Cottage of the Week: $3,500 a week for a lakeside lodge with themed bedrooms
ADDRESS: Esson Lake, about five kilometres from Wilberforce, Ontario
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Haliburton Highlands
AGENT: Available through theedgeofessonlake.com
PRICE: $3,500 a week for up to eight people (July and August); $100 for each additional person
THE PLACE: Dubbed “The Edge of Esson Lake,” this six-bedroom cottage sleeps 16 comfortably and is only a three-hour drive from the city.
BRAGGING RIGHTS: The owners created themed bedrooms inspired by their world travels. The Africa room is adorned with items from trips to Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco and Egypt, while the Asia-Pacific room contains curios from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and India. (Alternatively, there’s also a hockey-themed room for sports nuts and a Coca-Cola room for those greatly opposed to Pepsi.)
BIG SELLING POINT: On those hot summer nights, you’ll appreciate the central air conditioning. On the cool ones, there’s an outdoor hot tub to stave off the chill.
POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: If you’re a staunch animal activist, you might find the moose head, shot by the owner himself just north of Thunder Bay, a bit off-putting (or you can try to think of it as communing with nature).
BY THE NUMBERS: • $3,500 for up to 8 people for a week (July and August) • 16-foot bow rider and water skis for an additional fee • 6 bedrooms • 3 bathrooms • 2 small boats (a canoe and a pedal boat) • 1 games room • 1 hot tub
