Keep Your Pup Safe at the Cottage This Summer With These Tips!

Dogs are part of the family and time away at the cottage isn’t the same without them! 

There are some things to consider when bringing your furry loved ones along on your travels up North.  

Here are some tips to keep your dog safe!

When Travelling:

• Some pups are prone to car sickness; a small meal before leaving can help to alleviate symptoms
• Make sure to keep the temperature at a comfortable level and stop for frequent water and toilet breaks
• Keep your pet secured in the back of the vehicle, ideally with a seat-belt or in a crate

                                                           At the Cottage:

• Just as it is important to know the location of the nearest hospital for (human) emergencies, it is important to have contact information for the nearest veterinarian. Don’t rely on Google! Signal in cottage country can be spotty
• Put a temporary tag on your dog with the address of the cottage where you’re staying
• Medicate your dog to prevent heart worm, fleas, and ticks, etc.
• Inspect your pup’s coat for ticks daily, especially if they’ve been in the bush
• Keep your pets nearby and away from other wildlife and possible animal traps
• If going on a hike in the woods, consider a bear bell so your dog doesn’t surprise any bears -it could prevent an attack
• Take collars off when going for a swim - it can easily become entangled and cause drowning

On the Water:

• Let your dog have a chance to get comfortable with the boat before taking it out on the water
• Invest in a life jacket, even if you think your dog is a strong swimmer. It gives you something to grab onto to pull your pup out of the water - you don’t want to grab their collar

Happy travels!

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

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