Whereas the rest of the resort was showing its age, Silks the 'nice' restaurant at Horseshoe, was a pleasant surprise. Dark, elegant and great for couples (kids too, at this family-friendly resort). The service was attentive. The food was both tasty, substantial and very prettily presented.

We started with the charcuterie plate - it was a bountiful and artfully presented platter of a delicious... more

Was staying in the area and we came just to skate for a bit. The rink is in their adventure park and it was open until 10pm! It's free to use and they have skate rentals for around $10. The rink itself was pretty mediocre (not super well groomed since it was really late), but it was completely empty when we went there! There are adorable warming huts and a fire pit right beside it so you can... more

So this was my first time trying out my new fancy spancy gear and actually I should say my first time trying any sort of winter board sports.

My friends decided to go for the afternoon but I took a look at the website and saw they offered a beginner introduction course so I decided to come earlier and get some practise in.
The intro lesson was $40 but I think it sucked that on top of that you... more

Went here for snowboarding. This place is actually pretty good. Disclaimer: I'm still "beginner" level, and also this is the first resort in Canada (I'd previously only visited resorts in sunny California).

Pros:
-close to Toronto. The drive was a little over an hour. Easy drive too (no windy roads up a mountain; single lanes, etc)
-not too crowded (compared to what I'm used to). Minimal wait... more

I went here to try out Snowboarding for the first time so I really had nothing to compare it too. However, I can definitely tell you that Snowboarding is super fun and full of falls and biffs that make you stronger!

It is about a 1.5hr drive to the mountain and the price for an all day lift ticket was $52 plus $42 fo rental and $6 for a Helmet. Make sure you bring your own goggles. The... more

Hôtel de barrie en ontario

Nous avons aimé notre séjour. Les gens étaient très gentils et courtois. Mais il y a quelques petites lacunes. 1 Les oreillers son vraiment trop gros et durs. 2 Nous n'avions pas de savon pour la douche. Seulement 1 savon pour le lavabo. Pour l'ensemble de l'Hôtel, tout était bien.

Good but not Great

We were only staying overnight to attend a funeral. We arrived very late and were told that the restaurant was closed but they gave us the number for a pizza place that delivers directly to the rooms. The swimming pool opens at 7am and the restaurant at 7:30 which was perfect for us. We were able to watch the sun rise while in the pool and the restaurant serve an absolute beautiful breakfast... more

Nice weekend getaway

Great room. Reasonably priced breakfast buffet Lots to do

Horseshoe Resort

Very nice accomodations in a lovely countryside setting.

Beautiful scenery even in late October.

We visited to celebrate our 36th anniversary. Room was lovely, pool beautiful, a fun, resort feeling even in the off-season. Nice affordable breakfast buffett. Would love to come in winter to watch all the skiers!

Nice hotel with a poor restaurant.

We had a very nice stay in a great room. The landscape around the hotel is great and the walking trails are excellent. The big let down was the Crazy Horse. The staff were great but the food was was not very good at all. Everything we had was certainly frozen and poorly executed. Burger was out of a box and the bun was stale. Fish was freezer burned Captain Highliner. Big let down.

Good

I would stay again, the staff were very professional rooms were clean. Thank you for going above and beyond!

Checked and the resort on a Monday afternoon (Sept 15/14) - I made the reservation about a month prior for a two bedroom unit with a complete kitchen.

About two weeks before my reservation I called the resort to confirm what type of room we had only to find that it was just a double room. Disappointed as we needed a room that was going to be able to have two bedrooms with a living room and a... more

Great location

This was great for the day/night since we came up for the awesome adventure park. Nice pools indoor and out and hot tub. The hotel does not have room service or the complimentary breakfasts or microwave like many do but it has the licensed restaurant the crazy horse across the way which has great food for family with kids with decent prices and large servings. This hotels bonus is the manager... more

Fabulous

We were running a golf tournament for two days for 33 folks. Every single person who we dealt with over our two day stay from the golf cart staff to the reception desk to the chef were most polite and accommodating. It was one of the most enjoyable hotels experiences that we have had in the last few years. They... more

Awesome family fun, but don't expect world-class style

My family loved the Horseshoe. There was something for everyone to do. The staff went above and beyond. It isn't a five-star place. In some places it is slightly rundown. Nonetheless, we had a blast and thought it was great. It is perfect if you seek a casual, comfortable resort for the family.

