Hospitality business ideas you run from your own premises

100 ideas

These 100 hospitality ideas all centre on a place you own or control, whether that is a house, a unit, a cabin or a licensed venue. They suit people who enjoy hosting, can handle long or irregular hours, and are ready to invest in a physical space.

Swipe through these ideas →

1k to 5k 5k to 20k Over 20k From home Out and about

Motorhomes parked on a campsite with electric hook-up posts.

Small motorhome stop on your own land

Turn spare land into a handful of overnight sites with power and water for motorhomes and RVs.

C$5k-25k
Side hustle
Own premises

Seasonal motorhome park with 20 to 40 sites

Run a small park with full hook-ups, a dump station and a check-in office, open through the warm months.

C$600k-2500k
Full-time
Own premises

Customers seated at tables with teapots, cups and light food in a tea room.

Neighbourhood tea room

Open a cosy sit-in tea room serving loose-leaf tea, baked treats and light lunches.

C$30k-150k
Full-time
Own premises

Diners eating at tables while a live show performs on stage.

Pop-up dinner theatre series

Produce your own ticketed show nights in a rented hall, with a hired caterer serving the meal.

C$5k-20k
Part-time
Own premises

Simple wooden cabin set among trees at a campsite for overnight guests.

Small cabin site with four to eight cabins

Run a small cabin getaway site with several cabins, a shared fire pit and a simple office, rented by the night.

C$60k-300k
Full-time
Own premises

Bunk beds with colourful bedding fill a clean hostel dormitory room.

Small independent hostel in a leased building

Turn a rented house or small building into a friendly hostel with dorm beds and a few private rooms.

C$40k-150k
Full-time
Own premises

Visitors riding horses across open pasture at a rural guest ranch.

Small ranch stay with riding and farm life

Host a few guests at a time on land you already have, with trail rides, chores and home-cooked meals.

C$12k-60k
Part-time
Own premises

Full guest ranch with cabins and a riding programme

Run a family-style ranch with cabins, a horse herd and a full week-long riding and activities programme.

C$80k-400k
Full-time
Own premises

Self-catering wooden chalet holiday let surrounded by trees with a welcoming porch.

Whole-property holiday rental

Rent out a cottage, condo or separate suite as a furnished holiday let, with you as host or manager.

C$5k-25k
Part-time
Own premises

Narrowboat moored on a canal during a relaxing holiday trip.

Small houseboat fleet with a dock base

Run three to five rental houseboats from a marina base, with check-in, cleaning and handover for each trip.

C$250k-600k
Full-time
Own premises

Friends sitting around a table playing mahjong with tiles in a social club room.

Mahjong club with its own space

Rent a small unit with tables for drop-in play, leagues and memberships, open most days.

C$15k-70k
Full-time
Own premises

Team of sled dogs pulling a sled across a snowy mountain trail.

Dog sled tours from your own kennel

Run guided sled dog rides for visitors from your own kennel and trails in a snowy region.

C$30k-150k
Full-time
Own premises

Tents, caravans and motorhomes on pitches at a busy countryside campsite.

Small seasonal campsite on your own land

Turn spare rural land into a few tent and camper pitches, rented by the night through the summer.

C$3k-15k
Side hustle
Own premises

Serviced RV and tent campground

Run a larger seasonal campground with power and water hookups for RVs, trailers and tents.

C$250k-1500k
Full-time
Own premises

Bright self-catering holiday cottage living room with a no-smoking sign.

Non-smoking cottage or cabin rental

Furnish a cabin, cottage or condo as a smoke-free getaway and rent it by the night or week.

C$8k-35k
Side hustle
Own premises

Freshly fried fish and chips wrapped in paper for takeaway customers.

Fish and chips takeaway shop

Run a small counter-service shop selling fresh battered fish and chips to people collecting their meal.

C$30k-120k
Full-time
Own premises

Welcoming hotel reception desk with a receptionist greeting guests with luggage.

Small independent motel or inn

Buy or lease a small motel or inn and run it with your family or a small team, renting rooms by the night.

C$800k-4000k
Full-time
Own premises

Modern furnished serviced apartment with bed, desk and city view.

Furnished apartment for month-long stays

Furnish one or two apartments and rent them with cleaning included to workers, patients and movers staying a few weeks to a few months.

C$4k-15k
Side hustle
Own premises

Small serviced apartment operator

Lease several apartments from landlords, furnish them and run them with housekeeping for corporate and relocation guests.

C$30k-80k
Full-time
Own premises

Bright furnished holiday apartment living room with sofa and sea view window.

Furnished holiday suite in a unit you own

Furnish a spare condo, suite or basement flat and rent it to visitors by the night.

C$3k-15k
Side hustle
Own premises

Holiday apartment in a unit you lease

Lease an apartment with your landlord's written consent and run it as a furnished short-stay rental.

C$6k-20k
Part-time
Own premises

Wooden cabins beside a lake at a fishing camp with anglers casting.

Small fishing camp with rental cabins

Rent a few lakeside cabins and boats to anglers for weekend and week-long fishing stays.

C$30k-150k
Part-time
Own premises

Ice fishing camp with hut rentals and day passes

Rent heated ice huts and sell day access to anglers on a frozen lake through the winter.

C$8k-40k
Side hustle
Own premises

A period country house hotel with gardens and guests arriving.

Small owner-run country house inn

Turn a character home in the countryside into a small inn with a few guest rooms, home-cooked breakfasts and a warm welcome.

C$80k-350k
Full-time
Own premises

About these ideas

Options range from a small guesthouse or cabin business and a full-time B&B in a larger house to a neighbourhood pool hall or a hireable party and meeting room. Before you commit, check zoning and permitted use for your property, the licensing that applies to food, alcohol or accommodation, insurance, and fire and safety requirements. Work out your fixed costs, such as mortgage or rent, utilities and staffing, and how many bookings or customers you need to cover them in a quiet season.

More ideas

Questions

Do I need a licence to run a hospitality business from my own premises?

Usually something is needed, but it varies by province and municipality. Check requirements for business registration, food handling, liquor, short-term accommodation and signage with your local authorities before you buy, renovate or open to the public.

Can I turn my home into a B&B or guesthouse in Canada?

Possibly, though rules differ by city and province. Check local zoning, short-term rental bylaws, health and fire requirements, condo or lease restrictions, and whether your home insurance covers paying guests. Speak to your municipality early.

What costs should I plan for before opening a venue?

Look beyond the purchase or lease price. Check renovation and compliance costs, licensing fees, insurance, equipment, property taxes, utilities, staffing and a cash buffer for slow months. A simple budget will show how much trade you need to break even.