The June Motel: A chic stay in Sauble Beach

Sauble Beach has been a summer destination for Ontarians for many, many years. The town itself is quite simple, mostly comprised of various motels and vacation properties. What brings people here is the small strip towards that big “Sauble Beach” sign, boldly stating you are now officially out of the office as you enter the sandy shore of Lake Huron. One of the big reasons to visit Sauble right now, in addition to the beach, of course, is The June Motel. This relatively new, renovated property has won over the hearts of many Canadians and offers a chic stay in Sauble Beach.

It is a 70s-inspired, stunningly decorated, super trendy spot that sells out for the season before the season even starts. Due to various pandemic regulations, I had to move my reservation a couple of times. When we were able to visit the restaurant and pool were closed, but it was a great experience nonetheless. During off-days, the area is way less crowded and the beach is much quieter. Weekdays naturally make it much easier to enjoy the sunrise from the coast in subtle peace. 

It is well worth noting that Sauble Beach is not the only sandy beach in the area. You can explore many other scenic beaches, parks, and charmingly quaint towns nearby. The journey here is a stunning drive through narrower roads, small towns, and rolling farm fields. It’s also the same drive one would take to the Bruce Peninsula. Just an hour or more and you will reach Tobermory.

When we visited the motel had only been open for a few days after many long months of pandemic closures. It was visible some wrinkles were being ironed out but they were dealt with noticeably fast. All of the staff, especially those at the Heydays restaurant, are kind and friendly. These people who made our stay much more seamless and memorable. 

The Grounds & the Rooms

All suites look out onto the property and have a hammock plus balcony dining furnishings if needed. At night sitting on the balcony, it felt like you were at one of many intimate parties. Different music spilling out from nearby balconies, voices singing in the wind, glasses clinking to tipsy laughter. 

The interior design is very intentional, each detail is carefully selected to create an atmosphere to facilitate a leisurely experience. The pink can be a bit much sometimes but not here and not today. The pink details are delicate and cheerful, paired with mid-century furnishings, neon signs, large tropical plants, and retro radios in each room. The outdoor area and restaurant are equally carefully designed. From picnic table colours to umbrellas, to custom glassware on each dinner table, everything is though through. As you live through the weekend at The June you continue to relish in the small details every time your eyes rest on any part of the property. Here is a quick summary reel 😊

Heydays Restaurant

The Heydays restaurant has a lovely selection of wines, beers, and cocktails to go. In the room, there was a fun bottle of rose waiting for us in the fridge on arrival. I have grown into a pretty big wine fanatic and my partner’s drink of choice (to start the night) is a margarita. Our mini-bar was custom stocked and the bathroom vanity became a makeshift bar.  While we don’t mind packing our own bar kit, this was the first time in many months I did not have to pack a kitchen. And damn it was nice not to have to cook on vacation!

Heydays menu is tight and classy with dishes ranging from comfort food like burgers and mac and cheese to masterfully prepared grilled fish and fresh oysters. We could not dine in the restaurant but the lovely picnic tables and kitchen-to-table takeout certainly made it feel like we were well taken care of. The only downside, of course, was the wastefulness of takeout containers but not much could’ve been done about that. But while I am here on a sustainable note, it was very nice to see refillable, high-quality Sunday Company bathroom products instead of the tiny single-use sets.

I would love to come back another time when the pool is open and the fresh margaritas can be brought out to the table in a frosty cold glass. But in the meanwhile, there is more of Canada to see.

In the gear bag: Fujifilm X-T100 with an XF50mmF2 R WR lens. To see the trip on Instagram lookup #xoSauble or find a “Sauble” story highlight on my profile.