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Summer isn't quite over yet, but with it being Labour Day weekend, we're all likely enjoying our last long weekend of warm weather for another year, consoling ourselves with the fall colours that are not too far around the corner, and taking stock of how well we used our time in the great outdoors over the last few months.
Toronto has been hot this summer—no doubt it's been a good year for the ice cream and gelato shops scattered across the city—and it's also been conducive for escapes from the worst of the humidity too. If your family is lucky enough to have a place in cottage country, you know how much you cherish the chance to sit on a dock, drinking in the serenity of the lakelands. In fact, the draw of that setting is so entrenched in the Canadian psyche that a line of Muskoka chairs on a dock is understood as our collective vision of paradise. When you run into that scene, despite it being cliché, you're virtually helpless in its face; if you're a photographer, you shoot it!
It's exactly that scene which has propelled cottage country for decades: what we want out of summer has not changed over that time, but our ability to realize it has. They're not making any new land, as they say, and up in Muskoka they're not making any new lakes. The price of a cottage has risen beyond the ability of the average family to afford it, so alternatives are compelling.
One of those alternatives is the Rosseau Residences at JW Marriott Muskoka. The well known resort and spa has become a fixture of the scene over its nine years in operation. Built by the owner of the venerable Clevelands House across the bay, all 221 units originally sold at $750 a square foot… but $1,200 per square foot was spent to build the fully-furnished resort. It shows: the building is very comfortable with inviting lounge and recreation facilities, restaurants, and suites with full kitchens (granite countertops, and more granite in the bathrooms), while beds have pillow-top mattresses that you just don't want to get out of in the morning.
By spending so much on the resort during construction, the developer forfeited ownership of it to the bank. About 130 of the original buyers opted not to complete their purchase, while about 90 closed on their suites, and those people have been enjoying the resort along with hotel guests since. Just over a year ago, Canadian Niagara Hotels bought the successful resort property and are now preparing to sell the remaining 132 suites while maintaining the JW Marriott's vaunted quality of service.
Purchasers will have different packages available depending upon what they are looking for, everything from full-year usage of the suite, to committing the suite year-round to the hotel rental program. One option allows purchasers 9 weeks a year at the resort; three in the summer, and two in each of the other three seasons. The other weeks of the year, guests of the resort will be enjoying the suite, with purchasers sharing the profits with Canadian Niagara. A popular wedding and conference destination, suite purchasers also share in the profits realized from the business generated from those sources.
So, what do suites look like? This one bedroom on the ground floor will give you an idea.
And what will days be like at the resort?
One of the joys of Muskoka is the opportunity to just luxuriate in a lounger with a good book and a stunning view—but there's lots to get you out of that chair too. The Rosseau boasts a full service spa onsite with several treatment rooms and relaxation lounges, a dedicated outdoor pool (away from the kids), and an adjacent well equipped fitness centre. Kids have plenty of family-friendly options of their own, with a splash pad and more swimming pools around the site, as well as a sandy beach and sheltered bay with some great equipment to play on.
Being a kid is not a requirement of using the floating climbing tower and trampoline, but remembering you were once a kid gets you right into the swing of things here!
If you want to got beyond the beach, there are lots of options. Lake Rosseau is one of Muskoka's big three, and you can explore it, Lake Muskoka, and Lake Joseph in several ways, with canoes and kayaks being the most personal and active.
Various motorized craft can extend your time on the water, with everything from seadoos to pontoon boats to tour the lake. The grand cottages that line these shores—many traditional, some modern—make for a pretty remarkable tour…
Beside all of the opportunities that Lake Rosseau offers for fun, the land side of the resort offers its own set of delights. Adjacent to the property is 'The Rock,' a championship 18-hole Nick Faldo-designed golf course that follows the undulating Canadian Shield terrain of the area. Onsite, a large area is also given over to a disc golf course that weaves its way through a nature reserve. If there aren't many discs flying around when you're there, you may just encounter other life enjoying that part of the grounds…
The resort boasts a number of dining options if you choose not to use the kitchen facilities in your suite. There are casual options like the Country Market café, The Deck poolside bistro in good weather, the Lakes bar, and 'Cottages' restaurant overlooking the lake, while fancier meals are offered at the Muskoka Chophouse and 'Teca,' the resort's Italian restaurant.
After dinner, many options remain open like the indoor-outdoor pool with its whirlpool and adjacent fitness centre. During my stay, a weekly visit by a local astronomer with a serious telescope made a viewing of the dark night sky here into a real event: a live look at Saturn's rings and several of its moons are not quickly forgotten!
That just touches on the possibilities here. Rosseau Residences suites start in the low $200,000s, and are available as studios, one bedrooms, or two bedrooms. All have fireplaces, galley or full kitchen, many have balconies, and premium lake view rooms have stunning views over Lake Rosseau. If your interest is piqued for this slice of Muskoka, you'll want to register at this link.
Craig White was a guest of the Rosseau Residences at the JW Marriott Muskoka to gather information for this article.
