these items as soon as possible. You are otherwise not worthy of being called a resort & spa to the calibre 4+ star travellers are used to.

We loved the area and the access to bikes, kayaks and paddle boards. We would definitely go back for the beautiful area. Unfortunately, there is no outdoor pool and the indoor pool was also closed. I don’t think there was and housekeeping services as we didn’t not have our room cleaned. The restaurant was pricey. Staff was friendly.

My wife and I stayed at the Briars during last week of June 2025 and agree with other reviews saying that there does not seem to be much recent upkeep. The grounds are beautiful and we saw the grounds crew out daily trying to keep them that way. Indoors, the carpets and decor are a bit tired and some areas did not seem overly clean. When we arrived, we had to clean some mold out of the tiny fridge in our room before we used it, although apparently some cleaning occurs between guests. During our stay we requested clean towels and other supplies and staff were very accommodating, but there was no regular room cleaning, typical of many hotels post-pandemic. The only working ice machine was in another building, far from our room. The games room at the Briars was in disrepair; only two of the five pool cues were useable there was no rake. A foosball table crowded one end of the pool table, despite other open spaces in the room. A few darts were available, but several were broken. We mentioned these deficiencies to staff, who were apologetic, but ultimately did nothing to remedy the problems. When we asked to play ping pong, which was advertised, a kind staff member found a ping pong table in a storeroom and set it up in a basement hallway. Yes, all of the staff were very pleasant and tried to be helpful, but no one seemed to be authorized to replace the worn out equipment in the games room. Breakfast was included in our hotel rate, with a stated value of $45, but if we ordered orange juice and coffee with the same meal there was an extra charge—only one beverage was included. The toast was not stale, but just didn’t taste good—we tried it a few times and then stopped ordering it; neither jam nor butter seemed to help. Despite a list of choices on the menu, omelet ingredients seemed to be chosen by what was available in the kitchen rather than what was ordered. For other meals, only the bar was open, not the restaurant, and food there was overpriced. After trying one dinner at the Briars, which was okay but not great, we decided to eat at local restaurants off the resort, some of which were very nice. There are a few kayaks and canoes available for guest use at the Briars. However, unless we specifically requested help at the front desk, we were left to find a life jackets and paddles and launch the watercraft ourselves. No staff are stationed at the lake, which is across the road from the resort. There is no sandy beach, just a rocky area with sufficient room to launch a canoe. Lake Simcoe is beautiful and was a great place for boating. The outdoor pool on the resort is closed, but no repairs were ongoing at the time of our stay, so it is not clear if it will re-open. The indoor pool was functional, so there was a place to swim. Rates were more reasonable at the Briars than some more popular Muskoka resorts. That said, you need to carefully review your bill. We were quoted a price at the time of reservation that included tax. However, when we checked out, we noticed that tax was added to the already-taxed quote. When we challenged this extra charge, it was explained that some quotes include tax and some do not, so there must have been “some confusion” (although you don’t need to be an accountant to notice that the untaxed room rates did not include cents). When we caught the mistake (we caught it, not the resort) staff promptly admitted to the mistake and issued a refund of the extra 13%--over $200. If you go, check your bill!

Great stay

Sadly this property is in severe need of repairs. We were there 15 years ago and the decline is dramatic. Insects evident, stained carpet and a general lack of repairs has taken a severe toll. We hope something positive happens because there is a natural charm to this historic property.

It’s in a good location

Looks run down. Our room had dead potato bugs and live earwigs, centipedes and spiders. We asked staff to vacuum the dead bugs while we went for dinner but no one came. I reported this to booking.com to contact the property, the property never responded to booking.com even though Prada at the front desk said she would take care of it once booking.com reached out.

NO! We stayed at The Briars several years ago (pre-2024) and found the service and management staff attitude to be HORRIBLE. We decided to give them another try, and booked some rooms for family. When we called back to ask about services we were told the outdoor pool was closed, so we cancelled our reservation and asked for a refund of our deposit. THEY IGNORED ALL MY MESSAGES AND EMAIL for 6 weeks. Are they so hard up for cash that they refused to refund my deposit?! ONLY AFTER CALLED MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY DID THEY REFUND MY DEPOSIT. STAY AWAY FROM THE BRIARS!

Charming, clean, and the grounds are gorgeous. The )included) buffet breakfast was delicious. We have stayed here a couple of times and quite like the quirky nature of the place – not your typical, average, cookie cutter hotel. More along the lines of a oversized bed-and-breakfast…

Small, and almost inconsequential, but a couple of towels were threadbare (but absolutely clean) and the in-room coffee machine was filter-based so recommend bringing your own single serve Keurig as we did

Very good.

Honestly, not much.

The outdoor pool did not have any water in it - it was an eye sore! The indoor pool had water in it, but it was so foggy and there was dead flies floating all around the pool. The indoor hot tub was out of service and literally looked like someone had a large “accident” in it, it was disgusting. In our room, when we pulled down our bedsheet, we found several large EARWIGS crawling around. There was spiders literally in every corner. This place was almost completely unbearable (& I consider myself a very easy going traveller).

Called before booking and asked if they had an outdoor pool and was told “yes”. When I checked in they said their outdoor pool hadn’t been in service for 3 years. No daily room cleaning service.

