Serenity Vacation Rentals gives back!

Over the last six months, we have run a pilot project collecting donations from our guests for the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and our guests did not disappoint!   We collected an assortment of discarded towels, bed linens, old dog and cat crates, old stuffed toys, and other much needed items!   Many of our guests also made a point to visit Aspen Valley Sanctuary and leave cash donations.    We appreciate each and every one of our guests who took the time to bring items for Aspen Valley when travelling to enjoy their vacation at one of the Serenity Vacation Rentals properties.  

For those of you not familiar with Aspen Valley, they are a 460 acre wildlife sanctuary of natural habitat located in Muskoka.  Their primary mandate is to rehabilitate animals so that they can eventually be returned to their natural habitat.  They also provide education to the community about co-existing with wildlife and humane solutions for wildlife-related issues. The size of Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary makes them one of the most unique and important wildlife rehabilitation centres in Ontario.

Thank you to the following Serenity Vacation Rentals owners for participating in the program;  

·         Birch Grove

·         Copper Cove

·         Curtis Cottage

·         Deep Woods Haven

·         Lee Valley

·         Mallard Beach

·         Muskoka Pines

·         Wraight Escape

I wanted to give a special thanks to the M. Wu family who were guests of Lee Valley, and left a cash donation of $50 for the sanctuary.  I also want to thank the owners of Muskoka Pines for their cash donation of $30.  Serenity Vacation Rentals matched the cash donations and a total of $160 was given along with the donated items.

Lastly I want to thank everyone at Aspen Valley for all of their very important work!   You are greatly appreciated!   I am hopeful six months from now we can more than double the requested items and cash donations!

You can see a YouTube video of a private tour we did of Aspen Valley in 2015 here.

Dean Curtis

Serenity Vacation Rentals

The 5 best things about a winter stay at the cottage.

Winter can be an amazing time of year to stay at the cottage!   Here are 5 of the best things about a winter stay at the cottage!

1. Reading a book by the fireplace.   There is nothing better than sitting by a warm fire while avoiding the cold outside.  Imagine holding your hot chocolate while your socked feet are held close to the wood burning fire.   You can smell the wood burning while you quietly read your favorite book.   The quiet and peacefulness that comes with winter stays at the cottage are just what the sole needs after a stressful work schedule.
2. Winter fun activities!   Try your hand at building a snowman with the kids or go tobogganing at a nearby hill.  Rent snowmobiles for the day and hit the trails with good friends.   Rent ski’s or snowshoes and try some of the local trails.  Or if the ice is thick enough, how about some lake ice hockey or ice fishing!
3. Trying new recipes.   Now is your chance to try that soup recipe or perhaps you’ve been
   
   excited to make a new stew or chili.  Winter time at the cottage is perfect for home cooking with family and friends, and your chance to try some winter favourites.
4. Watching a movie with a warm blanket.   Whether your pick is a late night horror movie, or a daytime seasonal Christmas special that brings a joyful tear to your eye, with the dark nights getting longer, it is the perfect chance to catch up on your favourite movies or tv shows after a day of winter activities with your family.
5. Connecting with friends – What better way to beat the winter blues than to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and reconnect with friends or family at the cottage.   Getting tired of the same driveway shoveling, work, and winter traffic in the city?   Get out of the city and into the country for some rest and relaxation as well as the peace and quiet that comes with winter stays at the cottage.
   

Charge me a security deposit….PLEASE!!

If you have rented a cottage vacation rental in the past, you have probably been asked to pay a security deposit.   I have seen these deposits range anywhere between $150, to $2,000 depending on the value of the cottage, the length of your stay, the number of people in your group, pets, etc.  This deposit is kept by the owner until the end of your stay, at which time it is returned to you provided there are no damages to the property or contents, outside of normal wear and tear.

There has been a movement lately from the cottage owner community, to forego taking security deposits.   Only 2 percent of the time is there a need for a cottage owner to draw funds from a security deposit anyway.   For cottage owners, there is a lot of work involved in collecting and returning deposits, and there are very few times when a deposit is even used to cover any damages.   Of those few times, the amounts are fairly small and usually are for damages that the guests fully admit to causing and are willing to pay.   For the cottage owner, it is easier for the accounting on their end if they don’t have to worry about collecting and returning the deposit.  It is not that the owners are willing to give up that added protection.  There are two different ways that cottage owners can still ensure the same protection against damage, without having to directly charge the guests a refundable security deposit.

