SOUTHAMPTON, ONTARIO = Sometimes it takes a while to appreciate the nuances of a hotel or resort. But other times you take one look and say, “Holy cow.”
My wife and I were recently invited to check out the South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. We visited the town maybe 30 years ago, renting a home near the beach that was decorated in a design you might call “old person casual” and festooned with photos of such Toronto Blue Jays as Ernie Whitt and Buck Martinez.
I figured things in Southampton had changed a bit over three decades, but I wasn’t prepared for a dashing, vibrant renovated motel that made this California-raised travel guy feel like he was back in Santa Monica or the Florida version of South Beach.
The first thing that grabbed me were the brilliant yellow and white vertical stripes on the front wall of the building; a bold, welcoming dash of “look at me” colour.
Our room was a corner affair on the ground floor, Room 4, with taupe walls, a white sofa, two comfy white chairs for relaxing, and a round, white dining table with four chairs. Keeping with the theme, there were also several yellow, round end tables and an ottoman. The kitchen had snazzy, taupe and white striped wallpaper and was fitted out with a retro-looking fridge, Nespresso coffee maker, fashionable toaster, and a dishwasher.
The bathroom had a large, super-deep tub that some might have trouble getting out of, but was great for soaking. There was also a nice patio out back and a good-size bedroom with a king bed.
There were colourful, retro-looking photos of women in modest swimsuits on the wall, which added to California-Florida vibe.
Room 4 at the splashy, new South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
The design ideas came from Twenty-Two Twelve, a Toronto-based firm that also designed Hotel Julie in Stratford.
“We weren’t quite sure about those stripes when our designer showed them to us, but we love them,” co-owner Samantha Buttenaar told me during a media visit in mid-spring.
The South Beach Motel is the second Southampton renovation by local residents Samantha and Dane Buttenaar. Their first was literally a few blocks up the road, called the Beach Motel.
Samantha said she and Dan were living in the area, where Dan had a landscaping job. Samantha, who worked at Blue Mountain in tourism and held other travel-related jobs, was laid off from her job as a mental health counsellor, and the two began travelling. They checked out beach resorts, casual motels, overwater bungalows, and just about everything in between.
“I fell in love with the idea of motels,” Samantha said. “I love how people get out and mingle in the courtyard or maybe sit on a chair outside their room and chat with other guests. You don’t get that in a big hotel with indoor hallways.”
(As much as I like to consider myself a hotel connoisseur, I had never considered the social aspect of a motel.)
The Buttenaar’s slowly got into real estate, buying older homes and fixing them up for resale. Then came a chance a few years ago to buy the old 1950’s era Beach Motel, which they jumped at.
“It was a mess,” Samantha said. “The lobby area basically imploded on us.
The South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. Photo Courtesy South Beach Motel
“We had to learn about construction,” she told me. “Dane was really in there. He’d come home every day covered in dust. I don’t think anyone at the worksite had any idea he was the motel owner.”
Being hit by COVID-19 was generally a disaster for the tourism industry, but city residents began flocking to nearby resorts and hotels where they could be outside and safely distant from indoor germs. A place like the Beach Motel in a beach town like Southampton made perfect sense, and visitors began to arrive in steady numbers.
Sadly, Samantha didn’t get to see the Beach Motel open. She was around 26 weeks pregnant at the time the property was being unveiled and had some medical issues. She ended up being rush to hospital and then airlifted to London, where she spent two months in hospital.
The opportunity later came up to buy the South Beach Motel.
Dane and Samantha Buttenaar celebrate the opening of the South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario.
“This one needed a lot less work,” Dane told me. “It’s super solid. The reason we bought it is because of the bones.”
The Beach Motel, which has cool basket-chairs hung from the ceiling like a swing, has parking directly in front of the units, which is a bit of a drawback. At South Beach, the parking is tucked away to the side, so you’re not staring at a row of SUV’s when you sit on your outside chair.
Both buildings are two-storey affairs. All ground-floor rooms at the South Beach Motel open on to a large patio with yellow-and-white loungers, striped umbrellas and picnic table for more guest mingling. There’s also a cornhole game and the remnants of an old swimming pool they’re deciding what do with. Off to one side is a covered area with a sink, a microwave (there are no microwaves in the rooms as Samantha and Dave didn’t like the look) and a bbq.
Around the corner is a small but pretty spa with lots of sweet-smelling wood, a fire pit and wooden chairs for relaxing. They hope to soon add two cold, plunge pools, which will be nice for summer.
A trendy kitchen at the South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. South Beach Motel Photo
The original South Beach Motel had 18 rooms, but the Buttenaar’s cut that down to 12 to create larger rooms for today’s lifestyle. The rooms come in a variety of sizes, from studios to two-bedroom suites.
“South Beach is unlike anything else in the area,” Dane said. “It takes everything guests love about The Beach Motel — the location, the elevated touches and custom design, the escapism — and combines it with larger rooms and more family-focused stays. Add to that a totally retro design, and you get South Beach: a little slice of Miami right here in Southwestern Ontario.”
The lobby for the South Beach Motel is up the road a few blocks at the Beach Motel. The latter also is home to their new restaurant, Mirasol, which serves Spanish tapas and, based on our one-night test, is an exquisite addition to the Lake Huron shoreline food scene.
The bright, open restaurant will offer local pastries in the morning, including local cinnamon rolls the size of a hockey goalie’s blocker, as well as coffee, yogurt and other goodies.
The relaxation zone at the South Beach Motel in Southampton, Ontario. The sauna is in the background on the right. South Beach Motel Photo
The Beach Motel also has a second-floor patio that would be great for an early evening cocktail, or a local beer. And they can you up for an onsite spa treatment.
“So many people come here year after year,” Samantha told me over a cocktail at Mirasol. “They might not have a cottage, but they want to come for a week or two.
The Neighbourhood
The South Beach Motel is a short walk to a shopping strip with a Tim Horton’s, Circle K, Rexall pharmacy and a Subway outlet. The Beach Motel is closer to downtown shops and restaurants, including The Walker House.
Both motels are just a short walk from Southampton Beach, which is a fine stretch of sand with fabulous sunsets
The Drive
Southampton is about a three-hour drive from Toronto. The last couple hours takes you on a relaxing route past lovely farm land and attractive small towns.
The Price
Rooms in high-season go from around $400 for a studio/bachelor or $550 for a family/two-bedroom suite.
