7BR Family Lakefront Cottage, Walk to Bala for Ice Cream, food, groceries, shops
About this cottage rental
Nestled in Muskoka Lakes, this lovely cottage for $663 per night is a fantastic choice for your next trip. Our cottage, The Windsor, has a ‘steeped-in-tradition’, cottage feel, with many tall windows looking out over the water, a sandy beach and over one hundred feet of lake frontage to enjoy. The cottage sleeps a maximum of 16 people. The Windsor is right at the heart of the open country that surrounds the historic town of Bala, home to the Cranberry Festival, situated on picturesque, peaceful Long Lake, only five minutes (2km) from the amenities of the town of Bala. Through the open rafters above the living room a large loft sleeps five people with one double and three single beds. There is also a two-piece bathroom on this level. The main floor has two large bedrooms, both with King sized beds and one has an ensuite bathroom, the other a Jack & Jill bathroom. The lower level has two more bedrooms with queen sized beds and a three-piece bathroom with shower. There are also an additional 2 bedrooms with king sized beds and 2 bathrooms attached to the lower level, from the original cottage footprint. The main level of the cottage is ideal for reading, board games, lounging or enjoying the best of summer’s cuisine, either indoors or on the adjoining deck. The main living room / kitchen area is a bright and airy open-concept design. The kitchen is well-equipped and has an island that seats four people, making it useful for snacking and meal preparation. In the expansive dining and living room there is a long harvest table for twelve, a plush sofa with a grouping of comfortable, occasional chairs and an old-fashioned wood-burning fireplace. The décor features old pine and traditional furnishings. The lower level is great for indoor games including air hockey and ping-pong. The ping pong table converts to a scaled down pool table. From this level, walk-out to a fully shaded outside deck, complete with picnic tables great for outdoor dining. The Windsor cottage has a great waterfront, with a sizable, two-piece dock. Throughout the summer, the lake remains reasonably quiet with very minimal motorized boat traffic. The lot has a gentle slope to the shoreline where the large, private sandy beach will be enjoyed by the entire family. With a good selection of watercraft, a welcoming shoreline on a clear, clean freshwater lake that is top notch for swimming and fishing, time at The Windsor is sure to be memorable for friends and family. There is air conditioning at the property. It cools the loft, main two bedrooms and the two bedrooms beside the games room. There is a separate air conditioner for the attached two bedrooms in the original cottage footprint.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen / Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Fireplace
Parking
Laundry
Balcony / Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Family friendly
Map of Muskoka Lakes
Reviews
4.7/5.0
Outstanding(20 Reviews)
5.0
Very well maintained. Great location. Host was very responsive and kind.
Would definitely come back if available for booking again in the future.
5.0
It was wonderful in all respects
5.0
We had a wonderful week in a lovely cottage. All my family was there, so it was very nice. We were 12 people and we were never on top of each other
Very well equipped! Eugenia, owner was lovely, very helpful and always available! We loved being close to the water and they had tons of water equipment to keep us more than entertained for the week. Would stay here again.
2.0
An Icy Chipmunk Adventure
Not what you’d expect from a lakeshore rental in fabulous Muskoka. This four story lakehouse gave us a surreal experience.
As we read the home welcome binder, which was very elaborate and complete with useful information and strict fee guidelines, we started to realize our stay would have some inconvenient yet not minor caveats.
This pricey vacation home came with unexpected guests. Since the moment we set foot in the house our would be roomate chipmunck friends had gifted us with plenty poop right on the kitchen island and countertop. We cleaned up an made sure no food was left outside the fridge during the rest of our stay. That did not stop our furry little guests to make multiple appearances. Some of the most notorious were when their curiosity peaked next to the crib of an 10-month old baby and left some precisely targeted defecation atop the baby’s clothes and bibs, when inside a different room they bit through a suitcase to get to a gift wrapped box of chocolates and finally when they showed up on gamenight to taste some snacks while all the human guests were gathered at the table. To say the least, the house was not clean, not for our vacation dates and probably not since the 80’s. The grill was unusuable, greasy and with recently cooked meat. We found cat hairs under a few beds, 80% of the house floors, walls and rails were suspiciously sticky. You could not walk on stealth mode as floors made dirty music as we moved from one side of
5.0
Cottage is a tad rustic but is plenty large for our family reunion. The lower cottage is attached to the main cottage which allows for people to spread out. Plenty of bathrooms which was awesome too. Waterfront with a southwest view makes for long afternoons on the water. They also provided us with ample water recreation toys… paddle boards, kayaks and canoes. We really enjoyed our stay and would consider visiting again. Thanks for the hospitality.