For over $250 a night it is just a poor place to stay. It’s going for the historic vibes, but it’s rundown. It’s not historic in an updated sense. The staff were nice, but the room wasn’t anything exciting even just to sleep, which was our main purpose because we were at an event that night. Breakfast hours are also relatively limited, which I wouldn’t care about normally, but for over $250 a night it should be a much wider window - especially on a weekend. Overall very disappointed and wouldn’t go back.

My friend and I stayed at the Briars May 24-26 to celebrate my birthday. The grounds are beautiful and the food was very good. But unfortunately, our experience was far from satisfactory due to the following problems. ROOM There were several issues with our washroom: The shower did not work properly. The water was either freezing cold or scalding hot. We couldn't adjust the temperature b/c the faucet was impossible to adjust The toilet was leaking. We had to put a towel on the floor The blow dryer did not work There was no soap in the shower We called the front desk several times. We couldn't get anyone on the phone. The only communication we had with the front desk was when they called to ask us about dinner reservations. SPA The spa was closed entirely on Sunday The spa was open on Saturday but none of the services were available The one exception was massage There was just one massage therapist there. That therapist was good but we did not find out until after my friend's massage that the therapist was not registered. That means the session could not be covered by insurance. CHECKOUT When we checked out, the dollar amount on the invoice was $50 more than quoted. We had to request that we be charged the proper amount. When we expressed our disappointment due to the issues outlined above, the woman at the front desk agreed to give us a $100 refund. The manager refused to honour that.

This was our 3rd stay (wedding anniversary) and unless they can prove a future stay would meet reasonable expectations we will not return! We were beyond disappointment to the point of anger. Internet and TV stream all dropped constantly. We could not watch anything. When we complained they acknowledged there was a problem with the internet reaching our room “through walls”and knowingly assigned this room to us. We could not upgrade as “nothing was available”…however 5 rooms on our floor alone had doors wide open with beds stripped and room not turned over for our entire stay. They must have been vacated after a weekend wedding but never cleaned. These were renovated rooms but all we could get was a tired outdated room at the end of the hall. Aside from a business group they catered to we are sure that there was only one other couple each night of our stay. The lounge was padlocked at 9 pm so we could not even go there. We went into one of the dirty open rooms to get internet. Hot tub closed. No housekeeping for 3 days. Not a sole available that looked like housekeeping or hospitality except the front desk. Our room only had supplies for 1 person when we arrived but was a king room booked for 2. The housekeeping closet was wide open facing our room. It was junky and the first thing we saw when exited room. We had to side step a housekeeping cart parked outside our door for our entire stay. No towel exchange, coffee, garbage or amenities for our stay. We helped ourselves to the closet. No soap for the shower. Had to ask for a plug to even have a bath. The ‘lake view’ was of giant cedar trees. No lake in sight! We had to call someone to clean the balcony when we arrived (filthy with cob webs everywhere). This was a spring package deal with meals included. They ran out of steak, put mushrooms in an omelette when asked not to. The meals were average. The staff were very nice but this fiasco was beyond their capabilities to fix. This place was so deserted that it was like a horror movie. Why they are open in the spring is beyond me. They cut all services for their guests and treated us like a sub par hostel! Ruined our anniversary .

You will need a tetanus shot and a sage. It should be against business practice to advertise and charge as 4 star. Room cleanliness and condition was on par with a roadside truck stop. Furniture looked like it was actually from the 1800s and not cleaned/maintained since. Carpeting with huge holes. Staff tried their best to help by changing our room (huge brown stain on bedding), but new room was still filled with mold (bathroom) and stains on pillows/blankets. Toilet ran all night and didnt flush. The pool room smelled like sewage. I didnt sleep all night - as soon as my daughter woke up, we dashed. I think the BBB for the city or hotel regulations need to mitigate the rating guidelines as people book from out of town based on this.

25 years ago this resort was incredible. It appears that nothing has been done since to maintain it. Roof is in terrible shape, the gardens overgrown, pool is closed, hottub broken, everything needs a lot of repair. The food is the not chef curated 5 star they advertise and only the “pub” is open. The room was another story, ants and stains, the bed is so old we felt like we slept on a pull out. The balcony that had “lake view “ lol was so dirty and plastic gross chairs with weeds growing in the eve trough. For the cost of this I’m so disappointed and won’t be returning a 3rd time sadly. I read it was sold in 2017, it’s obvious they don’t care to keep it up to its previous standards.

Very good.

I would have preferred to have some simpler options.

