Let me tell you a little about my winter. It involved a blizzard, multiple feet of snow and weeks of freezing temperatures. And yet, somehow, this all seemed fine because it coincided with a binge-watch of the sizzling series Heated Rivalry.
I know I’m not the only one obsessed with this Canadian show about the slow-burning romance between hockey players Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie). HBO, which airs Heated Rivalry in the U.S., says 10.6 million fans have tuned in to the viral, word-of-mouth series.
For all my fellow HR Loons, I have some good news: We are so going to the cottage. That’s right, the lakeside home featured in Episode 6, the series finale, will soon be available to book for a limited time on Airbnb!
The Canadian hideaway is where the show’s most romantic and iconic scenes take place, and it is the ultimate setting to be completely alone, together. Read on to find out how you can book a stay and where else you can live out Heated Rivalry in real life.
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Come to the cottage
If you hear the words “I’m coming to the cottage” and immediately start to have heart palpitations, you’re going to want to write this next part down. You can book the real-life cottage on Airbnb starting March 3.
(A cottage, by the way, is what Canadians call any vacation home on a lake or in a forest. So yes, Shane’s sprawling, very private, all-glass lakefront abode counts as a “cottage.”)
Barlochan Cottage is located in Muskoka, Ontario, about a 90-minute drive from Toronto. It’s the exact home the show was filmed in. There are three bedrooms, all with queen (not king) beds: one primary bedroom upstairs with an ensuite bathroom, plus two guest rooms downstairs, all with views of Lake Muskoka.
Just like in the show, there’s an open-concept kitchen with large windows and access to a patio through the Muskoka Room (sunroom). You’ll also find a gas fireplace in the living room and a private outdoor lakefront beach where you can use the three kayaks and two canoes that come with the property.
Not seen in the episode: the home’s rec room, complete with theater chairs and a fully outfitted exercise room featuring two machines and free weights (perfect for rival workouts). There’s also a Murphy bed for overflow sleeping.
Stock the fridge with ginger ale and good Russian vodka. Make some tuna melts in the sleek kitchen or cook up way too many hamburgers on the outdoor grill. At night, sit outside at the fire pit and listen for “stupid Canadian wolf-birds” (um, loons). And in the morning, do some outdoor yoga or watch the sun rise before jumping in the lake for a swim.
It will be so much fun.
Nab a deal on your stay
Four early-access bookings will be available on Airbnb before the cottage opens for regular booking. Stays are for the weekends of:
- May 8–10
- May 16–18
- May 22–24
- May 29–31
Loon-atics can book one of these four stays starting March 3 at 12 p.m. EST for $248.10 Canadian per night (a combination of Shane’s and Ilya’s jersey numbers, 24 and 81). That’s about $181. See all the details here.
Although there’s no information on how much a stay will cost after this special promotion, it’s safe to assume it will be pricier.
Barlochan Cottage
Book a stay at the cottage from Heated Rivalry and live out your romance à la Shane and Ilya.
Explore more from Heated Rivalry
Realistically, a reservation at Barlochan Cottage may be harder to nab than tickets to see Connor Storrie on Saturday Night Live this weekend (which, by the way, crashed SNL’s digital ticketing system).
But don’t despair: You can still immerse yourself in all things Heated Rivalry.
Visit Muskoka
It’s where Heated Rivalry filmed the cottage and outdoor scenes. You can pick a modern lake cabin from Jayne’s Rentals, the company responsible for Barlochan Cottage.
Head to Hamilton, Ontario
A dozen pivotal scenes from the show were filmed in this Canadian city. A few highlights include:
- Ciao Bella Restaurant: This is where Shane meets up with his parents in Episodes 1 and 4.
- Dundurn Castle: It stands in for the palace Ilya runs by in “Russia” in Episodes 2 and 4.
- Relay Coffee: Rebranded Straw + Berry, this “New York City” smoothie shop was featured in Episode 3.
- The Pink Tunnel: It’s where Ilya calls Shane from “Russia” in Episode 4.
Heated Rivalry
The best way to understand the Heated Rivalry phenomenon? Tune in.
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Sources:
- Variety: “‘Heated Rivalry’ Reaches 10.6 Million Viewers in The U.S. With Audience Increasing by Over 100% Since Finale”
- Airbnb: “Barlochan Cottage”
- Tourism Hamilton: “Visit Hamilton’s Heated Rivalry Filming Locations: Every Real-Life Spot Fans Can See”
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