Casselodge Bed & Breakfast in Casselman, Ontario: What a B&B, Should Be
Casselodge Bed & Breakfast, located in Southeastern Ontario, is an unforgettable accommodation option with quite a story to tell. Quickly, you realize that, by staying there, you have the opportunity to become part of the story. The owners, Nicole and François, do everything they can to ensure you’ll find a new home away from home.
Looking up at Casselodge from the river.
From the moment I arrived at Casselodge, one thing was clear - Nicole and François were meant to be in this line of work.
It was dark when I arrived, but this Ontario bed and breakfast, located not all that far from Ottawa, was lit up to perfection, and so I parked my car and headed towards the entrance. I’d just spent some time exploring Cornwall, Ontario, and so Nicole and François were quick to let me know that I was fine to head straight to my room if I was so inclined, but they also let me know, if I was up for it, they could pour me a glass of red, and they could tell me a bit about their story, and show me around.
Longtime readers will not be surprised that I chose option B.
Their excitement for this place, what was once just an idea and dream that later became their home and place of work — well, it was palpable. I could see right away that these two people were “hosts” in the purest sense of the word.
François even told me that, despite his love for the Montreal Canadians, he’d happily join me to watch the Leafs game in the living room that night. I mean, how is that for being a sublime bed & breakfast host?
What struck me perhaps most prominently is that this wasn’t some show because I happened to be a travel writer. I am certain that anyone who walks through that door is made to feel as welcomed as I was, and that, in a way, was the impetus for me to write this very article.
With François and Nicole, you’re in good hands.
How Casselodge Came to Be
Nicole and François built this bed and breakfast around a traditional 1890 French Canadian log home, and they noted that “it became the heart and soul of our Bed and Breakfast, as it sits in the middle and makes up the interior room walls of our 2010 round 15 inch log construction.”
It is as it sounds. It’s almost a home within a home, a matryoshka doll of housing, if you will.
Ultimately, this all started when they found out this there was a house that was being given away in the nearby community of Bourget.
“Little did we know that this old 1890 clapboard construction, desperately in need of a facelift, was hiding underneath its fatigued façade, a pièce-sur-pièce log home, traditional of log homes built by our French Canadian ancestors. The house was moved to our property in January 2007, and from there began a major restoration project, which included recycling of many of its original materials, and countless hours of work.”
During our conversations over that aforementioned bottle of delightful Quebec red wine, François told me that it took a full 7 years to build this place as they envisioned it. It wasn’t planned to take that long, but these two wanted this place to be just so (and it is).
The challenges they faced were immense. How do you preserve the history and legacy of the original log home, while simultaneously building out the modern amenities that would be desired by guests, for example? Of course, there were no shortage of unforeseen circumstances, but they carried on and, to me, that’s part of what makes this place so special.
They built 80% of this place more or less with their own two hands, and help from friends and family.
At one point, François showed me a spot under the staircase where there was some striking, blackened wood. “Any idea why that wood looks a little different?” he asked. “Well, we were even able to use the logs from the 1890 log cabin that were charred by a forest fire.”
I have been fortunate to stay in a lot of different hotels and accommodation over the years — hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of places. And so I’m here for what’s different, what’s unique — the places that tell a story just by their very existence.
François and Nicole are preserving one story, while telling their own alongside it.
François and Nicole. Photo Credit: Casselodge
The Experience at Casselodge
This isn’t your standard bed & breakfast. You’ve got an array of rooms, but you’ve also got two living rooms (one downstairs that is a movie lover’s dream, complete with a popcorn maker), farm animals enjoying their life out near the barn, a little pond, a hot-tub and more.
I often asked how they thought to include certain things, and they painted a picture of a guest from the past mentioning something off-handedly and how they’d take a suggestion and turn it into reality. There’s even a little sauna downstairs — I mean, how cool is that?
If you’re interested in staying here, by the way, know that the best way to reach them is to contact them on their website, by email (casselodge@casselodge.ca), or phone (+1-613-443-1838). They handle all the booking themselves, as they want to ensure that this is the right fit for a potential guest. A bachelor party, for example, isn’t going to necessarily be the ideal fit for this pastoral paradise.
The ROoms
There are four guest rooms inside Casselodge, and there’s also the barn loft apartment. There’s not necessarily a hierarchy of rooms, as much as each room providing something a little different to all. All that to say, there’s not a bad choice here.
Let’s walk through what’s on offer.
The Antique: Step back in time to 1890, and enjoy old fashioned surroundings as well as a stunning morning sunrise through the dormer window. 1 queen and 1 double (sleeps 4), private modern bathroom, sloped ceilings, and seating area. Sleeps up to 4.
