Name: The Briars Resort & Spa
Address: 55 Hedge Road, R.R. 1, Georgina, L0E 1L0, CA

8/10

Excellent

28 Jun 2026

Nigel

The location of the hotel is fantastic and the access to lake and walking distance to town was perfect. The hotel is definitely in need of some repairs although as it’s an older building it adds to the character. The grounds are lovely, room was comfortable and the breakfast was great.
Two negatives - with a Lakeview room you can barely see the lake so I wouldn’t advise to pay extra for it. Also we were in the older part of the building and we had no hot water for showers the 2nights of our stay. We did contact the front desk and were advised the manager would be in touch to come up with a solution and no one ever did. Customer service does not seem to be a priority as other people had the same issues with lack of response to their concerns

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2026

Anne

This is an old established resort and it has many interesting points both property and building wise. However you can detect a slight musty (old) smell once you enter the lobby and the rooms which took away some of the expected excitement of staying here. Some parts are starting to show their age and will need replacing I imagine. The rainy day did not help to show its splendor of long ago. We did not get to enjoy the amenities as we were at a family function most of our day and we departed early next day.

Partner

4/10

Poor

09 May 2026

Chris

Unfortunately it was first day reopening and a lot of problems were not resolved. The ice maker was out of service.
No Wifi so Tv didn’t work. No Robes, No Hot tub, lights out in the pool so we assumed unavailable too.
The mini fridge and blow dryer didn’t work.
Room was not the cleanest. Still shaving cream and stubble in sink from previous guest.
restaurant’s staff and food was good, but very slow to come out of the kitchen.
The only reason I booked there was for the beautiful spa.
I scheduled a massage for my husband’s birthday gift and was so disappointed when the manager informed us our appointment was not going to happen because of car trouble.
I informed the manager of my dissatisfaction before we left and she didn’t seem to care at all. It’s sad really there is so much potential for this beautiful historical property.
Regretting booking at The Briars Resort, I really wish I had spent my time and money elsewhere.

Partner

4/10

Poor

28 Oct 2025

George

The property location is ideal, however the hotel itself is very tired and is in need of a major renovation. It is sad to see a once very exclusive Resort & Spa fall to where it is today. I hope someone makes an effort to restore it to its former glory.

6/10

Pleasant

20 Aug 2025

justin

Beautiful property not well keep up. 300 nightly no pool. Roof needs repair.

Business_and_leisure Self

4/10

Poor

13 Aug 2025

Sally

Burnt Hamburg
Bed great

6/10

Pleasant

10 Aug 2025

Kiera

We loved the area and the access to bikes, kayaks and paddle boards. We would definitely go back for the beautiful area.
Unfortunately, there is no outdoor pool and the indoor pool was also closed. I don’t think there was and housekeeping services as we didn’t not have our room cleaned. The restaurant was pricey. Staff was friendly.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2025

Justin

Great stay

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jul 2025

ILYA

Very good.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

01 Jul 2025

Robert

No working outdoor pool

Called before booking and asked if they had an outdoor pool and was told “yes”. When I checked in they said their outdoor pool hadn’t been in service for 3 years.

No daily room cleaning service.

Partner

2/10

Poor

08 Jun 2025

Rachel

You will need a tetanus shot and a sage. It should be against business practice to advertise and charge as 4 star. Room cleanliness and condition was on par with a roadside truck stop. Furniture looked like it was actually from the 1800s and not cleaned/maintained since. Carpeting with huge holes. Staff tried their best to help by changing our room (huge brown stain on bedding), but new room was still filled with mold (bathroom) and stains on pillows/blankets. Toilet ran all night and didnt flush. The pool room smelled like sewage. I didnt sleep all night - as soon as my daughter woke up, we dashed. I think the BBB for the city or hotel regulations need to mitigate the rating guidelines as people book from out of town based on this.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

12 May 2025

Lukas

To expensive

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2025

Anthony

Needs some serious updating and maintenance . Staff was great and check is was fast and easy

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2025

Samantha

Really enjoyed our stay. The property is historic so we understand how challenging maint

2/10

Poor

19 Apr 2025

Christo

No pool and hot tubs available

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Dec 2024

Brandon

Staff was phenomenal.

6/10

Pleasant

13 Dec 2024

Sean

The property was incredibly interesting as was heritage and dated with history. Staff was great, pleasant, however amenities that were advertised were not functioning. No pool, hot tub, sauna all out of order. They even closed the spa the evening before the wife’s appointment…
With no notification.
Staff was frustrated as was out of there hands and rather ownership issues.

Tones of potential but needs some work and attention to detail.

