Today I am sharing some tips that I feel would have made a lovely vacation, perfect, in hopes to help other first time guests, to get the most out of their holiday at this resort.
A few weekends ago, we decided to book a last minute get-a-way to the world class Fox Harb’r Resort, for Canada weekend! We had always wanted to check it out and considering it’s only 3.5 hour drive from us, I’m surprised it took us this long!
What influenced us to book our Canada holiday weekend there were it’s proximity to us and the fact that everything we needed was on site. For a short trip, this was appealing, as we felt it would allow us to relax for a short 3 day trip. They were also offering Canada Day fireworks being right on site – which made the weekend celebrations festive and with small kids was a bonus.
Upon arriving, we were amazed at how we felt transported to another world. As the gate opened, we were immediately impressed with the beautiful lush landscaping. Being known as a world class golf course, we were not surprised about this. Check-in was very simple and smooth – they tell you some key info; point you to some pamphlets, where you can find more info about activities that might interest you and then you’re off to your apartment style suite.
The suites were very comfortable and spacious – slightly dated, but classic enough to feel elegant, considering it’s 20+ years old. Some things I especially loved was that it had a whirlpool tub, which our girls alway enjoy; a balcony with a view of the course and the sea in the distance ( behind a few trees). The furnishings were super comfy, with a large sectional in front of a fireplace, which we took advantage of (adding some cozy vibes to my husbands obsession with super cold air conditioning – haha). The window seat was also a bun spot for the girls to sit and play. There was a mini-fridge with some space for your own snacks (important if you have children) and a microwave. You could order room-service to your room. (Things to note, there wasn’t a table to dine at, but a desk and coffee table).
We felt the food was very reasonably priced and very good, as self-proclaimed foodies – good food is imortant. We tried both restaurants and the The Cape Room was probably our favourite just because it had a beautiful view and ambiance. They were very kind to our kiddos and made them feel very welcome, which was nice, as some fine dining restaurants can be stuffy. They offered them crayons and colouring books to keep them busy and, a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine from their very own vineyard for Andrew and I. It was very good – we were very impressed. Overall the food and service was wonderful – 10/10.
The resort has its own jet landing strip, so I am sure it gets a lot of clientele that travel there just for the golf. However, if like us and you do enjoy golf, but are opting not to play and looking for a relaxing holiday (with or without kids), I will share a few tips that I feel will help you make the most of your holiday, based on our experience.
1.) If you would like a spa appointment, be sure to book in advance or if last minute trip like us, try book immediately upon arrival. I was given the impression from the front desk that it was not booked up and could make one the next day, as it was closed when we arrived. When I tried to book the next day, they had nothing available until after we were checked out. This was a big disappointment for me. As guests of the resort, you do have access to the beautiful spa facility, with included an Olympic size pool, mineral pool and hot tub (although hot tub was not working properly when we were there).
2.) Note that if you’re travelling in summer there is only an indoor pool and no outdoor beach on site (albeit seaside). That said, in fairness, they don’t promote an outdoor pool or beach on their website, but the activities they offer and promote could lead one to believe they do offer these amenities. This was another disappointment for us, however, we were told there are a few beaches about 10 minutes down the road (we didn’t make it there so cannot give a review). My recommendation is if you’re looking for some sunshine and swimming, bring your own umbrellas and chairs, as the resort doesn’t provide these items, and be mentally prepared to go offsite to the beach.
3.) I love that they offer both complimentary bikes and rentals. The complimentary bikes are cruiser style, so the breaks work when you peddle backwards. Many seasoned bikers might know this, but I had never driven a bike like this, so was not aware. That said, they didn’t inform us of this, so when I took a bike for a spin, I realized there were no breaks. I thought I might have grabbed one of the rentals and when I asked at the front desk they were surprised they didn’t have breaks either. After they investigated, they realized the breaks work when you peddle backwards and called our room to communicate this and kindly took a bite to our cottage for me. Which brings me to another tip on this: You will also want to make sure you take a bike first thing in the morning, as there is no set time to bring them back before dusk. Something else that wasn’t communicated and we figured out on our own.
4. As mentioned, there are two restaurants on site. The Willard is casual dining. It’s the lower level of the clubhouse and you do not need a reservation although it’s recommended. The Cape Fine Dining is open for breakfast and supper. You are required to dress business casual and a reservation is also required. They didn’t tell us to ensure we make our reservations right away upon checking in, thus we could only get a desired dinner reservation time at the Cape Room our last night. When travelling with children this is important detail I felt worth mentioning .
5. Last, but not least, we highly recommend taking advantage of some of the activities! They offer a variety at an additional cost. We enjoyed and would recommend was the pontoon ride (private) and the bomb fire. Although the views are not anything special compared to other parts of Nova Scotia, being out on the water is always treat. We were able to spot some seals, which Elle and Ivy were very excited about. They also offered to stop the boat and let us have a swim, but we felt the girls were too young for this. Our captain was amazing (from northern Ireland) and we really enjoyed talking with him. I would also mention, they do provide suscreen and water on the boat (this wasn’t communicated, so we brought our own). The Bomb fire was a great excursion for the girls. The resort sets it up, and they provided a basket with blankets and a S’mores kit (with what I believe was homemade graham crackers, marshmallow and dark chocolate – extra special). They did have glow sticks, which was cute, but they were mostly duds unfortunately. There is access to bathrooms near by, which was important.
Finally, I will say Fox Harb’r get a lot of things right. Another amazing feature I would add, is that once you park your car, you don’t have to move it again (unless you opt to go to a beach offsite). The resort provides a driver to anywhere you wish to go on the resort, albeit the restaurant, spa or an excursion. You simply call and they come to pick you up. We haven’t experinced this is our amazing holiday in Sea Island Resort in Georgia (hightly reccomend this resort too). The service at Fox Harbour was always friendly and prompt in every area of the resort.
That said, a few suggestions, as a seasoned traveller, that I feel would help enhance the overall experience as a guest is making the vineyard tours family friendly. We would have loved to experience this, but because children were not permitted, we were not able to enjoy. When we traveled to Champagne, France, we were thrilled at how the vineyards and Champagne house tours welcomed families. Our girls enjoyed the tours as an adventure and were very well behaved. They kept them short enough for all of us. That said, even if Fox Harb’r offered a private tour option, where you could opt to take your kids, it would feel more family friendly resort. Lastly, although this is a beautiful property with many amenities that resorts boast of, I will admit, based on my experience, I don’t truly feel it fits the description of a true resort in totality. Some things that would help it improve, in my eyes, is to perhaps install an outdoor pool. I realize this would be no small task and that it is a resort clearly geared toward golfers. However, I feel this would enhance the experience for both goflers and non-golfers. I also feel the experience was lacking, not offering food service and drink to the pool area. To me, this is a must when staying at a “resort.”
Overall, the resort is beautiful and we would definitely return again, but decided because it doesn’t have much to offer outdoors, in relation to swimming, we would opt to return in fall instead of summer. That said, albiet properties can always imporve, I would still highly recommend this resort to anyone looking to relax and unwind, especially golfers. I would simply suggest you read this blog before booking thoug, so you can make the most of your time there. If it’s a short holiday, like ours and your first time there, you don’t have time iron out all these kinks, because by the time you do, your vacation is over. Next time we will be fully prepared and ensure we enjoy every second to the fullest and hope you do too!
Sincerely,
