JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa Review

This was my boyfriend and I's second visit to the JW Marriott Rosseau Resort, and I must say, it was a lot better than our first time around. We first visited 2 years ago, and the service at the front-desk and restaurants were pretty mediocre. Our visit this past weekend however was top notch. Not sure if they've changed Management, but our check-in was very warm and welcoming. They've also done some renovations, so the hallways are modern. If you ever dine at the bar area, try the wings! And the truffle fries with Aioli sauce is to die for. My only complaint is the shower head in the en-suite washroom. Water barely comes out from it, which is frustrating when washing hair as it takes forever to get washed thoroughly. Other than that, we will visit again soon as the resort is such a relaxing stay away from the city!

Great place. Beautiful view, friendly and helpful staff. Nice to walk around their property.

A beautiful get away just over an hour away from Toronto. Offers sufficient wheelchair accessibility in Muskoka and northern Ontario, a place where it can be very difficult to navigate if you rely on the use of a wheelchair. The food is sufficient...nothing to go crazy over especially when paying inflated prices.

Absolutely incredible spot with very accommodating and friendly staff. They have several restaurants and bar options within the hotel (Teca is my recommendation) and multiple amenities to keep you busy such as a heated pool and hot tub for year round water activities. Definite recommended stay.

Waited 9 hours to get into my room and front desk staff was indifferent. My lunch of a 'stack' of Montreal smoked meat on panini turned out to be a single slice of meat on tiny bread. 'Walking trails' are shorter than the parking lot it took to get there.

The resort is well kept and clean. Probably one of the best locations in all of Muskoka. Value for money is questionable. This resort prices everything at a premium and staff is not as friendly as they used to be. They clearly have an attitude of a monopoly.

An absolute Oasis in Muskoka. Delightful contemporary design mixing modern elements with cottage warmth. Spectacular views from all sides. Indoor/outdoor pool. Skating cycling, snowshoeing included. Kids club with activities. Incredibly comfortable and stylish rooms. Multiple restaurants. An awesome lobby scene. And tremendously helpful staff. Worth a visit and then another.

We stopped in for a quick drink at the bar and ended spending hours there. Sean the bartender was great with us and everyone around. The staff does a great job at making you feel like a neighbor. Can't wait to go back.

Management was great, finally had an amazing relaxing stay at a resort in a longtime. Anything I needed, they were able to provide. I would have done some outdoor activities there but too bad it as raining outside. The pool was amazing too! Who would have known they had a pool that started from the inside and led to the outside! The best part of it is that the outside pool was heated just right to have a relaxing swim with family. All in all it was an amazing experience and I would deffinately visit again if I were in the area.

Wonderful place to stay. They have comfortable rooms modern facilities and a great spa. Our meals were excellent with good service. I would highly recommend this place for great getaway.

Beautiful lake, friendly staff. Good food, but way overpriced.

The location and amenities are great. But the service is surprisingly bad - slow and unprofessional. Had to wait for everything, from getting the bill to getting towels changed. Employees don't seem to be trained properly, kept giving conflicting information, or ignoring guests altogether.

One of the best experiences ever had. The staff is outstanding. The food is delicious. The hotel accommodations are great and the setting and place itself with its amazing nature and lake views makes for the most beautiful fall I have ever seen.

It is always great working with you and your fabulous events team! Please let us know if you need anything in the future! We're glad to help in any way we can. We appreciate every opportunity we can collaborate to create special moments.

Amazing wonderful experience great comfortable accommodations, amenities and various restaurants.

Brutal. What a letdown so far. The place is not bing kept up. It is such a shame. We had dinner and it took an hour to get served our apps. We specified 5 person room..we received a queen bed and a pullout coach. No sheets or bedding. We waited forever to get the bedding. Buyer beware this is not what you expect for the money they are charging

very bad service reception I needed a room service for dinning and kept calling no one answer and then I physically go to the main floor bar for the food and the food was bad now after check out few days before they charge me a mics fees

This resort is erroneously categorized as a level 7.... on a scale of 1-9 by Marriott. It requires 35,000 rewards points a night for a stay. A level 7 sets an expectation of hotel like the Chateau Champlain in Quebec City or Westin in Ottawa, or Royal Orchid in Bangkok.

Having been there, I would rate it as a 31/2 star hotel with 5 star pretensions. Marriott corporate should adjust.

