Real-Life ‘Heated Rivalry’ Cottage goes up for rent on Airbnb, complete with a cheeky tribute to Shane and Ilya

Eager “Heated Rivalry” fans desperate for a new dose of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov will get the chance to step into the shoes of the now infamous HBO Max characters by renting out the iconic cottage that served as the setting for the emotional finale episode in the hit hockey series.

Known as Barlochan Cottage and located on the edge of Lake Muskoka in Canada, the property has become synonymous with the show, which stars lead characters Shane, played by Hudson Williamsand Ilya, played by Connor Storrieconfirmed their love story during a two-week getaway.

Now that same house will open its doors to ‘Heated Rivalry’ fans from all over the world goes live on Airbnb as a vacation rentalwith early bookings available on March 3 at noon ET.

The cottage can be booked for CAD 248.10 per night (approximately $181 USD), a price set as a sort of tribute to the jersey numbers worn by the show’s main characters: 24 for Shane and 18 for Ilya.

“Every great story deserves the perfect setting,” says Airbnb said in a statement about the listing. “Airbnb is inviting guests to Barlochan Cottage – which has captivated screens big and small this winter – allowing fans to book and experience the private retreat on the shores of Lake Muskoka in real life.

“Rooted in the Canadian tradition of country living, this warm, modern home was built with privacy as a cornerstone, where architectural details flow in harmony with the natural environment to create a safe space where you can disconnect and become one with nature.

“Opening exclusively on Airbnb for the first time, select guests can book the cottage for a weekend stay this summer, an invitation to get away from the noise and embrace the off-the-grid escape designed to slow down and reconnect.”

While the cottage shall Opening for “regular bookings” sometime later this year, Airbnb will initially offer four long weekend bookings for the Ontario home: May 8-10, May 16-18, May 22-24 and May 29-31.

The property has become the source of much fascination after it was revealed that Shane’s idyllic cottage in “Heated Rivalry” was in fact a real place, albeit one located in Muskoka and not Montreal, the location given in the series and the book that inspired it.

Reviewers have praised the six-episode series, while social media has been flooded with posts dedicated to the actors and their on-screen characters, as well as Shane and Ilya’s Canadian love nest.

The series, which is based on the book of the same name Rachel Reid and premiered on the streaming site on November 28, culminating in the season 1 finale, when the two leads got the chance to experience what a real relationship between them could look like.

Despite being described as a ‘cottage’, the three-bedroom property is much larger than the quaint home many Americans might imagine when they think of that word – with Reid previously revealing that the term means something very different in Canada than in the US.

“By cottage we mean a little country house,” Reid joked during an appearance on the “Late Night Scrolling” podcast. “Many Americans, including my editor, were very confused about the term ‘cottage’ when I wrote the book.

“If it’s a second home where you can relax, it’s a cottage. … It’s just very Canadian.”

When it came to finding the perfect cottage/townhouse for the show, a clear winner emerged in the form of a beautiful lakeside home designed by architect Trevor McIvor.

The home comes complete with an expansive floor plan accented with high ceilings, natural wood tones, and large floor-to-ceiling windows that are elegantly defined.

Inside there are also soft chairs and a cozy fireplace to snuggle up by.

The property was built for a client of McIvor’s namesake company, which states on its website that the owners were looking for “a four-season cottage that blends closely with the surrounding Muskoka landscape.”

The website states that the property was built using a prefabricated structure made of Douglas fir, while other elements, such as the granite fireplace, were built using locally sourced materials.

Walls of windows help bring the outdoors in, whatever the weather, with images that capture the perfect winter retreat in a snowy landscape.

In Shane and Ilya’s case, the cabin became a summer retreat as they enjoyed a break from hockey season and a chance to explore their feelings privately without the risk of being caught by one of their teammates.

However, that bubble quickly bursts when they are interrupted by Shane’s father, who accidentally catches the couple sharing an intimate moment, forcing his son to come out on the spot.

At this point, the show deviates from the book’s ending and chooses to remove the final pages of the novel, in which Shane and Ilya formulate a plan to reveal their relationship with the world over a period of several years.

Instead, the series ends with Shane and Ilya’s heartfelt conversation with the former’s parents, during which he uncovers the truth about their romance.

“This was what I was always building towards,” series creator Jacob Tierney told EW. “What I became aware of at some point was that the contrast between how big Episode 5 feels and is, and how small and intimate Episode 6 is, was a pretty big swing, but the swing had to be taken.

“That’s the way this story ends, or certainly the way I wanted it to end.

‘One of them, to end with the press conference, to end with what essentially amounts to an explanation, did not interest me. I think that’s a very literary way to [end it]a kind of epilogue-like energy that I don’t think we needed,” the creator added.

The creator noted that he wanted to replicate the emotions he felt in the book, but not the exact actions.

“What I remember so clearly at the end of this book was, ‘I’m so glad they’re going to be happy,’ that I just wanted to sit with them and let them be happy. Then that’s part of the structure of giving 5 that big rom-com movie star ending with Scott [François Arnaud]so I can have a peaceful ending with Shane and Ilya,” Tierney added.

It’s unclear if the house will appear in season 2 of the series, which was confirmed earlier this year – and which Storrie has already hinted will be based on Reid’s follow-up book, ‘The Long Game’.

Both Storrie and Williams have confirmed that they will return for the second part, which will consist of six episodes, although it is unknown if the rest of the cast from season 1 will also appear.

Tierney has previously revealed that he plans to dedicate at least part of the show’s second season to Shane coming out to his teammates, revealing on an episode of the ‘Loon Call’ podcast that he felt this process should be caught on camera, rather than hinted at.

“I’ll have to get Shane to join his team,” he said. “I can’t do that off screen, you have to see it. You have to experience it yourself. I knew it as soon as I looked through the book and took it apart. I have these circled beats.”

Whether or not Tierney chooses to remain committed to the remainder of the storyline in “The Long Game” is unknown; However, a description of the book notes that it is set a few years after the events of the first.

“10 years. That’s how long Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov have seen each other. How long have they kept their relationship a secret. From friends, from family… from the competition,” it reads.

“If Shane wants to stay on top, what he and Ilya share must remain secret. He loves Ilya, but what if everything gets ruined in public? Ilya is tired of the secrets. Shane has become so good at hiding his feelings, that Ilya sometimes wonders if they even exist. The closeness, the intimacy and even the risk that comes with being open about their relationship… Ilya wants it all.

“It’s time for them to decide what’s most important: hockey or love.” It’s time to call.’