country chic
The Drake Devonshire 24 Wharf St., Wellington, Ont. drakedevonshire.ca
After spearheading the change in West Queen West from urban afterthought to second-coolest neighbourhood in the world, The Drake Hotel has set its adventurous sights a few hours east of Toronto: Prince Edward County. The Drake Devonshire opened late last fall, repurposing a former guest house/mill right on the banks of Lake Ontario into a boutique hotel that wraps all the rustic charm of its setting in hand-lettered modern packaging.
The neighbourhood Wellington sits almost smack in the middle of Prince Edward County, a mostly agricultural peninsula that’s been building a reputation for boutique wineries, cideries and acres of antique appeal — sort of a Niagara without the corporate influence or feelings of establishment. From the Devonshire’s windows you can see Sandbanks Provincial Park, which features the largest freshwater sandbar/dune system in the world, though is decidedly more of a summer destination (although the waves look pretty impressive if you can find a way to watch them while sheltered from the wind). The main roads are two-lane, but littered with studios and shacks producing artisanal everything, from cheese to blown glass.
The vibe The Devonshire is a bit like a skeleton holding an iPad, old bones given a thoroughly modern touch. It keeps the coziness of huddling together in a family room while still finding space for glass walls and soaring ceilings. Maybe the living room area right beside the check-in desk says it best: stocked with board games, free coffee and comfy couches, it’s ideal for hunkering into on a cold winter’s night — of course, it also opens onto a freshly created glass box that can open its walls for a summer’s cocktail reception or a creekside wedding. You can change your mood — and seemingly the century you’re in — in the space of 15 steps.
The rooms Ranging in size from the remarkably cozy Stargazer to the stuff-strutting Owner’s suite, only a handful of the rooms are actually in the restored older house, but all of them retain its rustic charm, dressed up with very Drake-y touches. Chief among those is the impressive selection of mini-bar goodies, ranging from readyto-be-mixed highballs (complete with discretionary paper bag, to keep the living room civil) to handmade chocolate bars and swaddling robes that feel like settling into your favourite old hoodie. Word to the wise, though: the pillows are almost excessive, and might work best as a sort of nesting device. From $199 a night.
The rest A decent number of Prince Edward County’s attractions are seasonal, but winter is no deterrent for its wineries, several of which boast spacious and friendly tasting rooms happy to feed and drink you yearround. One of the nicest of these is Karlo Estates, five minutes from the Devonshire, which does all its business in a restored barn, and makes a mean selection of reds, too. For something more potent, the 66 Gilead Distillery is similarly rustic, and its creative, small-batch spirits, from wild oak whiskies to pine vodkas, can be found at the more creative dining establishments across the county. Speaking of which, several fine-pedigreed restaurants have popped up in Wellington and nearby Picton, but you’d have to be pretty wilful to leave the Devonshire’s own dining room, where the food is locally sourced but made to the Drake’s high expectations, and which boasts one of the county’s most beautiful views of Lake Ontario, resting right at the mouth of a creek. Also, true to Drake form, all manner of bands, book launches and other art-community gatherings are held their throughout the week.