Hotel was very nice. Food in the restaurants was not!!

Beautiful stay, the staff was great. We visited for 2 days and 3 nights, and while it was a great experience, I have to say that I was really disappointed that Chophouse (steak house restaurant) and Teca (Italian cuisine) were both closed for the duration of our stay, as well as the coffee shop/gift shop. The ones that were opened were ok but didn't give the wide variety or atmosphere that I was hoping. I had to take points off for this

The room was beautiful, and we were upgrade to a lakeview room, probably because it seemed very quiet there for the days that we stayed.

What a fantastic resort! Just very impressed with everything. Location, facilities, room was beyond expectations. Want to come back in the summer!

Amazing resort!! The facility itself was spotless, the staff was outstanding with the service they provided. The food at every restaurant was amazing! I had an exceptional stay at the JW. Thank you to all the staff for being so accommodating and friendly.

We were upgraded to a rather large suite with a balcony. The bedroom is really comfortable, large en-suite, a somewhat outdated living room though with a warm fire place. The common areas of the hotel are comfortable and warm, with a large fire place. Food at the restaurant was good and staff friendly. Just be aware, car park is a good 100m from the hotel, which can be challenging when carrying a suitcase under the snow and with icy pathways.

Beautiful resort. Service is phenomenal and the rooms are very nice. High end finishes. The indoor/outdoor pool is a great feature, especially on cold days. Expensive.

Attention to detail is mediocre for a JW. Restaurant experience is genuinely bad for a resort of this regard. Staff is generally polite and could use some support with their language skills. Marriott is tarnishing their name by associating their brand with this location during peak season, pandemic or not.

ved this hotel. Beautiful hotel,staff and location. The food was delicious. Staff at the spa Rosseau were professional and friendly. Loved the indoor out door pool. Stayed in the winter and there were still many family activities such as snowshoeing, crafts, campfires and swimming. I will take the family in summer to try out water sports the adventure park and to explore the local area. A lovely find in the muskokas

Disclaimer - this review is on the whole resort unfortunately you cannot review the individual restaurants or events. Because of this they all get lumped here.

Also this was originally posted in September 2018 but somehow was removed from my reviews. Because of this I will make sure it remains up each month.

HOTEL AMENITIES AND PARKING

5 Stars - Room and room amenities. The room was fantastic and had a stove top with cookwares so you could cook your own food if you choose. We loved our room and fireplace



2 Stars -Parking - you need to climb if you didn't request a shuttle (golf cart)

5 Stars - Internet. This was one of the best hotel internet's I gave used. 20mb/s down and 20up Netflix without interruption.

RESTAURANTS

1 Stars - Chop House restaurant.
The price here was astronomical and the food was awful. If you are experienced in chop houses this will severely disappoint. Go to Teca instead their beef is better. The service was ok but the experience was awful.

4 Stars - Teca Restaurant
Pricey but better than the chop House.
Service was excellent and food was tasty, by far the best at the resort.

2 Stars - The cottage restaurant
The food was decent but most of the time it is a buffet so you do all the work. I found it troubling to spend $70.00 for a buffet breakfast. Dinner was more money and the same experience. The service wasn't really that great either.

The restaurants as a whole were a poor experience except Teca. The prices were too high and the food quality and service lacking. They know you can't go anywhere else because you are in the middle of nowhere.
BE PREPARED TO SPEND A LOT!

OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES

2 Stars - Kayaking, paddle boating, biking
They say this is included in your room but what they fail to mention is that they charge a resort fee of $25.00 per day on top of your room and food rates.
They do not have enough of these items so it is going to be first come first serve.
Also you will be given a life jacket that may have just come out of the water so be prepared to get wet. Lol. There is also no place to put your valuables

4 Stars - Segway tour
I found this was the best value for your money and a lot of fun too. Again there were only 5 Segway's so book in advance at the beach.

4 Stars - Jet Ski
This was well worth it because the machines were decent. They will do 80km across the water with 2 adults and an hour on the water is a good amount of time. However what they don't tell you is that you must put down a $1500.00 deposit on your credit card and must show a valid driver's license. This ok accept that with no place to put your valuables you tend to leave them in your room which is at the top of the giant Hill, see point on getting back and forth to the beach. Besides that all was good

SPA

1 Star
This was something they touted as being awesome on booking. We checked in Sunday night and immediately went to the spa to book a time. They were booked solid until after our check out. Our stay was Sunday to Wednesday.
I would have to say this was the most disappointing as my wife and I were celebrating our 17 Year anniversary and we were looking forward to staying at a resort and Spa.
No spa-ing for us

To wrap up
This will not give you a Muskoka experience at all.
You will pay a large amount of money as there are not other options
Communication about things certainly lack
Make sure you are able to do the things you were going for.

