A posh room at one of Canada’s top hotels. And time to listen to the loons and inhale the sweet smell of pines at one of the country’s most popular outdoor playgrounds.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Jayne’s Luxury Rentals recently treated advisors and a few members of the travel media to an evening in Ontario’s Muskoka district, including a fashion show that was part of Muskoka Fashion Week, and an overnight stay at one of Jayne’s Luxury Rentals properties. Open Jaw was among the media in attendance on a night that featured hot fashion, locally made art and jewelry, and fine food and drinks on the dock at a luxurious Lake Joseph cottage.
It’s a fairly new working relationship, but the Ritz-Carlton Toronto and Jayne’s Luxury Rentals are working with advisors to promote both the city and Muskoka. They have undertaken a few fams for advisors and the media so they can check out two distinct areas of Ontario.
Mimi Auyeung, Senior Luxury Leisure Sales Executive at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, said she’s already seen a lot of interest from advisors, especially in the US.
“We are able to arrange transportation for guests with our concierge team, if they wish,” Auyeung told Open Jaw. “They can also work directly with Jayne’s concierge team. The best way would be to work with a travel advisor who could coordinate the stay and transportation with both me in Toronto and Jayne’s team in Muskoka. Jayne’s has cars that can do pick ups in Toronto and take them to their cottages.
Auyeung said the Ritz-Carlton can show the guests options for Cottage Air float planes that can whisk guests to a lakeside retreat, but that the hotel concierge doesn’t book flights.
“Again, I would recommend that the guests book their transportation with their travel advisor,” she said.
Jayne’s Luxury Rentals founder Jayne McCaw told Open Jaw that Auyeung or the Ritz-Carlton concierge can help with Jayne’s rentals. Her company can pick guests up in Toronto and deliver them to their rented cottage. Jayne’s Luxury Rental guests also can set up grocery delivery, private chefs, massage therapy, yoga classes and other special programs while at the rented cottage.
For Jayne’s cottage guests, the Jayne’s concierge can provide transportation to the Ritz-Carlton, which bills guests directly for their Toronto hotel stay.
“Together, we aim to offer seamless journeys; from the cultural vibrancy and world-class gastronomy of downtown Toronto to the tranquil, tailored elegance of cottage life in Muskoka,” Auyeung said. “With floatplane access from Billy Bishop Airport to private docks, or door-to-door ground transportation, our teams are committed to delivering bespoke stays that reflect the very best of both destinations.”
“I love the way Mimi and I are working together as we target the same guest and as we all know, guests like to have different types of accommodation for different types of stays,” McCaw said.
McCaw is a former marketing and sales executive who transitioned her passion for travel and business into a company that provides private, luxury accommodation and five-star concierge service.
In 2019, she won the Women of Influence award for a start-up business, an award sponsored by RBC. The company now manages nearly 300 properties, primarily in Muskoka, but also in Collingwood, Creemore, Thornbury, the Kawarthas, Parry Sound, Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The website lists at least one property in British Columbia.
“Some of the properties are sensational,” one advisor said at the Muskoka event. “I’ve seen some with helicopter pads.”
“A visit to Muskoka is often paired with Toronto, so it’s important we highlight the proximity and the contrast of experiences, with city and nature just a short drive apart,” said Val Hamilton, Executive Director, Muskoka Tourism.
One of the major attractions in Muskoka this summer is the recent launch of Wanda III, the former Eaton family yacht that dates to 1915. The ship has been electrified, and the gleaming wood exterior and interior work has been fully restored. Tours are taking place on Lake Muskoka this summer.
Hamilton said other highlights include a Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery, an outdoor walking tour in a variety of Muskoka locations that now includes weekly guided tours of 103 replica murals, and even paint classes. The Muskoka Chautauqua Summer Festival features more than 60 curated art experiences in Windermere from 01AUG to 10AUG.
The Ritz-Carlton renovated its airy lobby last year and has opened a new Italian Café and Bar in the lobby called LANO (short for Milano). They now have a vinyl brunch at the restaurant on Sundays.