1. Guests are all charged a small additional fee hidden in the rental charge.  Instead of that cottage costing you $1,000 per stay, it is now going to cost you $1,025.   There is no additional security deposit to be paid up front and there is nothing that will be returned after your stay.   You are simply paying $1,025 to rent the cottage with no security deposit.   Nice right?....  The owner then takes these numerous extra $25 payments and funds a private damages fund.   This fund is then used to cover any damages up to a certain amount.   (There would still be wording in the contract that they could seek compensation for larger ticket items), but for smaller damages they would draw from this private fund.
   
   
2. The second model is to force guests to purchase a separate insurance.   This is basically the same as the point above, however it is a more formalized cottage guest insurance, usually managed and run by a third party.   Again, this is an additional cost to you the guest, which would have you paying more to rent the cottage overall.

So what does this mean to you the cottage rental guest?   If you are the type of guest who loves to come to the cottage and plan to take care of the cottage like it was your own, it means you are paying an extra fee for damages that someone else will cause in the future!   Instead of paying $1,000 for a rental charge plus $400 which is returned to you in full after your stay, you are now paying $1,025 or $1,050 for a loss of $50.  

In the first scenario above, let’s consider a cottage that rents 50 times in a year and charges a hidden $50 per rental to cover damages.    The damages fund now has a total of $2,500 for the year.    What happens if the owner doesn’t have that much in damages over the year?  You guessed it – the owner gets to pocket that money

So if I’m a guest for your rental cottage I say charge me the deposit!   I know I will take care of the place and I don’t want to pay more than I need to, paying for someone else’s damages!

What do you think?  Would you rather pay a slightly higher rental charge?   Or less in rental fee but with an additional security deposit which is refunded to you after your stay?   I’d love to hear comments and thoughts from those of you who have rented cottages!

Dean Curtis

Serenity Vacation Rentals

Save money on your next cottage vacation rental!

How would you like to save some money the next time you are looking for a cottage vacation rental?   Below I give some insight on what is costs the owners to list on those sites and how you can get the best price when shopping for your cottage vacation!

When guests are looking to get away for a vacation, they have a lot of options at their disposal.  Airbnb, VRBO, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com, are a few of the larger vacation rental platforms prospective guests can use to find their perfect vacation getaway.   There are many more sites available, and it seems that every week there are more platforms coming on board to take their slice of the vacation rental pie.   So how do you as a traveler, find the best deals for a cottage vacation rental?  First let me tell you how the sites work from the viewpoint of a vacation rental owner.

Airbnb and TripAdvisor - Both of these sites do not charge the owners to list their property.   If a guest books the property through the platform, the site simply takes a small percentage of the money as their compensation (usually around 3 percent).   So an owner who decides they want $200 for that one night at their property, will simply increase the price so that the portal gets their commission and the owner still gets her $200 to cover the bills, expenses, and hopefully have some left over as profit.


VRBO - Runs a bit different than the first two, in that it charges the owners a fee to list their property. The site does not take any commissions on bookings from the owners.   How does VRBO make its money?   VRBO charges the guest a "booking fee", which is essentially a commission on the transaction, but they charge the guest up front to book.  There is no need for the owner to increase their price as they still get their $200, but the guest still pays a higher price covering the VRBO booking fee.

Booking.com - This is a again free for the owners to list, but the owners receive a commission invoice at the end of each month to pay for bookings generated from the listing site.   So what do owners do to offset those costs?  You guessed it, the owner will increase their rates on this site as well so they take home that same $200 for a single night rental.


So what does this mean to you, the rental guest who wants to have the best vacation they can have at the lowest possible price?   It means that you should book directly from the owner or rental company.   At the very least find their website to compare prices.  Many times you can save hundreds of dollars by sourcing them directly.   By all means, look on one of the portals to find the cottage you are interested in!   But if you see "Oak Bay Hideaway" in Port Severn on Airbnb, or "Birch Grove" in Parry Sound on VRBO, take the time to do a google search for the same property and location.  Many times you will find the direct website where you can book at discounted prices!

Take your savings and put it towards your next vacation!  Have a fantastic summer!

Top 5 questions to ask before renting your next cottage!!

The demand for cottages has been increasing exponentially over the last few years.   We have received phone calls from people desperate to rent who ask very few questions if any at all!  How do they know if this cottage would suit their family?  If you are thinking of renting a cottage, here are a few questions you may want to ask before sending in your deposit!

1) Is your cottage pet friendly?   One of the benefits of vacationing at a cottage is that your four legged family member may be able to join you.  Will your pets be welcome at the cottage?  What are the rules regarding size, breed, and number of pets etc?   Are other cottages close by with pets who may not get along with you pets?  Are there walking trails close by?  Or is there space on the property for your pet to run and explore?   Maybe you don't have any pets or have allergies.  This still may be a good question to ask if searching for a cottage that has never had a pet in it.

