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About
4.5
#1 of 10 hotels in Owen Sound
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Located on the lake in Owen Sound,ON, the Best Western Inn On The Bay is sure to provide a peaceful and comforting home away from home for any traveler. Each Best Western hotel provides free internet access, giving guests the opportunity to check emails and surf the web, all from the comforts of their room or the business center. With cleanliness and value being our top priority, we ensure a restful and productive stay. On top of that, our superior customer service will ensure that we meet all your needs and go beyond your expectations.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Best Western Inn On The Bay delights guests with its picturesque waterfront location and convenient boat access, coupled with enjoyable walking paths that enhance the experience. While the hotel's scenic dining views and amiable staff contribute to a pleasant atmosphere, opinions on value diverge, as some reviewers find the services overpriced and amenities like breakfast and a pool lacking.
Room cleanliness generally earns accolades, except for a few mentions of initial problems. Although praised for cleanliness and stunning views, the lack of a pool has been noted by guests seeking more facilities.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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Wow What a lovely family the staff at this Best Western at Owen Sound are! From the minute I booked to my final checkout, my husband and I were looked after by a great set of friendly people. All my questions previsit were answered and more by the wonderful Corall , already setting me up for a fab time. Check in was quick and easy - room available early too! Excellent room with view of the Bay (fab beach just across the lawn and water great for a dip) and handy for reception but also quiet. Easy access to ice machine just down the hallway as was the unexpected yet useful laundry room! Daily servicing of room much appreciated. The restaurant offered inside or outside seating right next to the Lake (my fave place) - omg all the food we tried was super tasty and huge portions for a Brit lol The Blueberry tea (!) was a firm favourite and unknown to us before our trip. Also the restaurant staff were incredibly efficient and also super-friendly making our meals feel like family time. We never made breakfast as chose to lie-in but hubby was v happy that free tea and coffee were available in the lobby till about 11am I think. (also kettle, coffee maker fridge and good stock of nice tea/coffee in room) Overall an A+ stay made even better by all the staff we met. If you are staying in Toronto then consider a week up here too A real gem of a place :0)
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Blueberry Tea lovely Ask for Bay view room Definitely eat in the restaurant - chef is excellent
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Aug 8, 2023
Hi Clarewhittam, Thank you for taking the time to post such a wonderful review of your experience at our hotel. It is great to see that you enjoyed interactions with our staff and took advantage of our beautiful patio overlooking Georgian Bay. We hope to see you again in the future should you be travelling in our area someday. It was a pleasure having you stay with us.
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The location was perfect - close to the downtown core, the water, and other towns (Tobermory, Sauble Beach, Collingwood)! You definitely need a car to really enjoy all the surroundings.
Since it is during COVID-19 times, we were hesitant to stay in anywhere but our home, but Best Western By The Bay had protocols set in place which were great and mostly everyone adhered to it, and that made us feel comfortable and safe. We stayed there for 3 nights and there was no room cleaning or replenishing of our amenities/towels throughout that time. We understood, and we're more than fine with going to the front desk and asking for more items (eg. shampoo, soap, ...), and the front desk personnel were happy to help with giving us those items. The room was spotless; king bed comfortable; the fridge was great to have there; the bay/trail view was nice; the AC strong.
Disliked · Some staff could be a bit nicer, but hey, maybe we caught them on a bad day ?!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Aug 27, 2020
Hi ABIvsWORLD, Thank you for posting this review of your experience at our hotel. It is great to know that you felt comfortable and safe while staying with us during this pandemic. It is a time of uncertainty and hardship so we are always thrilled to help provide a positive experience for our guests. We hope to see you again in the future.
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we really enjoy relaxing and calm atmosphere of these hotel, unique location ( lake view) and exeptional cleanliness of the room. We are very grateful for nice service. even in case when we forgot some clothes, they were send to our home address. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. We already planned our next stay in this beautiful place.
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Review collected in partnership with Best Western
Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Jul 17, 2020
Hi vplokhyy, Thank you for taking the time to post this great review of your experience at our hotel. It is a clear indication that we are achieving what we set out to do during these unpredictable times. We look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
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The room design was perfectly fine. I'm not picky. Beds were very comfy. Washroom was spacious, updated, had hairdryer, electrical sockets, good water pressure, and very hot water. I'm just going to paste what I wrote re my complaints on the Best Western review: "Make sure staff doing laundry and making beds wear hairnets. Found three long black hairs in bed.
Make sure bedding is not totally wrinkled like it was left in the dryer for hours. Both beds looked terrible.