Nice Hotel Needing Some Improvements

We decided to get away for a few days for my boyfriends birthday and I knew he wanted to do zip lining so Horseshoe seemed like the perfect spot. Room was clean and comfortable; staff was very friendly, and we did enjoy our few days away. A few things that I question; 1.) both pools were very cold making it... more

Condo rooms need TLC

We have just returned from a two-night stay in a slope-side condo booked with a WagJag Jaunt offer.
A few weeks before our stay, when we read some of the negative reviews about these rooms on this very website, we asked the resort if we could be lodged in one of the renovated condo suites in the same building, only... more

Great weekend away - Spa, Golf, Food and a Casino close by

The room was very nice with a sunken living room and fireplace. The bathroom was huge and very luxurious; a huge glass shower and seperate deep soaker tub. The staff was very friendly and wonderful overall. I golfed at the Highlands and it was amazing; a beautiful and very manicured course. My wife used the spa for a pedicure and... more

Great Resort

Horseshoe Resort was a great resort to stay at. There are many activities for the whole family to enjoy, the rooms were flawless and the service, overall, was the best we've ever seen in many years of staying at different resorts and hotels.The condo unit that my family stayed is very nice newly renovated its like a brand new unit.... more

Fun place, condo little dated, spa forgot to book me in

Rented the two bedroom condo for 4 nights. The kids had a blast at the Adventure Park, but I thought the passes were a bit pricey for the amount of time you get to use them. The park opens at 11:00 and closes at 6:00, so when we bought our tickets at 1:00 felt we had to race through the... more

need some improvements

Our room have some flies . We stay at the resort for two nights and never changed the bathroom towels . No shampoo in the bathroom . outdoor pool not available at that time .
Breakfast is pricey . Parks should open earlier than 11:00 AM

Great Active Family Getaway

We spent 2 nights 3 days at Horseshoe with our 3 kids and a friend of one of our boys, ages 3, 11 &13.
There was something for everyone at the Adventure Park. The pools were great and the Mountain Bike Trails were perfect for first timers through advanced.
We stayed in the condos; the unit was just renovated. Great... more

Renovated slope side condo stay

My family of five including two children (9 and 12) and grandma stayed last week in a fifth floor, fully renovated condo. The condo had two bedrooms, the master with its own bathroom and king bed, a second bedroom with a queen bed, and it also had a new pull out sofa bed in the living room. There is a... more

Beautiful resort, very nice stay

A great family resort, well appointed with a lot of activities. Our family enjoyed the scenery, the clean modern rooms and our kids enjoyed the zip line and OGO. We had a great view on the third floor of the Inn, looking at a golf green from our sunken living room in a loft suite. The only negative and it... more

Recent Family of Four Vacation

There is only one word that can describe our experience...perfect!
Perfect activities for the kids and grown ups.
We enjoyed tree top trekking immensely : )
Mike from our Hummer tour so graciously went back to get my daughter's hat after she lost it during an awesomely bumpy ride...Thanks Mike - the Hummer tour was awesome!!!
The front desk people... more

One night quick stay

Short. Trip from Toronto my kids love the adv park plus the tree top trekking
The only issue is the food at the resort is sub par but the rooms where clean and the staff more than accommodating and helpful.
Over. All great time we knew. Going in about the food.

Do not waste your money

First of all: Dated, run down and lastly nothing to do
Under construction, but it doesnt look like its improving at all
Pools are below average at best
Spend your money at any other Ontario resort
again, DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Family Fun

We've just returned from 3 days and 2 nights at Horseshoe Resort. I was lucky enough to find a Wagjag offer that allowed us to experience Horseshoe while staying within this years vacation budget. Our package included passes to the Adventure Park, which the kids (and I) loved! The zipline and OGO balls were must-do's for us and were very... more

Becoming run down

3rd stay on the property (2nd time in the condos) and it's really showing its age. Stained carpets, peeling wallpaper. We paid an insane amt for 2 nights (premium rate due to the Warrior Dash race) and were very disappointed. We arrived to garbage in the bag under the sink, and an old stove with the rear burner not working.... more