For Torontonians looking for an affordable cottage-country escape accessible by transit, the Briars is currently offering mid-week Off-peak getaways in the upper 100s/night (double-occupancy). This is (relatively) good value for money for cottage-country lovers seeking hotel convenience, with some caveats. The Briars is recovering from two major crises. The current owners bought in 2017. Given the purchase timing and Covid, the new owners have not been able to maintain all prior expertise or extensively invest in the property. Staff is almost entirely local, including students, and staffing levels are not what they were. If you arrive on a Monday/Tuesday, expect skeleton staff. As of late May 2025, they were clearly training brand-new staff for the summer rush. Georgina was one of several Ontario townships which suffered $350 million in insured damages from a March 2025 ice storm. There are still internet and cell connectivity problems, the Briars hot tub has been broken for weeks and Internet streaming (including ROKU TV) is not working in rooms on the first floor. The resort experienced some flooding and was closed for more than a month. It is possible to travel from Toronto to the Briars by train and bus, very cheaply and eliminating most of the bad traffic. From the TTC Downsview Park station (or Union depending on your starting point), the Barrie-line GO is currently running northbound trains a few times per day on weekdays (and a couple of southbounds for returnees). With the TTC continuation fare discount, the trip from Toronto to Newmarket is only about 8 bucks on an adult Presto card for a scenic trip, particularly looking out the west side of the train. It may be possible to take a cab or Uber from the train station (either Newmarket or East Gwillimbury) up to the Briars in about 35 minutes. If Metrolinx had any brains they would run a Jackson’s Point express bus. But since Metrolinx has no brains, that leaves York Region transit. The YRT 50 “Queensway” bus loads on the street to the south of Newmarket Station and takes at least an hour to complete full stop service up highway 12 (Leslie Street) through Keswick and then east to Jackson’s Point. It is scheduled to run every 20-30 minutes. Getting off at the Metro Road/Dalton Road bus stop is then a one kilometer walk to the Briars. Use the washroom on the GO train as Newmarket GO Station is hilariously inadequate in every way and mostly locked (East Gwillimbury station is also locked all weekend and all day except for three hours at 5pm). If you have time to gawp at the Newmarket station interior, you will find a bizarre pastiche of pseudo-antique-roman multi-story facades. If you are really going for outdoor activities (boating, swimming, golf, etc), check the weather network bug report for Georgina to assess blackfly/mosquito activity and then book at the last minute when you know what you are getting. Bring spray and appropriately protective clothing. The township will start their anti-bug measures in June. After a hundred years of adapting to the bugs, the resort has a lot of indoor games, the indoor pool complex, and good reading spaces. However, the new owners apparently do not appreciate/understand the English Country House/Cottage Core aesthetic. In repainting, recarpeting, and refurnishing the rooms that experienced damage, they selected very corporate, grey-toned finishes that would suit a Best Western. It may appeal to some, but ask to book the older furnished rooms if you want a more authentic lakeshore resort experience. The food is still good, although the kitchen garden is gone. They make perfect bacon, and the Bed and Breakfast package is very good value. There are no longer Keurigs in the room. Instead, a Cuisinart single cup machine and some packets of coffee and tea are provided. They have drip coffee in Drinkwater’s lounge, but it is currently only opening at 8am.

To expensive

Needs some serious updating and maintenance . Staff was great and check is was fast and easy

Really enjoyed our stay. The property is historic so we understand how challenging maint

Beware!!!!! My family booked 3 rooms at The Briars over Easter. We are travelling with a disabled family member and a toddler so we were very specific in choosing something that had both family friendly activities for Easter and was wheelchair accessible. My father who uses a walker had to go down a set of stairs to get to the elevator for his room booked on the second floor so I would NOT consider this property wheelchair friendly. We arrived to learn the dinning room was closed and the only option for all three meals over the next three days would be the pub with a limited menu. After walking the property, we noticed the entire property was much more “dated” than expected. Trying to put the cosmetic aside, we went looking for the amenities as listed on website and in the confirmation email we received. The exercise room was closed. The games room was closed. The hot tub was empty and the pool was a green slime one should not be swimming in. NOTHING was open. I went to the desk to check in for the massage I had booked weeks ago through their website to learn not only did they not have my booking on file but there was not a masseuse on property. We arrived on Thursday evening and checked out by Saturday morning despite having booked until Monday. We received an email on Saturday night that they had cancelled all Easter activities so thank goodness we got out of there before that disappointment. The family weekend away we had planned for Easter ruined. I see they’re advertising an event for Mother’s Day and I caution anyone to call the front desk ahead of time and ask questions about what amenities are open, what their menu is for the weekend and what the experience will be like before arriving. I would never return and caution everyone I meet to not go to this hotel.

No pool and hot tubs available

This year we decided to reserve a table for a formal Christmas Dinner for three people on Christmas Day. I made a specific visit to this location a few weeks prior, just to ensure we would be in the proper formal dining room, which I was informed would be 'all decked out in beautiful Christmas Decor' for an elegant Christmas Day Dinner experience. I was informed it would look just like a wedding... beautiful, magical, a gorgeous Holiday dining room. We arrived approx 445 PM for our 5PM Dinner, and made our way down to the Dining Room. (First started off that they were going to seat us in another area, not the dining room). After sorting that out, we walked down to the dining room and there was no one greeting/directing guests. The giant dining room was empty.. it wasn't decorated, tables still had dirty tablecloths on them from previous meals during the day. Nothing was set up..for this formal dinner. No tableware on the tables, no cutlery, no napkins, no decor, no candles, absolutely nothing. So much for a delightful Christmas Dinner.... We were crushed. It was like they completely forgot that guests were showing up for a formal dinner at $78.99 PER PERSON! I went back to front desk to inquire why nothing was set up, and was informed that only two of the five serving staff showed up. I was informed that the front desk staff was just asked to print off the 'Christmas Day Dinner' Menus, that minute. As more guests showed up, it was the same thing, people wandering around aimlessly wondering where to go and wondering which table was theirs. It was total chaos and confusion and sadly, very disorganized. After waiting around for a significant amount of time, finally someone started to set our table. Eventually, the evening progressed, dinner was ordered, served, (along with a complimentary glass of wine for our wait). This once great jewel of Jacksons Point has become a complete embarrassment. The lack of preparation, organization, planning and overall management of a formal Christmas Dinner, really demonstrates how Management has deliberately removed all commitment and responsibility to their guests and their establishment. It was an absolute disgrace, a huge disappointment, and definitely not worth the $78.99 per person they charged for this special meal. I will give kudos to David (the Food/Beverage Manager), and Ed, the delightful Irish Server who made the most out of this sad situation, as they somewhat made the evening better, despite all the failures experienced throughout dinner. A proper Hotelier needs to BUY this place, invest some money, hire some responsible/appropriate staff, and bring it back to the once great resort/restaurant it used to be, so that guests can enjoy all the amenities that are associated with a high end/quality resort. Won't be back anytime soon. Shame.

