Over dinner a few weeks ago one of my best friends bemoaned that she was way overdue for some time away. “Let’s leave over spring break!” immediately jumped in another friend. Suddenly there were echoes of yes around the table and dates being thrown around. Having figured out a week-end, everyone suddenly turned to me, “Carla you can find us a deal right?”…. As the resident travel expert, I nodded my head in agreement and the list of requirements starting coming at me for the perfect chalet: it needs a fireplace, log-cabin style, a cathedral ceiling, a hot tub, a bbq, couldn’t be more than 2 hours away, at least 3 bedrooms, etc…. To say they made my task difficult would be an understatement, but I love a good challenge when it comes to travelling!
Finding Club Lac Walfred
I turned to AirBnb to look for potential chalet options and I was having a hard time finding something that was available, on budget, and met the extensive criteria set out for me. Finally, I lucked out and I found this gem: Club Lac Walfred (link) owned by Like a Hotel. Located one hour from Montreal in the Laurentians, these luxurious chalets can fit 8 to 10 people. We opted for the smaller one known as the Mistral since we were only 7 people.
The Mistral chalets comes with 2 closed bedrooms, a mezzanine bedroom, and a sofa bed in the basement. All chalets at Club Lac Walfred have a hot tub and BBQ. There is also a pool table in the basement to keep everyone busy. You have the choice of lake side or forest side. In the summer time you can go canoeing on the lake (equipment provided at no additional cost). It has a beautiful cathedral ceiling to let in tons of light as well as a modern kitchen for preparing meals as a group. I honestly also liked the fact that there were three full baths given the number of people we were.
The Experience
It was easy to find using the address that was provided. They ask that you call about 45 minutes before your arrival to get the gate code. That may be tough for some people depending on your plans, but I imagine they mustn’t be too strict about this. Checking in was breeze with a virtual tablet at the entrance of the chalet.
I was blown away by how clean and well stocked the chalet was. It really was, Like a Hotel, as per the company name. In the bathrooms there were lot of towels, fragrant bath products, and beautiful large ceramic showers with a rainfall shower head. They also were not stingy on the toilet paper. #importantdetail.
The main bedroom had french doors that lead to the large outside deck for a beautiful view of the lake. It was winter time so it was hard to see the lake, but I can imagine it must be spectacular in the summertime. The kitchen was well stocked with the basics to get you through your vacation including coffee filters, dish soap and dishware.
The huge kitchen island made cooking as a group tons of fun with everyone sitting around enjoying a drink or helping out.
With two living rooms (upstairs and in the basement), the chalet felt spacious and I never felt that we were lacking space. The pool table and hot tub was a great add-on for entertainment. There is also Netflix available, perfect to watch while curling up on the couch in front of the fire. We spent our time relaxing over some wine, board games, time in the hot tub and an Oscar party. I lost the predicting the winners in each category. Not a shocker given I rarely head to the theatre. [And yes that is 10 Things I hate about you, playing on the TV below. It’s one of my all-time faves!]
Verdict and Important Details
Overall, the chalet we rented from Club Lac Walfred gave us the perfect setting for some quality, quiet time away with friends. I think it’s also a great spot for families to come together with lots to do in the chalet and activities just on the outskirts of town. Some great spots to check out is the Polar Bear’s Club, the Tanger Outlets, and some amazing restaurants like microbrewery the Baril Roulant.
I also discovered that it was cheaper to book through Airbnb than through the website. So make a comparison before reserving for additional savings!
Travelling to the Laurentians? Make sure you check out my other posts about the area:
