Marten River Lodge wins Travelers’ Choice Award
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A northeastern Ontario tourist facility has been awarded the 2020 Travelers’ Choice Award.
Marten River Lodge in Marten River has made it in the top 10 per cent of Tripadvisor’s 8.7 million listings around the world.
“We weren’t expecting it,” owner Ray Sapiano said Wednesday in an interview with The Nugget.
The lodge has received a certificate of excellence award in the past and Sapiano, who owns the business with his wife, Donna, said he thought they might have received another such award.
But this one is much bigger.
Tripadvisor ranks “anything and everything to do with travel,” whether it’s tourist destinations, airlines, cruise lines, restaurants or hotels, Sapiano says.
“It’s a credit to our teams here,” he says.
“We are in the business of building memories, and each member of our team understands that every touch-point with our guests is an opportunity to enhance their experience with us,” Sapiano also said in a news release.
The awards and rankings are based on online reviews from customers.
“They don’t just hand these out to everybody,” he says.
Sapiano admits he was shocked to find out how many businesses worldwide were part of the mix.
“The remarkable part of it is our five-star ranking is one thing, but to be in the worldwide mix, that’s just remarkable.”
The 87-year-old Marten River Lodge features historic log cabins, a main lodge and dining room that date back to 1925 on 12 acres of pristine waterfront, surrounded by old-growth forest and game preserves.
It is among the oldest resource-based tourism destinations in Ontario.
The recognition, Sapiano says, also is proof that a small operator in Northern Ontario can compete on the same level as much larger operations.
“We had a great time at MRL,” one Tripadvisor review says. “Staff was second to none. Ray the owner put on a great show at the lodge. And let me tell you he is very talented. His wife and him run a great business. We certainly will be back. Ray, I will bring my guitar my next trip.”
“Fantastic time at Marten River lodge. Clean cabins, great prepared meals, well equipped boats and gear,” another reviewer said. “Guided fishing excursions were great. Friendly owner Ray always available to assist or ensure your trip is the best it could be.”
The lodge caters to anglers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, offering all-inclusive outdoor adventure packages complete with gourmet dining and guided fishing and hunting excursions.
The lodge also has hosted national television programs, including The Fish’n Canada Show, Extreme Angler TV and The New Fly Fisher, all of which aired in Canada and the U.S. and have been streamed worldwide.
Sapiano says the COVID-19 pandemic has had “a severe impact on tourism in Ontario,” but the lodge has adapted to comply with public health protocols.
“We lost a third of our season, since we only opened on July 1. Since then, we have been pleased with the high response from within the province and we have actually exceeded our expectations so far,” he says.
“There seems to be a great deal of pent-up demand and people are discovering new experiences in what we have to offer. This recognition, particularly at this time, validates that MRL and tourism experiences in Northern Ontario are competitive worldwide.”
And while the business will have “a new shingle to hang” with the recognition, the intention now is to weather the pandemic.
“It’s a nice feather in the cap, but it is not going to change how we do things,” he says. “This year has been difficult, but we’re going to make the best of a bad situation.
“We’re all in survival mode right now, but we will get through it.”
On the web: martenriverlodge.com/
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