2) Where can I see reviews on your cottage?   Cottage rentals are on the rise and unfortunately with that the occurrences cottage rental fraud are rising.  Picture yourself showing up for your vacation rental just as another family pulls in saying they rented the same week.  Or perhaps you knock on the door of your beautiful cottage and the owner opens the door.   She looks confused when you say you have rented their cottage?   These are real examples of what can happen.    To avoid this be sure to book with a reputable company that has several reviews on their cottages.   Avoid booking through a Kijiji ad without a link to their website or seeing several reviews from past happy guests.   Get a referral from a family member or friend who has actually stayed at one of their properties!

3) Is there internet and cell phone reception at the cottage?   Cottages can be fairly remote and cell phone reception is not always a given.  Internet can also be difficult depending on the location.   Most cottages will have a satellite internet connection if they have one at all.   This will be a slower connection that is perfectly fine for emails and website searches etc., but don't plan on downloading movies or streaming netflix!

4) How far is the nearest town?  Many people book their cottage after seeing amazing pictures and reading reviews, without first learning how far the cottage is from the closest town.   I understand that your family is looking to "get away" from it all, but at some point you will need food, alcohol, snacks, supplies, or restaurants, etc.   This can be a quick and easy trip of 5 minutes, or a long, time wasting excursion of 45 minutes or more, depending on the location!   Be sure you know how far you will need to travel for groceries.

5) Is the cottage accessible?   This seems like a silly question to ask, but there are cottages for rent with no road access!   You are expected to park your car and hike in to the property.  Is this something you are willing to take on with luggage and young kids in tow?  Does this cottage have road or water access?  Many cottages are located on their own private island or shared with several other cottages.  Is your family ok with having to climb on a boat every time you want to go into town or need supplies?   Is the boat supplied or will you be paying for a service to move you to and from the mainland.   What about winter access?   Are the roads municipally maintained or are they covered by a private plowing service?   Will the driveway and access to the doors be shoveled before your arrival?

With just a few questions you will be able to find the perfect cottage for your family.   If contacting a rental agency let them help you with the research!   Tell them what is important to you!   Do you want shallow water entry because you have little kids?  Do you want flat land and easy access because you have elderly family members coming?   The agency will have first hand knowledge of the cottages and will be happy to help you find the perfect fit!


Dean Curtis
Serenity Vacation Rentals

To do in Muskoka Ontario - Johnston's Cranberry Farm and Muskoka Lakes Winery!!

We have heard so many good things about Johnston’s Cranberry Farm and we’ve had a number of guests comment on the good times they’ve had there, so we thought it was time we checked it out for ourselves!  

We arrived on a beautiful summer day in early July of 2015.  Four of us went there for the day.  My wife Jackie, my sister and brother-in-law, and myself.    I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy it as I am not a drinker and have never been much of a fan of wine, but I was still curious about the cranberry harvesting.  After receiving feedback on how much our guests enjoyed it, I was looking forward to the day.   Our first stop was into their store and gift shop and my wife’s eyes opened wide!   Right away she was picking out fun gift items for friends and family.  We had a lot of fun just browsing the different items and the large variety of the original wines they had for sale.  

We spoke with the friendly staff and asked what was most popular for tourists when they came to the cranberry farm.  They suggested the guided tour, the wine tasting, and the cheese platter!  We were happy to sign up for all three!

We started with the wine tasting.  A wine server had a number of their wines set up and told everyone a brief summary of how it was made and the appeal that each wine had.  Again I’m not a fan of wine generally speaking but I soon became a fan of their blueberry wine!  To this day we always have a bottle of  Muskoka Lakes winery blueberry wine on hand.  It was a lot of fun trying all of the different bottles of wine!

Next we were off on the guided tour.  We learned the history of the farm and how the company has grown into what it is today.  We learned about their farming of the cranberries and how they are harvested and eventually turned into wine, jams, sauce, and many other products.  It was really interesting to see the large vats where the wine is made.

We finished the day with the cheese platter and a glass of our favorite wine from the wine tasting.  We relaxed in the sun on their patio and enjoyed the fresh air and talked and laughed. 

Over all I had a lot of fun on the day and wouldn’t hesitate to suggest that visitors to the Muskoka area take a tour of Johnston’s Cranberry Farm and Muskoka Lakes winery.  It’s just one of the many fun adventures in Muskoka, Ontario.    If you have been to Johnston’s Cranberry Farm I’d love to see your comments below on your favorite memories from the visit!  Which wine did you like best??

