Shamrock Bay Resort

The resort has residents" flying drones over the private property of actual year round homeowners and taking photos of under age children. It's just horrible like do I really have to get police involved!!!! Just makes me sick"

The resort was fantastic! Our family had a great time.Cottages were well stocked with all the necessities you would need from the kitchen to the very comfortable bedroomsPools were well maintained and clean, great main office with Kawartha Dairy ice cream.This is a superb location for a couples or family trip!

Very expensive. Pool was crowded. Weekends are noisy not uncommon to hear people yelling and partying until 3 a.m. management does not enforce their rules. The weekends are not monitored people with golf carts and cars can be heard all night. There is a rental program which was not controlled and not checked they do not know who entering or exiting the resort. Resort fees are about $9000 per season and dock fees are about $1300. They had an open hole in 2021for septic where they warned not to light fireworks in the area and deemed it to be very dangerous. There is not a security gate and ATV'S are seen quite often driving through the resort. Some of the people were very nice, others were very disrespectful and disruptive. Shamrock Bay is owned by Great Blue Resorts. Management and some of the workers do not go out of there way to help and treat you like you have leprosy and make up rumours. There are 250 units paying about $9000 each. I have seen much better for a third of the costs.

BUYERS BEWAREThis resort is operated by a company called Great Blue Resorts. The owners of the cottages must sign into an occupancy agreement. Here are some reasons why you should know how this works and why it’s bad for you.The occupancy agreement that you sign as a cottage owner is limited to 1 year. This means that the property owner can change anything they want in the agreement, every single year. That includes resort policies, rules, restrictions, and most importantly, fees.You would think this sort of arrangement would fall into Ontario’s Residential Tenancy Act, but you’d only be half-right. Many of the resort’s agreement clauses are counter to the Ontario Residential Tenancy Act. They could be fought, but they’re not.Our biggest grievance must be the arbitrary increase in our annual occupancy fee. In 2019, the fee was about $6000. In 2023, the fee is $7500. That’s a 25% increase over three years! And there were no improvements made to the property during this time.Another huge change they made for the 2023 season was the resale clause. In 2023, they included a clause in the occupancy agreement stating that you could not sell your unit to someone else that planned to keep in on site if the unit was more than 20 years old. Essentially, this clause rapidly reduces the value of our unit and at the 20-year mark, will render our unit worthless.Speaking of selling, another clause that was changed in the last couple of years is something called the occupancy transfer fee. If you want to sell your unit privately, at your own cost, you must pay the resort a 10% + HST fee based on the selling price. This used to be a flat $500 and during the pandemic, it was waived altogether. Essentially, a shakedown charge for the privilege of changing ownership. Of course, if you sell directly to the resort, at a greatly deflated cost (typically 60% of what you can probably sell it for), they waive that fee. Selling your unit can be difficult as you’re not allowed to put up any signs, even in the windows. However, the units that the resort sells, have signs and banners all over the place.Here a few other clauses taken from the occupancy agreement that I feel are suspect:• “The resort reserves the right to vary existing charges or introduce new charges from time to time…”• “The Occupant will at all times indemnify and save harmless the Releasees from and against any and all loss, damage, costs and liabilities and actions or proceedings…in any manner arising out of…the negligence of the Resort or any one or more of the Releasees.”• “In the event that the Occupant wishes to sell its Seasonal Park Model for an amount considered by the Resort, in its sole and unfettered discretion, to be overvalued, giving consideration only to the value of Seasonal Park Model and any decks or additions, it’s age and state of repair, the Resort will not provide a Seasonal Resort License of Occupation Agreement to the potential Purchaser.”• “Vehicles are not to exceed the speed limit of 5 KM, unless otherwise posted. A fine of $250 will be applied for exceeding the speed limit.”I have two recommendations for you; 1. Read the resort’s Seasonal Resort License of Occupation Agreement in detail and ask questions about clauses you’re not sure about. 2. Read the Landlord and Tenant Tribunal’s document on Mobile Home Parks and Land Lease Communities from the Tribunal Ontario website. While these park model homes are a very affordable alternative to a cottage, it’s the hidden costs and random policy changes that may give you pause and think twice.

Amazing, very well maintained grounds. So many kind and fun people, everywhere. I'm so happy my friend has a family cottage here. Highly recommend and can't wait to come back.

Great cottage resort about 90 minutes north of Toronto. Way more affordable than owning a cottage on your own land. Good people, and fun weekly events like live bands, karaoke nights, father and mothers day breakfasts etc

Exceptional resort!Management is a work in progress.

Google review summaryGrace Brown1/5just now on GoogleI am an owner at this resort. This is one of the worst experiences I have ever had. The management does not do to much to help. They keep increasing fees and changing the rules on the occupancy agreement ever single year to suit their needs. There is no consistency or communication with the management and the company itself. Their attutide is take it or leave. They are not concerned with the queries of the owners just as long as the owners pay their astronomical fees without complaining. Buyer beware

If you value your hard earned money, do not take their sales pitch that buying from them is an investment. Great Blue Resorts could care less about how you feel or value their business. They only care about every dime they make off people. When you buy a unit from any of Great Blue’s Resort, you really don’t own the unit - they call all the shots on everything including their exorbitant annual fees, their start up and close service and cause damage to your appliances due to their workers neglect and good luck trying to get them to repair anything they have broken or damaged. If you sell your unit they call ALL the shots. This company is about greed and squeezing every dime from you as they can. And good luck getting any monies back they may owe you.Before you buy from them or sign any agreement with them, have a lawyer review. Your lawyer will tell you they have you by the balls. Take a look at Better Business Bureau complaints of Great Blue Resorts.