With space for 8 guests, this cottage features 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It offers a family-friendly environment in a rural setting. Explore nearby attractions like Pinery Provincial Park and Sand Hills Golf Resort for outdoor activities and leisure.
Highlights
Room to spread out
Enjoy spacious layout that give everyone more room to relax.
Arcade/game room
A rare find - fun for all ages with on-site arcade/game room.
Centrally-located
You're never far from where you need to be with this convenient location.
4 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8
Popular amenities
Arcade/game room
Barbecue
Onsite parking available
Air-conditioning
Washing machine
Refrigerator
Explore the area
Thedford, Ontario
Pinery Provincial Park
Place, Pinery Provincial Park
7 min drive
Sand Hills Golf Resort
Place, Sand Hills Golf Resort
8 min drive
Grand Bend Farmers' Market
Place, Grand Bend Farmers' Market
10 min drive
Sarnia, ON (YZR-Chris Hadfield)
Airport, Sarnia, ON (YZR-Chris Hadfield)
49 min drive
Rooms & beds
4 bedrooms (sleeps 8)
Bedroom 1
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 2
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 3
1 Queen Bed
Bedroom 4
1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed
Living room
1 Double Sofa Bed
2 bathrooms
Bathroom 1
Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only
Bathroom 2
Bathtub or shower · Toilet
Spaces
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
About this property
Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together
🌟 Why guests love it
* 🎱 Full games room (pool, ping pong, foosball)
* 🚤 Free boat launch + caravan parking (rare in the area)
* 🔥 Firepit + large private yard
* 🏖️ 5 minutes to beach
* 🌲 Close to Pinery Provincial Park
⸻
🛋️ The space
* 4 bedrooms (3 queen + 1 bunk)
* Open-concept living + large kitchen
* Dining space for group meals
* Cosy areas for relaxing and reconnecting
⸻
🎯 The experience
Spend your days on the river, your evenings in the games room, and your nights around the fire. Whether it’s boating, beach trips, or friendly competition inside, Ausable Retreat is built for fun.
Add dates for prices
Have a question?
AI iconBetaBeta
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
Guests must bring their own sheets and towels; comforters and pillows are supplied.
Signed Rental Agreement required.
Security deposit required and will be processed by the host directly on the guest's credit card.
Important information
You need to know
Property # 4029097vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a deadlock
About the area
Lambton Shores
Lambton Shores is home to this cottage. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Lake Huron and Grand Bend Beach. Consider Huron Country Playhouse for a night out or Grand Bend Mini Golf if you're travelling with kids.
Grand Bend Farmers' Market - 10 min drive - 10.4 km
Lambton Heritage Museum - 10 min drive - 10.4 km
Pinery Flea Market - 13 min drive - 15.0 km
Getting around
Sarnia, ON (YZR-Chris Hadfield) - 49 min drive
Restaurants
Midori Sushi Bar - 12 min drive
Lizzy’s Country Catering & Cafe - 12 min drive
The Colonial Hotel and Restaurant - 22 min drive
Grumpa's Place Fries and More - 8 min drive
Pinery Provincial Park - Snack Bar - 18 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together pet-friendly?
No, only service animals are welcome at the property.
How much does it cost to stay at Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together?
As of 29 Sept 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together on 21 Feb 2027 start from AU$1,385, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Welcome to Ausable Retreat — where river adventures and family fun come together located?
Set in Lambton Shores, this family-friendly cottage is within 6 mi (10 km) of Sand Hills Golf Resort, Pinery Provincial Park and Lambton County Library - Thedford. Grand Bend Farmers' Market and Lambton Heritage Museum are also within 9 miles (15 km).
Reviews
8.8
Excellent
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We loved our stay. The home was very clean and the layout of the home was great with plenty of room in the open floor plan of the kitchen/dining/living room allowing for the whole group to socialize. The game room was great for the younger adults and the proximity to beaches and grandbend made for some fun adventures. Would definitely stay there again.
Great location, lovely place that can accommodate a large group with everything that you need for your stay. Endless of fun and definitely worthy of a 5 stars review.
Would definitely come back next time for a longer stay.
We had a wonderful stay at this charming cottage! The host was friendly and responsive, promptly answering all our messages. The place was spotless upon arrival, and the layout was thoughtfully designed and very functional. A great restaurant is just five minutes away, and both Pinery Beach and Grand Bend are only a short drive, making the location ideal. We’d absolutely stay here again when visiting this part of Ontario. Thank you for making our stay so comfortable and enjoyable!
This was a gorgeous house! Open floor plan, modern kitchen, beautiful bathrooms. Clean and well-equipped. Lovely back yard with nice country view. Great communication with property management. We had a wonderful time.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 16 Oct 2024
Thanks Michael,
We are glad you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!
Absolutely lovely retreat! We know the area, so knew the distance to Port Franks (10min) and Grand Bend (25min) were further than listed, so that wasn't a problem. We enjoyed campfire and play in the backyard; you could smell nearby farm fields, I didn't think there was any smell from the septic tank, though. The place was spotless when we arrived! So nice to have big kitchen and eating spaces, beds were comfy, Paul was super with communication. We'll aim to come back another year!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Feyisa G.