I probably would not return here

I love this place. We go every year and this place is very upscale, however I couldn't believe how unkept the outside couch sitting area was. Dirty dishes and glasses everywhere. Not impressed.

Another fantastic stay at JW! A cottage like feeling meets luxury and comfort. Fantastic views, service, food and rooms. Staying here during covid felt very clean and cautious. Until next time JW!

Recently had a 4 day stay over New Years. The accomodations were very good. The service, however, was sub par and quite disappointing; starting with reservations being lost upon arrival. Lunch service took over 2 hours (staff confused) with multiple errors -- Staff were friendly but not well trained. Activities (which were pre-booked) were cancelled with no notification. New Years dinner was uterly disappointing (failure to seat on time, ran out of food at Buffet, poor bar service). Overall experience fell way below expecations given the cost of the resort.

Amazing food, amazing service! We had the braised octopus, tomato risotto, and papardelle carbonera. Everything was soooo good!

Exactly the relaxing location we were looking for....stunning lake views from many locations around the grounds.

Great looking building nicely laid out and stunning views. Staff are pretty helpful, but food is a serious problem. Room service is insanely expensive and really poor quality. Added to that they get the order wrong, charge you for things that are supposed to be included, etc. Afraid this kind of thing will probably prevent me coming back. Just felt gouged on every element.

The cost of this resort doesn't justify the experience during peak season. We stayed for two nights. After our first night, water started to flow through the ceiling and along the inside wall of the washroom from above. We notified hotel staff who dispatched maintenance. They disappeared after investigating it with zero follow up. We then talked to front desk about a room transfer. We were told repeatedly that the room was being cleaned and that they would call our mobile to notify us. We checked in with them three separate times. After 6 hours, we had to go back to front desk to ask if it was ready. They gave us the keys and told us our luggage would be in our room. It wasn't. And the notification about our room being ready was left on the VM of our new room. I don't understand the logic in that...Overall, there was a real lack of communication and lack of empathy about the entire situation. In the end, we moved to a new room, they handed us two drink vouchers and offered us a $100 discount which is miniscule in comparison to our per night rate. It was our wedding anniversary so we splurged for a weekend getaway. Anyway, I'm pretty understanding in these situations so here's my honest take on the entire experience: - Service and communication of frontline staff and between staff is almost non existent. - Restaurants are fantastic. We had some incredible meals here. Servers were fantastic no matter where we ate or drank. - Hotel is a bit dated, but views are stunning. The rooms are really sound proof. - Fantastic for families and kids. Great beach area for them to play in the sand and a great floating obstacle course on the water. - Spa is dated but service is fantastic. I'm sure if our situation was handled better, I'd rate them higher. It was just an unfortunate event that could have been managed more professionally.

Lovely customer service! Took exceptional care of us, were very accommodating of the fact I was on crutches. We will be back!

A family of 4 , 2 adults , 6 & 1 year old kid.
We all enjoyed our 2 night stay.
The property is old and only 1 elevator was operational on the floor.
Other than that the stay was fantastic .
The staff and their customer service bang on.
Especially Amanda at the front desk was so polite and kind with my kids that my girl started crying when we left . Amanda has an way with kids and is amazing.
I also had a short encounter with Shannon and she was brilliant .
The cleaning staff , room service . The best I have come across in Canada.
So many things to do inside the hotel . My kids had a blast.
The lady at the kids corner was also really nice.
We have nothing but great memories from our stay and would highly recommend this place .

GREATTTTT PLACE TO STAY. LOVE ALL THE MARRIOTT HOTELS I HAVE STAYED AT IN THE USA and CANADA
GREAT

Beautiful location great variety restaurants . Good fall rates

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Service was top notch and all the employees were very friendly. When COVID cases are on the rise safety was a top priority for us. There were lots of kids and small babies which made us feel safe as well because we have 7 months old. Employees use sanitizers to constantly clean the place. We did feel safe. We will be back here soon.

