After nearly four decades in Toronto’s legal sector, Marilyn Batuszkin made a bold move – leaving Bay Street behind to open Chestnut Lane Bed and Breakfast in rural Prince Edward Island. Today, the B&B draws guests with its beautifully renovated guest rooms, made-from-scratch breakfasts, walkable acreage, and a style of hospitality shaped by care, craft, and a deep sense of purpose.
~
When Marilyn Batuszkin left a long career in Toronto’s legal world, she wasn’t looking to retire. She was looking to reconnect – with herself, her passions, and a dream that had quietly simmered.
Cooking and entertaining were always part of her life – even while raising three children on her own. Living on a quiet street in Belfountain, Ontario she often hosted breakfasts and dinners for neighbours. In hindsight, it was less a pastime and more a rehearsal for what was to come.
“After 38 years of working on Bay Street, my soul felt empty,” she recalls. “It was time to do something different, something creative and meaningful.”
The result: Chestnut Lane Bed and Breakfast, a welcoming three-room and stand-alone apartment retreat nestled on 13 walkable acres of Prince Edward Island countryside, where lavish home-cooked breakfasts, warm hospitality, and attention to detail are anything but an afterthought.
Chestnut Lane officially opened its doors partway through the 2018 season, but the road to get there was anything but smooth. “It took me two years to find a property,” Batuszkin explains. “The house didn’t win me over right away, but it had great potential. It’s just under 7,000 square feet on 13 acres, so it was perfect for what I wanted to do – with major renovations.”
The house needed significant upgrades to meet B&B standards, and regulatory hurdles were a recurring theme. “I had to plead with various regulatory bodies to come out to ensure that the renovations were up to code,” she says. “I renovated to Ontario standards, which at the time were more stringent than they were here on the Island before the National Building Code was adopted.”
Despite the challenges, Batuszkin pressed on. Her vision for Chestnut Lane was clear: “I wanted gorgeous rooms. I wanted every guest to feel genuinely welcome and completely at ease.”
The B&B currently offers three guest rooms and a two-bedroom apartment. Every guest room is different in design but shares key features: porcelain ensuite bathrooms, plush robes, and careful attention to detail. “I’m super fussy,” she admits. “I iron all my sheets and pillowcases. I use silver plated cutlery and cloth napkins. The table is beautifully set. It’s more work, but it’s a little notch above.”
Perhaps the most defining feature of Chestnut Lane is breakfast. “It takes me two to three hours to make breakfast,” Batuszkin says. “Everything is made from scratch. It goes out as a big buffet so guests can serve themselves. They can have as much or as little as they want.”
That format, she notes, frees her up to connect. “Some of my regulars now come sit in the kitchen with me in the mornings, just having coffee and chatting while I’m working.”
Over time, the breakfast experience has become more than just a meal – it’s a memorable part of the stay. “I’ve had guests say that the breakfast was worth the price of the room!”
The communal aspect of the B&B extends beyond the dining table. “Some mornings, I watch as people come down with a surprised look that they have to sit with others. However, by halfway through breakfast, they’re no longer shy; they are laughing and exchanging phone numbers.”
Batuszkin believes that, more than comfort, it’s the atmosphere that keeps guests coming back. “Some guests who came here by accident have never returned to where they originally planned to stay,” she says. “I wanted a place where people would be welcome, and I think we’ve created that.”
A winding driveway leads to a large chestnut tree by the house. There’s a large wraparound deck – where Batuszkin says she often finds guests napping – as well as gardens, walking trails, and even a flock of hens who supply the morning eggs. Mocha, a cocker spaniel, and Oliver, a large grey and white cat (both rescues), serve as the welcoming committee. Soon, alpacas will join the mix. “The animals are more for the adults than the children,” she jokes.
Chestnut Lane offers easy access to some of the Island’s best attractions. “There’s lots to do on this beautiful island of ours,” Batuszkin says. The property is just 20 minutes from Charlottetown and Brackley Beach, and a short drive from most major attractions. Plus, the B&B is just 10 minutes from Cavendish, home to an amazing beach, boardwalk, and the Cavendish Beach Music Festival and Sommo Festival, which are held annually, showcasing some of the best artists in music.
So, whether it’s festivals, golfing, seafood, coastal views, or Anne of Green Gables that bring visitors to PEI, Chestnut Lane is close to it all, allowing guests to experience all the outdoor adventures the Island has to offer like sandy beaches, scenic trails for walking, running, and biking, plus opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing.
This year, she’s launching a gift shop featuring Island-made items, many of them crafted by Batuszkin herself. “I’m a quilter. I knit, crochet, and sew. That’s what I do all winter.”
Winter also brings community work. “I’m president of the Women’s Institute for our area and on the executive of the Quilting Guild in Charlottetown,” she says. “Any gratuities I receive from guests go into buying fabric and yarn for charity quilts and knitted items. I wanted to be able to do more community work – that was part of the reason I came down here.”
Her advocacy doesn’t end there. Noticing a lack of clear guidance for small businesses, Batuszkin joined the boards of The Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns Association of PEI, and Central Coastal Tourism Partnership. “Tourism PEI is happy to have everybody open a business, but small entrepreneurs are often left to navigate complex regulations and business issues on their own.” Through these groups, she has also found valuable connections and a network of support.
“Being part of these groups, I’ve met so many complementary businesses. We support each other. If I can’t accommodate someone, I refer them to someone in my group.”
For Batuszkin, Chestnut Lane isn’t just a business. It’s a lifestyle – one filled with early mornings, long hours, and meaningful connections. “I absolutely love what I’m doing, and I think that translates into the experience. I am doing what I should have been doing all along.”
Her advice for others thinking of making a similar leap? “You can’t do this unless you love it,” she says. “It’s a 15-hour day. You must love having people in your home. You must love making people comfortable. And you have to be a little crazy – the kind of crazy that comes from passion!”
Fortunately for her guests, she ticks all three boxes.
by Lauren Reid