Name: Northwinds Motel
Address: 2838 Highway 6, Ferndale, Lion's Head, Canada, Lion's Head, Ontario, CA
Price range: $139–$139 per night
Rating: 7.8

What guests think

At Northwinds Motel, travellers often describe a simple, budget-friendly stay with very clean rooms and friendly, accommodating staff, while also noting dated decor, the lack of air conditioning with only fans, and occasional musty or moldy odours in some rooms.

Many appreciate the quiet rural setting and convenient access to Lion’s Head, Tobermory, and the Bruce Peninsula. Pricing is often considered fair for the area, with multiple reviews calling it good value for short stays. Some guests point out thin walls and upstairs footsteps, and a few bathrooms feel quite small. Expect a straightforward, older property best for short stays if you prioritize a quiet base over modern amenities.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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Facilities

Not enough information in reviews.

Related guest reviews

10

Jason

May 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Fantastic service! This was a very local motel where we stayed one night in 2 rooms (out of the 4 available). This was a no frills stay in a quiet area, a reasonable drive from Tobermory. Great place to get a good night's sleep. The owner was so accommodating with our arrival, and the free parking was great.

10

Diana

Aug 8, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Janet was so nice to accommodate us earlier than the check in time. She even phoned me to check where we were so. She welcomed and oriented us around giving instructions and information that we needed to know. Days prior to our stay, she messaged me just to communicate. Well Done! * Rooms were so clean and organized. * Kitchen is completely stacked with all the things you need from utensils to glasses to plates, etc. * It’s also equipped with all the kitchen appliances you need from coffee maker, toaster, microwave, fridge and even stove. * I highly recommend this place!!!

8

Elizabeth

Nov 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There is no bar or restaurant in this hotel; we had to walk a block to the only restaurant in the area

2

Lini

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I like the back of the motel, it has a table there, and the view there is pretty good. We booked two rooms, but the smell in the rooms was so bad, and the neighbour was pretty loud in the morning too.

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Cleanliness

Rooms are frequently described as very clean. However, several reviews report persistent musty or moldy odours and occasional unpleasant smells.

Related guest reviews

10

David

Jun 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and bed. Places to eat near by

10

Evgeni

Aug 29, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great motel for the money. Clean and has everything you need. staying as a family, we just wanted a place to sleep over night that clean and convenient. This hotel met all expectations.

6

Maria-Cinta

Aug 25, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Average room. It had a strong smell unfortunately.

10

Ruth

Jul 23, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Janet was very helpful when arranging check in and out. Room was somewhat dated, but very clean, comfortable and convenient.

2

Abby

Jul 6, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

I stayed up all night because of the terribly mold smell of the room. No air conditioning and a small fan. I keep the fan on all night tried to get the mold smell away. However despite of the fan and essential oil, the mold smell is still intense. The room is small, no sunlight so it's explained the terribly moldy smell... So painful and didn't even sleep for one hour

10

Jin

Aug 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was clean and quiet. The staff was very friendly. The motel is a good choice for a short stay of 1 to 3 nights. It could do better with some upgrades of the facilities.

2

Lini

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I like the back of the motel, it has a table there, and the view there is pretty good. We booked two rooms, but the smell in the rooms was so bad, and the neighbour was pretty loud in the morning too.

6

Lucie

Aug 10, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Propre et dame à l'accueil très gentille mais une odeur desagreable dû au tapis dans la chambre et tres bruyant.

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8

Lori

Aug 27, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely little motel- traditional house converted into a charming inn. Check-in was easy, although unconventional. Room was small but not cramped- perfect for a 1-2 night stay. Very clean, even if a little dated. Loved the rural setting- plenty of fun with the cows in the field behind the property! Only ‘complaint’ was the water- very strong iron smell of the water made showering or teeth brushing unpleasant.

8

martin

Jul 31, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Motel figé dans le temps par ses meubles et literies. Pas d’air climatisé, un ventilateur est fourni dans la chambre. Chambre très propre et lit confortable. Très bon prix pour la région en ce temps de vacances

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Rooms

Rooms are basic and dated, and many note there is no air conditioning, with fans provided instead. Noise from thin walls or upstairs footsteps appears in several reviews, and some bathrooms are small.

Related guest reviews

4

Mohammad

Aug 5, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

No Aircondition, and you hear Noise from other rooms

10

Birgit

Jul 28, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The Northwinds was a last minute stay as we didn't get a reservation for the ferry in time. The room was small, lacked a hair blower and ac (had a large fan), was convenient to catch the ferry and visit Lion's Head beforehand. However, the desk staff was more than helpful! Very friendly with some helpful hints for dinner etc. It was a breeze checking in and would stay here in future if we are in the area.

6

Chang

Sep 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly hotel host but moldy smell in the room. We were on the first floor and whenever ppl upstairs walks, it sounded like they will break the ceiling and fall down

6

Vahid

Jul 8, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very small bathroom. The coffee maker is in the washroom!

8

Raihan

Aug 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Quiet area, stayed here while visiting tobermory. The walls are thin so you could hear some outside noise. Overall given the price it was a reasonable accommodation.

4

Thuc Anh

Jul 27, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Very noisy, no air conditioning, coffee machine broken. That was terrible night after a hiking day.

2

Patricia

Jul 18, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

It was below standards. No A/C. Shower too small. Bathroom too small. Just a 1 star motel

2

Lini

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I like the back of the motel, it has a table there, and the view there is pretty good. We booked two rooms, but the smell in the rooms was so bad, and the neighbour was pretty loud in the morning too.

6

Bruno N

Jul 27, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was spacious for our family. It was deathly hot as they do not have any air conditioning and it was 30 plus humidex. Despite that we enjoyed our stay. It was very 1980 ish retro style. Overall a nice stay but definitely could use new furnishings and a good reno. Bring towels as they do not provide them.