5.0
Property is beautiful and in a great location. Plenty of things to do on and off the property. Eugenia was a great host and available if needed. Our only small complaints comes with hesitation as we had a great time. Some cleanliness issues that really should be looked after, dog hair on couches, some beds were comfortable, others were not. Sliding door to deck needs work. Septic?
It is a big property to look after and these are only suggestions. Thank you for making my Mom's 90th very memorable. Cheers.
5.0
We are already planning our stay for next year! We had family and friends join us for our far too short stay…it was a great cottage with lots of fun toys for the kids and the perfect setting for the adults to just hang out. We had a great time-kid, adult and dog friendly!
5.0
We had a great time at the cottage. There was plenty of rooms for everyone to spread out. You did not feel crammed in at all - enough bedrooms for everyone, a great basement area with pool table and air hockey - great getaway for the teens. The cottage was exactly as pictured / described in the listing. The host, Eugenia, was amazing to work with - very responsive and helpful. We would definitely book this cottage again.
4.0
Beautiful cottage very large.and spacious! Good for two families. Beautiful lake view and great water amenities. However the cleaner need to focus on cleaning under the beds and removing thick spider webs from windows(inside and out ) ceilings, bedrooms, doors, and chairs.
5.0
The cottage was perfect for my 4 adult kids, their spouses and 1 toddler.
Everyone could spread out and not be ontop of one another.
We loved the water toys, sandy beach and easy access to the water was a huge bonus.
I’d like to suggest adding the fact that there was a crib set up for use. We dismantled ours and brought it up but didn’t need to.
The kitchen was very well stocked with utensils and cookware.
Would rent again in a heartbeat. Loved our week.
5.0
There was lots of space for our party of 12. Great location could walk to town and amazing waterfront with lots of kayaks and water toys. Host was very quick to respond to any questions we had.
5.0
Cottage Week
Our family had a super week on Long Lake. Cottage is better than described.
5.0
Great cottage area
Was a great area to cottage. Very few bugs, campfire area , sandy beach for small children to enter water. Lots of water activities, games for indoor. Comfortable beds and lots of bathrooms. Lots of room to spread out the family.
5.0
This is a great cottage for a big family! Lots of comfortable beds and full bathrooms. Nice location on Long Lake with sandy shoreline. Easy walking distance into Bala for food, LCBO, a latte at Oliver's or baked goods from Don's Bakery. Host is exceptionally accommodating and responsive - thank you for a wonderful family cottage vacation!
5.0
BALA COTTAGE for a big family
This is a great cottage for a big family! Lots of comfortable beds and full bathrooms. Nice location on Long Lake with sandy shoreline. Easy walking distance into Bala for food, LCBO, a latte at Oliver's or baked goods from Don's Bakery. Host is exceptionally accommodating and responsive - thank you for a wonderful family cottage vacation!
5.0
We had a great time with our family of 15. Great location, close to town, everything you need just a short drive away. The tap water is municipal and drinkable which is amazing. Enough bedrooms and washrooms to accommodate everyone. Mots if water toys.
The kitchen could use some improvement and updating. Overall a great experience. Would come back next year.
5.0
Overall we had a fanatasic stay. Short walk from Bala Falls. Great lake with lots of water toys. What more can you ask for?
4.0
The lakefront is excellent. Lots of boats, loungers, seating and shallow entry into clear lake! A lot of bedrooms and bathrooms in the basement and new addition compensate for the dated kitchen and main floor. Refrigerator and kitchen cabinets need a major update - as does main floor seating/couches/cleanliness. Thankfully great weather so minimal time spent indoors! Pool table and Air Hockey a great way to kill time! Property owner very responsive and made the process stress free with plenty of information and quick responses.
4.0
Beautiful Lakefront and lovely host!
The lakefront is excellent. Lots of boats, loungers, seating and shallow entry into clear lake! A lot of bedrooms and bathrooms in the basement and new addition compensate for the dated kitchen and main floor. Refrigerator and kitchen cabinets need a major update - as does main floor seating/couches/cleanliness. Thankfully great weather so minimal time spent indoors! Pool table and Air Hockey a great way to kill time! Property owner very responsive and made the process stress free with plenty of information and quick responses.
4.0
There is a lot to like about this property. The cottage consists of 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms that are spread out which allows families to not feel as though you are on top of one another. If you want to step away for some alone time, there was space to do so inside and outside. The main living space, Kitchen and dining room table are large enough for everyone to feel comfortable, which is nice if the weather is not the greatest, add in the spacious lower level which has an air hockey table and small pool table, and you should be able to have a great time. For those that enjoy television, that option is available as well, however I cannot comment on whether the satellite channels work as we only used it so the kids could watch netflix childrens shows.