Staff was phenomenal.

The property was incredibly interesting as was heritage and dated with history. Staff was great, pleasant, however amenities that were advertised were not functioning. No pool, hot tub, sauna all out of order. They even closed the spa the evening before the wife’s appointment… With no notification. Staff was frustrated as was out of there hands and rather ownership issues. Tones of potential but needs some work and attention to detail. Games room here at but again needs attention to details.

👍

Beautiful historic property and the spa was exceptional

I have had a Spa membership since 2019! I will not renew in 2025!!!! No management or manager she left and I don’t blame her! There is no front desk service when you arrive? No one to talk too! The massage therapists and other staff performing your service scramble to get you where you need to go. You have to go to the hotel front desk to pay and book unprofessional for sure! There were no cups in the lounge for tea and coffee! No cookies or fruit as advertised as part of your experience! Late start on service as they are unorganized now with no help or reception person! Since the new owner took over place is a disgusting embarrassment!!! Just want to finish my membership for the year and get it over with! Shannon made that place an epic experience to the best of her ability! Place is run down smell s musky and needs a major make over. New owner only cares about money not clients or staff at that sad spa!

The room we booked was supposed to have 2 double beds. The room we received was a double and uncomfortable sofa bed

Very unique and a bit of old school. The grounds are really lovely and there is wide lake frontage with a spectacular view. The staff are very warm, helpful and welcoming. The rooms are clean,comfortable and very quiet The food is very good and there is many menu choices to pick from. I enjoy staying at this resort everytime and look forward to the next stay. Thankyou

This is a beautiful old property that has changed hands and needs updating. The manager told us some wings have already been done and others are scheduled for updating. Understandably it will be a huge cost to bring this once prestigious property back in shape. What was inexcusable was hair on the bathroom floor and the unclean looking toilet. The grounds are still in beautiful condition and Lake Simcoe is picturesque. Standard rates suggest an upscale experience so this was disappointing.

A little dated. Leak in hallway was pretty messy. Staff was friendly and helpful. Wedding tent outside my room was noisy and affected my ability to sleep.

At first glance, the historical property is beautiful… the town is lovely as well. The staff were very nice, but seem defeated.

Pretty much everything. It’s extremely run down. The star rating must be revisited. I booked a “chalet”, and what I got cannot be called that. It was more of a dirty motel room with rusty bathtubs. It was so dirty, I didn’t want to put my baby on any of the furniture. It was supposed to be one bedroom and one living room with a sofa bed. It was just one room with an armchair. This was not enough room to sleep 3. So I complained and they offered me another room with two twin beds… also not enough to sleep 3. After much back and forth, I got a room after 11 pm with a double bed and sofa bed for us to sleep in. This room was also very run down. Little hairs all over the bathroom walls, stains all over the room, no working TV signal, we had to put our hands in the toilet tank to fix it after every flush, the shower made a screechy sound the entire time it ran… really awful experience. I felt awful for the staff who were very understanding, but couldn’t do much. I booked for 2 nights, but left after one. The property has so much potential… it’s very sad that it is in the state that it is in currently.

We took the pricey overnight pkg at The Briars -- dinner and breakfast $600+ for one night. It was a disappointment from the beginning. The ashtray overflowing with brown water and old cigarette butts on the balcony. Both sinks in the bathroom were clogged and we were told ..." that happens with old buildings". Next, we could not have our 3-course meal in the large dining room they said it was saved for weddings. There was no wedding that weekend. We were told instead to eat in the bar. The sole bartender had to make drinks and serve all the food so there was a lot of waiting. The dinner was a joke - overdone fish for me and meat covered with what tasted like tinned gloppy gravy for my husband. In the morning the bar was locked up, with no direction for the breakfast location, which was a buffet of slightly cold food, and no tea bags in another dining room without a server in sight. We stayed at The Briars five years earlier so we knew how good it once was, and left unsatisfied. When we got home we called about my husband's new phone charger and extra long cord left behind. The man from the front desk said yes they had it and would mail it with a cost to my credit card—no problem I said. A week and a half later I called and they said they sent it to the wrong address and it was returned. I again gave them my address and two weeks later still no charger. I called several more times and was promised return calls. Every week, a new person answered, made promises, and never called back. Recently, I left three messages for Danielle the front desk manager, and also for Serafina who said she would look into it and call me back. No one ever called back. It wasn't the money for the new charger, it was the complete bungling and lack of care that topped off this bad experience. The Briars was once a beautiful property, still charging 5-star prices, so I'm genuinely sorry to say buyer beware on this one.

