Normaway Inn

3.5 Stars. Very friendly staff. There are no complaints about the customer service or the outside which is very charming. You can tell it’s a family operation which is nice to see. However, considering that it is still advertised as “fine food and lodging” rather than a quaint cottage retreat, I expected more attention to detail in cleaning and maintenance. I have worked in the hotel industry and am aware of which things can be easily taken care of with an extra 5-10 minutes. For example, we found some cereals on the floor in the room, only one face cloth was provided, the sheets were the wrong size for the bed, there were cobwebs in corners, peeling wallpapers, and the shower did not drain well. On the positive side, the room had very cute decor and original furniture, you can see history in the common areas, and the room was relatively clean overall. We also found that while the dinner was good, there was nothing exceptional about it to set it apart from good home cooking to fine dining, considering the prices are closer to fine dining. If the owners did a little more maintenance on things that are cheaper to fix and made sure to take care of cobwebs and vacuum etc, this could be easily changed to 4 or 5 stars. Would still recommend if you are looking for a cute cottage style experience with great customer service and a beautiful setting, but don’t expect “fine” or luxury.

This place was the highlight of our Eastcost trip. If you are escaping a busy city life then you need to stay here. Staff was excellent. The ambiance was incredible. The most authentic Nova Scotia inn we have stayed at. From highland cows and horses, to the cuddly Inn donkey roaming around the premises, this place has been nothing but breathtaking. There was incredible live music in the common room and we got to sing in Gaelic which was honestly a magical experience. We will be back!

Dave and his crew provided outstanding success for our last minute booking. They set us up in a quaint cabin; and with the tickets to the incredible music event in the barn, our honeymoon was a great success. The rustic charm, the friendly staff and the delicious meal (steak and chicken-on point) were beyond words. The spanakopeda/salad appetizer was the topper finishing up with mouthwatering desserts made it a fantastic meal. Keep chef at least a few more days... lol. Thank you all for making our special getaway so much more.

We loved our experience at the Normaway and would recommend it to travelers in the area! The Music Barn was the absolute best part, but we also enjoyed walking around the grounds and seeing the highland cows, horses, and the donkey, Eeyore! A great stop on our journey in Cape Breton!

We went to The Normaway for a music evening advertised online we emailed the day before to find out if we could eat before the music evening but never had a reply. We chose to go there having read all the great reviews online. As instructed on the website we paid $15 each online in advance of attending when we arrived we were met by a member of staff who said I will bring you some drinks shortly|The musician was Neil McDaniel, a local musician from Margaree Forks he was excellent and started his show at 8 pm and we settled down in the lounge|After about 15 minutes, we were taught a local Gaelic song by the owner and then Neil was replaced by a piper and he had to leave the room The pipes were far too loud for a small room and we were told Neil would return after one piece on the pipes..|After about half an hour and numerous pieces we decided to leave.. we were asked to contribute to the musicians and explained we had already paid $30, which was a surprise to the owner. We were never offered anything to drink, and we left feeling very disappointed. The evening was totally disorganised, and we got 15 minutes of music for our $30. We went specifically because we wanted to hear Neil but were given something totally different.

The staff are super friendly and provide excellent service. My room in the Inn was charming and very comfortable. The facilities onsite are also great, especially the Music Barn. Overall, staying here is a wonderful way to enjoy the Cape Breton experience.

My husband and I booked this stay to reset while travelling through Cape Breton. While the service hasn't changed from other reviews, the friendliest, bubbliest experience we've ever had at a stay, I think there are a few things to be improved considering the price. First of all the family was warm, quirky and welcoming and generous. Didnt hesitate to help us out. The Cape Breton tunes at the barn was a lovely experience and completely new to us. And it was an absolute joy to see highland cows grazing outside our window. That being said, it was a bit expensive for what the rooms were. Our wood stove was filled very high with remnant ash and the door was broken on it so it was very difficult to close. An easy fix would just be to have an ash bucket and a broom beside it. The bed was super comfortable but the sheets could use a refresh as they had multiple chew holes. Exposed wires in the closet pose a safety hazard and also an easy fix. The locks on the doors, although vintage were stubborn to lock and made us feel like we would break the key. The wifi, which was advertised, only worked in one section of the cabin. Other than that the mud room swing was absolutely romantic, and the whole appeal of the cabin was rustic, peaceful and comfortable. The old radio with recorded jig tapes was an absolute gorgeous touch. It felt like we were back in time. The dinner was very over priced for asub optimal quality meal. 19$ for three small scallops, and a mealy seafood chowder. Breakfast was cancelled due to unforseen emergency which can not be prevented but shows this place can certainly use a few more staff to keep it running smoothly. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, Dave and the Macdonald family were knowledgeable and welcoming and it was a joy to experiece the Cape Breton culture. But the Normaway Inn is starting to get a bit run down and its important to have that expectation before booking.

Arrived at check in time staff seemed friendly. Our cabin was not clean, dirty jacuzzi and dog treats on the floor, they offered another cabin which had a smaller jacuzzi, grimey coffee maker and no microwave. Food wasn't great and over priced like the cabin.would have better potential if they had more staff