Check routinely that windows lock! Our lock was broken and the staff had no suggestion to make us feel safe for the night before the repair guy could look. And then he never showed up the next day anyway. We found a stick on the beach that luckily fit the space to work as a lock. The male staff at the front desk did offer a snow brush but it was too short.
Remediate any mold around window or behind wallpaper. My husband had a horrible initial reaction and he is mild sensitive so we think it was mold. He could smell an odd smell immediately, taste in back of throat, and his nose started running etc. He nevertheless managed to stay for the next two nights but had to spend as little time as possible in
You need a proper coffee maker for $250/night.
Newer, high def , TV."
Sorry to the people of Owen Sound that this is such a rough review but it's really helpful for people to know what they're getting into especially if they have health problems. I hope this doesn't affect tourism. And I hope some of these things can be refectified. Some are very simple to change. My husband and I will most likely be future residents of Owen Sound so this could be hurting us too. Best Western please pull your socks up!!! Covid is over hopefully and you survived! Best of luck to you <3
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Date of stay: July 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Ask for a view of the bay.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For our 20th anniversary we booked the jacuzzi and fireplace room (at over $250 per night). I had contacted them to verify. We showed up at 2, knowing the room probably wouldn''t be ready-they have a 4 pm check in. But at 4 when they said it would be another hour I was pretty angry. At 5:20 the desk manager gave us vouchers for the onsite restaurant (not good for drinks and must be billed separately) which was some comfort. Room has all it promised but was pretty average really. I'm not sure having an extra window of view and those two "amenities" above were worth making the cost over $100 more per night. Wifi was sketchy at best. Covid meant no maid service; we even had to get towels for the second night. All in all a pretty big disappointment. We won't be back.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:go with the cheapest option
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Aug 27, 2020
Hi Robin B, I am sorry that you did not find appropriate value for your money spent while you stayed with us. Our rates are reflective of extreme demand to a point but we never seek to overcharge our guests and take advantage of them. The Jacuzzi tub complete with a view over the water (from the tub) is something we hope is unique and enjoyable. Check in has been difficult with being sold out every night and such onus put on our cleaning procedures to keep everyone in our building safe. We are continuously working to improve this but can not forgo any cleaning procedures. I am very confident that your experience would have been different if not for this pandemic. My hope is that you would still consider staying with us post COVID-19 as we do have a great product here in beautiful Owen Sound. Thank you for providing this feedback for us.
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So, let's start off with the price. Since it's a town with very few options as far as accommodation goes, and the other hotels have seemingly worse reviews, thus it made sense to choose the Best Western when I needed to stay over before an early morning medical procedure.
My high hopes have been replaced with worry and disappointment.
First, the lady at the front check out must have been having a bad day as her attitude was very apathetic. I received a lot of one-word answers when I asked questions, and when I inquired about nearby restaurants, she simply handed me a bunch of brochures for nearby (closed) attractions - thanks.
Upon entering the room (211) I noticed that there was some obvious water damage. No big deal until you notice the brown mildew on the bathroom ceiling. Also the hair on the floor by the bathtub (this is a good spot to check for cleanliness as it's often overlooked by housekeepers.) There was also a hair IN the bathtub, and another on the bed. Now, normally this wouldn't be a huge deal, but given we're in the middle of a global pandemic, it's a bit unnerving to say the least.
I also noticed that some things had dust on them, such as the dresser drawers. If things are cleaned daily, would there be dust? Or perhaps it was residue from the paper towel used to clean? I cannot say for sure.
The coffee maker didn't work. When I called the front desk to let the lady know she said "well you can buy a coffee from the restaurant." When I reminded her free coffee is included in the room price, she sighed begrudgingly and said I could come get another one. I also mentioned the hair, and she didn't address it, nor apologize.
The tv wasn't easy to figure out as the hdmi options are on the side of the unit and not the remote. But when I called again, to ask about the tv, she told me "I don't know what to tell you, all the remotes are the same and it's on there." It wasn't. I figured it out, only to be disappointed that there was no streaming service but hey, good ol cable tv in a room you paid $189+ tax for isn't the biggest deal in the world. At least I can get a good nights sleep right?
Wrong. The soundproofing could be a lot better, especially with the windows (which were dirty too.) I could hear people slamming their car doors constantly.
When I informed the general manager, whom I must say is a very kind man who seems to care a lot about his hotel, he was apologetic and explained that a lot of the housekeepers are new and struggling to keep up due to covid. I get that but guys, hair in the tub, on the floor and on the bed is totally not appropriate for the given times.
For over two hundred dollars with tax, this hotel, in my opinion, as someone who has stayed at many different establishments over the years as a travel blogger, I am disappointed. They have to step up their cleanliness AND their customer service. If they could fix those things, this has the potential to be a great hotel.
