LibbyPEC is home to some of Ontario’s prettiest vistas, delightful wineries and as of early 2021, a stunning seaside resort with poolside cabins. Wander the Resort officially opened at a critical time for the hotel industry. Bucking the traditional trend of a lobby and formal check-in, the timing couldn’t have been better to adopt this hands-free approach.
Blanketing a private beach with ten kitted-out cabins, the real choice is lakeside or poolside?
Wondering about Wander the Resort? Read on for more
I grew up camping in nearby Sandbanks Provincial Park. I still take my daughters there most summers, but if you’ve been to the county then and now, you know it’s night and day to what it was. And that gentrification comes at a cost, many locals are priced out of the market. Hospitality workers find it difficult to find accommodations locally. Growth comes at a cost.
While locals are struggling to find a bed, tourists are enjoying the new options. From bed and breakfasts, Airbnb’s, resorts, and yup, still camping, Wander the Resort straddles the gap, offering a blissful front seat to the outdoors, with a backdrop of plush pillows awaiting you indoors.
Each cabin sleeps up to six and is equipped better than most homes. Both from a design and functional perspective, you’re well looked after here, with intuitive inclusions at your fingertips throughout the cabin. And we’re not talking just forks and a bottle opener. Here, the extras are artful, artisan and presented with casual effortlessness. There’s harmony in the look, but more importantly, your needs are looked after too.
Spacious and smart, but cozy and inclusive, I instantly wanted to have a mini replica ‘she-shed‘ version for my own. It is a cabin after all, not a house or hotel. That rustic element, of being unattached has its moments. With a jack-and-jill style bathroom, I could hear my roommate’s late-night bathroom trips, pocket doors cannot protect you from everything. But is that a big deal if you’re sharing with family or your bestie? Probably not. That corporate retreat where you’re shacking up? Maybe!
WANDER AT YOUR PACE IN YOUR SPACE
Cabin concierge service is at your fingertips. Every detail is communicated via text message, and you’re only touch-point with staff is at dusk to light your fire, literally. Firepits aren’t just decorative, but meeting hubs, secured with privacy screens ensuring your girl-talk is in the vault. Adjacent BBQ’s add to the kitchen’s depth. Building on the camp feel, a loaner Instamax secures visual souvenirs. You just need to bring food, board games and booze.
WANDER THE GREAT OUTDOORS PEC STYLE
With a well-appointed interior, a fireplace, deep soaker tub and calming pillow palette, you’d be tempted to sleep the day away, but you’re in the county! It’s yours to explore. And at Wander the Resort, it’s built into the name. Renting bicycles, visiting nearby wineries, and hopping over for lunch in nearby Picton, it’s an easy effort from this central spot. A long meandering trail north of the property affords car-free fun, but be forewarned, you are in farmland. Pig farmland. 🐷 Cute, but stinky.
Instead, you may want to opt-in for on-site nautical sports. Wander the Resort features a splashy fun pool and hot tub, cedar-lined sauna and of course picturesque Lake Ontario for dipping.
It must be hard for locals to acclimatize to this new landscape in all its hygge-ness. Precious farmland scrapped so Toronto tourists can branch out is a tough sell. And the rural backdrop does the trick, I was instantly relaxed and rewarded by my time under the stars- my booking came with a two-night mandatory stay- which may also be a tough sell for some. Prices vary based on cabin and date of stay but don’t be shocked if you’re shelling out $1000/a night.
Special occasion rendezvous call for a dream-like setting, and that, Wander delivers on. If I could replicate the Nordic look for the backdrop of my life, I most certainly would.
TL/DR;
Stunning Landscapes ✨ Private Cabin Suites 🔥 Curated Artisan Interior 🌱 Poolside Escapes 🌊
All images by Libby Roach.