Beautiful area. Went there for a wedding, for was outstanding.

Perfect spot with the family for the long weekend
Beautiful views all around

Total cost for one night stay 1300. I understand it was the peak time of year. Now I see same room for under 400. Thieves.
Breakfast was a joke. Simple bacon and eggs very poorly done. The kid working at Macdonald s
does a better job.
Pool had broken tiles and other repairs on the property are required. For the price we paid to stay there they should easily be able to keep the place in top notch condition.

JW Marriott Lake Rosseau staff is the measure all Hoteliers should be measured against. The staff was incredibly friendly and inviting. Making my wife and I feel very welcome. Something we don't usually feel after our 30 plus years of travel.
The grounds are incredible and fresh..
The winter indoor / outdoor pool and hot tub was the best I've seen in years. The attention to detail was beyond our expectations.
Thank you to all the staff that made our winter stay so memorable. Looks like this will be an annual winter outing.

How are you a $600 hotel yet you cannot even pick up the phone? Not even your sales line at 9:30am? Tried to book a restaurant reservation for our parents prior to them arriving at the hotel, we tried EVERY phone number and extension including the front desk multiple times, only managed to reach the boathouse attendant who could not help, were put on a series of holds for 1.5 HOURS, and even the marriott international line could not help us book a table. Anyone we spoke to was unapologetic and unhelpful, said they could
not help us, and many told us they were simply too busy to pick up the phone when we explained how long we had been waiting. Showed no empathy whatsoever, we were just trying to book a table for our parents anniversary. Inexcusable level of service for a luxury hotel.

Beautiful resort with lots of fun activities and events. Customer service was awesome, they were super helpful in accommodating check out time and recommending places to see in Muskoka. The rooms and views are gorgeous!

Not a good start! Not friendly. Room not ready. 4 on check-in and got our room at 5:45!
Pool areas are a mess, no staff overseeing. This is not a 5 star resort . Understaffed and no one cares . Only the start of summer and this is what we get. First time here and do not recommend. Very unfortunate and disappointed .
Note: I do not normally write bad reviews .I just don't go back to a place BUT This is not right and management needs to address this with us. Asked for a manager to call and no one did until later in evening. Generic response. We did not come here for credits and freebies! WhooHoo! I traveled from westen Canada for a free drink! Just be nice and provide good service-clean up the public areas .

Excellent resort. Very relaxing and scenery is beautiful. Staff is helpful and very polite.

In my oponion, the food is mediocre and over priced.

Had a great time with my husband for our 12 th wedding anniversary even though it was planned last minute.The staff was amazing they went the extra mile for us. the only regret was that we should have made a appointment for the spa for a couples massage when we did inquire about it they were booked soild.We did get a walk through though tha spa area we were kinda disappointed how it was set up by Male and female sections and there was not really a option for couple to enjoy the spa together. But overall we a fabulous time in the hot tub together in the main pool area

I had an amazing experience staying at the JW Marriott in Buckhead Atlanta Georgia recently. The staff was extremely friendly the rooms were clean, the service was impeccable. I have since recommended this hotel to my friends and family members. I would definitely stay there again on my future trips to Atlanta.

Nice hotel, a little pricey. The on-site restaurants way over priced

Great atmosphere, plenty of activities for adults and kids. Service at the restaurant needs improvement: very slow and inexperienced staff.

Really cool hotel with a lot of activities to do and a very helpful staff. The pool is very big and there's even noodles and other swimming aids available. The only negative would be parking is at the bottom of a decent Hill and valet is 40 dollars per night.

Superb staff and amazing vistas even when there isn't snow or leaves. Any time of year its a lovely place

Luxary, great rooms, fantastic Resturants, beautiful scenery. What more could you ask for.

Great time at the JW Marriott - suites are large and modern with balconies. Perfect for a weekend getaway. Fire pits on site - perfect for smores!

The staff here are wonderful. A beautiful slice of peaceful Muskoka. The indoor/outdoor pool is great. Local and healthy options for food. Waterfalls and fires. It s wonderful and easy.

