Inside the fantastic fairytale themed holiday resort, tucked away in a Canadian forest with ‘storybook cottages’ inspired by Peter Pan, Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast
This holiday resort makes you feel like you’ve landed in a fairy tale.
Tucked away in a forest in the Canadian province of Alberta, Charmed Resorts brings childhood stories to life through 12 life-sized fantasy vacation homes spread across two forest areas called ‘Wonder Way’ and ‘Storybook Square’.
The ‘storybook cottages’ include Belle’s Cottage on Wonder Way, inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and on Storybook Square, there’s Rapunzel’s Tower, based on the tall tower where the fictional princess Rapunzel let her long hair hang down, and Jack’s Cottage, decorated with a bright blue door and a giant beanstalk that winds its way up the wall.
Other Storybook Square cottages include Rumpelstiltskin’s Tower, Hatter’s House, and Gingerbread Cottage, described by the resort as the home of the Wicked Witch in the story Hansel and Gretel.
Charmed Resorts in Canada consists of a selection of fairytale cottages, including Rapunzel’s Tower, pictured here
Rapunzel’s Tower is based on the tall tower where the fictional princess Rapunzel let her long hair hang down. The two photos above show the interior
At Wonder Way, meanwhile, guests will also find the resort’s popular Peter Pan-themed Neverland Collection, which includes Captain Hook’s Ship, Wendy’s Townhouse, and the Lost Boys’ Treehouse.
Guests of the three-story treehouse can gaze at “Peter Pan’s Shadow,” painted on one of the walls inside, and take advantage of the wraparound balcony, which connects to an outdoor slide.
Wendy’s Townhouse also features an outdoor slide, while inside there is ample space for a dining table where guests can enjoy ‘teatime’ overlooking Belle’s Cottage.
Founder and creator Audrey Leavitt, 37, who runs the resort with her landscaper Tyson, 39, said Wendy’s Townhouse is based on the London home of Wendy, John and Michael in Disney’s Peter Pan.
“I love it,” she said.
“We need to do a lot of Victorian-inspired decorations on the inside, mixed in with some funny Peter Pan additions.
“It has queen bunk beds upstairs, all built in-house, that’s really cool.”
Audrey said ‘Tinkerbell’s house is coming’ next to the Peter Pan collection, which is a huge hit with guests.
“All of our Peter Pan builds are guest favorites right now,” she added.
‘They are our newest, they also have sinks in them. They are a bit bigger and they are in a bit more of a private part of the resort.
Jack’s Cottage is decorated with a bright blue door and a giant beanstalk that winds its way up the wall, while inside is a mix of queen and bunk beds
“Those seem to be the most popular at the moment, as well as Rapunzel’s Cottage, the second cottage we’ve built and has always been a favorite with our guests.”
She added, “One time we showed up and there were two families fully dressed in Peter-Pan clothing. They had all the characters there.
“It was so cute and we ended up filming a TikTok with them because they were just so awesome.”
Cottages sleep four to six guests and are furnished with a mix of queen and bunk beds, creating a “camping” atmosphere surrounded by lakes, hiking and biking trails, and rivers.
They are all equipped with an electric fireplace, a wood-burning hot tub, a kitchenette with a small refrigerator and microwave, an outdoor grill or griddle, a fire pit and a picnic table.
“You’re really there to enjoy the outdoor camping experience, but in a really cool themed environment,” Audrey added.
Audrey and Tyson originally started building custom playhouses for “whimsical” families under the name Charmed Playhouses.
But as their playhouses got more complicated, they decided to open Charmed Resorts and invite guests to stay overnight in what they describe on their website as ‘a campsite full of fairytale houses’.
Wendy’s Townhouse has “Victorian-inspired decor” mixed with “some Peter Pan whimsical additions,” Audrey said
Audrey and Tyson pictured with their four children Emmett, 14, Miles, 13, Lydia, 11, and Wynn, four months. The Leavitt family enjoy the ‘fairytale setting’ with guests who come to stay
LEFT: The Wendy Townhouse is outfitted upstairs with queen size bunk beds. RIGHT: There is a daybed in the downstairs lounge area
Audrey said, “Our playhouses kept getting bigger and better and very few people have the time or space to put one in their backyard.
“So we really wanted to make a kind of product that was more accessible for many families to enjoy.”
“Before we opened, we talked a little bit about the resort, how nice it would be if a bunch of families came to visit at the same time.”
The couple, parents of Emmet, 14, Miles, 13, Lydia, 11, and Wynn, four months, are often inspired by the things they loved as children and the things their own children love now.
Their ideas are then presented to Charmed Resorts’ 25-person team, who provide their input, as well as TikTok followers on the corporate campaign. charmed.fam page.
Inspired by Beauty and the Beast, Belle’s Cottage sleeps up to six guests and is one of five cottages bookable with Wonder Way
Future ideas submitted to their followers on TikTok include “Snow White’s cottage complete with a thatched roof,” “Sleeping Beauty’s tower overgrown with ivy and moss,” and the “Little Mermaid’s cottage by the sea where she visits her mermaid family.”
Audrey said, “We have an idea… and then we bring it to our team at work.
“Usually we also post our ideas on social media and let our followers be the final voice deciding what comes next.
‘That is very nice for people who follow us, they are part of the process from start to finish.
“It usually comes together really well when we put it through all those stages of research.”
Each property takes between three and five weeks to build at the Blairmore resort, which has been running for two years, and construction of the cottages is now in its eighth year.
“We have a pretty great team from start to finish, from the design phase to in-house build and construction and installation, which is usually on site by crane,” said Audrey.
‘The planning takes a little longer, but we can complete the construction part in a month.’
Like all Charmed Resorts cottages, Rumpelstiltskin’s Tower is outfitted with a mix of double and bunk beds, an electric fire, outdoor wood-burning hot tub, and picnic area. This property is located in the Storybook Square area
Audrey said, “We build our own houses. We build everything from windows and doors to all the little details.’
The company’s in-house design team is based at the resort and the factory is located in the nearby town of Lethbridge, where Audrey and her family live.
In the past, guests have rented parts of the resort to host special events and even weddings, but the waiting list to tie the knot is currently two years.
The resort celebrated 100 percent occupancy of all 11 cottages in July and has welcomed guests from across the U.S., Canada and beyond.
Audrey said it is “a very humbling experience” and the family “couldn’t ask for more.”
Audrey recalled showing up at Captain Hook’s Ship cottage (above) to find two families dressed in Peter Pan costumes with “all the characters” represented
Gingerbread Cottage, sleeping six, is described by the resort as the home of the Wicked Witch from the Hansel and Gretel story
She added, “My other kids were there for the grind of starting a new business and Wynn gets to grow up in this fairytale environment, so we’re so excited about that.”
Fans of Charmed resorts can also design and order their own playhouse or dog house from Audrey and Tyson, under the ‘shop’ section of their website.
“Our team is dedicated to tapping into our clients’ imaginations, extracting their vision and making it a reality,” the page says.