Girls Weekend at JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka

 

 

Oh how I LOVE a girls weekend! It’s the best to get away with some of your favorite girls to spend the weekend eating, relaxing, spending some time at the spa, and just unwinding away from home!

A couple weeks ago I checked off a spot that’s been on my bucket list for quite a while – the JW Marriott The Rousseau Muskoka.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve drooled over their social media photos and wanted to pack up and go there!

Luckily I was finally able to make it a reality with a few of my favorite bloggers – Eleni from Bijuleni, Zeba from Ella Pretty Blog and Jenelle from Nelle Creations! Click on those links to see their thoughts on our weekend away!

We’ve all travelled together before and love hanging out together so it’s fun to be able to bring you reviews like these with girls I love to spend the weekend with.

First up – getting there! We had a problem – we had so much luggage. Yes, we are talking about one weekend, but four girls who happen to be bloggers means a lot of shoes. We couldn’t fit everything we wanted to bring into one of our vehicles, but luckily GMC Canada came through and let us use a 2018 GMC Yukon XL for the weekend!

 
 

 
 

 
 

I was the lucky girl who got to drive it, and I LOVED it! It was much bigger than my own SUV, so after a bit of a learning curve (it was literally a curve I went a little fast on!) I got the hang of driving this vehicle, and I just loved all of the bells and whistles.

One hour into the trip I finally mentioned the buzzing I felt in my seat. It was a sensor letting me know when I was veering into another lane. How cool! The good news was also that I wasn’t going crazy – something really WAS buzzing in my seat!

I also loved the air conditioned seats, the WiFi (a must with a group of bloggers), and the size of the vehicle was perfect for all of our gear. LOVED this ride! I didn’t actually want to give it back, but alas all good things must end.

 
 

 
 

We arrived at JW Marriott The Rousseau and were greeted in the lobby with valet parking (excellent for me!), and checked in with the most adorable representative at the front desk who was so sweet in welcoming us. Hot apple cider offered in the lobby for guests, and it was buzzing with people relaxing on their stay.

Our room – well it was pretty fabulous! All four of us slept in an Executive Suite which had a King sized bed, a second bedroom with two Queen beds, a pull out couch, and two bathrooms. We also had a deluxe kitchen and the biggest balcony I’ve ever seen! The resort has 221 rooms in total that are either studios or suites. EVERY room has a fireplace and a kitchenette too! Just a tip – check out their Spa Getaway package which starts at $449 and includes a spa treatment and breakfast!

 
 

 
 

 
 

We settled in and ordered room service and watched some cheesy Christmas movies on the W network – the perfect first night!

The next morning we went for breakfast at Cottages, and then headed off to our spa appointments.

 
 

 
 

 
 

I decided to have the Super Firming Facial. This service was an hour long, but we were welcomed into the spa much earlier to relax. The spa was AMAZING and had multiple rooms to relax in with flavored water and snacks, a private pool, hot tub, and showers. I just loved the spa!

 
 

 
 

 
 

I usually have pretty light facials that exfoliate a bit but moisturize, but this time I decided to try an anti-aging facial. It was very relaxing, and included a massage.

The facial was for all skin types, and included powerful antioxidants of vitamins A, C, and E. When I was done I was told not to exfoliate for two weeks, and that I would experience a bit of redness. My face did feel a little tender and was a little red and I broke out for a day or two, but to be honest it was TOTALLY worth it.

Three days after the facial my skin looked amazing – and it kept getting better! I loved the results – I would absolutely have the facial again because my skin looked so refreshed a few days later.
 
 

 
 

We decided to explore the hotel for the rest of the day. I just loved the cute little Country Market coffee shop near the lobby – they had little treats, sandwiches, some really cute clothing (I almost bought a Roots resort sweatshirt that I’m bummed I didn’t bring home with me!), coffee, hot chocolate and more! There are six restaurants in total at the resort (one is a summer poolside bistro), so there was lots to choose from.

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

There was a lounge with a cozy two-sided fireplace, and a games room with Foosball, pool and more.

 
 

 
 

There were a few pools and hot tubs at the resort including the main one that was indoor/outdoor!

In the summer there is an outdoor pool with an a patio and outdoor restaurant that has me wanting to head back in the summer! I feel like this resort can offer a different experience each season of the year.

The grounds were beautiful, and we found ourselves staying there at the tail end of fall with the first snowfall.

That afternoon we indulged again with room service but this time for lunch, and it was perfect for our relaxing afternoon in.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

For dinner we ventured out to Teca, and it was such an amazing experience. I had the Tomato Melon and Bocconcini Salad with heirloom tomatoes, seasonal melons, bocconcini, watermelon radish and lavender-honey vinaigrette. The lavender addition to the dish was so interesting, and very good.

 
 

 
 

 
 

The lobster ravioli was the BEST I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of lobster ravioli – it’s my favourite thing to order so I’d have to say I’m a bit of a connoisseur. The pasta itself was delicious, but the lobster filling and sauce really made it such a great dish.
 
 

 
 

We had to have dessert! Even though we were completely stuffed we tried a few desserts on the menu and were blown away.
 
 

 
 

The next morning we tried not to let it set in that we would be leaving soon. We had breakfast again in Cottages, and I had the gluten free blueberry pancakes with the gluten. That’s literally what I ordered, and they made them for me!
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

We lounged around as long as we could before it was time to leave. Trust me, we didn’t want to go!
 
 

 
 

 
 

We fit in some time at the campfire in front of the resort to make s’mores which was so fun! The front desk had s’mores kits, and the fire was lit during our whole stay. There were muskoka chairs and pole ready for marshmallow roasting. This resort really thought of everything!
 
 

 
 

The hotel was lovely enough to set up one excursion for us before we went home – we stopped at Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh for a Bog to Bottle tour and wine tasting!

This was SO fun! I had been to wineries and wine tastings before, but not like this! The cranberry marsh was something I had never seen before, and it was really cool to see and learn about. In the winter they have ice skating and more, so I need to head back to check it all out!

 
 

 
 

 
 

The wines were amazing! I loved a few of the different wines, and I left with a few things from the gift shop.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

How do you know you’ve had an amazing weekend? When you already start talking about going back on the way home! All of us wanted to head back when the snow is heavy to experience the ice skating trail, snow shoeing and all of the other activities the resort offers.
 
 

 
 

I think the summer would be a whole other experience I would love to try! So many pools, and with Lake Rousseau only steps away, I need to head back for a summer visit.

As much fun as our girls weekend was, I would love to head back with my husband and son – they would love this resort.

Thank you so much to JW Marriott The Rousseau Muskoka for hosting us – we couldn’t have had a better stay!
 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Items in this post may have been provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.