Games room here at but again needs attention to details.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Dec 2024

Brandon

👍

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2024

Lauren

Will definitely return

Beautiful historic property and the spa was exceptional

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2024

john

Very unique and a bit of old school. The grounds are really lovely and there is wide lake frontage with a spectacular view. The staff are very warm, helpful and welcoming. The rooms are clean,comfortable and very quiet The food is very good and there is many menu choices to pick from. I enjoy staying at this resort everytime and look forward to the next stay. Thankyou

8/10

Excellent

20 Oct 2024

Joanne

The room we booked was supposed to have 2 double beds. The room we received was a double and uncomfortable sofa bed

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

15 Oct 2024

Belinda

This is a beautiful old property that has changed hands and needs updating. The manager told us some wings have already been done and others are scheduled for updating. Understandably it will be a huge cost to bring this once prestigious property back in shape. What was inexcusable was hair on the bathroom floor and the unclean looking toilet. The grounds are still in beautiful condition and Lake Simcoe is picturesque. Standard rates suggest an upscale experience so this was disappointing.

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2024

Esther

A little dated. Leak in hallway was pretty messy. Staff was friendly and helpful. Wedding tent outside my room was noisy and affected my ability to sleep.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2024

Nancy

We enjoyed our stay at the Briars for the Georgina Marathon. It was convenient for shuttle service to the event. Unfortunately, the pool, sauna and hot tub were closed for repairs. We were looking forward to using these, so were disappointed. We had a lovely room. Breakfast buffet was pretty good. The outside area was beautiful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Sep 2024

Debra

Everything was just as stated in all the other reviews. The bed was perfect. Check in was convenient and fast. No issues!

8/10

Excellent

08 Sep 2024

Christopher

The location is great. The rooms really require renovation. They are very dated and kind of run down. The extra patios need some attention. They need to be cleaned, including the chairs. Given the cost of staying at The Briars, rooms should be updated. Thank you for the stay.

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2024

john

quiet setting, modest breakfast with dirty windows by the breakfast table ., coffee not hot, and low taste and flavour

6/10

Pleasant

05 Aug 2024

Kathleen

Good first looking place ( well rated until 2018)...we booked for three guests, the bedroom had old unclean carpet and internet not fixed on TV ( we fixed it alone !), the electric blug on one wall was broken, there is mildew in the bathroom, hair on the floor and two sets of towels,,,we asked again at the front desk but impossible to get towels until 8h00 PM, finally we asked for pool towels ( unclean) and the set never came! ...infiltration of water in one wall of the indoor pool ( emergency to repair), the outdoor pool closed for the season ( big unclean cover over it) ,big hole in the ceiling near Exit sign almost falling near our room, carpet unclean all around, lack of painting outside and mastic around windows not fit ( emergency to repair before winter), one tennis court ok but the second full of grass, private beach of ten feet wide, staff at the front desk tried to help but didn't know at all where they work....went outside for dinner ( we discover alone a nice pub at a driving distance) , good news, the breakfast was good and the service perfect ( wonderful room but unclean again)...

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2024

brad

Check in was very slow. My assigned room didn't have a bed in it, when I went back to front desk, she had to go check herself before giving me a room with a bed.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jul 2024

Guy

Beautiful waterfront property with great views from the dock. Friendly staff, excellent food and dog friendly.

6/10

Pleasant

22 Jul 2024

Nazzarena

Outdated and over priced…
Clean and average stay

Annoyed that housekeeping knocked at 8am asking if i needed anything. Yes sleep please.

Just an ok time. Not worth the money

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

22 Jul 2024

madeleine

Very sad to see what was the beautiful historic Briars so neglected. This is no longer an elegant resort but now leveled to a rundown motel at best. We had two rooms, one was right beside a large wedding event with loud entertainment. What were they thinking. The other room was on the other side of the property. Our party had to share one room. There was no receptionist upon arrival. A security guard had to deal with our situation and walk us to our room. He then said we were the only guests in that building. As we entered our room it looked like we were walking in to the 1950’s. Not just old but filthy dirty furniture and worn. The bathroom handle fell off so we could not close the door properly. Not ideal. In the morning we noted the deck was rotting. We did not stay to enjoy breakfast. Headed to reception and as we passed through the hallways we noted the pool was closed and covered up with tarps, dirt and debris. And a strange installation of a Chinese warrior and other oriental icons. Guest services kindly refunded us for the second room that we could not use and commented on the difficult morning they were having dealing with complaints. $350 later for the one room is still outrageous for rooms that should be shut down until major renovations applied. As someone who knew the third generation of the founding Sibbald family we found ourselves very sad to see new owners who obviously don’t care about the guest experience or preserving this iconic landmark.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

