Real-life ‘Heated Rivalry’ cottage goes up for rent on Airbnb

Eager “Heated Rivalry” fans left desperate for another dose of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov will get the chance to step into the shoes of the now-infamous HBO Max characters by renting out the iconic cottage that served as the backdrop for the emotional finale episode in the hit hockey series.

The property, which is known as Barlochan Cottage and is located on the edge of Lake Muskoka in Canada, has become synonymous with the show, in which lead characters Shane, played by Hudson Williams, and Ilya, played by Connor Storrie, cemented their love story during a two-week getaway.

Now, that same home is set to open its doors to “Heated Rivalry” fans from around the world when it goes live on Airbnb as a vacation rental, with early bookings due to be made available on March 3 at 12 p.m. ET.

The cottage, seen here in photos courtesy of Airbnb, can be booked for $248.10 CAD per night—about $181 USD—a price that was set as a kind of tribute to the jersey numbers worn by the show’s lead characters: 24 for Shane and 18 for Ilya.

“Every great story deserves the perfect setting,” Airbnb said in a statement about the listing. “Airbnb is inviting guests to Barlochan Cottage—which has captivated screens big and small this winter—allowing fans to book and experience the private haven in real life on the shores of Lake Muskoka.

“Rooted in the Canadian tradition of cottage life, this warm, modern home was built with privacy as its cornerstone, where architectural details flow in harmony with the natural surroundings to create a safe space to disconnect and become one with nature.

“Opening its doors for the first time exclusively on Airbnb, a select number of guests can book the cottage for a weekend stay this summer, an invitation to step away from the noise and embrace the off-the-grid escape designed for slowing down, and reconnecting.”

While the cottage will open for “regular booking” at some point later this year, Airbnb is initially offering up four long weekend bookings for the Ontario home: May 8-10, May 16-18, May 22-24, and May 29-31.

The property has become the source of much fascination after it was revealed that Shane’s idyllic cottage in “Heated Rivalry” was in fact a real place—albeit one that is located in Muskoka and not Montreal, which is the location given in the series and the book that inspired it.

Reviewers have lauded the six-episode series, while social media has been flooded with posts dedicated to the actors and their on-screen characters, as well as Shane and Ilya’s Canadian love nest.

The series, which is based on a book of the same name by Rachel Reid and premiered Nov. 28 on the streaming site, reached its climax in the Season 1 finale, when its two protagonists got the chance to experience what a real relationship between them might look like.

Despite being described as a “cottage,” the three-bedroom property is far larger than the quaint dwelling many Americans might picture when they think of that word—with Reid previously revealing that the term means something very different in Canada than it does in the U.S.

“By cottage, we mean small mansion,” Reid joked during an appearance on the “Late Night Scrolling” podcast. “A lot of Americans, including my editor, were very confused about the term ‘cottage’ when I wrote the book.

“If it’s a second property you relax at, it’s a cottage. … It’s just very Canadian.”

When it came to finding the perfect cottage/mansion for the show, a clear winner emerged in the form of a stunning lakefront residence designed by architect Trevor McIvor.

The home comes complete with an expansive floor plan that is accentuated with high ceilings, natural wood tones, and large floor-to-ceiling windows that are elegance defined.

Inside, there is also plush seating and a cozy fireplace to snuggle up in front of.

The property was built for a client of McIvor’s eponymous firm, which states on its website that the owners were seeking “a four-season cottage that intimately coexists with its surrounding Muskoka landscape.”

The website notes that the property was built using a prefabricated structure made out of Douglas fir—while other elements, such as the granite fireplace, were constructed with locally sourced materials.

Walls of windows help bring the outdoors inside, whatever the weather, with images capturing the perfect winter retreat amid a snowy landscape.

In Shane and Ilya’s case, the cabin became a summer sanctuary as they enjoyed a break from the hockey season and a chance to explore their feelings in private without the risk of being caught by one of their teammates.

However, that bubble is quickly popped when they are interrupted by Shane’s father, who accidentally busts in on the couple sharing an intimate moment, forcing his son to come out there and then.

At that point, the show veers away from the book’s ending—opting to eliminate the novel’s final pages, in which Shane and Ilya formulate a plan to reveal their relationship to the world over a multiyear period.

Instead, the series draws to a close with Shane and Ilya’s heartfelt conversation with the former’s parents, in which he lays bare the truth about their romance.

“This was what I was always building to,” series creator Jacob Tierney told EW. “The thing that I became aware of at a certain point was that the contrast between how huge Episode 5 feels and is, and how small and intimate Episode 6 is, was a pretty big swing—but the swing had to be taken.

“That’s the way that this story ends, or certainly the way that I wanted to end it.

“One, to end with the press conference, to end with essentially what amounts to exposition, did not interest me. I think that’s a very literary way to [end it], epilogue-y kind of energy that I don’t think we needed for this,” the creator added.

The creator noted that he wanted to replicate the emotions he felt in the book but not the exact actions.

“What I remember so clearly feeling at the end of this book was, ‘I’m so happy they get to be happy,’ that I just wanted to sit with them and let them be happy. That’s then part of the structure of giving 5 that big rom-com movie star ending to Scott [François Arnaud], so that I can have a quiet ending with Shane and Ilya,” Tierney added.

It is unclear whether the cottage will feature in Season 2 of the series, which was confirmed earlier this year—and which Storrie has already hinted will be based on Reid’s follow-up book, “The Long Game.”

Both Storrie and Williams have confirmed that they will return for the second installment, which will feature six episodes, although it’s unknown whether the rest of the Season 1 cast will feature.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Tierney has previously revealed that he plans to dedicate at least part of the second season of the show to Shane coming out to his teammates, revealing in an episode of the “Loon Call” podcast that he felt that process needed to be captured on camera, rather than alluded to.

“I’m going to have to do Shane coming out to his team,” he said. “I can’t do that off screen—you have to see it. You have to experience it yourself. I knew as soon as I was going through the book and breaking it apart. I have these circled beats.”

Whether Tierney otherwise chooses to remain committed to the rest of the storyline in “The Long Game” is not known; however, a description of the book notes that it is set a few years after the events of the first.

“10 years. That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have been seeing each other. How long they’ve been keeping their relationship a secret. From friends, from family… from the league,” it reads.

“If Shane wants to stay at the top of his game, what he and Ilya share has to remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if going public ruins everything? Ilya is sick of secrets. Shane has gotten so good at hiding his feelings, sometimes Ilya questions if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy, even the risk that would come with being open about their relationship… Ilya wants it all.

“It’s time for them to decide what’s most important—hockey or love. It’s time to make a call.”