The Belvedere: Enjoy cozy rustic surroundings and a spectacular sunset view from the balcony patio furniture, overlooking the hobby farm animals. That’s exactly what I did during my stay here. I had a queen sized bed, a private balcony, a lovely alcove with a seating area (and sofa) to do some writing and more. Sleeps up to 2 people.
The Escapade: “Plan your escape in this bright and comfy setting with a walk out patio where you will enjoy a view of the pond, the gardens, the swing and the Castor River.” 1 queen and 1 double futon, and a private entrance from outside the room. Sleeps up to 4 people.
The Serenity: “Tranquil, quiet and peaceful ambiance is what you will discover in the serenity room.” Perfect for re-energizing and treating yourself to a memorable experience. Sleeps up to 4 people.
The Barn Loft: “This fully furnished barn loft apartment in an open concept on 2 floors allows you to get away from it all in a peaceful and natural setting.” Full kitchen, full bathroom. Open concept loft with 1 queen bed, and double bunk beds. Sleeps up to 6. The outside gazebo with a table and chairs certainly doesn’t hurt either!
The Breakfast
When you walk down the stairs and see that your hosts are in full cooking attire (complete with those wonderful orange hats), the coffee is ready, and the whole place smells like heaven, you know you’re in for something special.
Fresh fruit, high quality local cheese, warm pastries, homemade granola and apple sauce, unique jams, pancakes, little delectable quiches — well, it doesn’t get much better.
But more than what they served is how they served it.
When François and Nicole saw how much I was appreciating what they were serving up, you could tell it meant something to them. Here they are, having served hundreds and hundreds of meals like this, and yet I felt like I was the very first. That’s how present they were and how much care they showed.
After a while, they came into the breakfast room to sip coffee alongside me — and all were happy.
I’d be willing to bet when they set their alarms for far too early o’clock every morning, it’s not coffee that fuels their engine, it’s the anticipation of the joy or their guests.
One thing I know from speaking to them over my time there is that a lot of their bookings come from repeat guests. Nothing could surprise me less. I’d love to take my partner, Bri, here, or my family, one day.
Let me pose a question.
In a world where so many hotels are carbon copies of one another, and you’re just a credit card number or booking reference in a future marketing meeting for them, isn’t it priceless to spend a few nights in a place like this?
The Atmosphere
Anybody who has met me will tell you that curiosity runs deep in my blood. I’ve never been someone who has been an early sleeper, so one night, when I had pretty much the place to myself, I wandered around the bed and breakfast, and saw stories everywhere.
There were nods to the history of the place, to what they’ve built and the experiences they’ve had running the bed and breakfast, links to the local community, and fun knick-knacks that can only make you smile. Once I began to get to know Nicole and François, I could see their little touches everywhere.
And beyond the lodging itself, the property is ripe for exploration. Swings looking over rivers, fire pits with chairs waiting to be filled, animals looking over at you inquisitively, and the assurance of the river, rolling on past as it is wont to do.
This whole place is a dream, their dream, coming to fruition, and I was, in a very real sense, just humbled to be there and take it all in. Now more than ever, we need to answer those calls inside of us to do what it is we’re meant to — that’s a call that they answered.
Arrive as a Guest, Leave As So Much More
When I left Casselodge, it was almost shocking to me that I’d only been there for a few days. It dawned on me that on some real, human levels, being there had been good for my soul.
I remember one night, I had arrived back after dark after a seriously long day of exploration, walked in the door, and heard some music playing, and a little laughter.
Nicole and François were just wrapping up dinner in the back, and before I knew it, I had some dessert and a local beer in front of me. Time melted away as they asked about my day, and I asked about theirs. Seeing the ease with which I was now lifting my emptying beer, François kindly handed me another. The generosity I felt here wasn’t from the established arrangement of guest and bed & breakfast host, it was from people who genuinely cared.
They weren’t keen to get a top review, they were keen to make me feel at home. I know that, intuitively.
You know, I sent a message earlier to them, and let them know I was writing an article (something they told me I needn’t even worry about before I departed, I might add), and they got back to me shortly after I sent it to say, “they were just talking about me” and “it must be telepathy!”
It occured to me that this was the crux of it all. This is the sort of stay that will stick with you — where you’ll form a connection with the property that’s worth recounting and, if you buy into the experience, the hosts might just remember you with the same fondness.
When all is said and done, it’s connection we’re yearning for, and here, at Casselodge, I found it in spades.
I want to thank RTO9 / Southeastern Ontario for hosting me as media, as well as Attractions Ontario. All opinions are my own.