21 Jul 2024

Georgina

Although I was thankful for the balcony with the room it was in really bad condition. The railings needed a new paint job. We had to clean off the chairs and the floor to be able to sit out there comfortably. The roof of the building was also in great need of repair.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Jul 2024

Ina

The Briars is a lovely old resort in the heart of cottage country. Its charm is in its history and gorgeous gardens. It must have been the place to be in its heyday. Exploring around the property showed the signs of disuse. The tower lookout windows were covered in spiderwebs making it hard to see out, the tennis court had weeds coming through the asphalt, and the outdoor pool was covered in tarps. Service wise, the computers went down Sunday morning so I waited 1 hour to get breakfast and finally left without one. The same with checkout…no printed bill. The Briars needs a redo…

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

14 Jul 2024

Sharon

Check in was not an issue and our room was suitable for the short time we were staying.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Jul 2024

Mona

The Briars was wonderful and the staff extremely helpful but Expedia booked us into the wrong room - garden view instead of lake view. Fortunately the Briars staff was able to accommodate us.

8/10

Excellent

02 Jul 2024

Lesley

The staff were great. So very hardworking and friendly.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

24 Jun 2024

francois

This place needs a lot of love.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Jun 2024

Brian

The Briars is in a lovely location in the Jackson Point area of Georgina, ON. It is a historic property on lovely grounds. As an EV driver, I was glad that they have chargers.

Staff were friendly and efficient. My room was very comfortable and clean.

I would say that the property is dowdy and could use some updating. The bathrooms were functional, but could use updated fixtures. That said, I would stay again.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2024

Louise

Such a beautiful and historic property.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2024

Gabriela

A lovely experience.. Staff was attentive, warm and friendly .. the resort itself is a little dated yet overall charming.. would absolutely return for another visit!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2024

John

Great wedding venue, but needs a paint brush and new carpets in certain areas.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

04 Jun 2024

Serkan

They double-charged my for my room not realizing I prepaid via Expedia. I was told I was going to get a refund but they charged me even more! Their accounting department is unreachable and they won’t return my emails.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

28 May 2024

Robert

Anniversary stay

Fantastic setting. You can tell the property is older but well maintained. Beds were excellent. Rooms were quiet. Breakfast was an better than average, better than a run of the mill travelers hotel, but not Outstanding. Staff were sometimes hard to find.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 May 2024

Deanne

Beautiful property with so much charm!! Only drawback was that I had a heavy suitcase and there weren't great options for getting it up the stairs to my room. Had I known this would be an issue, I could have packed differently.

6/10

Pleasant

24 May 2024

Joseph

My stay at the Briars a few years ago was fantastic. However, this year we found the facility to be in a sad state of upkeep and repair. Much outside painting is needed. Some rotting window sashes need to be replaced.
I'll need to get a local to visit and evaluate before i would return. Other area hotels are in a better state of upkeep and an a lower daily price.
So sad and disappointed to see the Briars in such a run-down state. A once beautiful establishment that I hope will return to its grandeur.

2/10

Poor

19 May 2024

Karen

They could not find our reservation at check in. We were offered an alternate room to the one we booked. When we went to see the room it was not clean. We were told to wait 15mins while they cleaned the room. The sliding door in our room was covered with dead bugs. The pool deck was dirty with left over construction materials, the showers at the pool were not working. We were seated for dinner in an area that was not clean, gum on the window sill and food on the floor. Our dinner was very salty. We were offered a free desert for our check in mishap. The property is looking very rundown and this will be our 3rd and last visit.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Mary

A one night very pleasant stay. Very friendly staff.

4/10

Poor

15 May 2024

ELISHA

The Briers resort is on a beautiful old property but unfortunately this building is in desperate need of upgrade and and the rooms are not anywhere near 4 star quality . The room was very small with an old barely functioning bathroom to match , not worth the price .

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

12 May 2024

Brett

Lovely staff and a nice place to rest and relax!

8/10

Excellent

06 May 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely experience, friendly staff

Overall, it was a good experience. They were very accomodating for the entire marathon weekend by having a special take out breakfast the morning of the race for everyone involved in the marathon.
The staff were friendly.
The pool and hottub area was nice with a sauna.
Dinner was very tasty.
The resort is \"tired\" and many updates needed but they are working away at it. An increible historical building that needs a lot of maintenance!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely experience, friendly staff

Overall, it was a good experience. They were very accomodating for our marathon weekend by having a special take out breakfast the morning of the race.
The staff were friendly.
The pool and hottub area was nice with a sauna.
Dinner was very tasty.
The resort is \"tired\" and many updates needed but they are working away at it. An increible historical building that needs a lot of maintenance!

