A Lake Life Atmosphere

The Arrowhead Family Resort is immersed directly in nature

Five years ago, the New Chalet in Onanole, Manitoba became the Arrowhead Family Resort, and has been drawing families in ever since.

 While there isn’t much documented history on the New Chalet, it was noted in a history of Riding Mountain that the building was first known as the Lake Lodge and the Ice Cream Bar. At one time this included a supermarket. Both buildings were sold to Abe Ratson in 1945 and converted into an accommodation centre and restaurant.

The Arrowhead Family Resort offers 32 rooms. Guests can choose rooms with either one or two beds, with or without a kitchenette and there is even a pet-friendly room for those who want to bring their furry friend along. It also offers two larger suites, The Loft and The Tamarack. The Loft has three bedrooms, which takes up the entire upstairs of one of the buildings. There is also a livingroom and a full-size kitchen. The Tamarack suite is a two bedroom/two bathroom suite, which offers separate living areas, a full-size kitchen and a private deck.

The resort has many features and amenities that can draw guests in.

“One of the guests’ favourite features is our inground heated pool. Our pool area has patio tables, lounge chairs and lots of space to swim and play. We also have a small wooden playhouse for children to play in and enjoy. My favourite is when they decide the playhouse is the property’s new ice cream shop,” shares Hotel Manager, Jessica Saler.

They offer a contactless concierge service that allows guests to talk to someone if they have questions, concerns or need anything without having to come to the office. There is a bakery next door with specialty coffees and breakfast. As most of the staff are locals they can provide lots of information regarding things to do, trails to hike, food to try and more!

The resort receives a wide variety of guests.

“From family reunions to honeymoons to business trips, people come from all over to stay with us. If I were to narrow down our most common demographic it would be families with young children. The rooms all face a grass yard, which means parents can be in their room and still keep an eye on the children playing outside. If they want to swim they don’t have far to go to the pool. Being right downtown guests can stay busy playing outside or stepping off the property to enjoy the shopping and bustling neighbourhood,” says Saler.

Another draw for guests is that the resort is situated in Riding Mountain National Park.

“Being part of Riding Mountain National Park has definitely given us experiences and opportunities that a lot of businesses don’t get to be a part of. Staff and guests get to be immersed directly in nature while also being at the heart of Clear Lake country. Being open each season offers different experiences with nature that make it unique. Guests love summertime for the beach, shopping and bustling town while fall tends to draw more hikers who enjoy a colourful scenic hike. Winter is great for snowshoeing, skating on the lake and sitting around a fire. Spring is fantastic for all the baby animals peeking out for the warming weather. Guests are almost always guaranteed to see animals around Clear Lake during any season! Being in a national park definitely brings lots of active, outdoorsy people to us. Watching them fall in love with Clear Lake really makes us appreciate where we get to work every day.”

Guests can also appreciate the hotel’s design as they are able to access their rooms from outside and have views of Clear Lake. The resort has ramps built around its wrap around porch making it accessible for guests with mobility issues. The white, grey and red exterior gives it a true lake life atmosphere. The grass yard, spruce trees and large spaces really make the guests feel like they’re a part of nature.

In 2018, they began renovating the rooms top to bottom. This included painting, replacing furniture, lighting and building a beautiful tile bathroom that features a walk-in tile shower with sliding glass doors. They try to renovate a certain amount of rooms each year so that they can stay open during renovations. In 2020, they were able to either partially or fully renovate almost every room.  They gave the hotel exterior a fresh look by painting the exterior and fence, building a new playhouse and providing new outdoor furniture.

Arrowhead Family Resort is always looking for ways to improve and grow their business.

Their current plans are to continue renovations while finding ways to adjust to the new normal that COVID-19 has brought. At their sister property, The Lakehouse, they have been able to implement new procedures for their guests that they hope to implement at the Arrowhead. This includes keyless locks on all doors so that check-in can be a completely contactless and safe process for guests.

“We believe that each new challenge brings new opportunities and we will continue to adapt to these new circumstances.”

By Nicole Sherwood - Eastern + Western Hotelier