Whether you’re a local looking for a luxury staycation or a cottager seeking the perfect home away from home for the summer, TEND Services offers picturesque rental properties for everyone from families and friends to corporate groups and couples.
TEND Services has been providing concierge services in Muskoka and Collingwood for more than five years, and as of 2021, the company also offers luxury rentals. Their dedicated team is made up of young entrepreneurs with personal and professional connections to the region. Andy Milovanovic, president and co-founder of TEND, grew up with a family cottage in Haliburton. He came to Muskoka in 2010 to teach wakeboarding and waterskiing before founding Muskoka Wake in 2011 and TEND Services in 2016. He knows the value of building memories at the cottage, which is why TEND aims to take the effort out of the cottage experience.
“We’re really trying to make the Muskoka experience a truly hands-off experience for those that want it,” Milovanovic said. “We try to enhance it by trying to add a certain level of convenience or a certain value added that people might not be able to find if they were to be doing all the work, entertaining and getting ready for visitors, on their own.”
Milovanovic bought a cottage on Lake Muskoka in 2017 and has been renting it out ever since. The process has given him firsthand knowledge of the do’s and don’ts of property rentals. That along with the expertise of his team has guided TEND in their mission to provide a seamless vacation experience.
Michelle Owens, TEND’s guest experience manager, said that based on the feedback from their guests and clients, they’ve succeeded in that goal. A common theme among their reviews and comments is that their guest service is outstanding and sets them apart from other rental and concierge services.
“The goal that we had in starting TEND was to provide a one-stop shop for any client at any given time, whether it be a renter, a concierge client, or a renter who was looking for our concierge services,” Owens said. “We are happy to say that we have been able to fulfill that and more!”
The team at TEND encourages their renters to ask for anything they need, Owens said. They let guests know if their requests are something they’re not able to deliver on, but they can nearly always fulfill requests thanks to their skilled in-house staff and their strong connections with the local community and service providers.
“Through COVID it’s also been a pleasure to bring experiences and services to clients’ homes and cottages,” Owens said. “Many weren’t able to travel internationally and it was a pleasure to be able to bring a ‘vacation’ to their home, or have them rent a local cottage through TEND in Muskoka, and allow them to truly experience a vacation.”
Rentals can be anything from a week-long stay to a summer-long getaway. TEND also offers perks for longer stays including tax breaks, price incentives or even other services like private chefs or wake lessons. Guests can also get money back through the Ontario Staycation Tax Credit, which gives Ontario residents the opportunity to receive a tax credit of up to $400 for vacationing within the province.
The team at TEND is looking to bring on more property partners this year as well. Cottage owners looking to rent can benefit from their property management expertise as well as their wide range of concierge services, which are available to property owners, renters and other private clients.
“TEND is a service-based business first, so we offer everything from cleaning and property management to general maintenance,” Milovanovic said. “We offer in-home private cheffing and catered events, along with individual skilled service providers such as massage therapists, yoga instructors, personal trainers, etc.”
TEND’s number one priority is customer service, Milovanovic said, and they always seek to not just meet but exceed the expectations of their guests and property partners. Muskoka is a place known for making memories, so at TEND, they strive to help their clients do just that.
“We’re really trying to enhance the cottager experience, whether it’s the private owner or the renter,” Milovanovic said. “We’re trying to enhance that experience so that people truly get to maximize everything that Muskoka has to offer.”
See some of TEND’s featured rental listings below. For more information, visit TEND Service’s website.
This post is sponsored by TEND Services.
