St. Albert castle-turned-b&b inundated with requests
For $995 a night, operator says, guests can expect to be treated like royalty
An Alberta castle under construction for 13 years has opened a room as a bed and breakfast, and despite a $995 price tag per night, it’s been inundated with requests, its operator says.
“If you want to stay in a castle in Alberta that’s the price. And I will treat them like royalty,” said Barbara Ryan, 56.
The home in Sturgeon County, about 15 minutes northwest of St. Albert, has been a secret to passersby, out of reach behind a locked gate until now.
“Nobody has seen it except our close friends and family,” said Ryan.
Opening Ryans Castle Bed and Breakfast to guests on New Year’s Eve was a little scary for Ryan because she considers herself a reclusive person, she said.
But since the castle’s availability became public, offering bookings through a website and on room rental listings, Ryan said that she’s barely been able to keep up with her emails.
“That’s a full-time job in itself. It’s overwhelming, the response.”
Potential guests from all over the world have contacted her looking for a unique experience, she said.
Built from concrete with tiled walls, the castle has about 760 square metres of space, including a carriage house and an indoor pool. The room for rent is in the main building, with access to the private pool. A hall designed to host weddings and events is under construction. It will feature a fourmetre-tall green marble altar from Ireland, said Ryan.
She has collected ornate furnishings from local vendors, the United States and Europe to decorate the home, including her favourite piece, a French porcelain grandfather clock with bronze mounts.
“We were looking for the European look. We travelled Europe a lot, and we knew what we wanted. We picked different styles from there.”
The castle has a large collection of Catholic relics, mostly from Belgium, including bones of saints and other artifacts.
The property is also home to wild birds and domesticated animals, including horses, ducks, goats, and an indoor aviary full of parrots.
“I started taking in birds that people didn’t want anymore,” said Ryan.
They have been part of her life for the past 30 years.
For now, the one-bedroom bed and breakfast is a small operation, but it might expand.
“We thought we’d try one room and see how it goes, and if we like it and it goes well, we might open a couple more rooms up,” said Ryan.