MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Spring 2020

words by Scott Parent and photos by Lauren Miller GOOD ONLY VIBES LIVING ON BEACH TIME For Sarah Sklash and April Brown, a motel is more when served up with a chilled glass of wine - preferably a rosé. A place that offers something beyond a bed for the night. The creative pair have pleasantly redefined the motel experience in a tourist town using a retro ambiance in design, combined with a forward thinking wellness and lifestyle experience for guests during their stay. “Motels, with their flashy neon signs, bright doors and retro Solair chairs, are the epitome of North American culture - and they’re ready to make a comeback, if we have anything to say about it!” proclaim the moteliers. Originally from Calgary and Windsor, ON, Sklash and Brown met in Toronto, left their jobs in PR and government and in 2016 purchased their first vintage roadside motel in Prince Edward County known as the Sportsman. They redesigned it into the stylishly eye-catching June Motel. Both Sarah and April rolled up their sleeves, renovating and redesigning more than just the look of the place, but the entire experience of staying at a motel. No surprise they chose Sauble Beach as the next frontier to develop their motelier portfolio. After experiencing the beach town for the first time, the pair knew they had discovered something unique. “We spent 24 hours with no place to go but the beach and no plans except enjoying the sunshine. It was pure bliss.” But it was something more than the scenic beauty of the region that convinced them to settle in. “We watched the sunset more times than we can count, but if you ask us for the best way to do it, we’d say on a boat tour where the cotton candy skies melt like butter into Lake Huron. Or maybe with an affogato in hand courtesy of Beach House Cottages & Cafe.” Sklash and Brown purchased the Knight’s Inn, a 24-room vintage motor lodge in early 2019, operating it as-is for the summer while fully immersing themselves into the relaxed lifestyle of the area. “In Sauble, we learned to operate on a sunset state of mind. Here, it’s all about living on beach time, in flip flops, with the people you love. This small retro beach town has completely captured our hearts and brought our motel dreams to life.” The June Motel and Swim Club in Sauble includes a restaurant, patio and pool and is only 600 metres from the Beach and offers a well-curated list of amenities and services, such as yoga on the beach. They invite visitors to come and experience the local wellness vibe for themselves - or maybe extend their stay, sprout a business of their own and help shape this vibrant community even more. When this hard-working pair of moteliers aren’t swinging hammers, hanging curtains or helping guests at the June, you might find them in line at Casero Taco bus, listening to live music at Sola’s, or relishing a sunset SUP on Lake Huron.