Pillar and Post

NIAGARA on the LAKE

Trying to make travel plans for a retirement trip during the Christmas holidays proved to be too difficult. We would have loved to have booked a sunny trip somewhere south... the Mayan Riviera would have been my choice; however we needed to work out when each of our sons would be home, when we could go to see my parents and siblings' families and work around my husband's return to work.  So instead we made a quick jaunt to Southern Ontario before Christmas and then a short visit to Ottawa after Christmas and then up to Walford to visit my parents for New Year's Day. 

I left the bookings up to my favourite travel agent, Moe.  

He loves TravelZoo because he loves to believe he is getting the best bang for his buck.  Through that website he was able to book a stay at the Pillar and Post in Niagara-on-the-Lake that included dinner at the hotel restaurant and a wine tasting at a local winery, the Reif Estates. The Pillar and Post is one of the Vintage hotels in this picturesque small town that I have been hoping to stay at someday.  The website claims the Pillar and Post is Ontario's only five star Inn, and includes on an on-sight spa, a first class dining room and a hot springs. There is also a very nice salt water pool. You can check out their website for some luscious pictures. 

http://www.vintage-hotels.com/pillarandpost

Their foyer was decorated with a giant Christmas tree and banks of poinsettia. That's me standing beside it. 

    

A large bouquet of red roses was on the table in front of the fireplace flanked by four club chairs. Sitting there to sip morning coffee felt like being part of the upstairs folk in Downton Abbey.  

We enjoyed our meal at the Cannery very much, although with the TravelZoo deal it was a limited menu.  Two choices for appetizer, three choices of entree and two choices for dessert.  I enjoyed all of my meal and Moe felt dessert was the best part.  The Cannery gets its rather strange name from the fact that it was once a tomato cannery for Aylmer.  You can check it out at the link below.  We both regret passing up having breakfast there in favour of going to a restaurant in town because we were planning to visit the shops on the main street.  

 http://www.vintage-hotels.com/pillarandpost/dining.php

Saturday night, there were too many guests taking advantage of the hot springs that we went to the salt water pool instead.  Moe got up early on Sunday morning to go check on the hot springs since he thought that might be our best chance to enjoy it alone. He was right. He came back to say that no one was there, so we quickly threw on our bathing suits and hotel robes to speed down the hall.  The hot spring was ideal.  You leave your robe on hooks conveniently close to the entrance and then can enter the water while still inside the hotel.  Once you pass through a covered opening you are outside in a warm hot springs with winter all around you.  The snow was falling very light and the sky was still dark, the pool was surrounded by rocks and tall pine trees and with the push of some buttons and you are basking in the warm bubbly water.  A great, relaxing way to start the morning.  

I would definitely go back to the hotel but I know that I would also like to stay at the other Vintage Hotels in town, The Prince of Wales which is located right down town on the main street making it very easy to stroll down the quaint street or Queen's Landing.  It's best to check out the Queen's Landing website to see just how beautiful it is.  

http://www.vintage-hotels.com/queenslanding/  

We look forward to visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake in the future and perhaps doing more wine tasting and winery tours. Of course we could also go to do more shopping or attend a play at the Shaw Festival.  Niagara-on-the-Lake is ranked as one of the best places in Ontario and Canada to retire.  It is a beautiful area of vineyards, with quick and easy access to Niagara Falls, St. Catherine's,  Buffalo and Toronto. It is close to outlet malls and regular shopping in St. Catherine's, as well, the quaint town offers unique and interesting shops on its very pedestrian friendly main street.  The town is small but offers many excellent places to eat, several historic areas to visit, beautiful parks and walking paths and of course wineries and the Shaw Festival.  Even if you don't want to retire there, it is a place worth visiting.