A little kindness can go a long way.
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Ask for a room higher up, as there is little noise isolation.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Jun 23, 2021
Hi Tiab533, Please accept my sincerest of apologies for this experience you had at our hotel. We have always been a clean and quiet hotel with a great reputation, but there have been "bumps in the road" moving from low occupancy to consistent sell outs in such a short time. I can assure you that thorough disinfectant fogging takes place after every check out to help ensure we do our part in this pandemic to keep our guests and staff safe. Moving forward, we have added staffing to our cleaning department to inspect rooms thoroughly with the cleaning staff and ensure our rooms are cleaned to standard each time. Additionally, we have added service staff so our regular team is no longer working such long hours. We can and will be the hotel everyone can trust for a great experience. That is my promise to you. Thank you for ensuring that we have this feedback so we can improve.
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We have stayed in this hotel several times in the past. We just returned again a few nights ago from a 2 night stay. I think considering how covid is affecting the entire hospitality sector, the hotel does its best to make their guests feel as comfortable as possible. When you walk in, there is hand sanitizer available at the door and by the front desk, as well as in many other spots in the hotel. There is plexiglass between you and the front desk staff and everyone wore a mask. They hand you a sheet of info, providing you with details about all they do to keep you safe, including the products they use to sanitize. The lobby was clean and our room was spotless. Any staff we met in the hotel, from the front desk staff to the maids, were friendly and professional.
I have to compliment them on the mattresses. They were practically the most comfortable I have ever slept in at a hotel. My husband and I slept so soundly that I even asked the staff at the desk what the name of the mattress was. We are trying to buy a new one for our home and I am hoping to find the same mattress in our local stores.
The size of the room is more than adequate. We asked for a quiet room and that is what the front desk rep found for us, room 208. There is a small fridge in the room, a pull out couch and a small coffee maker. A little tip- there is a Metro grocery store on the same street, about a minute walk from the hotel. If you need any items or drinks to put in the fridge, it is very convenient. This was my only complaint, that I found the inside of the fridge not as cold as I would have liked and there was no dial to change the setting.
Without hesitation, I would return any time I am visiting the area.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Usually happy with BW but this location depending on who is at the front will not honor platinum member benefits and try to also skimp out on giving you breakfast tickets if you don't ask (which you shouldn't have to). It's happened to me numerous times here but not once at any other BW. Perhaps a staffing issue but occured one too many times for someone loyal to the brand.
Otherwise the hotel is relatively clean and generally quiet enough to get a good night's rest.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Jun 23, 2021
Hi Q2530USderekl, I am glad to se that as a returning guest, you find the hotel to be clean and quiet. That is our main goal in basic accommodations. Please accept my apologies for the confusion in your reservations. After reviewing past reservations, it seems 3rd party bookings are adding to the confusion with your rewards status. We encourage property direct bookings to guarantee the best experience possible. Our platinum rewards members receive water bottles and additional points with every stay as well as complimentary upgrades when available. Unfortunately, current demand for suites has not allowed for many unsold units to offer our members in a complimentary upgrade. We would like to see you well taken care of and encourage you to call 8667199200 for your next reservation. Ask for the GM and I will even personally ensure your next stay is exceptional. Thank you for providing this feedback.
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I had a very negative experience at another local hotel (Travelodge Owen Sound) and I ended up leaving 40 minutes after I checked in. I booked at the Best Western on the Bay and immediately upon arrival was impressed by the location and the hotel itself.
Ken was a wonderful person from beginning to end.
The food was great, fairly priced and convenient.
I will come back here every time.
Definitely worth the money.
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Review collected in partnership with Best Western
Date of stay: April 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jason Hemstock, General Manager at Best Western Inn On The Bay
Responded Jun 28, 2021
Hi NothFIREindustries, Thank you for taking the time to provide this wonderful feedback regarding your experience at our hotel. We are thrilled that you enjoyed it and look forward to seeing you again in the future.
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We went here for an overnight mini vacation. The front desk staff are extremely nice. The room was really nice and larger than we expected. It had 2 windows with the view of the water, a sitting area, king bed and 2 easy chairs by the other window. It had 2 televisions, i for watching from the bed and one for the sitting area. The room had shears on the two windows and 2 heavy attractive curtains to pull at night with a real nice valance. The bathroom was clean and well stocked with towells, etc. They have lots of parking also.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Owen Sound area.
PRICE RANGE
C$235 - C$323 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
best western inn on the bay hotel owen sound, best western owen sound, owen sound best western, inn on the bay
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
BEST WESTERN Inn On The Bay
LOCATION
CanadaOntarioGrey CountyOwen Sound
NUMBER OF ROOMS
100
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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