For cottage buyers looking to own a luxury vacation property without all the extra work that entails, a developer has begun selling lots on an exclusive island in Ontario's popular Muskoka region north of Toronto.

Known as the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Muskoka, the 32 estate-sized lots are now available for purchase on Langmaid’s Island — an undeveloped property of over 140 acres featuring almost six kilometres of shoreline. It is located in the Township of Lake of Bays. 

“This project is really about creating something timeless. We’ve worked hard to respect the island, the lake and the legacy of Muskoka, while bringing in a global brand like Ritz-Carlton to raise the bar for what a waterfront community can be,” Sean Majerovic, principal with the project's developer Density Group Limited, wrote in an email exchange with RENX Homes.

The property was owned by the Adamson family but following the death of Henry Adamson, it was sold to the development team in 2017. 

“There’s a little bit of neighbour opposition, like there always is, but I think generally people were on side because they’re not doing any kind of density there. There’s no hotel; there’s no condos, there’s no small fractional ownership. About a third of the island will stay as a nature preserve, and the rest of it is divided into really big lots,” said Janice Fox, president of Hazelton Real Estate, in an interview about the project.

Concept for the Ritz-Carleton Residences

Toronto-based, privately held Density Group has lined up local builders who will handle construction. Architectural firms Studio Caban, from Tucson, Ariz. and Copenhagen-based Norm Architects have a set of designs in place.

“They’re not big McMansions. They’ve designed things that are very gentle and work with the nature and they’ve already plotted where they should go, in terms of sight lines and privacy from the other cottages, and for optimum light and view lines and so on," she said. "And these architects are very, very considerate of nature. They’re certainly not clearing lots and rolling lawns: if that’s the sort of cottage you want, this is the wrong spot."

The designs run from four to eight bedrooms and may also include other buildings, such as bunkies or guest houses. Lots run from about 2.5 acres up to five acres, and water frontage is from approximately 300 feet to over 1,500 feet, according to Fox.

Prices will range upwards from $3 million per lot, she said and full pricing will most likely end up in the $8 to $10 million range, once the properties are fully developed.

Lot owners also have the option of contracting their own builders and designers, said Fox.

“The agreement with the township is, once the lot is sold, they have to start construction within two years, and they have to be finished within five years. I guess it depends, as each lot is sold, how fast the owners want to start and if they want to stick with the design that’s been proposed, or they have their own idea.”

Concierge program, homeowners' club

But what really differentiates this development from many others in the region is the Ritz-Carlton concierge program, according to Fox.

“You would call and say, ‘I’m coming on Friday.’ They’ll have the cottage cleaned; stocked with groceries, all the leaves blown, the boat in the water. Everything’s ready to go," she said. "They’ll open the cottage at the beginning of the season, close at the end of the season. Whatever you could imagine that you really don’t like doing as a cottage owner, they’re going to do for you.”

Density Group is partnering with Ritz-Carlton, through its owner Marriott International.

“The developers looked at a few different options, and really were concerned about who could offer the best experience for the owners and the Ritz stepped up with an interesting program and had a lot of suggestions on how they thought they could coordinate this," Fox said.

"They’ve done similar properties on other locations around the world, and really had a good idea on how this could operate. They’re very stringent on their level of service.”

The development will also include a homeowners' club, located around 500 metres away from the island on the mainland. It will include a dining room, a Nordic spa, tennis and pickleball courts, an archery range, indoor golf simulator and mountain bike trails. It will include a “whimsical treehouse” for children, according to a press release.

Residents will have access to a rentable event space, and it will include some guest cottages. The club also includes a communal fire pit.

While this club is aimed at the resident use, the developer is also considering other models.

“Part of the discussion we’re having as a group now is maybe we should consider offering a very limited number of seasonal memberships to people who have cottages in the area, because otherwise it’s difficult to sustain a dining room and full spa with only 32 owners,” Fox said.