Fantastic Get away

I have no words to thank Ivan -Front Office Manager and Kimberly - Front desk for the best customer service we have ever received at a hotel ( and we have traveled a lot all over the world!!!). They went above and beyond to assist us with a couple of issues we had with Tree Top Trekking ( a different... more

Paid a premium price ($300 + per night) for a room and facilities that were subpar to a value hotel

Rooms were damp and uncomfortable.
A vaue room at a premium price.
Room was not cleaned until after complaining in the evening before dinner.
The bathroom did not have a tub and the shower was moldy.
The toiletries were provided minimally. The body wash/shampoo dispenser that was difficult to get the soap out of. I worry for anyone who has... more

Hotel needs some updating

My 4 children and I recently stayed at Horseshoe Resort for a night, and we had Adventure passes to use the next day, which I will review separately. The hotel was located very conveniently next to the Adventure park, so it is a very small walk to the park for activities.
The hotel room was clean, and the beds were... more

Situated in ancient glacial hills

First time visit and 2 night stay to this jewel of a resort west of BARRIE, Ontario. Glorious beauty surrounds this sanctuary away from the urban jungle. Many green and beautiful trees, spacious grounds, next to a golf course. Lots of activities to participate in, horseback riding, swimming, biking , archery, and many more simply fun things to do. Room... more

Good decision to stay here

We only had a couple of days for holidays and I needed to ensure we got the best bang for our buck. We didn't have time to go Niagara way, so I looked north, and east. Horseshoe Resort offered "free golf with room" and it was by far the best price. I had been reading the reviews here and was... more

Stinky, dirty, old

The photos on the web is a 5star but the actual condo room for me is a 2star not even. The cost for the two bedroom condo with kitchen and living room is $354. It is too much for 2 nights thinking it was already 50% on the 2nd night...for the actual place totally far from photos.

Awesome summer fun for the whole family

We loved our family weekend summer adventure to Horseshoe Valley. There was so much to do for both adults and kids. We will be certainly return again for more fun. Rooms are clean and comfortable and staff is very friendly and family orientated. As avid winter snowboarders, we are now fans of what horseshoe has to offer in the summer... more

Staff of Contradicitons

Went here with another family so 4 adults and 3 kids aged 11 and 12. Rooms were nice.First thing to know there are lots of great activities. Mini putt, climbing wall, Ogo ball (you only get 1 roll down the hill additional rolls are $7-SERIOUSLY) and ziplining plus other minor activities. Second to know, they don't open until 11AM and... more

A whirlwind of family fun all in one night's stay

We needed a quick, local getaway and Horseshoe provided that opportunity. Travelling with my husband, and two children (under 11) our destination was the adventure park. We had driven there last year for a day (drove in an out) and this year we wanted to add the nights stay.
Upon our arrival we learned that it was the "Warrior Dash"... more

Dog friendly in every way

Knowing how dog owners often put their pet’s interests ahead of their own creature comforts I will start with Bentley’s rating which was a 5 tail wag, his top box rating.
How so ?
Our room #114 was on the ground floor very close to an exit door leading out to a grassy knoll above a golf green. This meant... more

Mediocre anniversary getaway

Room: checked into room 112 with a view of a wood she's infront of window - we originally asked for valley view room. Went to front desk and they switched us to room 130 - much better! Beautiful view.
The room was pretty clean except for the carpet, it had grass all over the place.
Pool:
The small pool is... more

Seriously dated condo suite, but a good nights sleep

We spent a night in a two bedroom condo (1 master with a queen and another with 2 twins, 2 bathrooms, full kitchen, dining, living room, and enclosed balcony). The building was located right beside the outdoor pool. The resort itself is nice and has beautiful views of nature, however the building we were in looked like it was from... more

Great fun for kids, just don't sweat the small stuff

We've stayed at Horseshoe for a long weekend each summer for the past few years to attend a baseball tournament in Orillia. It's a great place to turn the kids loose without worrying about their safety. It has everything the kids love, including indoor and outdoor pools and the Adventure Park. The rooms have been recently renovated and in general... more