We did not like anything. The location was pretty but thats about it. This resort has been run to the ground and no effort has been put into it to making it better for people. When we checked in there was a wedding happening and I felt so sorry for the bride and groom!

This was the worst place my family and I have ever stayed. We thought we were going to be getting at least a 4 star experience. Upon arrival, we learned that the pool was not working which was a huge portion of why we booked here because of our children. Our "cottage" on the property that we stayed at was disgusting, tiles falling apart, staines on the carpets, bathroom was gross. The breaker tripped multiple times when we were using the microwave to heat up our sons bottle, the heat did not work and we were frozen the whole night (61 degrees). The wifi barely worked, the king beds were two beds pushed together. It was over $400.00 for one night and it was absolutely nothing we were expecting and the property feels it is okay to charge this!!

We enjoyed our stay at the Briars for the Georgina Marathon. It was convenient for shuttle service to the event. Unfortunately, the pool, sauna and hot tub were closed for repairs. We were looking forward to using these, so were disappointed. We had a lovely room. Breakfast buffet was pretty good. The outside area was beautiful.

The location is great. The rooms really require renovation. They are very dated and kind of run down. The extra patios need some attention. They need to be cleaned, including the chairs. Given the cost of staying at The Briars, rooms should be updated. Thank you for the stay.

Everything was just as stated in all the other reviews. The bed was perfect. Check in was convenient and fast. No issues!

Terrible stay. Only the main building looks decent. The rooms and chalets seem like they haven't been cleaned, leave alone updated, in years now.

The location is good. The management could please spend in some upkeep. Glad the manager was ok giving us a full refund.

This property is in such terrible disrepair it should be closed. We were loyal customers for 10 or more years but had not been back in 3 years because it was getting pretty tired. We thought we would check to see if any improvements had been made. It is so bad we didn’t go to our room. The staff were very nice about it.

The location and the proximity of the chalet to the beach.

Almost non-existent Hospitality. Couldn't reach the front desk on multiple occasions.

Nothing

We booked a cabin.it was very dusty. Outside the room, there were too many bushes and was not cleaned. Massage appointment was canceled last minute and a mail was just sent, not even a call to inform. The front desk was not polite at all and was least bothered about the inconvenience. There was no backup for the masseuse even though it was the labour day long weekend. Our whole long weekend was spoiled and we had to end our stay in one day. We just couldn't continue to stay at this property. I made my booking through booking.com and had to call the property more than 10 times to just send an email to booking.com to inform them regarding the refund for the day I didn't stayed( which was agreed upon while checking out). Me, my friends and family are never coming back to this property again. I was just a bad experience.

Fantastic location with a beautiful view. Outdoor gardens are well maintained. The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly.

Rooms are not as clean as we would’ve hoped. Spotted crumbs, lint and dust under the furniture. One mug and cup were not clean. Some pillowcases smelled of body odor from previous guests. One towel had a makeup stain. There were also spider webs caught with bugs in the ceiling corners. The room looked very tired.

