Not too long ago our family quietly slipped away for a jaunt up north to our favourite resort the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka. You may remember that we visited back in June right after they reopened their doors to guests and it was such a relaxing and much needed change of scenery.

Fast forward four months, and we found ourselves back at The Rosseau having just as amazing a time as we did the first time around. I’m not going to get into all the details of the safety protocols the resort has in place to keep their guests and staff safe – you can read all about it here – but I did want to share a few updates to my last post that I hope will ease your mind about considering a stay away from home at the moment, and hopefully put the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka on your radar for a Fall getaway.

A few more amenities have opened since our last visit, and we welcomed being able to swim in the pool and hot tub, have the option to dine in at any of the four on-site restaurants, take part in some of the daily resort activities, and choose whether we wanted daily housekeeping (complete with disinfection of high-touch areas). Of course masks are required throughout all indoor spaces along with physical distancing, only one family or two persons allowed in the elevator at a time, and limited capacity in all resort programs. These, in additional to Marriott’s Commitment to Cleanliness policy ensure a safe resort experience that our whole family felt very comfortable with and allowed us to relax and enjoy our time together.

Muskoka in the late Fall is pure magic, and the vibrant changing colours turn the landscape into an intense array of colour that’s best viewed from the resort with a glass of wine in hand :) This trip was all about kicking back and relaxing, so while we did enjoy walks around the property taking in the colours and breathtaking lake view, we chose to stick close to the hotel and take advantage of everything they had to offer on site.

There are so many activities and recreation options included in the resort fee that you can choose to be active every minute of the day, or if you’re more like me – just kick back and take it slow. Bicycle rentals, swimming, the fitness centre, and walking trails are some of what you can always expect to be available, plus their Fall 2020 Recreation Schedule offers unique daily activities for all members of the family.

Of course the kids immediately wanted to swim when we found out the indoor/outdoor pool was heated, and an outdoor hot tub in cool weather is pretty much the best thing ever! Another absolute must for the kids when visiting the resort is the Build a Rosseau Buddy activity. The kids are onto their fourth Rosseau Buddy (Canadian animals only of course) and adding to the collection is part of our tradition each time we visit. I particularly appreciated how they limited capacity in The Studio to ensure physical distancing between children and for peace of mind while occupying the indoor space.

The resort has four wonderful on-site restaurants that are currently offering dine-in and take out options, of which we took advantage of both convenient options. Don’t miss ordering the Campfire S’mores for dessert at Chophouse (it’s an IG worthy experience), and the Empress Gin Figgin’ Sour at Lakes might just be the best cocktail I’ve ever had!

All hotel rooms come with either a full kitchen or a kitchenette, so if you choose to make your own meals it’s simply a matter of bringing with you the necessary food supplies (kitchens are fully stocked with everything else you’ll need). We actually brought with us everything we needed to make pasta for lunch one afternoon, so it was super convenient and relaxing to enjoy in the comfort of our room.

We welcomed this little getaway with open arms and embraced all that this Canadian resort only 2.5 hours away from Toronto had to offer – the perfect change of scenery after a summer spent at home. While travel these days might not look like what it used to (and it may not change anytime soon), a getaway close to home can still give you that refreshed and energized feeling you only feel after returning from vacation.

We understand that everyone’s feelings about getting out of the house right now may differ, but our family felt comfortable with our decision to take a mini-vacay up north, and the safety measures in place at the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka ensured we all left feeling exactly the same way.

*Our stay was hosted by the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka, however, all opinions are always my own.