Cottage living can be a cost-prohibitive pastime for Ontario residents, but one developer has conceived a sprawling cottage-plex with a striking modern design, all geared to cater to the growing recreational rental market.

RAM Development Group of Toronto received approvals in January for a community of 60 luxury townhomes on a 53-acre site fronting Sparrow Lake, now being marketed under the moniker "Luna Bay."

The bold project would transform a stretch of the tranquil lake, which sits midway between Orillia and Gravenhurst in the heart of Muskoka, into a new destination with a strip of three-storey townhomes and related amenities following the shoreline's curves.

Russell Jacobs, principal of RAM Development Group, referred to the design from ATA Architects as "Nordic Zen" in an interview with Storeys, a description that seems bang-on in terms of capturing the vibe.

Renderings show a collision of modern and traditional cottage aesthetics, with pitched A-frame roofs and timber-clad walls that evoke the log cabins of yesteryear. Fieldstone-faced chimneys penetrate the pitched roof structures in another modern spin on traditional Muskoka cottage architecture.

And while tradition is embraced, modernity is still front and centre in the resort-style luxuries awaiting buyers and renters.

Impressive features are planned, such as a year-round bathing area with an outdoor fireplace, hot tub, and an all-season swimming pool. Other amenities on offer will include sports-related draws including an indoor gym, golf simulator room, tennis and pickleball courts, and saunas.

One of the coolest offers is the promise of non-motorized watercraft that will be available to owners and guests. Heck, they're even planning to offer add-on (upcharged) features like massages and facials.

While it all sounds fantastic, the project's current marketing push comes at a not-so-peachy time for the Ontario cottage market, with prices for recreational properties in a tailspin across the region.

The cottages are selling in a range from $1.6M to $1.7M, which is roughly double the July 2024 median price for waterfront property in Muskoka, which currently sits at $809,000.

While steeper than the local average, the development is being presented as an investment opportunity for owners to rent out to cottage-goers, and it can be assumed that the project will function as something of an Airbnb resort.

Furthering this goal, RAM is looking to attract buyers who would otherwise be uninterested in cottage ownership due to upkeep responsibilities, promising on-site management that would handle the maintenance of the units.

What makes this development particularly exciting is that you won't even have to buy a unit to experience this new destination, as rental listings will inevitably follow soon after occupancy is granted.