8

Paul

Jul 23, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great place to stop overnight in Ferndale, the rooms could use updating and A/C would be a great asset. But all in all it's a quaint little place, kept very clean and the owners are fantastic and offered great communication through the entire visit.

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Service

Service is commonly praised as friendly, helpful, and accommodating with smooth, easy check-in and good communication; one review reports difficulty reaching staff for an issue.

Related guest reviews

10

parita

Jun 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We enjoyed staying at this motel. Good attitude and service of the staff. Thank you

10

bebot

Jul 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The property is cleaned and surroundings are quiet. Friendly owner

8

Richa

May 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The stay was good. Room was clean amd check in check out was very smooth. Janet guided us through every step

8

Lito

Aug 10, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly and accommodating staff

10

Ruth

Jul 23, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Janet was very helpful when arranging check in and out. Room was somewhat dated, but very clean, comfortable and convenient.

2

Patrick

Jul 29, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I had a really terrible experience with this motel. I was able to “check in”, even though there is no staff on site. This is where the problems really began. Since there is no staff on site, if you have an issue, you are going to have an even bigger issue getting it resolved. The toilet in my room had its chain disconnected, and to fix that, you had to know how toilets work and stick your hand in a tank of dank black mold tainted water. Staff were unresponsive to multiple texts and calls. Avoid this motel at all costs.

10

Diana

Aug 8, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Janet was so nice to accommodate us earlier than the check in time. She even phoned me to check where we were so. She welcomed and oriented us around giving instructions and information that we needed to know. Days prior to our stay, she messaged me just to communicate. Well Done! * Rooms were so clean and organized. * Kitchen is completely stacked with all the things you need from utensils to glasses to plates, etc. * It’s also equipped with all the kitchen appliances you need from coffee maker, toaster, microwave, fridge and even stove. * I highly recommend this place!!!

10

Abdus Sami

Jul 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Janet is awesome 😊, property is super clean and gives friendly vibes. We would definitely visit again.

10

Roman

Jun 15, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We were very satisfied with our stay. Cozy place and friendly staff — everything was great!

8

Paul

Jul 23, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great place to stop overnight in Ferndale, the rooms could use updating and A/C would be a great asset. But all in all it's a quaint little place, kept very clean and the owners are fantastic and offered great communication through the entire visit.

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Location

Quiet rural setting and convenient base for exploring Lion’s Head, Tobermory, and the Bruce Peninsula.

Related guest reviews

10

Rostyslav

Jun 23, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Easy to check-in, nice and calm location

10

Jason

May 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Fantastic service! This was a very local motel where we stayed one night in 2 rooms (out of the 4 available). This was a no frills stay in a quiet area, a reasonable drive from Tobermory. Great place to get a good night's sleep. The owner was so accommodating with our arrival, and the free parking was great.

10

John

Sep 4, 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

Just an overnight visit to Lions Head area & really only required a place to sleep. Northwinds was very welcoming, had all we required & reasonably priced. Perfect spot for our needs on this trip. 😁😁

10

David

Jun 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and bed. Places to eat near by

8

Edwin

Jun 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Einrichtungen einfach aber alles sauber, check-in war schnell erledigt, Zimmer hinten raus uns deshalb ruhig, mit Blick ins Grüne

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8

Morvarid

Aug 23, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The motel was nice, clean and quiet for a short trip of one night stay. Janet, one of the staff, was super friendly and gave us lots of information about the area. I recommend this motel as it’s very close to Tobermory around 30minutes and you can explore Lion’s Head as well.

10

Andy

Jul 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A perfect location to explore the Bruce. Great rate for a simple and comfortable room. We would return!

8

Raihan

Aug 19, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Quiet area, stayed here while visiting tobermory. The walls are thin so you could hear some outside noise. Overall given the price it was a reasonable accommodation.

10

Dixitkumar Rameshbhai

Jun 4, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Good place to stay...quite and pleasant area in and outside too. Found safe 👌 Just go with ur own food coz there are very rare options available outside, specially for vegan people😉

8

Lori

Aug 27, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely little motel- traditional house converted into a charming inn. Check-in was easy, although unconventional. Room was small but not cramped- perfect for a 1-2 night stay. Very clean, even if a little dated. Loved the rural setting- plenty of fun with the cows in the field behind the property! Only ‘complaint’ was the water- very strong iron smell of the water made showering or teeth brushing unpleasant.

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Dining

There is no on-site restaurant or bar, and several reviews mention limited dining options nearby, though some note nearby places to eat.

Related guest reviews

10

Birgit

Jul 28, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The Northwinds was a last minute stay as we didn't get a reservation for the ferry in time. The room was small, lacked a hair blower and ac (had a large fan), was convenient to catch the ferry and visit Lion's Head beforehand. However, the desk staff was more than helpful! Very friendly with some helpful hints for dinner etc. It was a breeze checking in and would stay here in future if we are in the area.

10

David

Jun 19, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and bed. Places to eat near by

8

urwashi

Jul 23, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Good lady at the front really helpfull , dine in restaurants nearby good too

8

Elizabeth

Nov 5, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There is no bar or restaurant in this hotel; we had to walk a block to the only restaurant in the area

10

Dixitkumar Rameshbhai

Jun 4, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Good place to stay...quite and pleasant area in and outside too. Found safe 👌 Just go with ur own food coz there are very rare options available outside, specially for vegan people😉

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
June	$134
July	$134
August	$138
September	$103
October	$102

Northwinds Motel

Prices for Northwinds Motel

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed

Apartment, 4 Bedrooms

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds

Guest reviews of Northwinds Motel

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

FAQs about Northwinds Motel

Prices for upcoming dates

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