I travel a lot for work and for the most part I stay in the well-known chain hotels like the Best Westerns, Marriotts or Hampton Inns. In December I had a business meeting in Carlton Place, a small historic town in eastern Ontario, and stumbled upon this delightfully unique Inn called the Almonte Riverside Boutique Inn. Their website had the convenience of booking online, so I made my reservation and was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.
Almonte (pronounced “Al-mont”) is about 20 minutes outside of Carlton Place and is a quaint former mill town, which even though it is only small, has a lot to offer. It hosts many popular events, like the Celtfest which is held annually at Almonte’s Gemmil Park, since 1997.
The Inn is located at 81 Queens Street and nestles near the banks of the Mississippi River. There are six rooms available, which are referred to as either Scenic, Getaway or Hideaway rooms and the fare that is offered in their ‘used to be an old Italianate style house kitchen‘ restaurant is delicious. They offer local breads, a nice selection of wine and beer and a warm and cozy atmosphere. Their menu, along with more detailed information, can be found on both their Facebook page and their website which I have listed at the end.
I was very fortunate to have stayed in one of their Scenic rooms which had a wonderful view of the River. It was Christmas time, so the balcony was decorated with lights which created a wonderful romantic setting, but unfortunately I was there by myself. The bed was extremely comfortable and the room was very spacious. The Tiffany style lamps, providing the option of dimmer lighting, added to the simple decor. The bathroom was well equipped, modern and very clean, but it only had a shower. If you are like me and like to soak in the bath, this particular room may not be the room for you. I am not sure if the other rooms have a bath or not, so if you are also someone who enjoys a relaxing soak, then I would enquire beforehand.
2Rob Prior is the owner/manager of the Inn, which used to be the Hugesson House, built-in 1882 and which is well-known in the local area. Rob took possession of this house in mid November, 2011 and by preserving the old with the new, he created this charming and inviting place to stay. The local Millstone community newspaper wrote an article about him here – Rob Prior, hospitality personified.
In the morning, before heading out to breakfast, I do like to enjoy a cup of coffee, but unfortunately there was no coffee-making equipment or supplies in the room. However, I really must emphasize that the wonderful cup of coffee that I received with my breakfast, more than made up for this. It was one of the best cups of coffee I have tasted. I am not sure what type of coffee machine they use, as it was tucked away out of sight, but a great cup of coffee along with shirred eggs and spinach was a marvelous way to start my day.
I would highly recommend staying at the Almonte Riverside Boutique Inn and for more information and/or to book a room see the links below.
Facebook Page – Almonte Inn
Website – Almonte Riverside Boutique Inn
This place looks gorgeous!!