Canoe Bay

I don't usually write reviews but feel compelled to write about this Relais & Chateaux property. Peaceful it certainly was, I give it 5 stars for that. Our room Room #10 lakefront turned out leaving me anxious. I am sensitive to noise. After running the bath, flushing the loo (toilet), running any water we were enlightened with the loud noise from the water pump from the basement. Turns out it serviced ours and our friends property!! It was a constant sound and completely spoilt the peace and tranquility. Service at the property needs a little updating. Breakfast orders were mixed up, items appeared on our bill that we didn't order or had cancelled (lunch). Some TLC is needed on the properties. It would have been lovely to have sun loungers on the deck, even a hot tub. The outside deck at the restaurant would benefit from outdoor table and chairs. The lakeside cottage was very spacious and clean, but, please don't let anyone sleep in #10 until you get that water pump fixed permanently. Other than that we enjoyed our break.

I have wanted to try Canoe Bay, but the opportunity just was not there. Then with a July 4th trip planned to Duluth for the fireworks, we realized how easy it would be to come back home through Chetek and booked a couple of nights at Canoe Bay. This is the only Relais and Chateaux in the Midwest, and it exceeded my expectations. I love Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and delighted in the whole atmosphere with many of the buildings having been designed by one of Wright's proteges. I didn't realize how much I needed to relax until we got there. We were given an upgrade to one of the duplex suites and loved it. The view was lovely, and we enjoyed the deer and other wildlife. We enjoyed doing some photography, exploring the gardens, reading, and lounging on our nice deck. The restaurant dining was delicious, and the service was great. They won us over, and we are talking of when we can return.

We had dinner reservations at the restaurant. Unfortunately, my husband was ill and not able to eat dinner at the restaurant. . We were still charged for his meal. There is nothing stated on their website about being charged for meals not eaten. We had to check out early, because of his illness and noticed a charge on our credit card. No email with a receipt was ever sent. The key to our room was stuck in front of the door, the entire time, we stayed there. Someone came to look at it, but it was never fixed. While we felt safe, it would have been nice to be able to lock the door, when gone or sleeping. Overall, I felt the service was average.

This is the kind of place that looks better than the photos online. Honestly, it's gorgeous- so upscale and well-kept on a calm and quiet lake. My partner and I stayed in one of the lodge lakefront rooms- which are on the "cheaper" side when compared to the cabins. It did not feel like any less of a luxurious experience- the benefit of staying at the lodge is that you have the library and fitness room right outside your door, plus coffee/tea and the DVD library. You are also right next to the boat house with the kayaks/canoes. The property itself is stunning- you can hike, kayak, lounge by the lake, or enjoy time in your room/in the library. The garden is a must see- especially in late August when everything is in bloom. It's amazing. Only piece of advice would be to be prepared for no cell service. I'm on TMobile and my partner is on Verizon, and we pretty consistently had no service on the property. Wifi at the lodge was consistent and allowed us to stay connected where needed. But take the opportunity to fully unplug if you can!

Canoe Bay is really a magical place. We have been making at least one annual visit for a while now. On our most recent stay I consistently woke up to deer grazing right outside the cabin windows less than a few feet away and hummingbirds darting around. The food is always exceptional, incredibly fresh, elevated, and approachable. It is an incredibly relaxing place where you can unplug and enjoy nature’s beauty in a well appointed cabin with delicious food.

My husband and I stayed at Canoe Bay as a belated 10-year anniversary trip and couldn't have had a better experience. We had actually booked it for last year, but had to reschedule last minute due to a family emergency. The staff was incredibly gracious and offered us a voucher to use at a later date and we were able to rebook for this year - happily so! We booked one of their tiny-home, "Escape" cabins and truly felt like we were in our own private tree house. The cabin was modern yet cozy, extremely clean and had so many thoughtful additions (like sodas in the fridge, bath robes, a lighted magnification mirror in the bathroom, etc.). The screened-in porch was perhaps our favorite spot to sit and listen to the rain and the birds - but safely away from the bugs. We walked/ran the property daily and it was equally gorgeous with great trails, a stunning garden, and so much wildlife! We saw the mama deer and her baby many times, an otter, herons, chipmunks, turtles, geese, ducks, and a huge variety of songbirds (and a few garter snakes!). And the food - WOW. I could not get over the beautiful and delicious meals delivered right to our door in these charming baskets - in the middle of rural Wisconsin! None of them would have been out of place at any five-star restaurant in a big city. They were amazing. The staff was incredibly responsive yet very behind the scenes - you hardly knew anyone else was there except when you needed something, in which case they were very responsive via text and immediately there to assist. Cell service was spotty (we have Verizon), but we hung in there with a decent WiFi connection from our cabin (not 100%, but better than I expected) - but really, it was just a good excuse to stay off screens and enjoy our time together and the beauty around us. We will absolutely be back!

Canoe Bay is a peaceful slice of heaven on earth. Went there to celebrate our annivesary and relax. So clean, quite and beautiful. Service is attentive, food incredible. Setting is beautiful, relaxing. Well designed accommodations. Our room was gorgeous. Looking forward to returning!

My wife & I have been escaping to Canoe Bay for many years and love the North woods setting, the comfortable accommodations and the excellent food delivered right to our door. ||We recently visited and were pleasantly surprised when the General Manager, Renee, upgraded us when our first room was not up to their standards. We had never stayed in one of their Dream cottages before and it was absolutely beautiful. The weather was not perfect during our trip, but we didn’t mind staying indoors with a good book & a glass of wine. ||Now we are spoiled and will have to book a Dream cottage on our next trip. Thank you Renee & Canoe Bay for another wonderful get away!