 

Island Queen cruise - Parry Sound, Ontario

Here is the next in our series of attractions and things to do when in Muskoka, Ontario.  There is so much to do a see it may take awhile to review everything but we are going to give it our best shot!! Click here for our youtube video of the review!

Ok so I have to be up front here in saying that I wasn’t expecting much when it comes to a sight seeing cruise of some islands.....  What I was most excited for was that it would force me to get away from the work I was doing at the cottage and I might be able to relax for a couple of hours out on the water.  I gotta say….it was way better than I expected!! 

They offer a two hour morning cruise or a three hour afternoon cruise.   I had teenagers in tow so I thought it best not to push my luck on a three hour tour and chose to do the two hour morning cruise.   Once we were underway I was regretting the fact that I didn’t choose the three hour tour!   We toured through the many islands – I should say that the tour is also known as the 30,000 island tour….  I really enjoyed looking at the cottages on the water, seeing all of the islands, and hearing facts about the area from the loudspeaker as we passed points of interest.  It was a smooth relaxing tour with an on board cafeteria and washrooms.

Would I do it again?  Absolutely!!  Next time I will do the three hour tour and I think I will give it a try in the Fall season to see some of the changing leaves!  The kids ended up having a fun time too!  

Next time you are at one of the Serenity Vacation Rentals cottages – be sure to check out the Island Queen cruise!!

Bear Claw Tours

Looking for something fun to do while staying at one of our Muskoka Cottages?  Look no further! For an adventure that you and your family won't forget, try Bear Claw Tours!

So what is Bear Claw Tours? – Well it is a guided ATV tour through 1,000 acres of private trailed beautiful Muskoka land.   Bear Claw is located just 7 kilometres East of Parry Sound which is centrally located for all of the Serenity Vacation Rental Cottages.   We had the opportunity to take the four hour tour with Owner / Operator - Andrew Ryeland in late June of 2015 and all I can say is WOW!

I knew we were in for an adventure right from the opening emails when I asked the ridiculous question “What is your rainy day policy” and is humorous reply was “we don’t charge extra for that”!  We arrived for our private tour and Andrew greeted us and had us begin to prepare for the ride.  Andrew had us go through a large selection of helmets, gloves, rubber boots, and rain coats and pants.  We were then all geared up we were ready for our ride!

There was a large selection of ATV’s to choose from.  Because we had our two youngest with us, we chose two of the side by side ATV’s for my wife and I to take with the younger kids.  Our older son had an ATV to himself.  After a short safety and instructional talk, we were on our way.  Our family had little to no experience on ATV’s, so it was nice that the vehicles were all very easy to learn and ride.  Within a minute we were on the trails!  I was blown away by the terrain we were able to go through.  We were over rocks, tree stumps and fallen trees, streams, mud, and open fields.  Andrew was fantastic for showing us points of interest and pointing out any animal tracks we came across along the way!   There was only a couple of times during the tour where one of us got stuck but Andrew was an expert at quickly getting us back on the trail.  

During the tour we stopped for periodic breaks.  I had to laugh when Andrew offered my wife coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, or expresso, – and then he opened his storage container on the back of his ATV and he had it all!  The kids had juice and snacks while my wife had a hot coffee!   All of the  snacks and drinks were included in the cost of the tour!  For the entire four hours we were making our way through the bush on the scenic trails, or we were on breaks listening to Andrew tell stories of his adventures, eating snacks, or looking at the beautiful Muskoka scenery and wildlife.   

My family and I had a fantastic time and we can’t wait to go back!   We do have some video footage of the adventure you can click to see.   Thanks for a fantastic time Andrew!  If you are staying at one of the Serenity Vacation Rentals cottages, you have to make a point to visit Andrew and experience the Bear claw ATV tour!   We highly recommend it!

7 must see tourist attractions for 2015!!

We have our family vacation coming up soon both at Birch Grove and Lee Valley. Unfortunately we won't make it to Curtis Cottage this summer but have plans to visit in the Fall and Winter. For this summer, I have made it a goal to hit some of the many tourist attractions in close proximity of the cottages so that I can give honest and first hand reviews and feedback on them for future guests. Is it worth your money? Should you go there or not? Here are the top 7 attractions I plan to visit this summer while at the Serenity Vacation Rentals cottages! - In no particular order...

