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View Full Version : The Lodge .. what would you want?



Quad18star
02-02-2009, 02:03 PM
If you guys were to go to a hunting or fishing lodge , what kind of things would you expect from the lodge?

For a while now I've been contemplating buying a fishing/hunting lodge to run as a business. We have many hardcore anglers and hunters from the USA and Canada show up here in Northern Ontario for our great fishing and hunting opportunities.

Would you , as a guest, prefer a fly-in , train-in , boat-in or drive-in lodge?

Would you prefer an American plan or a housekeeping cottage .

I'll define both plans.

American Plan - Transportation from a set location to the lodge via one of the ways listed above . Breakfast, Lunch and dinner daily. Boat, motor, gas provided for the entire stay. Daily cleaning of the rooms... bedding , towels supplied. Fish cleaning services and freezing.

Housekeeping - Usually includes all of the above , but the guests cooks for themselves and usually provide their own linens.

The difference between the 2 in terms of cost is usually a few hundred dollars less for the Housekeeping plan.

What kind of meals would you expect from a lodge for the different nights? Steaks? Chicken? Pastas?

Lunch is usually a boxed lunch which consists of either sandwiches or you can be given the stuff to make a shore lunch with your catch of fish.

What would you expect in terms of equipment? What size of boats? Motors? Fishing guide?

Most lodges have 14' to 18' boats with 20 hp motors .. some 4 strokes.

If you were to come for a stay ... how many nights would you go for ? The average is 3, 5 or 7 days .

And lastly ... what would you be willing to pay for this type of vacation ?

Just looking to get some input.

Pappy
02-02-2009, 04:12 PM
I want a free trip:devil:

extremeblastr
02-02-2009, 04:25 PM
as far as getting there, doesn't really matter to me, would prefer the american plan and more then willing to pay for the difference as long as your providing a warm comfortable atmosphere when i'm there and the food is as good as i would get if i went out for a meal, and i think it would be cool if you had some game dishes as an option at a higher price.

make sure you let me know if you do this because no matter what way you do it i'm in need of nice fishing vacation.

ZeroLogic
02-02-2009, 04:54 PM
Me personally, I'd love for a lodge to pick me up from the airport unless other transportations are easily acquired. I'd rather bring my own linens and cook my own food as well. I rather not have people walking in and out of the lodge cleaning it as well. But fresh towels and what not wouldn't hurt.:p I'd love to have a nice boat to fit from 2 to 4 people also. I wouldn't expect any equipment but a rental shop would be nice also along with lures, bait, and other fishing/hunting supplies.

Quad18star
02-02-2009, 05:56 PM
Thanks for the input so far.

From what I gather from most lodges , the meals are pretty good and have a bit of a variety for different nights , or for dietary needs.

Like I said , most places offer a standard menu for the different days .... so one night it could be prime rib with the sides, or t-bone steaks , spaghetti dinners .... most all have fresh baked breads and desserts.

Breakfasts are your typical Eggs and Bacon , pancakes , omellettes , fruits.

I haven't looked into what it would take to serve game dishes .. maybe special licenses or something.

One thing is for sure ... and fishing lodge vacation isn't a vacation without the shore lunches. Like I mentioned , most places give you the option of having boxed lunches such as sandwiches or they'll set you up with the necessities to make your shore lunch... such as potatoes for fries, cooking pan and grate , fish batter , oil and such. Some lodges have everyday shore lunches for their guests ... all you do is show up with your catch at a specific time , let the cooks filet your fish and they have everything ready for your lunch.

As for transportation , most guests drive to a location ... then either fly-in with the lodges charter plane to the resort ... or they sometimes take the train to a location near the lodge where the lodge picks them up and transfers them to the lodge. Some lodges are also drive-in lodges or boat-in .

As far as equipment, most people prefer to bring their own tackle and gear , but some lodges will rent out equipment ( rods, tackle, etc) at a cost per day.. usually $10 or so .. plus deposits for lost lures.

I am leaning more towards a drive-in, boat-in or train-in lodge ... since I don't have the money nor the license to operate a float plane.

As for pricing ..... the average runs between $1200 - $1700 Canadian dollars ... which at $1200 works out to be around $960 US ... which would be for one week( 6 fishing days) all inclusive American plan . Do you think that is reasonable??

Keep the input comming ... I have a meeting with the banks in a few weeks to discuss things.

Quad18star
02-02-2009, 05:57 PM
Originally posted by Pappy
I want a free trip:devil:

Ken , I've told you once , and I'll tell you again ...... you and the family are welcome up here anytime you want. Get your *** up here , bring your clothes and fishing gear and the rest is provided.

Pappy
02-02-2009, 06:03 PM
If I ever get a few extra dollars to come up, I will for sure. I would love to see it all!

If I can lend any advice, KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Give folks a good time, good service and go out of your way to accomodate them...you wont fail

Quad18star
02-02-2009, 06:25 PM
Originally posted by Pappy
If I can lend any advice, KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Give folks a good time, good service and go out of your way to accomodate them...you wont fail

That's what I'm leaning towards.

I figure as long as I can provide great meals , clean lodge and good fishing opportunities , it will keep the guests comming back year after year ... atleast that's how it's been with lodges that I've been to and enjoyed.

A great atmosphere is 95% of the trip ... the other 5% is catching the fish or being successful on the hunt.

Quad18star
02-05-2009, 11:24 AM
For those interested ... here is the Lodge I'm looking into. It's called Horwood Lake Lodge ... located in northern Ontario ... near Timmins Ontario.

http://www.horwoodlakelodge.com/

Quad18star
02-08-2009, 12:26 PM
Here's a couple videos of the place.

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