WagJag Jaunt 2 day special, NOT THAT SPECIAL

My wife bought the WagJag deal for $399.00 for 2 nights that included the Park passes for 1 day.
As soon as we walked into the room my 18 and 13 year old wanted to leave. The smell in the room was overwhelming, damp, mouldy. The floors were stained and sticky as were the tables.
The place is well worn... more

Great way to finish a hectic, multi centre holiday

We finished our family holiday with 3 nights at the Horseshoe Resort after visiting London, Washington, New York and Toronto. My wife thought it would be a good idea to wind down with some physical outdoor activities and chose the Resort. She was right in every respect and the Horseshoe Resort was a great choice. Tree Top Trekking, 2000 ft... more

Ok bit definately over priced

Main outside pool is still broken, everytime I visit never open! Shampoo bottles in shower were empty, air conditioning did not work thankfully it wasn't too hot!!! And the worse part were the dogs that barked in the hallway everytime they entered or exited their room!! Crazy horse service was extremely slow, there were flies everywhere inside the restaurant.... Def... more

Think again before staying here

We spent one night at the hotel part of this resort. The room was ok, nothing special, we had a room at the back, no view. There wasn't a tub, only a standup shower. The hotel outdoor pool was under construction. Isn't this the height of their season, they should be fully functioning. The indoor pool and hot tub were... more

So much to do, so little time

I recently stayed for one night here on a familiarization tour as a guest of a friend who books her company's corporate events and meetings. The day began with lunch and introductions at the Highlands golf club. We then proceeded to check in our rooms and stayed in a deluxe room that looked newly renovated and the bathroom was beautiful... more

Family Getaway

Stayed over the August long weekend. Fantastic resort with great service an amenities. Lovely stay.

Pricey room, nice resort

The room was comfortable and modern with a nice fireplace sitting area and a soaking tub with a separate standing shower. Too pricey for only the room, I was expecting some activities and breakfast to be included but there was none. Everything cost extra, too expensive for one night.

Lovely family vacation

The resort is family friendly with lots if activities. Rooms are a bit dated but very clean. Pool was less than expected. Service was friendly and helpful.

Excellent Hotel

Lovely big room which was clean and modern, friendly staff and great amenities for a long weekend stay. Will definitely return.

Fun

We purchased the day pass for the adventure park! Tons of fun for the family!! The zip line is a must!! There is something for every age group-puttputt, a maze, a climbing wall and a mini climbing wall, archery, sifting for gems, zipline, picnic area...a whole day!

Awesome summer family fun

We had a great family weekend action packed! Kids , both 9 years, loved all the activities in the adventure park and the tree trekking. The resort rooms are clean and comfy and both restaurants off great food. We snowboard here in the winter which is great but this was our first time in the summer and well worth it.... more

I can't say what this place is like in the winter, but that summer Groupon sucks. The attractions are just backyard toys for kids and toddlers, set in a small area. Even if you do have small kids, it's not worth the drive. I wish that they had specified "FOR KIDS" on the groupon description.

My fiance and I got the "summer play" groupon option that included archery, paddle boats, rock... more

Good resort

Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I only stayed one night as we booked the Adventure Tree Top Trekking package. It was a little expensive, but the service was great.
Everyone who worked there were so friendly. We didn't have any problems checking in, and they provided us with all the info we needed and helped answer any questions we had.
We... more

Beware

First of all, the bed sheets felt like sand paper, the walls are paper thin and there is a terrible smell when you walk in. I am referring to the slope condos, the beds consist of 2 twin beds, not comfortable at all. The carpets and walls have stains.
The only plus is the indoor and outdoor pool, the adventure... more

Beautiful views from your not so elegant room

We stayed at Horseshoe 2 bedroom condo in Christmas and Summer. The view is beautiful. You can see skiers from your living room and bedroom in winter and in Summer the view of trees and nature is breathtaking.
The rooms need some works done but hey are clean. The staff are friendly and helpful.
As for the adventure park, there... more

Not for the handicapped

Lovely rooms great food and service BUT the bathroom lacked safety grab bars in the shower and the floors became VERY slippery with just the slightest amount of water. In addition, the toilet is far too low and the safety bars were poorly placed, requiring a second person to help a disabled or elderly person to get on or off... more

Good Accommodation

This is the second time we have visited here. The apartments are spacious and well equipped. The facilities in the apartments are adequate for weekly breaks and the beds are very comfortable. The apartments have air conditioning. A good place to stay to visit Barrie area.

