Check-In/Check-Out: Harbour House Hotel

Source: By SAMANTHA GRICE

Posted: 09/18/09 12:29PM

Filed Under: Canada Travel Guide

This small inn is "the jewel of Niagara"

At Your Service: A fresh batch of soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies greets the weary traveller in the lobby of the Harbour House Hotel. Could there be anything more welcoming? As it turns out, yes. Besides offering the complimentary (and delicious) cookies from a local bakery, the staff at Niagara-on-the-Lake's beautiful boutique hotel are accommodating beyond belief. From dinner reservations to downtown shuttle service, every question is answered with a pleasant, almost calming smile.

Do Not Disturb: For a small, 31-room hotel, the Harbour House does well with its limited space, but there is room for improvement. Rooms are spacious, but can be a little box-like with the awkward furniture placement. (For instance, the television is in no man's land; it's at a near impossible angle to watch from bed and the lone sofa chair directly in front of it is simply impracticable.) And a note to the ladies, BYO hairdryer. The hotel provides one of those dinky dryers with two sad settings: warm breeze and hot cyclone. Also, while robes are provided, if you're looking for a shower cap or slippers, you'll have to call down.

Ambience: The hotel is bright, airy and comfortable.The lobby is fitted with large, bulky furniture that might inspire a long, relaxing nap, yet feels a bit too cozy with three or more people. The patio does not take advantage of the nearby lakeview, but is gorgeous all the same.

Guests: Hang around the lobby of the Harbour House long enough and you’ll notice the clientele falls into two unique categories of couples: the well-off and the 'we're splurging.' That said, you might also meet the odd pair of single women chatting about the Toronto dating scene, but mostly it's fabulous middle-aged couples such as the one overheard asking the concierge where they could buy a gourmet hamburger for their tiny designer dog. True story.

But this should be expected, Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the heart of Ontario's wine country, a magnet for yuppies, and the hotel is not cheap—prime season rates start at $355 a night. The quaint, cushy surroundings of the Harbour House will attract those with a taste for the finer things, but that shouldn't necessarily be held against it. (Review continues below photo gallery)

Food & Drink: Breakfast at the hotel is heavy on starch, but nowhere near continental. Expect savoury blueberry cream cheese french toast, decadent cranberry egg strata and a spread of other scrumptious breakfast treats. And how can anyone complain when it's included in the overall rate?

Speaking of extras, a daily wine and cheese reception is held in the lobby between 4:00-5:30 pm. Local vines are used to produce the interesting selection of red and whites, and a virtually bottomless glass makes mingling with other guests inevitable. And an endless supply of fresh apples and juicy, locally grown peaches are in every room.

Room to Roam: Located two blocks from the Niagara River and two blocks from the picturesque downtown, the Harbour House is an ideal location to situate yourself for a weekend in wine country. Stroll down along the lake to see beautiful lakefront houses and historic sites like Fort George.

Queen St., the main and seemingly only commercial district in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is so perfect it could be out of a movie set. Horse-drawn carriages and turn-of-the-century storefronts are beyond precious. But this comes at a price: restaurants along this strip are outrageously expensive, and with overpriced (and out-of-style) clothing boutiques and crafts stores to match. (Be sure to stop by the renowned Christmas store if the season excites you.)

But none of the above is why anyone would travel to Niagara. Make the trip for the 40-year-old Shaw Festival, a theatre experience that rivals that of jolly old England itself. There are three theatres in town, and the annual staging of classic British theatre is an utter delight. Named after the great George Bernard Shaw, the summer to early fall festival is a national treasure.

Victorian theatre, of course, is not everyone's fancy. But it's difficult for even the most uncultured to not enjoy the fine wines the region has to offer. And tasting tours are as plentiful as the grape varieties in Niagara.

From the multinational corporate wineries to small, locally-owned bottlers, a trip to Niagara is incomplete without sampling the regions' best export. Harbour House staff are more than happy to organize a wine tour, make a dinner reservation (sister establishment Zee's Restaurant is only blocks away and is wonderful), or rent out bicycles for the afternoon (biking along the Niagara River is an activity not to be missed).

That said, it would be great if the area could make itself more appealing to a younger crowd who also happen to love wine and theatre, but have no interest in the countless shops on the main drag filled with cutesy knick knacks and clothing for those far into their sensible slacks and twin set years.

Extras: There are tons of add-ons at the Harbour House, presumably because the town is extremely sleepy at nights. A nearby partner spa can be enjoyed at discount, while the hotel backs onto a speed boat touring business. Inside the hotel, there is a small library of movies, books, board games and CDs to borrow. There is also a bonus take-home menu: anything in the hotel you particularly like - the bed is unbelievable, for example - you can take it home, for a price.

The Draw: Visiting Harbour House can feel like going to a friends' cottage, in a very good way. It's got all the attributes of a bed and breakfast - minus the sleeping in someone's musty old bed or pretending to like the owner's like-it-or-lump-it food - yet manages a Hilton-like professionalism, without the impersonal corporate face. While the other hotels in Niagara-on-the-Lake offer a regal visit with high tea and creaky old rooms, Harbour House offers a lower-key - but not lower quality - visit. Compared to the others, it feels like an off-the-beaten path discovery. Watch tourists pile out of buses and vans into the other historic inns around town, and then breeze down to Harbour House to see the difference. This is the jewel of Niagara.

To book: Harbour House Hotel, http://www.harbourhousehotel.ca/niagara-on-the-lake/, 1-866-277-6677