Charleston Lakeside Retreat — Local services in Leeds and the Thousand Islands

Discrepancy between website description and reality. This review reflects experience of our 6 night stay at Outlook 2. Positive points at end of review.

After check-in, walked toward hilltop bearing 2 vintage cabins. Noticed unkempt grounds on that part of property, weeds, dirty plastic chairs and mat. Patio window frames and windows grimy, soiled pillow on bench. Beautiful view of lake marred by web of electric cables across from Outlook 2 balcony. Interior : dismal, not the bright atmosphere in pix. A ray of sun revealed dust on wood table. Bathroom in dire need of refurbishment. Kitchen skinless than spotless, had to scour blackened pots and pans, mostly aluminum. Not sure dish towel was fresh. Humming fridge at night. 2 tiny rooms, one mobile radiator only. ( radiator in kitchen cannot be moved)Who wants to sleep with back against cold wall? So hubby spent night in other room with no comforter! We brought our bed linen but 1 comforter per room should have been there. Want to sleep in? NO blinds in one room and thin bamboo blind in other room. Sunlight floods room at dawn and in any case, you hear vehicles up and down County Road 3 and some boats leave dock earlier than 7 AM from Wiltse Creek, both located behind the hilltop. Swim at your own risk in the Creek( boat launch) and be extra careful going down crumbling concrete steps. Not really child friendly. The day before departure, we received message about “self-catering cabin standards, requesting and our cabin is left in the clean & tidy condition it was found”. Our overall feeling: had been no inspection , no basic sanitization after previous guest departure. Covid or not, isn’t this a tenet of the vacation industry? Such a strict rental contract and 350$ security deposit , what for??

On day 1, asked Angela to check heating device in tv area but answered she would do so AFTER our stay. Not once in 6 days did Angela or Colin come by to see how we were doing, but her son asked us on day 2 if we were ok when I asked for a conforter(given two small throws instead).

Large property. We took a walk, surprised to find abandoned , broken furniture in plain sight of Blue Heron cabin guests, even car with raised wipers. There are always many non-guest cars across from cabin 5, not a pretty sight. The house to the left of Outlook cabins looks like it belongs on a construction site.Not rented out though.

Positive points: Nice artisan products for us, thanks. Best asset: site is a short drive from lovely Provincial Park. No beach, but picturesque shoreline and nice lawn with Adirondack chairs. Nice to sit back, read or relax, basking in aft sunshine. Large bay dotted with islands, Herons hover and dive, turtles aplenty on the lawn, lots of chirping, no road sounds here. A fox!! Even a big fat snake by the water but that’s ok.

Kayaks and paddles in good condition and long new pier stretches out over somewhat murky water( but that’s nature). Great kayaking.

Excellent wifi, Angela is a computer analyst.

Upon checking out, we described our less than pleasant experience to ever-smiling Angela. I had met Colin before on his pontoon, and find both Angela and Colin courteous and smart. In their last message they were apologetic ...”will take your constructive feedback into consideration and make...

My family of 5 stayed at Charleston Lakeside Retreat for a week last July and we didn't have a good experience. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you book this cottage:

Rustic Cabin/Cottage - you get what you pay for

Screen door was broken - it was annoying and worry some everytime we tried to get out and it would just always break. The owner was on site to fix it but it was constantly breaking (do you really want to keep calling them to fix it?).

The cottage we booked was for 5 people but there was not enough outdoor seating for 5, not enough cutleries for 5 and there were only 4 dining chairs.

Fire pit is Shared between 2 cottages but not stated upon booking that you can only use on alternate days.

Read the contract over and over - no guest allowed unless you are willing to pay $50/person per day for day access until 10pm.

The owners live nearby and it feels like they are always watching what you are doing.

Owner does not know how to convey diplomatically that there are no guest allowed.

This is not a child friendly area.

Even though Ontario is stage 3 by the time we were, there they still did not let us use...

We had a really enjoyable time and I highly recommend these cottages for a relaxing get away. We stayed in Lookout Cabin 2. It was more than well equipped and had all the essentials for a comfortable stay. We really appreciated all the little details too. It went above and beyond. From a welcome gift of handmade products to a diffuser with essential oils which took any damp smell out of the space. The beds were comfy, the kitchen well stocked and the fire appliance on the deck was a great touch. Very scenic views from our cabin. I fished off the dock and couldn’t get my line in the water quick enough. One after the other of bass, bluegill and other pan fish. Was a great treat. We enjoyed a few day trips and activities. Once to Charleston lake provincial park; a nice hike through historic caves. The next day we went to the cider brewery. Both places only minutes away. Thanks to our hosts Angela and Colin who greeted us and were tremendously easy to get along with. They provided everything we needed to have a memorable experience. We will definitely be back...