Beautiful location. Fun course

Especially liked the golfing up in the Highlands course of Horseshoe Valley.
The staff are excellent too.

very concerned part 2

I just found out today that they are updating the condo units we are staying in. Very pleased to learn of this, so desperately needed. However, it might have been nice for the front desk to warn us that the entire floor right above us use jack hammers all day. THEN, when we finally give up trying to have a... more

Very concerned

I just checked in and my 2 bedroom condo is very concerning. Stains in the carpet, on the ceiling, the walls. I feel like I have been transported to a place from the 1980s that hasn't been touched since. It's rather gross. The lobby has broken looking luggage carriers, the floor has warped and lifted tiles, the paint is peeling.... more

Updated Room was nice

I have stayed there quite a few times and the updated room was pretty nice. Always quite and a good sleep. They have some really nice beds. Shower and tub for 2 was awesome. Overall it's a good place for a couples getaway.

Renovations to rooms in progress

We just got home from a stay here, off season for a wedding. We had one of the newly renovated rooms. Cost was $180 for the night which was steep considering it was a "wedding rate". The room was just renovated. At first glance it looks well done and fresh. But...looking closer they sure did cheap out! The new caulking... more

Lots of Snow Bunnies and Families

Skiing and après-ski was fab!
Slopes come in all levels of difficulty. Instruction is easily available and affordable. As best ski area in Barrie, a bit pricey. Well maintained hills.

Not for Handicapped

Restaurant not in main building. Located much too far for me to walk even with my walker. We were there only because we'd been told by Expedia that it was the only place available in Barrie area for Fri. & Sat. We didn't know it was out of town. Turned out it was a luxury ski lodge. My son had to leave me there while he went back to Barrie to write exams at Georgian College. Getting to our room... more

My expericne 13/14 ski season

I've been a season pass holder at this resort for a few years now. After finishing up the season this year I won't I will renewing next season.
- Inconsiderate resort staff have verbally abused me after I confronted them on blatant discourteous acts. Off-duty resort staff, wearing resort uniform, pushed me an my family while jumping the cue, while... more

quick weekend getaway/knowledgable about food allergies

We went their last weekend of skiing. Room at the Inn had been renovated, was very nice. We were too busy skiing to use the pool. They could use staff at the lift lineups. Food prices in the cafeteria are what I expect for ski hills. Staff in the cafeteria knew what we should stay away from to order with... more

Would have been nice to know the hills closed at 4:30pm

We had a good time out of the city at this quiet and fresh snow fall covered resort, however upon my second visit to this resort I was far from impressed.
Upon arrival we were happy to hear that our room was ready early. However key programing systems were down and we waited almost two hours for our keys to... more

Good resort and nice service. Very impressed how fast the room got cleaned. However, the ski rental process is messy. No store around the resort in 5 KM.

Ski resort

Was good for a family ski vacation for beginner ski or snowboarders. Restaurant in resort was very good but not inexpensive. Surrounding restaurants are ok.

perfect winter gateway

The hotel was nice. The staff was very pleasant and welcoming - everyone was very helpful. The only downside was that the heating system in the room was making crazy noise whenever it would turn on. Otherwise, the room was spacious and clean.

Great hills, nicely groomed and clean - my only complaint is that their signage is terrible - what is a green, blue or black run can be difficult to determine as the signs don't agree with the maps, and trails tend to split off from one another without warning. I'm a decent enough skier that it wasn't a problem if i ended up on a more difficult hill than i was anticipating, but Horseshoe could... more

On the night of the crazy ice storm that hit Toronto and froze half the city, our family decided to drive all the way to Barrie and stay at Horseshoe Resort for a short family vacation. Luckily, we survived and escaped that "end of the world" apocalypse Toronto was in.

