If you’ve ever had dreams of owning and operating your own Georgian Bay resort, now could be your chance – if you have a cool $14,999,000 to drop, that is. Christie’s Mill Inn and Spa – a sprawling, yet peaceful, retreat on the shores of Little Lake in Port Severn, Ontario – has hit the market.
Set on 17 acres, the serene sanctuary houses 41 guest rooms and a recently renovated three-bedroom cottage. The property features a full-service waterfront restaurant, a cozy café, and a welcoming bar. While the escape is considered luxury, it still has a charming and unpretentious, small-town vibe to it.
Complementing the fresh cottage country air, the property’s wellness-focused elements include a full-service spa, indoor pool, an outdoor wood-burning sauna, and a small gym. Outside, guests can enjoy a tennis court, lakeside patio and terrace, and a private beach with docks.
“The large addition that comprises the largest square footage portion of the hotel was built by a French count, so there’s a real French feeling inside the hotel, with gold finishes, furniture flown in from Europe, and oversized rooms – they’re nearly three times the size of a standard hotel room,” says the property’s listing agent, Ali Booth. “Another major draw are the panoramic lake views throughout; almost every room has a water view.”
The property boasts over 2,000 ft of water frontage on the pristine lake. Should they be so inclined, esteemed guests can take advantage of an exclusive private island, accessible by helicopter and complete with two helicopter pads.
Specs
- Address:263 Port Severn Road
- Size: 17 acres
- Price: $14,999,000
- Listed By: Ali Booth, Sotheby's International Realty Canada
While this resort is the type of spot that has no trouble booking up all season – it’s become a summertime haven for both families and couples – the property is also tailored for corporate retreats and conferences. It offers conference rooms that accommodate up to 90 guests, along with a 2000 square foot outdoor event space for corporate gatherings, weddings, and social events.
While the turn-key resort hotel resort is good to go upon purchase – along with its strong cash flow – it’s also a prime spot for development, either in the coming years, or down the road. The listing even features renderings that depict large, six-storey residential buildings.
“We included those renderings because we think it’s going to be a development project for someone, as well as operating it as a hotel,” says Booth. “We’ve had a lot of talks with the city about doing some sort of development there, and we have nothing approved yet, but the town has been very supportive of doing development, especially on this property. They’re looking to increase the year-round residents in town; as a lot of the population who owns cottages starts to age, they think to keep them in the area will be something more manageable, like a condo building where they’re not shovelling snow or cutting grass.”
This type of lifestyle would also appeal to the snowbird set, says Booth.
Our Favourite Thing
While this peaceful property features no shortage of spots to enjoy lake views, our favourite thing about it is its bright and airy lakeside restaurant. It looks like an ideal spot to start the day, with a plate of fresh fruit and a hearty breakfast. There's something about the area's lakes that is inherently calming, and that's the perfect type of vibe for breakfast, setting the mood for the rest of the easy, breezy day.
The general idea, says Booth, is to leave the existing hotel as is and add to the property. The two developments could coexist harmoniously, with residents enjoying the perk of accessing the hotel’s amenities. “With the positioning we’re suggesting to the property, every unit would have a water view,” says Booth of potential development.
While any development will involve rezoning the property, Booth says this won’t likely be something that’s met with much resistance. “The town said they’d support a timeshare type development, condos, or more hotel rooms,” says Booth. “Of all the townships I’ve had meetings with for development, the Port Severn township is extremely supportive of development and growing that area.”
Booth says that the picture-perfect property is already generating a flurry of interest. “We’re getting mixed interest on this property,” says Booth. “We have people who are interested in buying it and operating it as a hotel. But we also have a lot of developers who are interested in buying it and running the hotel while they get the approvals to build. So, you have income from the hotel offsetting the cost of a traditional development site.” Booth says there’s also interest from one potential buyer who wants to turn the whole thing into a corporate retreat for their worldwide staff.
“I would guess that, if someone has deep enough pockets to buy this property, they’re going to do some sort of development because there’s just so much opportunity there and so much land to build something else,” says Booth.
In addition to development opportunities and soul-soothing views, the property also comes with a fun fact to entertain the reality TV-loving set. The most recent Bachelor in Paradise Canada was filmed there over eight weeks in the summer of 2022.
WELCOME TO CHRISTIE'S MILL INN AND SPA