1. Terry Boyle Ghost Tours
How cool does this sound?? A local expert on the supernatural takes you on a tour of towns in cottage country and points out the areas with a history of ghost sightings and the most haunted areas!! For the summer of 2015 he will be running tours in Gravenhurst every Thursday night from 7pm until approximately 8:30pm. The charge is $13 per person and be sure to bring a camera!
entwood@vianet.ca 705-382-6920 

2. Muskoka Lakes Winery and Johnston’s Cranberries 
I keep hearing amazing things about this place and it seems to be a staple of the Muskoka region. Food and wine tasting, nature and self guided trails, daily "bog to bottle" discovery tour, and kids scavenger hunt are just some of the activities that await!
www.cranberry.ca

3. Bear Claw ATV tours
The name pretty much says it! Can't wait to rent some ATV's and get out on the trails! They offer guided tours and self guided adventures! When I called to book I asked the following question which really showed what a novice I am when it comes to ATV'ing. (What happens if it rains?). I loved his response.....(We don't charge extra for the extra fun you will have during the rain) GOOD POINT! Can't wait!! 
www.bearclawtours.com

4. 30,000 Island Queen Cruise
They offer a 2 hour morning cruise or a 3 hour afternoon cruise touring the beautiful islands of Georgian Bay!
www.islandqueencruise.com

5. Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Our family is very excited to visit here! The Sanctuary's mission is to care for injured and orphaned wildlife, and once they are rehabilitated, to return them to the wild. If the animal cannot be returned to the wild, it is cared for. What a fantastic cause! Open limited hours to preserve the animals' natural habitats as much as possible, this is one of the best places to see and learn about Canadian wild-life such as bears, moose, and raccoons, as well as abandoned exotic animals. Open mid-May to mid-October. 
www.aspenvalley.ca

6. Georgian Bay Airways
Some amazing adventures available here! Sightseeing air tours, Fly and dine, fly-in fishing, and fly and hike just to name a few. for more information on these adventures check out the website below!
www.georgianbayairways.com

7. Bala
One of the many very cool tourist cottage towns! It is considered one of the hubs of cottage country. Its year-round population of several hundred is swamped by thousands of seasonal residents and day-trippers. Known as the Cranberry Capital of Ontario! When in this area you must visit Don's Bakery.


So there is my list of cottage attractions I hope to visit this summer. I will be leaving a full blog post on each one with a review and feedback for our cottage guests to read. Look for future posts here on these tourist destinations and some of the local restaurants! Hmmm......relaxing at the cottage, doing some sight seeing, and getting my fill at some great restaurants....sounds like my kind of work!!

You've been to one of these 7 attractions? I'd love to see any comments you might have on them good or bad! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it!!  What attractions did I miss?  Let me know so we can go and check them out!

Check out our website at www.serenity-vacationrentals.com

Rocky Horror Picture Show

RCMPI production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Well Lee Valley is up and running! I am very excited about the response from out guests! We have almost completely booked the summer, most spring weekends are full, and we are now starting to inquiries about our Autumn weekends. Some of my favourite things from Lee Valley are 

1) The Bunkie - A fantastic one bedroom bunkie with kitchen, bathroom, and living room with fold out sofa bed. Amazing views of the lake and a little getaway from the rest of the family if they are getting too noisy! lol. This is a perfect spot for older kids, inlaws, or friends.

2) The Muskoka room and Sunroom - Here we have a screened in area at the back of the cottage for those evenings where you don't want the bugs, but you also don't want to miss out on the cool outside air! The sunroom on the second level is a great spot for reading, listening to music or playing a board game!

3) The land! This is our first cottage on flat land allowing you to easily walk to the water without any steps. The lake is just a few feet away from the cottage which is great for watching the kids play, swim, or just to enjoy the view! Password - Lake Manitouwaba

I'm hope you will get a chance to come and enjoy Lee Valley and I hope you enjoy the presentation of "The Rocky Horror Show"!!

Count down to Lee Valley

I'm super excited about adding our third cottage "Lee Valley" and I'm happy the new owners put their trust in Serenity Vacation Rentals to rent it out for them! There are only few things I can say at this point as the deal closes April 5th, but what I can tell you is that we will have all the information updated here on the website on that day. I'm happy to email any details to anyone who is interested in the meantime! I can highlight some of the features for you though..... A nice sandy beach, flat land close to water (no steps down stairs or walk down a steep hill to get to the water), a separate bunkie with it's own kitchen and bathroom perfect for the in-laws or older kids! 

I can't wait to get in there and take more pictures after we've had a chance to make it a true Serenity Vacations getaway! We will have one month to get it ready before the rentals begin. We will begin renting Lee Valley for May 1st and we've already had some bookings! 

We are meeting with the previous owners this week to learn about some of the operations of the cottage. i'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress!

First blog ever!

I thought it was time we started our very own blog here at Serenity Vacation Rentals! We will have some very exciting news in the next few weeks! We are in the process of adding our third vacation rental property Lee Valley. There is not a lot that we can say at this time other than check back to our website after April 5th for more information!