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2024

Jessica

Th staff is amazing. My partner and I enjoyed our stay there.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Mar 2024

Ronald

Great staff

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Mar 2024

Linda

Lovely spot overall.

Business Family

6/10

Pleasant

14 Feb 2024

Paula

It was outdated, tub/shower mouldy, bathroom counters too low, not standard. I felt like I was in a fire hazard waiting to happen. Kitchen was apparently under renovations, but it would have been nice to have hot coffee and pastries in the foyer area in the morning. Just because whatever they supply in room was pretty awful.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Feb 2024

Rony

Good overall. Clean. The room service is slow a bit and there was no food service which we know about after booking and required going out for food or drinks envelopes small snacks

Partner

2/10

Poor

31 Jan 2024

Sri

Expedia mentioned breakfast is included which isn’t included after we paid online and we went there it’s been mentioned to us later…Not even the bath tub was clean ….

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Jan 2024

GLENN C

The property is an interesting old mansion with lots of character in the layout . Our only complaint was the games room, which needs some maintenance; light bulb out over pool table, the bridge cue is missing and there is only one worn out piece of chalk. The shuffleboard is also worn out.

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2023

Matthew

Great resort

10/10

Exceptional

23 Dec 2023

Peggy

Kitchen was under renovations, so no meals involved.
Walked the building, was like being in an old century home. Beautiful grounds. We coukd use the fireplace in our room, which was added bonus. Will return.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Dec 2023

Kelly

The Hotel is such a landmark and the front desk staff were amazing! The old world feel is so grand until you enter the room that was dated and in need of a renovation badly. Such a shame that the rooms are so awful to stay at such a beautiful location.

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2023

Jennifer

We enjoyed our stay at this place built in 1840.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2023

Philip

Beautiful historical sight. Great food amazing service, wife loved the spa treatments and I’m absolutely coming back this winter for an ice fishing n cross country ski weekend.

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

17 Sep 2023

Samantha

Beware - not lake view. Property is across the street from the lake. You can’t see the lake from their “lake view” rooms. Price is ridiculous for this run down, mostly empty “resort”. I deeply regret booking here for my partner’s surprise 50th getaway. Never again.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Jul 2023

Gina

Abandoned, dated

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2023

Lori

Awesome time as always.

It was a girl's weekend and we had a great time. The staff was awesome and always ready to help. The buffet breakfast was hot unlike other buffets I've had elsewhere.
The was relaxing and inviting.
I've gone to the Briars many times over the years and highly recommend it.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

26 Jun 2023

Kathryn

The staff are excellent and so helpful and friendly
We enjoyed an excellent rainbow trout with fettuccine meal in Drinkwaters with the best calamari appetizer ever!
Rochelle, her daughter and sister are all awesome! And Bob the resort manager is super!

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2022

Martin

The property is located in a beautiful forested area with lovely views of Lake Simcoe. The grounds are extensive and the hotel itself is very large with a wide range of facilities (indoor pool, spa, tennis courts, billiards and ping pong). The building is evidently historical, and it would be a nice added bonus to provide information about it to guests. Most of the building is in need to renovation/repair; the hotel room is pleasant and the staff are friendly, but it is not quite at the luxury level that it advertises itself to be.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

08 Oct 2022

Elaine

Pool was closed for maintenance. Many things in the room required maintenance. Restaurant staff great.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2022

Andre

Slightly outdated
Service is painfully slow due to not enough staff.
Waited 20 minutes for a drink twice:(
Enjoyed the food and variety.
Would benefit tremendously from an outdoor pool.
No beach area on the actual lake to swim in.
Spa treatment was terrific.
Expensive for the available amenities.
Andre

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

16 Jun 2022

Lidio

Very welcoming

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

22 May 2022

Drew

Cons:
Paid $275 for a room, had better rooms at motel 6.
Rugs worn out, furniture had paint scraped off, bath tub had chips.
Found empty juice box and t-shirt of previous guest under bed
Food is average but overpriced, breakfast buffet was priced at $35 but worth maybe $15 for the 6 hot items it had available. Waitresses were friendly but unknowledgable in wines.
No activities

Pro's
Grounds and Spa
Manager goes out of her way to ensure happiness

Nice property but way beyond its times as a resort, needs major updating

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Property grounds are beautiful but facilities are getting very tired and worn, needs refurbishing.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2020

jenny

nice experience.