Welcome to #CheckedIn, a travel series where we take you along to some of the trendiest and most unique hotel experiences around. Join us as we give you the 411 on all the ins and outs of these locations, what to expect and where you should ‘check-in’ next!
We needed a break.. so this January we headed up to Paris, Ontario for a quick weekend getaway. We’ve had our eye on The Arlington Hotel for the past year now, read on below to get the full scoop on Paris’ go to boutique hotel.
The Vibe
The Arlington Hotel is located in a historic building in downtown Paris. With its widows peak and arched pillar entrance way, it’s exterior presence is stunning to say the least. But if the exterior is historic, the interior gives us creative millennial vibes with its Instagramable touches from elevator decor to individual themed rooms (more on that below). Besides the design what stood out most for us was how friendly and helpful the staff were. From the Food & Beverage Manager, Phil Reist to Makayla at the Front Desk, everyone went above and beyond to ensure our stay was an enjoyable one from check in to check out.
Image Courtesy of The Arlington Hotel
The Neighbourhood
Paris is adorable. It is often referred to as “Canada’s Prettiest Little Town” for a reason. Needless to say we had high expectations and fell in love with a few local spots in walking distance from the hotel. The Paris Wincey Mills, was the perfect stop for a coffee and wander of some local fashion & food vendors. The building is also home to Paris Brew Company where you can stop in for a tasting, a bite or purchase some beer to take home. In the mood for some shopping don’t miss piper & oak and One Sixty One Artisan Market. Paris’s location at the forks of the Grand and Nith Rivers make it a go to spot for water sports in Southern Ontario. Not necessarily in January, but come the warmer months you can plan to take part in fishing, canoeing, kayaking or rafting all in close proximity to the hotel.
Image Courtesy of The Arlington Hotel
The Room
One of the things we love about this hotel is the individual theme and charm of each room. With 23 rooms to choose from you could stay with anyone from Dr Suess to Mark Twain (a nod to history’s greatest authors and creative minds). We were given the Hemingway Room, one of the four Executive Suites to choose from. With a king size bed, sitting area and antiques scattered throughout it had everything we needed for a comfortable stay. In 2018 the team renovated all of the rooms to make sure that each room was updated for a enjoyable stay.
Image Courtesy of The Arlington Hotel
The Extras
The hotel is home to one of the popular restaurants in town, The Library Bar. Lead by Executive Chef Trevor Hunt, its menu offers classics with a barbeque flair (Hunt’s culinary background is in barbeque). And don’t forget the drinks, our favourite was the creative Limoncello Spritz something refreshing for the perfect start to happy hour.
Looking for a venue to celebrate your upcoming wedding or gathering, the Arlington has two unique spaces to host your private function. The first is the River’s Edge a stunning venue that overlooks the Grand River. But our favourite space in the hotel was Cellar 1851. Located in the basement, it has a lovely restored old world appeal, you could feel the presence from parties past.
The Verdict
We will be back, granted we will probably wait until the weather is a little warmer!
