About the cottage

About Spruce Cottage

Spruce Cottage is a four-season cottage in Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba, a block and a half from the boardwalk and the lake. It sleeps eight across four bedrooms, with a full kitchen, a wood-burning stove and enough room for two families or a small group of friends to spread out. It is a year-round house: beach weeks in July, quiet weekends in October, and long winter nights by the fire.

Who it is for

Families with children, couples who want a short escape from the city, and small groups of up to eight who would rather rent a house than a hotel room. The cottage suits people who want to walk to the beach and the ice cream shop, cook their own meals, and be left alone to enjoy the place. If you are planning a larger gathering, write to Al Smaczylo first and he will tell you honestly whether the house fits.

How booking here works

This site is the direct booking channel. You check availability, see the full price with fees and taxes, and pay Al Smaczylo directly through Helcim, our payment processor. There are no platform service fees added on top, and no card details are stored on this site. Colleen, the cottage assistant, answers questions at any hour, and Al Smaczylo replies to email himself. Once a booking is confirmed you get a private stay page with the arrival details, the door code and the exact address.

Who runs it

Spruce Cottage is owned and looked after by Al Smaczylo, who cleans it, fixes it and answers the phone. This website, the booking system and Colleen were built and are maintained in-house as well, so when something on the site is wrong you are talking to the person who can change it. Nothing here is run by a faceless listing platform.