Outside, which is probably why you would want to go was fantastic. The main cottage is higher up and thus has a very nice view of the lake. The walk down to the dock and water is grassy which makes it nice for some lawn games, although there is a decent slope for most of the lawn. What we found amazing for our group was 1) the walkout beach on both sides of the dock, which is rare for cottages in this area. This allowed our baby and 3 year old to enjoy the water as everyone else did. and 2) the watercraft. The cottage is stocked with a number of different watercraft (SUP, Canoe, Kayaks, Paddleboat) for all members of the family to enjoy.
Also, not sure if it was due to a hotter month, or if the lake is secretly shallow (you would never know by looking), but the water was unbelievably warm compared to what I have experienced with Muskoka lakes.
Not that it was a bother for us, but if you are looking for privacy, then keep in mind that the neighbouring cottages and more noticeably the neighbouring docks are very close. Due to the location of the cottage, this is normal and should not be a surprise for anyone.
Location is also fantastic as its a short 2-5 min drive into Bala, or a 25 min walk in case you needed to get more groceries/drinks.
The Cottage itself is a little on the dated side and could use a little TLC in some areas, plus some attention to detail with respect cleaning, but that may just be a personal preference. Nothing that should stop you from considering this for a family vacation.
All in all, a great place to spend a week away from normal city life.
4.0
Lots of Pros
There is a lot to like about this property. The cottage consists of 7 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms that are spread out which allows families to not feel as though you are on top of one another. If you want to step away for some alone time, there was space to do so inside and outside. The main living space, Kitchen and dining room table are large enough for everyone to feel comfortable, which is nice if the weather is not the greatest, add in the spacious lower level which has an air hockey table and small pool table, and you should be able to have a great time. For those that enjoy television, that option is available as well, however I cannot comment on whether the satellite channels work as we only used it so the kids could watch netflix childrens shows.
Outside, which is probably why you would want to go was fantastic. The main cottage is higher up and thus has a very nice view of the lake. The walk down to the dock and water is grassy which makes it nice for some lawn games, although there is a decent slope for most of the lawn. What we found amazing for our group was 1) the walkout beach on both sides of the dock, which is rare for cottages in this area. This allowed our baby and 3 year old to enjoy the water as everyone else did. and 2) the watercraft. The cottage is stocked with a number of different watercraft (SUP, Canoe, Kayaks, Paddleboat) for all members of the family to enjoy.
Also, not sure if it was due to a hotter month, or if the lake is secretly shallow (you would never know by looking), but the water was unbelievably warm compared to what I have experienced with Muskoka lakes.
Not that it was a bother for us, but if you are looking for privacy, then keep in mind that the neighbouring cottages and more noticeably the neighbouring docks are very close. Due to the location of the cottage, this is normal and should not be a surprise for anyone.
Location is also fantastic as its a short 2-5 min drive into Bala, or a 25 min walk in case you needed to get more groceries/drinks.
The Cottage itself is a little on the dated side and could use a little TLC in some areas, plus some attention to detail with respect cleaning, but that may just be a personal preference. Nothing that should stop you from considering this for a family vacation.
All in all, a great place to spend a week away from normal city life.
5.0
Great location and lovely cottage
Overall we had a fanatasic stay. Short walk from Bala Falls. Great lake with lots of water toys. What more can you ask for?
5.0
Great place for a large family!
We had a great time with our family of 15. Great location, close to town, everything you need just a short drive away. The tap water is municipal and drinkable which is amazing. Enough bedrooms and washrooms to accommodate everyone. Mots if water toys.
The kitchen could use some improvement and updating. Overall a great experience. Would come back next year.
5.0
Great Time
Great Lake front setting with a modern yet with a rustic cottage feel.
There weed eight of us my two adult children and my three grand children we had a GREAT time and would go back again.
I would have no problem recommending it to family and friends. 😋
5.0
Amazing cottage experience
This unassuming cottage from the outside, was a delightful surprise inside: Clean, very spacious, and fully equipped with a homey ambience. We enjoyed the waterfront area and had access to lots of leisure equipment. The owner was very helpful and accommodating. Great for a large family and only a kilometre from downtown Bala which was a bonus!!
FAQs
How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Muskoka Lakes?
The average price for a rental in Muskoka Lakes is $520 per night. This rental is $143 above the average.
