This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
At the mention of a lodging (bed and breakfast in English), we first think of the comforting breakfast offered by warm hosts. The charm of this type of accommodation lies unequivocally in its gentle authenticity as well as the little attentions of the owners to pamper its customers. While the number of lodgings decreases each year in the province, this category of establishments nevertheless remains in demand. As proof, since its opening in 2021, B & B Le Canadien, located in the village of Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies, has continued to be fully booked. Discovery of a place where relaxation and simple pleasure reign.
To date, the Quebec Tourism Industry Corporation (CITQ) has 771 lodges. There were 1,166 in 2017, 1,084 in 2018 and 988 in 2019. While the pandemic was certainly a factor in closures, this decline was observed well before the health crisis. Because it must be said, lodges have great assets, but they are faced with major competitors: hotels, with their great visibility and their reception capacity, or even reservation platforms like Airbnb which drown them in a wide choice of accommodation for rent.
But the lodges have something to offer that is quite different. In these places, we look for “human warmth”, specifies Véronyque Tremblay, president and CEO of the Association hôtellerie du Québec (AHQ), who reveals that the highest satisfaction rate of this clientele is notably linked to the welcome Staff. Knowing that “these establishments offer a maximum of five rooms which accommodate a maximum of fifteen people” according to the definition of the CITQ, wanting to own a lodging means wanting this proximity, seeking exchange and sharing with the other.
It is also very often a retirement project for many of them, underlines the CEO of the AHQ. For Sylvie and Yves, this plan came to fruition in 2010, when they purchased a historic house dating from 1793 — “love at first sight” for both — with the aim of renovating it, then to benefit a small group of people looking for rest and unique moments.
A history to preserve
The couple gave themselves a decade to restore and transform this heritage residence into a true refuge of tranquility. Each space, each object has been carefully considered to highlight the richness of its history. “The big advantage of having done it over 10 years is that it allowed us to think carefully about all the details,” reveals Sylvie, previously an engineer.
Featuring ancestral stones, ax-hewn wooden frame and original flooring, the house contains elegant period pieces, from living room furniture from Sylvie’s grandmother to a secretary dating back to the end of the years. 1800, passing by the impressive Chickering table piano (1848) and the delicate tableware in which breakfast is served.
The dormer windows, some of which were added during the redevelopment, offer visitors a breathtaking view of the St. Lawrence River, without forgetting the immense 18-acre plot of land on which it is possible to walk in summer and winter. All these elements testify to this desire to make this accommodation, where they have taken up residence, welcoming and authentic. “We also wanted to provide the comfort of a hotel, a small hotel, with the warmth of a gîte,” says Yves, who formerly worked in the field of industrial sales.
Develop human relationships
A decade to prepare for its opening. It might then seem implausible to open accommodation in the middle of a pandemic. However, the couple never regretted this decision. “There have certainly been cancellations, but in terms of volumes, there has been no impact,” says Sylvie, who affirms that people are now booking earlier and earlier to secure their place.
“We welcome people who come from everywhere. It’s great to chat with them, to know what they do, where they come from, to discover their culture,” continues Yves, also specifying that their affordable price allows them to reach people of all ages, from young couples to retirees.
He has since formed a clientele that is both new and loyal, who are looking for a place to relax and let themselves be captivated by the environment. “There are customers who come for the seventh or eighth time. We are so excited when we know they are coming,” he confides about the relationships he develops with his visitors.
Offer a unique experience
After a cozy night in one of the distinctively colored rooms, you go down the stairs to have breakfast, on the river side or with a view of the horses grazing on the grass. One of them, named Ianna, is a majestic Canadian that Yves takes care of and who inspired the very name of the lodge. “I have always loved horses. I said to myself ‘if one day I have the ideal place, I would like to have a horse’,” he explains.
The à la carte menu offers local foods – a characteristic feature of tourist lodges – such as fresh eggs which come from their Chantecler hens, wandering around the grounds in complete freedom and in gentle harmony between the owners’ dog and cat, as in a bucolic landscape painting.
This local flavor is also displayed on the walls of the accommodation where the works of the painter Sophie Lambert, who has been established in the region for years, and who, during the summer, opens her studio to the public, are exhibited. This restored chapel of Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies is notably one of the hosts’ tourist suggestions, such as the banal mill of Aulnaies dating from 1842, near the seigneurial domain of Aulnaies, classified as a heritage building, or the Fromagerie le montagne blanc, located in La Pocatière. “We like to guide people, we like to help people discover our region, we are proud of it,” says Sylvie, with a smile on her lips.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.