Sarah is the first person I sat down with on my quest for inspiration. When I met her in a downtown Toronto park for lunch, Sarah was stepping out from her day job. But that’s not what we were here to discuss. I was curious about her life as a motelier. In spring 2016, after having dreamed about it for many years, she finally took the plunge, buying a motel in Ontario’s Prince Edward County with her longtime friend April.
What’s her project all about?
The Sportsman, a vintage motel in Picton, Ontario, where Sarah and April share their passion for the county with an ever-growing number of tourists (double what it was 10 years ago).
Where did the inspiration come from?
“I’ve always had aspirations to create *something*, and saw other people take on similar motel projects. Even when I was working on another idea (a service to print Instagram pictures onto silk scarves) a few years ago, I had the itch to get into the hospitality business.”
What’s been difficult?
“Everything went so well in the first week and a half, so maybe that made us a bit too confident [laughs]! I’d say the hardest thing is just running a motel! Plumbing issues, managing the staff, etc. And of course, like in any tourist-focused business, there’s sometimes less-than-pleasant guests, but that comes with the territory.”
What’s been the most rewarding?
“Honestly, I’ve been surprised by the welcome from everyone in the county, and especially the so-called competition. We quickly learned that ‘the tide raises all ships’, as someone told me, and it’s in the best interest of everyone working in tourism here that the visitor lives a great experience. If that’s by staying at our motel, or someone else’s B&B, or taking a winery tour, it all impacts the visitor’s experience, and we want people to return home with a smile, and a desire to come back again!”
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned?
“Don’t try and do too much hands-on reparations yourselves! We’re figuring out how to build and fix things, and we’re getting better at gauging what kind of reparations we can do ourselves, and which ones are better left to the professionals. I don’t think we’ll ever be plumbers [laughs]!”
Thanks for taking the time to inspire us, Sarah, and good luck with the motel!
“My pleasure! Hope to see you there one day!”
For more information or to book a stay at The Sportsman, visit www.SportsmanPEC.com. Book by August 31st with promo code “inspiration” for a little sumthin’ sumthin’.
PS: April and Sarah are looking to renovate, update and rebrand the place for 2017, so check it out this year and next year!