‘We are hopeful the cottage featured in the show will soon be available to rent,’ says executive director of Muskoka Tourism
The private Muskoka cottage featured in Heated Rivalry will soon be available to rent on Airbnb.
The rental platform confirmed the decision this week.
“The excitement around Heated Rivalry is not slowing down,” said Val Hamilton, executive director of Muskoka Tourism. “What we are seeing is a strong desire for people to experience cottage life for themselves. We are hopeful the cottage featured in the show will soon be available to rent.”
The popularity of the Crave series Heated Rivalry is drawing new — and international — attention to Muskoka, as tourism officials move quickly to capitalize on the show’s success across Canada and the United States.
Heated Rivalry, based on Rachel Reid’s best-selling novel, follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov as they navigate a secret romantic relationship alongside their high-profile careers. The season finale, titled ‘The Cottage,’ features the pair retreating to a secluded lakeside property filmed in Muskoka.
Although Barlochan Cottage on Lake Muskoka, featured in the finale, is a private residence and currently not available to rent, Muskoka Tourism says the episode has boosted interest in Muskoka cottage country as a whole.
“We ran with this and created a campaign called ‘Come to the Cottage,’ with billboards across Toronto,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton said the campaign has topped 11 million impressions across the Greater Toronto Area and sparked growth in website traffic, social media engagement, and coverage from major media, including The New York Times.
“The excitement around Heated Rivalry is not slowing down,” Hamilton said. “What we are seeing is a strong desire for people to experience cottage life for themselves. We are hopeful the cottage featured in the show will soon be available to rent.”
The success of the show has also reinforced Muskoka Tourism’s approach to screen tourism more broadly. Hamilton said the organization actively tracks productions filmed in the region and is already preparing for the release of Sterling Point, a new Amazon Prime series shot entirely in Muskoka later this year.
Beyond the tourism boost, Muskoka Pride secretary Shawn Forth said the show has also highlighted the region’s efforts to promote 2SLGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion.
“It’s exciting to see that a Canadian show with prominent 2SLGBTQ+ representation has been watched and enjoyed by so many viewers in both Canada, the U.S., and around the world,” Forth said.
“It’s even more exciting that the final episode was filmed in Muskoka, as it reflects the efforts of municipalities and organizations like Muskoka Pride over the last decade to increase 2SLGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion in the region.”
Forth added that tourists make up about 40 per cent of attendees at the annual Muskoka Pride Festival, with nearly all reporting positive experiences in the area.
For Hamilton, she hopes that visitors find a place to stay “that feels truly magical.”
–With files from Metroland and the Toronto Star.