Really enjoyed this hotel and convenient for our dog

We stayed here twice, on a trip across the country. Yes, the hotel is outside of the downtown area, but after long hours in the car, it was nice to get here easily, just off the highway. On our first stay we had a ground-floor room which couldn't have been easier to take the dog out a side door. On our 2nd visit we were assigned a 4th floor room, and while we like using the stairs (for exercise), it was a rain pain to race down with the dog to get her outside. I suspect if we had booked further in advance, we might have been able to get a lower floor. The hotel is immaculately clean. The pool area is wonderfully relaxing, and the breakfast was very tasty with lots of options. We wandered down the road to see "Mac the Moose" at the lovely nearby tourism museum, before getting on the road. We were even allowed to bring our dog into the museum which was fun. Overall, a super clean and comfortable hotel in a convenient location for travellers.

Apr. 18, 2024

Warm friendly staff and dog-friendly patio seating

We have visited the Heron Rock Bistro many times when in Victoria to visit friends. Our most recent visits in the fall of 2023 were, once again, very enjoyable. The service was excellent - the staff knows the menu well and can make good recommendations. They let us linger, which was much appreciated. The food was great - loved the crab cakes, the fish and chips, and our friends enjoyed their brunch items. Every dessert we've tried was also delicious. We sat outside, where we were permitted to have our shy rescue dog with us. We were even able to reserve an outside table in advance, when we phoned. Very grateful for this as we could not leave her alone and few places in Victoria seemed dog-friendly. We will continue to return to the Heron Rock Bistro and highly recommend it!

Apr. 18, 2024

Lovely location and delicious food

Very challenging to find dog-friendly places in Vancouver, so we tried Lift, despite the not-great reviews posted previously. Indeed, we were seated in a corner on the outside deck, but Kris (our server) gave us a regular table which was perfect for our shy dog. (I don't think we would have stayed if high-top bar stools were our only option) Other staff were also friendly and provided a nice dog bowl of cold water. The food and wine were terrific - pricey but worth it to enjoy some fine dining outdoors with our pup. We were here over Labour Day weekend, but maybe lucked out at a less-busy time. The entire area is very hectic but this felt a bit less crowded when we were there and a nice oasis by the water.

Apr. 18, 2024

Love this place!

We visited Lady of the Lake for takeout twice, while travelling across the country and back with our rescue dog. The assortment of salads, sandwiches, pizza, and desserts is mouth-watering. Everything we tried was delicious. The smoothies are also fantastic. Our server, Bethany, very kindly let us wait outside at a patio table with our shy dog while our order was being prepared and all the staff are friendly, despite being very busy. The attached store has a lot of cool things to look at (purchase) while you're waiting (although no dogs would be allowed in the store or cafe). This place was a real find and we look forward to returning. Highly recommend it!

Apr. 18, 2024

Ok but only because no other dog-friendly places in Kenor

Visited here twice in late August 2023 while driving from Ontario to BC with our shy rescue dog. Really few (if any) places in Kenora that allowed dogs on the patio (more on that below), so this seemed our only option. We had hoped to try 901 Westside Bistro (near our hotel, about 10 min outside downtown) but they said no dogs were allowed on their outdoor patio due to "health regulations". While we really appreciated that LOTWBC allows dogs on their patio, there's not much good to say here about the service. We had to repeatedly ask for service and waited about 30-40 minutes for a server just to take our order . The place was busy but there is clearly a lack of staff or training. The beer is good. The food is pretty good for what it is (very few non-meat and non-greasy healthy choices). As the prior review mentions, the music is loud and it's a pretty stressful bustling environment to have a dog (even a confident one). Wish there were more options but this is ok in a pinch.

We returned here (grudgingly) for a 2nd night after exhausting all other options that might be dog-friendly. Waited in line 20 min (twice!) at the Boathouse front desk (where they don't allow dogs on their own patio, but on a nearby bar picnic-table area (first wait was to get this info), just to then be told (after another 20 min wait once we thought we could place an order) they were too busy to do takeout. So back to LOTWBC it was. The 2nd night the service was definitely better although still super slow (compared to all the tables around us). The "veggie wings" and kale casesar were ok, but the sauces were oily/heavy. I suspect the burgers and pizzas are probably better.

Apr. 16, 2024

Dog-friendly restaurant with covered/INdoor dog spaces

This restaurant is fan-tastic if you are visiting Victoria and looking for a fine-dining option that allows you to bring your pup. Our rescue dog cannot be left alone, and after a long drive with the pup, we wanted to have a nice dinner out (not leave her or eat take-out in our hotel room after being in the car all day). I was sceptical that the restaurant really allowed dogs, but indeed they do, and INside in a lovely indoor-type-patio area. It was a bit loud for our pup, but she sat quietly under the table and was ignored (which is what I prefer). The food was so good we returned here 2 nights later (with our dog). There's also a more "outdoor" patio area with heat lamps which would be a bit quieter, if needed. Loved this place. We can't wait to return.

