Tony and Karin, the new owners of Cuyuna Lakes Stay, hit the ground running when they closed on the former Deerwood Motel in the fall of 2022. (It began as Roy’s Café, for you history buffs.) Cuyuna Lakes Stay is just across the road from the Cuyuna Lakes Paved Trail, which leads to the towns of Crosby and Ironton and connects to the 70 miles of CCSRA bicycle trails—making it a good warm up and cool down for your cycling adventures.

The owners love the area and have lived here a long time, so they knew just what to do when they closed on the building. After all, working hard is one of their favorite pastimes! They had a crew and materials lined up and quickly got to work remodeling and improving the place inside and out—opening their doors to customers on November 4th.

While Cuyuna Lakes Stay is their “first rodeo” as a hotel in Deerwood MN, they have managed apartments. They worked with a designer and updates included re-siding the building, all-new, wood laminate flooring, white paint on all paneling and ceilings, new lights, furniture, and bedding, plus new small appliances and tableware for the kitchenettes. The ground-level rooms have custom-made privacy partitions to shield the interiors from view when the door is opened.

If you want to do your own cooking, 14 of their 16 larger rooms have kitchenettes with combination counter-oven/air-fryers and larger motel-size refrigerators, with separate top and bottom fridge/freezer doors. The in-room amenities are perfect for short stays or even short-term rentals for travelers who are in the area for business. When booking online, customers are provided with a door code for the locks and they can self-check-in on arrival. (Rooms are available by the day, week, or month.)

If you have a big family or want to plan a getaway with friends, consider Room 11, “The Big One,” on the main level. It sleeps 8 in 3 bedrooms, with 2 baths, and a full-size, eat-in kitchen, plus living room.

Amenities include free WiFi, a laundry, and a bicycle wash station—secure bike storage is underway. While they know you love your pets, please make other arrangements as pets aren’t allowed.

Check out the nearby restaurants and bars within walking/bicycling distance. For your kiddos, don’t miss the Deerwood Park playground and splash pad just across the road, and Skone Beach—a nearby “secret,” unsupervised, secluded public beach.