I was a little skeptical about booking at this hotel. We usually stay at B&B's for personal getaways, plus I was not familiar with the reservation site that they utilize (http://www.booking.com). Prior tripadvisor reviews were the push I needed to go for it. I'm so glad I did!! We were in the area for a concert at Polson Pier in Toronto and didn't want to spend a fortune for a metro hotel on top of our concert and travel expenses. Staying outside of the area was not only cost-effective, but it gave us a jump on our day when we didn't have to deal with morning traffic when leaving in the morning for the drive home. It was extremely convenient, too - only about 20 minutes from the venue and an easy, direct route.
The hotel itself was very nice - not cozy and personal like a B&B, not sumptuous like some higher-end hotels - but clean, convenient, quiet and accommodating. The check-in process was easy - polite and welcoming. Our room was spacious and clean with everything we needed and more (fridge, microwave). The pool area was clean and relaxing - a great way to unwind after our drive, before heading into Toronto for the concert. There are plenty of food choices in the area from Thai to the ever-present Tim Hortons to our beloved Swiss Chalet. Speaking of food choices - the 'continental' breakfast was wonderful!! So much more than what I would consider a 'continental' breakfast - there was fruit, hot entrees including eggs and breakfast meats (sausage, bacon), muffins, toast & jellies or honey, bagels & cream cheese, cereals, yogurt (Activia brand! Nice touch!), milk, juice, wonderful coffee. Be aware - the breakfast hours are morning only, not "Free Home-Style Continental Breakfast every day – all day!" as stated on the 'Amenities' page of the hotel's website. The hours breakfast is served are very accommodating - from 6:30 am to 10:00 or 11:00 am daily.
The only glitches were handled promptly and professionally. The hotel did not have record of our reservation made through booking.com. Unfortunately, I was told that this is not unusual - booking.com is supposed to fax over the reservations to the Admiral Inn and they apparently drop the ball on that with some regularity. I had my printed confirmation, which the desk clerk made record of to check us in and to communicate back to booking.com re: their failing. It's fortunate a room was available or this could have been a HUGE problem. In the future when we stay here, and we will, I will call the hotel directly to make my reservation OR call after I make one online to be sure they have record. I will also bring the printed confirmation again. Also, the lock to the pool area malfunctioned, and maintenance had to be called to allow us access. The lock was truly broken, causing an issue for maintenance that was not readily fixed during our stay. Yes, we were able to get into the pool in a matter of minutes, but the door had to remain propped during our stay, making me concerned for children in the hotel. Not an ideal situation.
I will not hesitate to stay here when we have occasion to visit Toronto and the surrounding suburbs in the future!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC