Lakeside Inn

The setting for the hotel property is beautiful! The service was excellent. The manager, Mary, was extremely professional. It is an older property from the 1800’s and had all the characteristics of that time. We had several meals on site which I strongly recommend. Unfortunately, it was unseasonably cold (35) when we were there and we weren’t able to take full advantage of the beautiful lake. The sunset over the lake was magnificent.

Great location with beautiful views, friendly service and great vintage atmosphere. We stayed only one night in two rooms. Unfortunately the rooms did not live up to our expectations for what we paid. No exhaust fans in the bathrooms and no way to open the window either. Very noisy. We could hear all our neighbors upstairs. Every step and every toilet flush. Our door handle broke, however maintenance came right away to fix it. We understand this is an old house and loved it for that, however if you charge this kind of money it's time to renovate and upgrade the rooms. The pool bar is falling apart and the chairs are broken. It could be so beautiful with the amazing sunset views but needs updating. So to summarize, it is a beautiful vintage property but desperately needs remodeling of the guest rooms. $230 per night is high for the quality you get.

My wife and I have visited Mt. Dora many times, but we had never stayed at the Lakeside Inn until this weekend. I figured it was worth it to at least try it out once.||First, the positives --the location is beautiful, the grounds are well kept, and the view is OUTSTANDING. The front desk staff were lively and helpful, even on Thanksgiving, when I know no one really wants to be working. Our room was a decent size, clean, and the closet was much larger than most. Nice chairs and table, and the refrigerator we requested was ready to go. (we always have leftovers :-) )|I did like being able to park at the Inn and then walk everywhere, especially when there was a lot going on.||BUT... Getting the luggage and bags in and out of the room is frankly a nightmare. No luggage racks, a more than decent walk from where you park, especially when we checked in, (the area where you could park to get closer to the rooms was blocked off when we checked in) and no elevators. I am not in the best of shape admittedly, and dragging the suitcases up the stairs to the Gables 2nd floor was rough. Unfortunately, we tend to bring a bunch of stuff, and always buy more when in Mt. Dora, so it was challenging when checking out as well.||The bed was OK, but a bit hard, and it creaked when getting in and out. I can tell you there were signs for Quiet Hours, but I don't think there was much security going down the halls at night to enforce. Refrigerators you have to ask for, and microwaves I do not believe are available.||While it was nice to have restaurants available, they are pricey, and breakfast is not included with the room. ||I gave a 4/5, but it was more like a 7/10.||While I am glad for the experience, I am thinking the next time we stay in the downtown Mt. Dora area, I want to check out the B&Bs for a different experience.

As I had remembered from my last stay a few years ago, this will always be my go to when staying in Mount Dora. The staff was very welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed my room. Room was clean and the bed was very comfortable. Only things I would recommend is that the complementary coffee have better to-go cups and the fire place was not on the nights I stayed, which would have been great as it was very cold the nights I was there. Other than that, it was a very restful getaway!

As many reviews have stated - the view is spectacular and sitting on the rocking chairs at sunset is a must. However i do understand that this is a very old hotel; that's part of the charm, and i wasn't upset about no elevators or creaky doors/floors and old doorknobs. They are probably original and that's OK, but why not upgrade the other things to make the hotel more appealing. Like better mattresses, softer pillows, nicer bed linen ( only a flat and fitted sheet on the bed). fresh coat of paint in the bathroom. I was with 3 other couples and 1 couple had a huge lizard in their room and a leak in their bathroom. Water pressure is poor as well. ( but again its an old house so I can excuse that) its the simple easy fixes that could make this place a 5 out 5 but i don't see the effort. Wait staff also doesn't seem thrilled with their job. our waiter at breakfast on the porch didn't crack a smile and was there only once to take our order. The history of the hotel and the view and gazebo over the water are beautiful, but you don't need to stay here to experience that- just walk on over! everything in Mt. Dora is in walking distance.

The rooms are quaint as expected from an older inn, but they were clean and comfortable. The food in the Beauclaire Restaurant was good and plentiful. Sylvia Meyer was one of the best waitresses I have ever had. She was very pleasant and anticipated our needs. She clearly cares about providing quality service. This is a recommended place to stay when visiting Mt. Dora.

We were really excited to check out this hotel and Mount Dora for our anniversary. Upon first sights we were blown away by how charming it all seemed. Unfortunately from checkin forward we didn’t have the greatest experience. At check-in, the front desk attendant seemed completely uninterested—no pleasantries, no warmth, just a lackluster welcome that set the tone for the stay. We thought they might mention something about our anniversary since we submitted in the notes but nothing. Breakfast service was equally underwhelming. When we asked to be seated on the porch of their veranda restaurant, the hostess seemed confused and hesitant, as if we were making an unusual request—even though there were plenty of open tables. After some back and forth, she finally seated us, but our server was abrupt and unwelcoming, letting us know they were closing in 15 minutes as soon as she arrived. Given that it had already taken a while for her to even greet us, the whole experience felt rushed and uninviting. Adding to the frustration we decided to share the grand slam breakfast. It was incredibly mediocre, just sad and for $35 I wish we had just gone somewhere else. Additionally, the hotel’s restaurants closed at 9 p.m., which was inconvenient given that most places in the small town also closed early. This made dining options quite limited. Overall, while the property itself had charm, the staff’s lack of enthusiasm and the limited amenities made for a disappointing stay.

We are at the tavern and had the absolute pleasure of having Bree as our waitress. She was extremely attentive and kind. Very impressed with how efficiently everything was run. The food was amazing! Thank you for a wonderful experience.