If you want to find a little piece of heaven.. this is the place. A monster of a hotel, nestled in the rocky side of Lake Rosseau. Breathtaking views. Superior service. The rooms are spacious and ours included a fireplace, 2 incredibly comfortable queen beds with tons of pillows, reading lights on the headboard, a kitchenette (including dishes and cooking utensils etc!), the bathroom had double doors that lead to a beautiful room with a glass shower, separate tub, private loo and a vanity with drawers. A magnifying mirror on the wall, pretty tissues that looked like a rose, qtips, cotton balls, a hairdryer and all of the luxurious toiletries you'd need for your stay. There was a table and chairs, a 55" TV and a couple of highback chairs to relax in. Everything you'd need or want was available.

The spa is gorgeous! I didnt have time to have any services done but I'll be back for that.

The indoor/outdoor heated pool and hot tub were pure bliss!!! After our event ended, we went to relax and soak our bodies (and sore feet.. gotta love high heels!!) and the atmosphere did just that.

We went here for the annual spring military ball.. the food was amazing. The salad had a beautiful maple walnut infused oil that was spectacular! The steak melted in your mouth.. and the Bailey's cheesecake made my mouth water for more! Not too rich.. just absolutely delightful.

I have put this place at the top of my "must do" for the warmer months.. as the waterfront looks like it came right out of a glamorous movie.. and I can't wait to dip my toes in the lake.

Well done, Marriott. Your staff was courteous, helpful, attentive, and always had smiles on their faces. You can tell they enjoy working there.

By the way.. If you notice the bon fires and don't take advantage of sitting around one and enjoying the Smores packages you can get from the front desk for only $10 (enough for 4 people!) you're really missing out. Book at least 3 days here.. You'll need at least that to enjoy everything this gem has to offer!!!

Great getaway from Toronto and some nice activities to do like building your Rosseau buddy. Overall a beautiful resort and we loved the outdoor hot tub. Just wish there were food options after 11pm. It was cold when we arrived so we didn't do any of the outdoor activities other than walking around the resort which is nice especially by the lake. Even though it is a higher end resort you can tell that it is 4 stars and not 5 by some of the repairs that need to be done like the loose pool tiles and the just "ok" food. The servers are great tho.

We stayed at the Marriott in August for a week had a wonderful time. Staff was great, always asked to have James serve us at the Deck, very personable and great server Hope he is there next year when we come back!

We were at the JW Marriot after Canada day long weekend. I travelled with my husband & 17 month old.

What a beautiful resort! We were very surprised how good the food was at all the restaurants. Drinks were good, but expensive $20. We did buy in advance, the 2 can dine package, which provided some savings, since the restaurants are pretty expensive.

It is was definitely a treat to lounge, eat and take in all the beautiful scenic views this resort had to offer.
Rooms were very comfortable and spaciousness. Pools we re all great! The grounds were just beautiful.

Check in was swift. Staff was very pleasant & professional & informative.

I had many clients (young & older) who referred me to this resort. I definitely was not disappointed.

We had a great stay here. They have fun activities like bike, hiking, painting. Great hot tub and rooms. Amazing staff. Do try teca restaurant inside, a great Italian food restaurant.

Room was amazing with a great view, nice pools the food was okay

Everything was great!!!good service!! Beautiful place!!!

Have been here several times. Always a pleasant stay

I think the resort is super clean and the staff are very friendly. However, what I would like to see more is staff attentiveness. For example, at the Chophouse (which btw, quality of food is just fantastic), my gf and i sat at a booth intended for 4 people but the wait staff did not clear out the extra plates and glasses. I feel that at this price point, the attention to detail should be with the experience. Also, I called down for toiletries but no one shows up for an hour, so I had to call again and items were missed when the houseman did come. I am probably nitpicking a bit but I hope I was constructive. I want to reiterate that I love how clean the hotel is.

Gorgeous resort with nice rooms. Only 4 star as travel there was a hindrance. Had to take 2 detours to get to resort. Not their fault but it is secluded.

Always love coming back here during the winter & summer seasons & enjoy the views, activities & facilities

Amazing service. Lots of events for the kids. Looking forward to coming back next year.

Very nice place in the middle of the forest and nature with suraundet by lakes...

Really enjoyed our stay here! Wish the spa amenities had been available to hotel guests but just a beautiful setting! Very relaxing

Best hotel ive seen so far in Ontario!
Super fancy
But everything is at an extra cost like the spa and the rentals and ziplining so idk
But amazing views

Beautiful Hotel and tons of things to do from kayaking and SUP in the summer to nature walks and a fantastic outdoor pool and hot tub.