The Briars was incredibly disappointing. It is such a shame to see what was once a high-end, luxury establishment deteriorate into mediocrity. I would not recommend The Briars to anyone who is planning to stay as guests for leisure/vacation/business. Rooms: We booked 2 Lakeview King rooms with included dinner and breakfast for 2 nights ($551 for Friday and $461 for Saturday. The rooms are dated and equivalent to motels I have stayed at along the highway. There is a difference between a vintage aesthetic designed to preserve history and old, poorly maintained, and grimey. The carpet was falling apart and had holes in areas. The shower walls and grout were disgusting. We walked by a room who had left their sheets out in the hallway with a note saying “Stained! Please replace.” Paint was peeling on walls and ceilings. The balcony was covered in thick cobwebs and the chairs/table had not been cleaned. The wine glasses required washing as they were filled with dust and a brown crust. The “lake view” is misleading as it just means the room is facing north towards the lake, but there is no actual view of the lake because it is obstructed by a long courtyard filled with trees. This was the case for at least 3 lake view rooms, which I only know because when we checked in, they gave my in-laws a key to a room that was already occupied by someone else by accident. Boats: The Briars advertises pontoon boat rides on their website, but none of the staff knew what we were talking about when we asked about it and showed them the webpage showing that it was being advertised for September 2nd and 16th, 2024. The map they provide also advertises boat cruises on Lady Simcoe (not sure if this is the same as the pontoon), but the staff told us it was not in operation due to “maintenance.” We were later on a walk and came across Lady Simcoe, covered and stored in a field. It looked like it had been sitting in the field for at least the entire summer. They do have kayaks and canoes for use, but we were actually not able to use them because they had not tested them apparently earlier in the season or before the long weekend. We tried to use them on Saturday at 4 PM, but they said they had to be tested for safety because 5 of their other boats had been stolen. This does not explain why the remaining boats (which were not brand new and hadn’t just been bought as replacements) hadn’t already been tested. After 2 hours, they still were not done and we had to head to dinner. The next day, the water was very rough so we did not get to use them in the end. Beaches: There are two areas marked as beaches on the map they provide, but only one qualified as a real beach. The “beach” across from the main building is a 2 meter-wide rocky cove for kayaks/canoes to put in, not really a beach. At that site, you will find the storage for the boats, a dock, and a small fire pit (you need to supply your own wood, lighter, etc). You can swim in this area as well. Unfortunately, they did not have enough seating and provided only 6 chairs for the entire building got use in that area. The other beach is by the on-water cottages and this one is at least a real beach. They are across from the golf course and there is parking if you do not want to walk. This beach is about 40 feet wide, sandy, and had more loungers and Adirondack chairs. All the chairs were covered in thick cobwebs so I guess they are not frequently used. Some of the lounge chaises had seen better days and had holes in them or were so worn that I would not trust them to support an adult’s weight, but others were fine for use. Bikes: There were 4 bikes for use. The bikes are a single gear and have coaster brakes. They were decent and got us where we wanted, but the tires could have used more air. Only 1/4 bikes had a bell. They provided helmets, which were not adjustable so they were slightly loose on some of us. Pools: The outdoor pool has been closed for the entire summer due to “repairs,” though it did not look like any active repairs were taking place and I wonder if they will ever bother to fix it. The indoor pool was open and was used by several guests aside from us. Games Room: This is located in the basement of the main building and was pleasant. There is a pool table, foosball, shuffle board, poker table (bring your own cards), and darts board (but the darts were all broken except for 2). There is a TV with an Xbox 360 but only one controller and game provided, so I don’t think that gets much use. There is no phone signal down there, but there is WiFi if you want to play music. Dinner: Food was in included in our room rate (add $100 for dinner) but mediocre. Dinner was à la carte and their menu is online. Service was very slow because they had a wedding on each night that we stayed, and for some reason they seem to use the same staff for the wedding and restaurant. On the first night, we waited about 90 minutes for our mains but an error was made, and they only brought out 2/4 of them. The staff apologized and said it would be a while for the other 2, so they took the 2 mains back with the intent of re-making them so they would be hot and we could all eat together. After 2 hours, we all got our mains. The chicken was dry and tasteless. The lamb was dry, overcooked and mediocre. The sirloins were decent. They did at least comp all our drinks for the wait time. The dinner on the second night was faster, and the sirloin was decent but ravioli was only okay. The cheesecake was okay for dessert. The sticky toffee putting was very hard (not sure how this is possible - another guest at a different table actually sent theirs back because of this) and the crème brûlée was curdled and not smooth. The coffee served at dinner was cold - I guess they gave us the leftovers from the wedding party. If you are okay with mediocre-average food and care for the convenience of dinner being on site, then the dining package provides decent value for 2 people ($100 per room for 3 courses). Breakfast: The breakfast was supposed to be à la carte as well, but unfortunately we only got mediocre-low average buffet style breakfasts (scrambled and poached eggs, bacon, sausage, store bought toast/pastries, cut fruit, pancakes, hashbrowns). They said they could not run the usual menu because of the wedding, which was annoying since we had paid for the regular one in our room rate. I also suspect they have weddings on many weekends of the summer, so I guess they do this all the time. As with dinner, the coffee at breakfastwas served cold, and we had to ask them to make it fresh for us again. Main Building: The interior is nicely maintained, including the lobby, lounge, games room, dining hall, and the wedding reception area (which we walked through to get to the dining hall). I only wish they gave this much attention to guest rooms and suites. The exterior was also behind in maintenance, and in a number of places the brickwork and eavestroughs were falling apart. While this did not affect our stay, it does point to general maintenance and upkeep issues. Accessibility (or rather, Non-Accessibility): The building is entirely inaccessible to guests with mobility needs. The bathrooms for the main building/restaurant are also downstairs. Access to most rooms requires going up or down stairs. Grounds and Gardens: Gardens are beautiful and were nicely maintained. I’m not sure why they put so much effort into the exterior, only to do nothing for the interior. The herb/vegetable garden was quite overgrown and I’m not sure that anyone has actually been tending to it. There are two tennis courts, but only one side is maintained. The good side looked okay, while the other side was overgrown with weeds popping through cracks and holes in the concrete and all over the borders. There is also a volleyball area - not sure if they provide the ball or not.

Staff are very friendly but the resort is very run down. We booked a room with a lake view but the landscaping was so let go you could not see the lake. The patio chairs were covered in moss or mold and very old that you could not sit on them. The grass was very long and cobwebs hung from every where. Just a little maintenance would make this a nice place. Would not recommend

The restaurant was impeccable, delicious food and our waiter was very attentive and helpful with our menu choices. Our buffet breakfast was good but some confusion both online and in person with the times breakfast would be served up until making us miss our breakfast on our final morning. Our room was comfortable but no wifi access for the tv? Our bathroom was clean as was our linen and no problem for extra towels when requested as the staff was very accommodating. We were looking forward to using the outdoor pool which was unfortunately not available and we used the indoor one only. Your website should be updated if something is closed or not in use so it’s not expected upon arrival. The spa was closed 2 days/week which should also be noted online for those booking online. All the other facilities were great and accessible and we enjoyed our stay regardless. Thanks for everything 😊

Confusion as to the times buffet breakfast was served until. Outdoor pool was not available and a bit disappointing and spa was not available 2 days/week which should perhaps be noted online. No access to tv bc wifi so gnaw was poor.