26 Aug 2024
Liked: Check-in
Disliked: Listing accuracy
Information not accurate
The place good and for family however, next time we should specifically time from grand bend a couple minutes instead of 22 minutes , secondly their is no toilets paper provide master bath shower floor dirty . I have to drive grand bend to get toilet paper ridiculous. Over all if these correct its will be 10/10.thanks
We stayed 4 nights, (6 adults & 2 kids) a beautiful home with lots of space about 20-25 minutes to Grand Bend. Lots of children’s games and activities kept 1 & 4 year old entertained. Unfortunately, septic tank is right next to the back outdoor sitting area - the odour made it an unpleasant space at times! Front Bedroom blinds did not block out the light - we had to cover them with tinfoil/blankets. Kitchen was lacking sharp knives and pans that could be used on the induction stove and the ice maker didn’t work. Despite these minor issues we enjoyed our stay, just suggestions for future guests.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 20 July 2025
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and balanced review. We’re really glad to hear your group had a great time overall and that the kids enjoyed the games and activities—we try to keep the home family-friendly, so it’s great to know it made a difference!
We truly appreciate your honest feedback as it helps us improve. The note about the septic tank odour has been flagged with our maintenance team so we can look at better long-term solutions.
We're will be restocking the kitchen with sharper knives and induction-compatible pans, and we’ll have the ice maker repaired promptly.
Thanks again for staying with us, and we’d love to welcome you back anytime.
Verified review
4/10 Poor
Kaitlyn R.
26 July 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Disliked: Communication, listing accuracy
Place was nice but please be aware it does not sleep 10 people. We arrived with 10 people and did not have enough beds for 10. We were told to use the couch for the night and they would get back to us with a solution the next day, when we asked about a solution for the problem we were ignored the next day. They did change the advertisement to a sofa bed but please also be aware it is just a small sectional). So if you have 10 people you may want to bring an air mattress so someone doesn't have to sleep on the couch.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 27 July 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you found the place nice, but we’re sorry to hear about your concerns regarding sleeping arrangements. The property does accommodate 10 guests by using the sofa, which includes a pull-out bed section designed for additional sleeping space. We understand that this may not feel the same as a traditional bed, and we have updated the listing to clarify that the 10th sleeping space is on the sofa bed.
We also apologize if there was any miscommunication during your stay. We strive to respond quickly and ensure every guest is comfortable, and we’ll use your feedback to improve our service going forward
Verified review
6/10 Okay
ken m.
12 Sept 2025
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
House was nice and big. Advertised that it sleeps 10 but no room for more than 8.Not enough dishes to feed 10 either. Back door would no stay closed. Septic tanks in the yard smelled really bad each day.Bbq was completely unusable. We had to strip it down amd clean it ourselves in order to use it.Def not a few mins from GB. More like 20 mins.Not all windows were coverdd so super bright in most rooms come morning. Other than that it was a fun nice environment to spend some time. Games room in garage was fun to have.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 13 Sept 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the size of the house, the fun environment, and especially the games room in the garage.
We’re sorry to learn that some aspects of your stay didn’t meet expectations. The home is indeed set up to accommodate 10 guests, and we will double-check both dishware and sleeping arrangements to ensure everything is aligned with that. Our maintenance team has already been notified about the back door and the BBQ, and both have since been addressed. Regarding the septic odor, we understand this was unpleasant, and we’ve scheduled additional servicing to prevent this from happening again.
The home is located about 15–20 minutes from Grand Bend, and this is noted in the listing, though we’ll review the description to ensure travel times are clear for future guests. We also appreciate your comments on window coverings and will look at ways to make mornings more comfortable for light-sensitive guests.
We’re pleased that you were still able to enjoy your stay overall, and your suggestions will help us improve the experience further. Thank you again for staying with us.
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Tamara F.
1 Sept 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication
Decent Place with Some Improvements
Beautiful house (not really a "cottage") with a good layout for staying with a large group, with lovely furnishings/fixtures. Location was remote, but not too far of a drive from the touristy areas. The initial listing was misleading, though; showing pictures of the canal appearing like it was part of the property (in fact, the backyard looks out onto cornfields). Instead the canal was behind the houses on the other side of the street. These pictures seem to have been taken down now. Backyard was nice for a fire, but the intermittent smell from nearby septic tank shortened our evenings out there. Fantastic kitchen - open concept area with a dining table and family room with TV and lots of places to lounge. Biggest drawback was that the cooking/eating utensils were cheap - obviously bought at the dollar store, plastic in most cases, and some were useless. No scissors so we needed to open packaging with a paring knife; we also could have used a salad spinner and much larger baking sheets. The bedrooms/bathrooms were comfortable. Biggest complaint - we were told only a few days ahead of our stay that we had to bring our own sheets and bath towels (we were short a set of Queen sheets and had to buy them). It'd been nice to have this mentioned in the listing. The sliding "barn door" on the ensuite bathroom was charming but annoying and not practical as it didn't provide much privacy/sound proofing. The games room in the garage was fantastic and lots of fun! Decent place!