From Schitt’s Creek to Bear Lake: A Retro-Modern Motel Transformation

The Rose family, we mean Marta Turnbull, welcomes you to Motel Bear Lake

By Kierstin Gunsberg | Jan. 13, 2024

Marta Turnbull is something of a globetrotter, with her career in business and marketing taking her all across the map, from L.A. to Ukraine.

These days though, Turnbull can be found settled in quaint Bear Lake. The lakeside village, which shares its name with the 1,744-acre all-sports lake it’s built around, holds a population of just 342 last census check. It’s where “every sweet personal family memory” happened for Turnbull over summer vacations and holidays spent with family at her grandparents’ place.

It’s also where she purchased the former Bella Vista Inn last spring. With previous experience as an Airbnb host under her belt, Turnbull and her operations manager Kendall McIntyre transformed the property into Motel Bear Lake, marketed on Instagram as a “Renovated Schitt’s Creek.”

“Of course, we were always making that comparison,” says Turnbull of the 1960s brick motor lodge, its 18 rooms and attached bathrooms decked out from floor to ceiling in nostalgic, mid-century pinks and seafoam greens. But, when one of their first guest reviews praised the similarities between the motel and the hit show, “We decided to bring it into our brand.”

(For those who haven’t—yet!—watched the show: Schitt’s Creek premiered on Canada’s CBC network in 2015 and became a fast audience fave across American streaming platforms. The show follows the wealthy Rose family’s inverted riches-to-rags story in the quirky fictional town of Schitt’s Creek, where they’re forced to move into an outdated but totally retro roadside motel after losing their family fortune. Even after its 2020 finale, the show’s portrayal of relationships—familial, platonic, and romantic—and the inclusion of characters from the LGBTQ+ community sans stereotypes continue to find a foothold with viewers.)

A Nice Place to Stay

As for Motel Bear Lake, whose tagline is “A Nice Place to Stay,” Schitt’s Creek’s themes of love, acceptance, and hospitality “immediately connects with our community and ideal guests,” says Turnbull, explaining that just like the show, Motel Bear Lake is a playful, come-as-you-are ode to classic small-town charm—with some modern touches.

Instead of being met by Roland Schitt, zoned-out on a musty 50-year-old sofa, Motel Bear Lake guests enjoy a lobby-free, digital check-in as soon as they pull up to their room, which is stocked with organic toiletries and fitted with a smart TV and noise machine. Guests don’t even have to repeatedly ask a sullen Stevie Budd for towels because Motel Bear Lake provides full access to a complimentary supply room of bath linens, along with a selection of teas, board games, books, and other I-can’t-believe-we-forgot-to-pack-it items, like portable cribs.

“We’re not just giving guests a room for the night,” explains Turnbull of all of the little details. “We’re giving them an experience.”

An experience that she and McIntyre hope brings guests back to a simpler time and allows them to kick back in comfort with friends, family, and even their dogs. “You’re not flying with your pet very often; [instead] it’s motel road trips,” says Turnbull of marketing the motel towards dog owners. “We’re just building the space that we want to spend time in. It’s for families and it’s for people from every generation.”

But, she says, Motel Bear Lake is also for those travelers that aren’t mass-marketed to, including cannabis consumers and LGBTQ+ folks.

“I didn’t know how that would be welcomed in a small community,” admits Turnbull, who is a founding member of Traverse City’s Up North Pride. As it turns out, not only has the inclusion been welcomed by the Manistee area—which promotes the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community through its PFLAG initiative—guests are embracing it too.

“There’s a big market for queer people,” she says, noting statistics that show these households hold an overall higher income—and ability to spend money on travel—than their straight counterparts because they have fewer children.

A Modern Classic

Just as the show that inspired its branding became an unexpected modern cult classic, Motel Bear Lake seems to be heading toward popularity too. But even with over 600 reservations totaling over 1,000 nights booked in the first six months of opening, the chances of success looked a little murky there for a minute.

Wanting to return to her Bear Lake roots, Turnbull had had her eye on the Bella Vista Inn property for almost a year when it went up for sale in the early spring of 2023. She jumped to put in an offer, applying for loans on the fly, but it was, in the words of David Rose, a real quick no. “I had two banks deny me,” Turnbull recalls, “and then the sellers accepted someone else’s offer.”

When that offer fell through, a winded Turnbull scrambled to jump again, this time with West Shore Bank, which expedited her loan approval in less than a week to ensure the purchase agreement wouldn’t expire before she could close on the motel, which she finally did in mid-May. “Up until the moment that it happened, I didn't know if my life was going to change a lot or if it wasn’t,” she says.

Before she could even catch her breath to celebrate the closing, Turnbull and McIntyre were rolling up their sleeves. “I wouldn’t and couldn’t do the motel without Kendall,” says Turnbull.