When we arrived to our room we saw the bed was broken. We were moved to another room. After collecting all our belongings and went to the other room the TV didn’t work and there were no facecloths. The wedding mean was mediocre as well the breakfast in the morning was unsatisfactory. When I asked about the rate for our stay which seemed rather high as a wedding guest I was told it was the right rate which was higher than booking a room on line. I asked for some sort of compensation I was told to contact a person responsible for bookings. After explaining my frustration I asked for some sort on compensation I was told she would inquire. A week later I have not had a return call either way. I would not recommend this hotel at all!

quiet setting, modest breakfast with dirty windows by the breakfast table ., coffee not hot, and low taste and flavour

Very open space with lots of activities. The food was delicious and the staff accommodated to our needs

The place needed to be looked at for maintenance, as I felt some hardwares needed to be tightened. The kitchen could've been open later than 10. Not big deal, but the grass could be better maintained, like seeing green grass with minimal weeds

Good first looking place ( well rated until 2018)...we booked for three guests, the bedroom had old unclean carpet and internet not fixed on TV ( we fixed it alone !), the electric blug on one wall was broken, there is mildew in the bathroom, hair on the floor and two sets of towels,,,we asked again at the front desk but impossible to get towels until 8h00 PM, finally we asked for pool towels ( unclean) and the set never came! ...infiltration of water in one wall of the indoor pool ( emergency to repair), the outdoor pool closed for the season ( big unclean cover over it) ,big hole in the ceiling near Exit sign almost falling near our room, carpet unclean all around, lack of painting outside and mastic around windows not fit ( emergency to repair before winter), one tennis court ok but the second full of grass, private beach of ten feet wide, staff at the front desk tried to help but didn't know at all where they work....went outside for dinner ( we discover alone a nice pub at a driving distance) , good news, the breakfast was good and the service perfect ( wonderful room but unclean again)...

The resort is poorly maintained, run down, below acceptable level of cleanliness. Severely understaffed with strangely late check in rules at 4PM, and we didn’t get our room ready till 5:30. Waiting time for dinner was more than hour with very limited and mediocre menu. The whole estate needs renovation and numerous fixes. Outdoor pool is permanently damaged and out of service. During our stay the garbage and tablecloths were scattered on the lawn from the previous night wedding party. On top of all the service is unjustifiably overpriced. Would not recommend to anyone!

What a shame! The staff were great at the front desk but that is where the positive ends. The resort is run down, food was terrible and the room whas a throwback to the 80s. Outdoor pool closed, breakfast was not as advertised! Essentially, a bad choice. Back in the day it was a great place, not anymore!

Check in was very slow. My assigned room didn't have a bed in it, when I went back to front desk, she had to go check herself before giving me a room with a bed.

Beautiful waterfront property with great views from the dock. Friendly staff, excellent food and dog friendly.

Outdated and over priced… Clean and average stay Annoyed that housekeeping knocked at 8am asking if i needed anything. Yes sleep please. Just an ok time. Not worth the money

The outside of all the cottages are not usable. Filthy,algae all over which is very dangerous, broken glass, broken picnic tables, filthy beach, filthy bbq's. Staff pretends all a big surprise. We were 20 people, had a great time in spite of all that. Probably lucky it rained so didn’t have to use outdoor stuff. Cottage was so so. One maintenance man for everything and Wayne was the best thing about the place. Went out of his way to help. None of us want to return.

Very sad to see what was the beautiful historic Briars so neglected. This is no longer an elegant resort but now leveled to a rundown motel at best. We had two rooms, one was right beside a large wedding event with loud entertainment. What were they thinking. The other room was on the other side of the property. Our party had to share one room. There was no receptionist upon arrival. A security guard had to deal with our situation and walk us to our room. He then said we were the only guests in that building. As we entered our room it looked like we were walking in to the 1950’s. Not just old but filthy dirty furniture and worn. The bathroom handle fell off so we could not close the door properly. Not ideal. In the morning we noted the deck was rotting. We did not stay to enjoy breakfast. Headed to reception and as we passed through the hallways we noted the pool was closed and covered up with tarps, dirt and debris. And a strange installation of a Chinese warrior and other oriental icons. Guest services kindly refunded us for the second room that we could not use and commented on the difficult morning they were having dealing with complaints. $350 later for the one room is still outrageous for rooms that should be shut down until major renovations applied. As someone who knew the third generation of the founding Sibbald family we found ourselves very sad to see new owners who obviously don’t care about the guest experience or preserving this iconic landmark.

Although I was thankful for the balcony with the room it was in really bad condition. The railings needed a new paint job. We had to clean off the chairs and the floor to be able to sit out there comfortably. The roof of the building was also in great need of repair.

The Briars is a lovely old resort in the heart of cottage country. Its charm is in its history and gorgeous gardens. It must have been the place to be in its heyday. Exploring around the property showed the signs of disuse. The tower lookout windows were covered in spiderwebs making it hard to see out, the tennis court had weeds coming through the asphalt, and the outdoor pool was covered in tarps. Service wise, the computers went down Sunday morning so I waited 1 hour to get breakfast and finally left without one. The same with checkout…no printed bill. The Briars needs a redo…

Check in was not an issue and our room was suitable for the short time we were staying.