Is parking included with this cottage?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at 7BR Family Lakefront Cottage, Walk to Bala for Ice Cream, food, groceries, shops. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this cottage?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is 7BR Family Lakefront Cottage, Walk to Bala for Ice Cream, food, groceries, shops pet friendly?
Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at 7BR Family Lakefront Cottage, Walk to Bala for Ice Cream, food, groceries, shops?
We found 12 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen / kitchenette, internet / wifi, and fireplace.
Explore similar vacation rentals in Muskoka Lakes
Explore all rentals in Muskoka LakesMuskoka Lakes travel inspiration
Read our blogGuides
Ski Trip Packing List: What to Bring Skiing or Snowboarding
Trends
VacationRenter Holiday Travel Trends 2023
Featured Rentals
Architectural Vacation Rentals: Experience the Beauty of Unique Properties
Featured Rentals
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Vacation Rentals Around the World
Featured Rentals
Our Favorite Vacation Rentals With Unique Experiences
Featured Rentals
Amazing Cabin Rentals Across the Globe
Featured Rentals
Have You Ever Wanted to Stay in a Dome Rental? Now You Can
Featured Rentals
Jaw Dropping Treehouse Rentals All Over the World
Keep exploring
- Lake Tahoe Cabins
- Ruidoso Cabins
- Blue Ridge Cabins
- Estes Park Cabins
- Lake George Cabins
- Eureka Springs Cabins
- Branson Cabins
- Lake of the Ozarks Cabins
- Lake Arrowhead Cabins
- Lake Texoma Cabins
- Canyon Lake Cabins
- Sevierville Cabins
- Flagstaff Cabins
- Colorado Springs Cabins
- Hot Springs Cabins
- Bass Lake Cabins
- Buffalo River Cabins
- Possum Kingdom Lake Cabins
- Chattanooga Cabins
- Nashville Cabins
- Wears Valley Cabins
- Cloudcroft Cabins
- Deep Creek Lake Cabins
- Mammoth Lakes Cabins
- Anna Maria Islands Rentals
- Outer Banks Vacation Rentals
- Rosemary Beach Rentals
- Holden Beach Rentals
- Hilton Head Vacation Rentals
- Topsail Beach Rentals
- Kiawah Island Rentals
- Panama City Beach Rentals
- Ocean Isle Beach Rentals
- Folly Beach Rentals
- Dauphin Island Rentals
- Rehoboth Beach Rentals
- Bethany Beach Rentals
- Cape Cod Rentals
- 30A Rentals
- Seaside Florida Rentals
- Edisto Beach Rentals
- Fort Myers Beach Rentals
- Miramar Beach Rentals
- Port Aransas Rentals
- Emerald Isle Rentals
- Orange Beach Rentals
- Surfside Beach Rentals
- Hampton Beach Rentals
- Assateague Island Rentals
- Jacksonville Beach Vacation Rentals
- North Shore Vacation Rentals
- Ogunquit Vacation Rentals
- North Redington Beach Rentals
- Lido Key Vacation Rentals
- Sea Colony Rentals
- Pass A Grille Vacation Rentals
- Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals
- Vail Lodging
- Jackson Hole Lodging
- Winter Park Lodging
- Telluride Lodging
- Big Sky Rentals
- Aspen Lodging
- Park City Rentals
- Steamboat Springs Lodging
- Breckenridge Rentals
- Lake Tahoe Rentals
- Copper Mountain Lodging
- Mammoth Mountain Lodging
- Beech Mountain Rentals
- Crested Butte Rentals
- Sun Valley Lodging
- Keystone Lodging
- Taos Lodging
- Sugar Mountain Cabins
- Beaver Creek Lodging
- Deep Creek Lake Rentals
- Smith Mountain Lake Rentals
- Ocean Lakes Rentals
- Lake Anna Rentals
- Torch Lake Rentals
- Lake Winnipesaukee Rentals
- Norris Lake Rentals
- Lake Gaston Rentals
- Canyon Lake Rentals
- Lake Oconee Rentals
- Lake Wallenpaupack Rentals
- Lake Martin Rentals
- Lake Havasu Rentals
- Lake of the Ozarks Rentals
- Lake Michigan Vacation Rentals
- Lake Chelan Rentals
- Finger Lakes Rentals
- Lake Keowee Vacation Rentals
- Lake Conroe Rentals
- Lake Erie Vacation Rentals
- Lake Austin Vacation Rentals
- Sebago Lake Rentals
- Lake Tillery Rentals
- Keuka Lake Rentals