nice thing about competition is that it keeps everyone on their toes. the murray family (harbour house, shaw) is keeping the vintage group (prince of wales, pillar and post, queen's landing) honest. unfortunately, this contest is not keeping prices down, but quality is top-notch, although I still prefer the breakfast over to the Pillar and Post (Love those big english sausages). If only they had an indoor pool. The best part of all is they allowed our dog to room with us.

Our Harbour House stay was a wonderful experience. The temperature was freezing outside but everthing inside was warm and inviting. From the fire burning in the lovely front sitting room to the welcoming smiles of Mary and Gail at the desk...warm, inviting and accommodating. The room was beautiful...fireplace, luxurious bath and lovely linens. The breakfasts were perfect......fruit, cereal, baked goods and a different homemade dish each morning served in a comfortable breakfast room. Dinner at the Charles Inn was delicious and served to perfection as well. It was especially nice to be driven there and back by the hotel staff.This was off season for the town....we got great service everywhere! We hope to come back again soon!

With only 10 minutes or so until our departure on a jet boat ride up the river we spotted this hotel nearby and judged from its external appearance and setting that it would probably be a nice place to stay. I made enquiries at the reception about availability and was promptly invited to view a room. Having instantly decided it was ideal, I left it in their hands to make the arrangements for check-in upon our return.

An hour or so later, having experienced the full force of the Niagara rapids, we returned to create a puddle in the very smart reception - our apologies accepted without any fuss whatsoever whilst we quickly completed the formalities (perhaps it’s a fairly regular occurrence!). Only minutes from having disembarked from our river experience we were able to get a very welcome hot shower.

We enquired about getting our sodden clothes cleaned via the hotel’s service however as we were only staying one night this was not possible. The receptionist was helpful and with her local knowledge gave us good route directions to a laundrette, a short drive away. It was hardly a suitable alternative for the planned afternoon visit to a winery! However we had a laugh about it as we ate our “picnic” and watched our clothes spin around - prompting flashbacks of our earlier experience in the jet boat when we were being tossed around in the rapids as if in a giant washing machine!

The hotel is superb. The reception area has several large sofas, chairs and coffee tables where you can relax and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine in the company of fellow guests at a set time. There is free access to the internet (where we discovered the hotel was given top ratings by Trip Adviser guests) and you can also select a book or DVD from the hotel’s “library” (again free of charge). Rooms of course have DVD players.

Our spacious room overlooked the front of the hotel and since this was a quiet street and the harbour there were no distractions from a good night’s rest. The bed was among the most comfortable we have slept in - fluffy duvet and loads of pillows. The whole place was very tastefully decorated and full of detail, from the window shutters to the writing desk, the nautical theme ornaments on the fireplace and glass lamp table - the list goes on. It’s just as you would like your own home to look! The en-suite was very large with a Jacuzzi bath and separate walk-in shower, large wash hand basin and vanity unit with lots of good quality soaps, shampoo, etc. Bath robes and slippers were provided. The room also had coffee making facilities, iron & board (handy if you’ve visited the laundrette!), etc.

The hotel do not serve meals other than breakfast however they do provide a large guide to browse local restaurants, recommend favourites, book you in to your choice and even provide complimentary transportation to get there and back!

Breakfast is self-service in the attractive dining room with a good selection of items from a cold buffet - cereals, fresh pastries, muffins, etc. Staff bring tea/coffee, top up the buffet regularly and clear the tables whilst chatting in the passing with guests to make everyone feel welcome. It would be good if the hotel added cooked breakfast to the offering - and evening meals which we’re sure would be of very good quality!

Overall you would need to be unusual not to really like this place - if only more places could be the same we wouldn’t have to worry about staying away from home. For UK readers - if the comments have a familiar sound to them, just think - “Carlsberg don’t do hotels in Canada but if they did they would probably be the best hotels in the World!”

My husband and I went to the Harbour House for a get away to beat the winter blahs. We were absolutely thrilled with everything from the moment we entered the lobby. The staff was warm and welcoming. The room was just as pictured on the website. It was very warm and cozy. The bed linens are to die for. The breakfast was so yummy ( orange marmalade french toast was sooo good!). The staff really made our stay more enjoyable. We will definitely return.