The Keltic Lodge Nova Scotia on Ingonish Beach
This time I would like to tell you about our experience at the Keltic Lodge Nova Scotia, a luxury hotel and golf resort at the beginning of the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Tourism Authority invited us as travel bloggers on two research trips to this hotel. I already knew the Keltic Lodge Cape Breton from previous visits to the Cabot Trail as tour guide, although I had not stayed there at the time, but simply enjoyed the view. The Keltic Lodge Resort Ingonish Beach is located on a peninsula at the beginning of the Cabot trails extends into the bay.
Luxury hotel and golf resort at the start of the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island
Just a few meters behind the toll booth of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the road branches off to the luxury hotel Keltic Lodge Resort on Ingonish Beach. So if you want to spend several nights there, you won't be able to get into your hotel without paying the national park fee. Since we were planning to spend more time getting to know the nature of Cape Breton, these fees were part of our travel planning. However, I can well imagine that not all hotel guests plan this way.
The access to the Keltic Lodge Resort on Ingonish Beach first leads through forest, through which a side road to Beach branches off from Ingonish Beach. It is worth making a detour here for those who only drive through the national park, because the view of the peninsula and the hotel is breathtaking.
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Our room - all the amenities of a luxury hotel?
The street quickly becomes a one-way street that leads past buildings before reaching the main building of the luxury hotel. We check in there, but are sent back to the houses we passed on the driveway. Not all of the guest rooms are in the main building. We are accommodated in the annex, in a room that could easily accommodate several families.
However, it has more of the "charm" of a motel room than that of a lodge. I had imagined it differently. Admittedly, nothing was missing - the beds were large and good. The room was extremely large, with a seating area, a desk, a wardrobe and a closet for clothes and suitcases. And the bathroom was well-kept, clean and had all the facilities you would expect from a hotel in this price range. The only thing I was missing was taste and the right ambience - and that was what I had actually wanted.
If you want to experience the charm of this hotel, you should reserve a room in the main building instead. The rooms there are much smaller, but they are also more comfortable. We stayed there on one of our other trips along the Cabot Trail.
The restaurant in the main building, the lobby and the large bar are comfortably furnished and match what we experienced during our overnight stay in the main building. They offer wonderful views of the bay. Here you can experience wonderful sunsets and morning sunrises.
The restaurants of the Keltic Lodge Resort on Ingonish Beach
Breakfast is only served in the main building at the Keltic Lodge. And since I need my cup of coffee in the morning before I can do any major physical activity - and for me that includes walking from our accommodation to the restaurant - we drove to the main building in the morning. Breakfast is served as an impressive buffet. The selection of dishes was enormous and good. And the service was what I would expect in a hotel in this price range. The only thing I missed was the ability to order breakfast from the menu.
For dinner we had a choice. We could either eat in the Purple Thistle Breakfast Room, the main restaurant of the lodge, wearing a tie - the menu looked very inviting, but the prices were correspondingly high. Or we could eat in a more casual atmosphere in the Àrdan Rùm Restaurant near the annex, which was only a few steps from our room and charged normal prices for large portions.
Tired from our day trips, we preferred the second restaurant during our first stay. The relaxed atmosphere matched the great experiences in the national park and along the Cabot Trail, and the food met our expectations. The view of the bay and the north coast of Cape Breton Island was also very beautiful.
Real fine dining, however, is offered by dinner in the Purple Thistle Room in the main restaurant. There you can order from the menu, which is served with perfect service. However, you have to be prepared for high prices here. If you want to treat yourself to something special on your trip through Cape Breton Island, this is the place for you.
This has to be in the suitcase for hikes on the Cabot Trail
- When hiking we wear solid hiking boots, They also are good on uneven paths.
- On a hike you need a backpackin which you will find drinks, snacks, a jacket and odds and ends.
- Check our hiking checklistwhether you have packed everything you need for your hike.
- Use our checklist for a beach vacation and pack everything you need for a swim in the suitcase.
Conclusion: The Keltic Lodge is a luxury resort with everything that goes with it
The Keltic Lodge in Cape Breton offers a variety of accommodation options to suit every traveler. There is the historic main building, which exudes classic charm and offers views of the surrounding coastline. Those looking for more privacy can stay in the cozy cottages scattered throughout the property. These offer direct access to nature and are ideal for quiet stays.
The Inn at Keltic also has its advantages. It is located a little away from the main house, allowing for a more relaxed stay. All accommodations are perfectly integrated into the surroundings and offer access to the region's hiking trails and coastal landscapes.
No matter which accommodation you choose, each one offers a special connection to the impressive nature of Cape Breton.
Travel Arrangements:
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Getting to Keltic Lodge:
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Keltic Lodge
313 Keltic Inn Road
Ingonish Beach
B0C 1L0
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Hotels:
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Do you already know
Source: own research on site (we paid for a stay in this hotel ourselves). However, the Nova Scotia Tourism Authority invited us to our second stay on one of our research trips. We are very grateful for this. However, our rating remains unaffected.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
