Having fallen slightly behind the blogging eight ball at the end of last year, this is one post we simply had to complete. For those who’ve been following along at Around the Pound, you may remember our pre-holiday jaunt to Ontario, Canada. Never having skipped out on Turkey Day festivities here in the States, we knew that uprooting tradition needed to be adequately adventurous and equally fulfilling. When Christine, (the creative genius behind noteworthy shoppe Love the Design, not to mention one of the must-see spots in our Toronto Guide), captured the scene at Prince Edward County’s newest hotel, the stage had been set, we had found our spot.
Nestled along the lakeside coastline of small town Wellington, and a palatable drive from Toronto and Quebec, the Drake Devonshire makes for a perfect getaway. The younger sibling to Toronto’s revered hipster hangout, the Drake Hotel, the Drake Devonshire, aptly nicknamed ‘Drake by the Lake‘, offers guests a harmonious blend of contemporary cool and farmhouse chic. The premise, once an iron foundry, now a boutique hotel featuring a handful of rooms + two breathtaking suites, greets guests with welcome reprieve from the city grind and a warm embrace (it is after all, smack in the middle of PEC’s notorious wine country).
The interior decor, reminiscent of a lakeside cottage from decades past, understatedly updated with custom furnishings, magnificent millwork, and Brimfield finds, offers guests all the comforts of home. Those MacAusland’s woolen blankets in the softest of palettes and handwoven on antique Canadian looms? We loved them so much we customized a Summerset version to cut through the chill of our own coastal nights.
Last, but most certainly not least, the onsite restaurant, featuring farm and lake-to-table cuisine, hits the culinary mark. Killer cocktails, awesome entrees and the sweetest of scones we still have dreams of, offer a recipe for success; our traditional Thanksgiving meal (and the next, and the next) couldn’t have been more wonderfully and tastefully replaced.
In a successful twist on modern glamping (minus the bugs and brimming with beaucoup style), it’s no wonder this indie hotel hotspot was recently touted on Travel & Leisure’s Hotel Hot List. Book your own stay and see for yourself; we can’t wait to return in warmer temps… roasting s’mores by the campfire, winery hopping around Wellington and riding bikes through the countryside. A late winter escape more your style? They do that too, be an ‘indoor indulger‘, i.e., cozy up by the fire, glass of wine in hand, and enjoy the view, the water’s cold, but the vibe is warm.
Drake Devonshire | 24 Wharf St., Wellington, Canada.
Images courtesy of The Gilded Lobster.