Together, the pair fought through exhaustion and a few “Ew, David!” moments to haul out old carpeting, throw fresh paint on the walls, and power through the motel’s decades of furniture and tchotchkes to reset it for Memorial Day weekend traffic. “It was 14-hour days, seven days a week, calling on friends and family…but we knew that we had to be open for summer or the business wouldn’t survive.”

As they welcomed their first guests and continued to work on the motel over the summer, Turnbull and McIntyre looked to their social media followers for design suggestions and plumbing advice while updating the masses on renovations (like their pool, which Turnbull expects to “live its best life” next summer with poolside DJs and colorful floaties), hiccups (loud and stubborn old dryers), and wins (near-perfect vintage thrifts to complete their vision for motel).

And it wasn’t just their Instagram buddies who were excited about the motel’s invigoration. Turnbull says that even as their first busy season has come and gone, locals still pop in to encourage the Motel Bear Lake crew in their efforts to revamp the place. They also love to share memories of their own time growing up near and even working at the property. “I had a guy reach out who was like, ‘I was digging your pool when I was 16 and helped with the wiring!’” Turnbull tells us with a laugh.

With the property open year-round, the Motel Bear Lake Crew are taking the winter reprieve to put some more elbow grease in around the motel (that noisy dryer really is a conundrum) while planning upcoming events like hosting wellness retreats, small business pop-ups, and family reunions.

And, when they get the chance, basking in the warm glow of a near-impossible whirlwind grand opening. “Everyone was just so encouraging. The community also believed in us, and that was something super refreshing,” Turnbull reflects. “The most amazing thing is to feel like everybody’s rooting for you.”

Marta Turnbull’s Guide to Visiting Bear Lake (Even When it’s 15 Degrees Out)

The pool’s closed for the season and Bear Lake is only fit for a polar plunge, but that’s no reason to hibernate! Surrounded by rivers, state forests, and Americana charm, Bear Lake’s slower pace makes it a local’s destination. As Turnbull puts it, “It’s unassuming and welcoming.” Here are her top must-dos when visiting Bear Lake.

Take a Hike Down Old Baldy: A scenic 15-minute drive from the motel, Arcadia Dunes’ affectionately named Old Baldy Trail is a year-round hotspot for bird watchers and wintertime sunshine chasers alike. Take the accessible 1-mile round-trip to a relaxing Lake Michigan overlook, or bundle up for a more challenging stretch that opens up to stunning panoramic views 300+ feet above the shoreline. Before heading out, make a pitstop for jerky and trail mix at Saddle Up Gas & Grocery, where stuffed deer, fish, and even bears are displayed above beverage coolers and s’more supplies. “It’s like a taxidermy museum of regional and national animals,” that quickly becomes a kitsch tradition for all who pass through Bear Lake, says Turnbull.

Stock Up on Souvenirs: Enjoy some retail—and aroma—therapy at Bear Lake Soap Co. on Lake Street. The small-batch apothecary would be David Rose approved for its lotions, salves, balms, and laundry essentials in scents like Vanilla Smoke, Bergamot Rose, and Tobacco Leather.

Then, head over to Maggie’s. The shop contains over 1,000 square feet of “local makers, boutique clothing, and great gifts,” says Turnbull. Plus, they’ll be selling Motel Bear Lake merch later this year! And don’t leave town without stopping into Wee Bee Jammin’ for a jar of preservative-free Razzle Dazzle jam (packed with Michigan-grown red and black raspberries) or a fistful of honey sticks to savor on the drive home.

Feast in Small-Town Style: Just across the street from the motel is another business returned to its former glory. Dormant since 2012, Bear Lake Bar was reopened in January of 2023, complete with a total remodel, billiards, and vintage arcade games. The tiki-themed bar hosts Monday night trivia and live music, while its Southern Sin-thesis food truck dishes up nachos and burgers to hungry guests.

Turnbull suggests an order of Moose Nuts at Rosie’s Place for quick happy hour dining or a casual sit-down meal. The dough bites can be made sweet and dunked in syrup and frosting or savory with a side of ranch and washed down with a cold one.

For early risers getting ready to hit the road back home after a Motel Bear Lake getaway, stop by Lakeside Café. It’s Bear Lake’s version of Café Tropical with an all-day breakfast and “always welcoming” staff. Order a mess of hashbrowns and sugar dusted french toast or attempt the “Get Stuffed” challenge: devour four Belgian waffles stuffed with nine chicken tenders, eggs, and strips of thick-cut bacon smothered in sausage gravy and topped with shredded cheese. Winners get their meal for free and everyone else gets their photo on the wall of shame. (If that sounds a little heavy before cramming back into the luggage-packed car, Turnbull recommends splitting a cinnamon roll with the table.)

Photo by Jackie Blair Photography