When we arrived at Horseshoe and got settled in our hotel room, I took in the dingy brown hued room that I was going to sleep... more

This is a great place to learn to ski or snowboard but it's not a massive resort that offers a lot of challenging hills. We were learning to snowboard so it suited us fine. Out friends are good skiers and snowboarders and they had a good time but commented that the resort is not too challenging. They have night skiing/snowboarding so you can get a lot of runs in. Definitely recommend this place... more

Happy Thanksgiving

We very much enjoyed our stay at Horseshoe for Canadian Thanksgiving again this year. This was a combined family-business event. Skyline Hotels has taken over management and done a number of upgrades... more

Horseshoe Resort

The staff were great. The adventure park is pretty fun but the rooms, while big, are tied. The carpets are stained and generally the place feels like it needs to be redone. Blue Mountain is a... more

Excellent mini get away!

This was our second stay at Horseshoe, the last was 2 years ago. What a big improvement in the rooms. Our room was totally redone and very modern. It was very warm and welcoming. The staff were... more

So I looked into resorts near Toronto and came up with Horseshoe Valley Resort. But my stay here started out weak and then turned into a nightmare. Scroll down to "The Ugly" if you're the type to skip to the horror scene. Halloween came early I tell ya.

THE GOOD-

-Summer midweek sale 25% off your stay. Tempting right?
-Decent suites with nice plantation shutters and all-glass showers... more

It's like an adult fun park! =)

They have ogoing, zipling, mazes, mini-golf, tree top trekking (which I wish I had the time for). I recommend going to Horseshoe Valley Ski Resort on the weekend because I made the drive in early June to be sadly disappointed that they weren't open. I personally wanted to enjoy shorter lines, I didn't think there wouldn't be lines at all! My guess is that they... more

This is NOT a great place if you're a legitimate skier....but it great for some other things...apparently for rolling around in giant, plastic balls and ziplining, which is something you can do in the summer. There are also rock-climbing walls.

I have only been in the winter, so I'm going to comment on that! I think that if you're learning to ski, this is a great place for you. The hills are... more

I came to this resort to ski their cross-country trails. As a novice, you are looking for accesible trails that still provide a bit of challenge. HVR has the flat terrains to practice your glide; and a bit of an incline to practice the arrowhead and the wedge for the beginner skiier.

I enjoyed the trails because I learned & practiced. I did both yellow trails. It may seem as nothing to the... more

Realistically this place is a means to an end. They're the only place that offers night skiing for those of us who work the 9-5 grind that's close enough to Toronto to not be a total inconvenience. The next closest option is Mount St. Louis-Moonstone which IMO is 10 times the ski resort (by Ontario standards) but falls short for lacking night skiing/snowboarding.

However lets speak about HVR... more

I went to Horseshoe Valley recently for snow tubing with a group of 10 people and I gotta say, HVR is clearly not your best spot for snow tubing in Ontario but it wasn't bad either! Granted, they don't have the steepest nor that longest (or even longish) rides but hey, we had fun!

Highlights:

- For a weekend with gorgeous sunny weather, this place was DEAD, which meant we went on the rides... more

Great little ontario break

Really enjoyed our little break back up North. Crazy horse has a fun mix of a menu and the activity is reminiscent of a much bigger resort, but with really personable staff. Wish I could remember the lovely "Irish lass's" name, but they were all charming.... more

Great on a summers day!

I'd always wanted to go 'ZORBing' and was very excited to hear that I didn't have to trek to New Zealand before I could try it! While Horsehoe calls it OGOing... the extreme zorbing is basically like a huge waterslide, though, you are within a large plastic ball filled with water. Its way better than a water slide as you can easily rotate around inside the ball - and... more

This review is mainly for the adventure park as I don't really see a point in making another business for the same place. The adventure park I would say is best for ages 6-16, some of the activities you needed to be a certain height or weight limit so some younger kids weren't able to participate.
By far the best was the OGOing (hampster ball filled with water) that you took down the dry ski... more

Lets be honest, we live in ontario... and it's flat. This is one of the few places we have to ski and it's about 1 hour outside of toronto. I guess it's really all we have so we can't complain that much can we?

Out of the big 3 ski resorts in barrie/collingwood area, this is one of them. The others are private/semi private resorts which will cost you a pretty penny.

For something in ontario,... more