Going from drab to fab

Celebrated travel author Bill Bryson once famously said, “I love everything about motels, I can’t help myself. I still get excited every time I slip a key into a motel room door and fling it open.”

Bryson would be abundantly impressed with how the visionary owners of the Lighthouse Motel and Cottages have lovingly and painstakingly refurbished the mid-century property in Conquerall Bank.

Joseph Gogas and Marc Daoust purchased the motel in 2017 and since then have transformed the drab, outdated rooms into wellappointed boutique-style accommodations.

A Boston native, Gogas was a land developer and home builder in Southern California, specializing in midcentury modern design, while Torontonian Daoust was a music industry agent and publicist. For nearly a decade he was tour manager for The Nylons, a popular Canadian a cappella group. He also cut his teeth in the hospitality industry working at luxury resorts in Palm Springs, CA.

After living in the U.S.,

Gogas and Daoust moved to Toronto to take desk-bound corporate jobs.

A fiddler, Gogas said he was always interested in visiting Cape Breton to take in its rich music scene. While on vacation there, Daoust said the couple should visit Lunenburg before returning to Toronto.

“I had never been to Lunenburg, so we drove there, expecting to stay a day or two. We both liked it so much we ended up staying longer than we anticipated,” said Gogas.

The seeds of a permanent move to the South Shore were sown during that vacation.

“The stresses of living and working in a big city like Toronto were not to our liking. Joseph and I talked about how cool it would be to one day buy our own motel,” said Daoust.

“We hooked up with a local business broker who told us this motel was up for sale. It matched everything we were looking for, in an area we both liked, so we decided to take the plunge,” he said.

Daoust said the property ticked off all the key ingredients on the couple’s property wish list.

“The buildings had great bones – wooden floors and ceilings – but each room required rejuvenation. We saw the potential. The location on the Lahave River between Bridgewater and Lunenburg and proximity to Halifax were also big draws for us. The property fit the bill in so many ways,” he said.

Sited on just shy of four acres of now-manicured grounds are 15 units – 11 in the motel, three in a boathouse cottage, and a two-bedroom riverfront cottage. Together, the units can accommodate 50 guests. Amenities include 400 feet of beachfront, a large dock and a pontoon boat for guided river cruises.

Gogas and Daoust have defined duties in the management of the motel complex. As owner, Gogas is responsible for all financial aspects. Daoust, who describes himself as a motelier, is tasked with the day-to-day management of the property and guest experience.

Daoust said when he and Gogas first came here, they were surprised to learn the region didn’t really offer any type of boutique-style accommodation you would find in other popular tourist areas.

“We saw great opportunity to update and modernize a property and give the rooms a boutique look. Each of our rooms is individually themed and has its own charm and character. For example, our Surf’s Up Room has a bold and sporty coastal vibe, complete with wall-mounted surfboard,” said Daoust.

“Each room presented us with great canvasses to work from, including original wooden floors in all motel units and wood ceilings in three. We were able to bring those elements to life,” he said.

Gogas added he and Daoust were careful to preserve each room’s authenticity. He said it would have been disingenuous of them to turn the property into something other than what it is, which is a motel.

“We wanted to preserve and enhance. We upgraded the plumbing, bathrooms and electrical, and increased the water pressure in all units. We also built solid bed boxes on which we placed comfortable pillowtop mattresses, which you wouldn’t find in motels built in 1957,” said Gogas.

“We spent a lot of time on the landscaping and designing our clean, modern signage, including our roadside sign. Our goal initially was to draw people in to see what we are all about. We consider the many positive comments we received from locals to be the greatest compliment,” he said.

Doing business with local retailers and tradespeople is important to Gogas and Daoust.

“We employ local people and hire local tradespeople.

We deal locally because that’s what business owners in small communities should be about – helping each other to grow,” said Gogas, adding he and Daoust are grateful to have such dedicated staff.

“Our hearts are filled with gratitude to our Nova Scotia family. Our vision would never have come to life without their support, dedication, hard work and friendship,” he said.

Daoust added that much of what is displayed in the rooms has been sourced locally, whether it was purchased from a vintage shop in Lunenburg or an antique dealer in Bridgewater.

“Sticking to that practice helps to maintain the local charm and coastal feel. Every item in our rooms comes with an interesting story. Our goal was to celebrate the nostalgic charm with equal measure of modern comfort and whimsical detail, and have our guests enjoy that special experience,” he said.

Like many business owners, COVID forced Gogas and Daoust to pivot in order to keep afloat.

“During the winter of 2019-2020 we received a lot of reservations for the summer of 2020. About a third was from European tourists, mainly German, another third was from Americans, and the final third from Maritimers, so eventually we had to cancel a lot of bookings,” said Gogas.

Daoust said last June, Nova Scotians, when they were allowed to travel freely within the province, discovered Lighthouse Motel and Cottages through social media. He said Nova Scotians were yearning to get out of their homes, found the motel to be a short drive away for a quick getaway, and bookings started coming in from the HRM, Annapolis Valley and other parts of the province.

Gogas said this June, local residents are calling to enquire about staycations close to home.

“Couples want to escape their regular routines and the boredom of the lockdown, and maybe leave the kids with relatives for a night or two while they enjoy a change of scenery together,” he said.

Daoust agreed, adding “it’s amazing seeing how many people are stressed out when they arrive, then how relaxed they appear when they leave. To us, that’s very rewarding.”

Lighthouse Motel and Cottages, named by CBC as one of seven noteworthy motel properties in Canada, has an informative website, complete with photos, video and pertinent details. Visit www.lighthousemotel.ca

DRAB TO FAB