There’s a national treasure situated in the heart of Ontario cottage country. Set along the sparkling, unspoiled shores of Lake Manitouwabing, the Inn at Manitou—a 20-year member of the prestigious hotel association Relais & Châteaux—is just over a two-hour drive north of Toronto, located in the tiny town of McKellar, Ontario. This 35-year-old family-owned resort (founder Sheila Wise and her daughter Jordanna Wise Lipson operate the Inn) offers luxury accommodations, breathtaking lake views, tranquility, seclusion, unparalleled service and spectacular food. “Our inn is our passion,” says Sheila Wise. “We aim to create a magical experience by combining superb cuisine with a world-class spa and fantastic sports facilities.”
At this 50-acre lakeside resort (which is only open seasonally from mid-May until mid-October), the staff-to-guest ratio is almost equal. There are 70 staff members to 60 guests, and all the staff is recruited personally by Sheila Wise, who travels to Europe each December to find her hospitality superstars. When I visited, the staff featured a mix of French, Italian, Austrian and Irish professionals, which certainly gave the Inn a fantastic, international flavour. When it comes to accommodations at the Inn, there are just 35 rooms, many of which boast romantic lake views. For the ultimate honeymoon indulgence, book a luxury room (the view from number 19 is especially gorgeous), which measures in at an airy 55 square metres and features cathedral ceilings, a living area, fireplace, whirlpool bath and cedar sauna. Morning coffee and tea service delivered to your door by 7:00 a.m. makes waking up in this Canadian paradise extra-sweet, and this is just one of the many little extras The Inn at Manitou offers.
When it comes to extra-curricular activities at the Inn at Manitou, they are vast and varied. Originally started as a tennis resort, the game is still a big focus here. There are a total of eleven courts on-site (four soft clay, six outdoor hard and one indoor hard) and a resident tennis pro to help you polish your game (or learn to play if you’ve never served up). Tennis magazine has repeatedly named the Inn’s comprehensive program one of the five best in North America. Once you’re finished on the court, you can hit the green and practice your swing at the Manitou Golf Academy (three-, four- and seven-day packages are available).
If you want to indulge in less athletic pursuits, there is, of course, the fabulous Spa at Manitou. The menu is packed with heavenly treatments covering everything from facials (seven different kinds!) to holistic body and massage therapies, and hand and foot care. In keeping with the spirit of well-being, spa cuisine options are also available on all the Inn at Manitou’s menus, but just because it’s über-healthy doesn’t mean it’s bland. In fact the food at the Inn at Manitou is one of the things they are most famous for, and this is one place you certainly will not go unsatisfied—the cuisine here is simply divine.
Head chef Bernard Ibanez has been at the helm of the Inn’s kitchen for eight years, and he and his French culinary team create breakfasts, lunches and dinners that are some of the best meals in the world. The food here features a definite French flair, and some sample dinner menu offerings include: terrine of foie gras with caramelized fruits, roasted lobster with mushroom and vegetable fricassee and traditional pistachio-flavoured French macaroons that are better than those served up at the Parisian landmark Ladurée!
In addition to being a beautiful place to honeymoon, the Inn at Manitou could also be the perfect place to host your wedding. They are equipped to handle both large and small celebrations, with the most intimate one being a wedding pour deux, where you can exchange your “I dos” in the Inn’s charming tea room. To learn more about the wedding programs available, and about the Inn, visit manitou-online.com.
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