I am extremely disappointed with our stay and experience at The Briars Resort & Spa. From start to finish, the customer service was abysmal Despite numerous discussions and clear instructions from the bride, almost none of her requests were fulfilled. This was her special day, and it was marred by the venue's inability to deliver on promises. The employees seemed completely unprepared and untrained. There was a lack of coordination, and it was evident that the staff was not set up for success. Which led the staff to have an l attitude and extremely cranky, carried over to a chaotic and stressful environment that no one should have to endure on their wedding day. I strongly advise anyone considering this venue to look elsewhere. Our experience was far below the standard we expected for such an important event. DONT DO IT - go somewhere else

The Briars was wonderful and the staff extremely helpful but Expedia booked us into the wrong room - garden view instead of lake view. Fortunately the Briars staff was able to accommodate us.

Like other reviews this resort is VERY NEGLECTED. We stayed in one of the cottages. It goes beyond tired. For the price they are asking a night you would think there be at least be a decent place to sit on the porch facing the lake. They have an old musty sofa with green mold all over it on the porch the chairs were filthy. The roof over the porch was littered with cobwebs and dead bugs. Also holes in the floor of the patio. The lamp inside the cottage had cob webs inside of it. Wish I was exaggerating but I have photos to show most of this. I guess I can be happy the linens were clean. I cannot recommend this place for anyone. Have no issue spending a premium for premium location but this is premium pricing for sub standard accommodation.

I am copying my email here, as a review. My email has not been acknowledged after one week. If you are considering booking at this "resort" I suggest not believing all the 4 and 5-star reviews. The hotel was dingy and dirty and we saw only 4 other guests. "Hello, My family has wonderful memories of spending two magical Christmases at your resort in the 1980s. The luxurious and impeccably clean facilities made a lasting impression on us. However, we recently booked a golf trip at The Briars and have been disappointed in several aspects. Upon check-in, we were assigned a room on the second floor without being informed that an elevator was available. We had several bags and had to carry them up the stairs without any assistance, which was quite inconvenient. The room was called a "Lakeview Room," but I suggest renaming it to a "Lakeside" room because there was no view of the lake at all, unless perhaps during the winter when the trees have no leaves. The hotel's cleanliness was also not up to standard, which made the situation worse. I will include photos at the end of this email for your reference. The coffee cup in the room was too dirty to use, and the refrigerator was stained and dirty inside. Additionally, the shower was covered in soap scum, and we didn't feel comfortable using it. Throughout our stay, there were sacks of dirty laundry left on chairs in the hallway. This is not only unsightly but also unsanitary. Furthermore, there is no holder for the toilet paper, so people using it will just put it back on the counter, contaminating the entire surface. We decided to skip having toast for breakfast because the toaster was in a disgusting state. I regret not taking a photo to show how bad it was. We originally booked a room with a meal plan, but when we arrived, our reservation did not include the meal plan. I have attached the notes my husband took during the booking call. Unfortunately, we did not receive a confirmation email. Upon arrival, we were informed that the meal plan would cost over $100 more than what we were originally quoted ($226 versus $381 at check-in). After staying for one night, we realized that the meal plan was not advantageous for us, as we are not big eaters and would not be able to eat enough to justify the cost. We asked the front desk to remove the meal plan, but they refused. To add to our surprise, the current night's stay would cost $545 due to it being the Thursday before a long weekend, which was not communicated to us during booking or check-in. The front desk staff became aggressive when we questioned the $545 charge. Due to the staff's behaviour, we decided to cancel the remainder of our stay and departed. We are disappointed with the amount of money we spent during our stay. We were quoted $226 over the phone, but our final bill for one night with dinner and breakfast amounted to over $470. This did not even include golf. There appeared to be significant confusion at the front desk regarding booking and pricing. We had repetitive conversations about golf vouchers and meals and received conflicting information both at the time of the telephone booking and during check-in and check-out. We wanted to address these concerns directly with you before considering posting a negative review, and I await your prompt response.

The dinner was very very good

The hotel is ragged and run-down. The grounds are unkept with weeds. We had the ground floor lake “view” which means facing the lake but there are homes between you and the lake. The patio outside our room is covered with moss and weeds. The artwork in the rooms are falling out of its frame and no one bothered to fix. I’m thinking the owners don’t care. Because of the condition I didn’t use the pool or the spa. The staff were pleasant. The food was excellent.

The staff were great. So very hardworking and friendly.

Gardens are beautiful. The room was nice and big.

This property is showing its age and requires maintenance. Couldn’t check in at 4:15 pm when hotel was far from being full. We waited 30 minutes- not long but we wondered why. Breakfast was ok - served in a nice area.

The lake access and kayaking

The facility is old and looks worn. Bathrooms are from the 80s and we had plumbing issues.

This place needs a lot of love.

The Briars is in a lovely location in the Jackson Point area of Georgina, ON. It is a historic property on lovely grounds. As an EV driver, I was glad that they have chargers. Staff were friendly and efficient. My room was very comfortable and clean. I would say that the property is dowdy and could use some updating. The bathrooms were functional, but could use updated fixtures. That said, I would stay again.

Such a beautiful and historic property.