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Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View!

Photo gallery for Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View!

A kitchen with wooden cabinets, a black refrigerator, a large island with stools, and a view of a lake through large windows.
A grand staircase with a wooden railing leading to a balcony, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and a dining area with chairs and a table.
A kitchen with a large island, wooden cabinets, and a view through the glass door.
A house with a red door, white porch columns, and two black lanterns.
A wooden deck with a table and chairs, a covered grill, and a sliding glass door leading to a covered porch.

Reviews

7.6 out of 10
Good

Highlights

  • Room to spread out
    Enjoy spacious layout that give everyone more room to relax.
3 bedrooms3+ bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Private pool
  • Dogs and cats allowed
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Internet access
  • Dryer

Explore the area

View in a map
Sydney, NS
  • Place, Membertou Heritage Park
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Place, Sydney Waterfront Boardwalk
    ‪10 min drive‬
  • Place, Centre 200
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Airport, Sydney, NS (YQY)
    ‪22 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 3

2 Queen Beds

3 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Bathroom 3

Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Jetted bathtub

Bathroom 4

Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Bidet · Toilet · Jetted bathtub

About this property

Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View!

Unwind or celebrate at this stunning lake view home in Cape Breton, NS. It's antique details give it a luxurious yet charming feeling. Enjoy the lake views with a bonfire by the water, take a dip in our grand indoor pool and relax before bed by taking a bath in one of our two jacuzzi tubs. The basement offers a great space for entertainment with a full bar set up. Check out ritasretreat.com for full property bookings or our IG ritasretreat

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

Events allowed: family gatherings, birthday parties, weddings
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs and cats less than 23 kg per pet (limit 3 pets total)
Pet fee of $50 per pet
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property Registration Number RYA-2023-24-06181612467353499-815
Property # 9787088
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
Parties and events (including family gatherings, birthday parties and weddings) are allowed on site. Maximum attendees: 99
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Coxheath

Coxheath is home to this cottage. Marine Atlantic Ferry Terminal and Cineplex Cinemas Sydney are worth checking out if an activity is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Membertou Heritage Park and Petersfield Provincial Park. Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design and Cape Breton Centre for Heritage and Science are also worth visiting.
View more Cottages in CoxheathOpens in a new window
Map
Sydney, NS

What's nearby

  • Membertou Heritage Park - 9 min drive - 10.1 km
  • Sydney Waterfront Boardwalk - 10 min drive - 11.1 km
  • Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design - 11 min drive - 11.9 km
  • Centre 200 - 11 min drive - 11.9 km
  • World's Largest Fiddle - 12 min drive - 12.9 km

Getting around

  • Sydney, NS (YQY) - 19 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Tim Hortons - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Ugly Mug - ‬4 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View! have a pool?

Yes, this property has an indoor pool. Pool types include heated pools.

Is Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View! pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows cats and dogs (limit 3 total) with a maximum weight of up to 23 kg per pet.

What time is check-in at Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View!?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Rita’s Retreat Main House ~ Indoor Saltwater Pool ~ with Lake View! located?

Situated in Coxheath, this cottage is within 6 miles (10 km) of Membertou Heritage Park, Bethel Presbyterian Church and Petersfield Provincial Park. Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design and Centre 200 are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

7.6

Good

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 2 out of 5 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 5 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 5 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 5 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 5 reviews

8.0/10

Cleanliness

8.0/10

Check-in

6.0/10

Communication

8.8/10

Location

8.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kristen P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We will definitely be back!!! Excellent night:). Thank you so much

:)
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Carol B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
We celebrated my parents 70th anniversary at Rita's. We had the entire place. This is a very large property and it was perfect for our event. Very clean and well equipped. Mike the maintenance man stopped by to ensure all was good and said to call at any time if we needed anything. The pool was amazing and was loved by all from my 8 month old great grandson to my 89 year old mom. The young adults loved all the room for lawn games and the fire pit at night. Everyone is already talking about the next time. Im aware that this is an investment property and it was heart breaking to see this grand house needing some updating. I truly hope the owners will invest in this property to maintain what they bought. It would be such a loss to continue to let it slide.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Stephen M.

Liked: Location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Communication

Fun Place to Stay, but Owners Need to Pay More Attention

Bottom line: this is a fun place to stay, and I think you will enjoy yourself if you stay here. House needs (and deserves) some TLC. The house could comfortably accommodate 8 guests, and maybe 2-4 more. We were not really familiar with Rita McNeil prior to our visit, but if you are, this place will be a thrill for you (it's her former home). The indoor pool is a lot of fun, and the backyard is vast and very nice. Its a quick drive to Sydney. The property is large but not isolated. It even has a piano. So I give this place 3 stars instead of 4 because 1: the owners were almost impossible to reach. I sent them 4 separate messages on VRBO and even a direct email to the address on their website just to confirm that they had our booking. I asked for advice on local activities and got a five-word response about kayak rentals. I didn't see the check-in instructions until the day before. 2: The bedrooms and bathrooms are nice, but much of the furniture in the house is dated and in rough shape. A lot of the trim pieces around the pool are missing or damaged. Swing by the waterfront needs to be fixed. 3: The kitchen needs a good cleaning with scratch pads. cabinet handles are gummy. It has plenty of pots and pans and utensils, but most of these were in bad shape. Appliances are dated. Outdoors, we saw cigarette butts between the deck boards and in the yard. I'd say this house could easily be a 5-star destination with a little work and investment.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

8/10 Good

Dave H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location
The house was fine, and clean. However, it could use some TLC in maintenance. We were also surprised to find that the advertised indoor pool was shared with other renters - that wasn't mentioned in the description. All in all it was fine, but the whole property should have been better described.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Ryan P.

Liked: Location
Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Poor management and maintenance. Place feels like sleeping in a house that has sold the night before the movers come for the last of the furniture. Communication with host non existant. Dirty, sticky floors throughout. Used chewing gum stuck to pool deck. Many things broken and missing. Really disappointing.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2026

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