Apr. 15, 2024

Welcoming dog-friendly fine-dining patio

We visited the El Dorado hotel which is part of a joint property with the Manteo, during a cross-country trip with our shy rescue dog who we couldn't leave in our room. It was always a bit stressful to find a dog-friendly patio, so we were thrilled to see Maestro's Mediterranean not only permitted dogs, but had a (newly-created) specific area on their beautiful patio for dog-accompanied patrons. The setting is spectacular and the food matches it. Many delicious options and everything we ate we loved. Linda (the manager) was so kind and welcoming, bringing a water bowl and treats for our pup. Our servers Chloe H and Lauren T were also wonderful. The food and scenery were so great that we dined here two nights in a row. Somewhat oddly, the boardwalk along the water says no dogs allowed, so you have to enter through the Manteo's lobby to get to the restaurant. This was a real find so hopefully more places will create space for those who are with their pets.

Apr. 15, 2024

Not a great location to stay with a dog

The staff here was super duper friendly and kind, and even explained where the stairs were noting that some dogs prefer not to use elevators ;) Unfortunately, this is a really old outdated hotel, with awful stale cigarette smoke and other odours you cannot escape. Walking around the hotel exterior is also rather unpleasant - we had to dodge quite a few speeding (drunk?) drivers racing to the adjoining restaurant. It was a weekday evening that felt like weekend drag racing. We ended up walking our dog around the nearby empty parking lots at night, which didn't feel all that safe. The price here was not cheap, so next time would opt for the updated IHG across town. On the plus side, we found a fantastic coffee shop, "Cuppers Coffee and Tea" with super cool pottery and other items, on our way back to the highway.

Apr. 15, 2024

Friendly staff but odours in un-rennovated rooms

Perhaps the more updated rooms (on the second floor) are different but the price difference was major, so we decided to book a room on the lower level, backing onto the parking lot. I also felt this would be safer, given our nervous rescue dog, than the updated rooms which have doors closer to the highway. The room itself was ok in terms of cleanliness, but the overwhelming smell of stale cigarette smoke, combined with intense odour of cleaning fluid was horrid. It was a pretty unpleasant 2-night stay and we will not return. There was a nice nature area to walk the dog nearby, but the neighbourhood bistro we'd hoped to visit said "no way" to dogs on their patio and were also "too busy" to do any takeout on the 2 nights were were there. The Nature's Inn was not near any other food options, so we were stuck driving back into downtown Kenora (where dog-friendly patios are almost non-existent other than the rowdy and noisy LOTWBC). Visited in late August 2023.

Apr. 15, 2024

Convenient and comfortable

We stayed here twice in the fall of 2023, while travelling with our dog from Ontario out to BC and back. The price is extremely reasonable and the rooms are very clean, with good amenities and comfortable beds. There was a strong scent from the cleaning products but that seems to be the case in many hotels. The owner was very professional, kind, and welcoming. A great place to stay as you can walk your dog along the beach/shoreline.

Apr. 15, 2024

elegant comfortable pet-friendly hotel

The Empress is iconic. Many (most?) Fairmont hotels are dog-friendly which makes them a reliable choice in this particular price range. We visited the Empress on labour day weekend 2023, after driving cross-country with our (shy) rescue dog. We requested a room on a lower floor, and to be near stairwells to access the outside for our dog. The check-in was warm and friendly (as you'd expect with this price-range of hotel) but they also made us feel comfortable even though we had our pup (sometimes you get the sense that the hotels barely tolerate travelling pets). Our room was lovely, clean, classic and on the 4th floor. We navigated the stairwells to get our dog in and out each morning, which would have been much harder on a higher floor. What was most enjoyable was the dog-friendly area on the terrace restaurant (patio). The staff was incredibly welcoming and made us feel that our business was appreciated (despite having our pup with us). The setting is spectacular, near the harbour and close to most tourist attractions. The nearby dog-friendly 10 Acres Bistro actually allows dogs INside, so we ate there on a cooler evening and had 1 dinner at the Empress, but it was high-end, fine-dining at its best, with great ambiance.

Apr. 15, 2024

A quiet oasis with dog-friendly patio

Visited in June 2023 for 3 nights, in one of the 5-7 (?) dog-friendly rooms available (these are limited and all in one ground-floor wing of the lodge). Our room was spacious, clean, and very convenient with a door leading directly out to a small patio and lawn area. We really appreciated the lovely server who looked after us on the patio (the only way we could have dinner out of our room, as we couldn't leave our rescue dog alone). The setting is magical and being able to have a delicious dinner with our dog, and enjoy the view sitting on the chairs outside our room was priceless. The weather was unpredictable, so we lucked out with no rain at dinner time each evening. The Brierhall, however wouldn't let us sit on the patio due to thunderstorm warnings, so we couldn't try the food there. The Kafeehaus has a lovely outdoor patio, as well as picnic tables on grass, that are both pet-friendly which we greatly appreciated. Like most places, you have to sign a form at check-in saying you won't leave your dog unattended in your room. It was rather frustrating to be careful to follow that rule yet have to listen to 2 small dogs 3-rooms down from us who were left alone for about 6 hours each day and barked NON-STOP. Felt bad for the poor things but this is what causes all dogs being banned from some places. I would recommend Trapp for a relaxing and peaceful stay - particularly in patio weather.

Apr. 15, 2024