Best known for its architectural limestone buildings and heritage feel, Elora’s thriving community has been named as one of Canada’s Top 10 villages, and for good reason. It’s a magically curated and restored town, carefully managed by a plethora of committees to ensure architectural integrity, with a unified design look and feel, and cultural harmony that is present at every corner.

Elora is a shopper’s haven. Different than many so-called tourist towns where shop after shop seems to sell the same tired T-shirts and logo-infested coffee mugs, every retail stop in the historic centre of Elora has intriguing offerings and is a delight to experience. Excellent restaurants and coffee shops are in abundance, and there is an inspired sense of elation as you walk through this little pearl of a village.

Speaking of pearls, entrepreneurial development company Pearle Hospitality, owned by the Ciancone family, purchased the property of the original Elora Mill in 2010 and transformed it into one of the most fabulous and magical boutique hotels this writer has ever experienced, now named Elora Mill Hotel & Spa.

The hotel is effectively the “anchor tenant” of the town. Precariously perched on the top of the Elora gorge, this boutique 30-room property boasts exceptional views of the rapids and falls of the gorge that are only rivalled by the level of service that patrons have come to expect of this worldclass facility. From the moment you enter the gates of Elora Mill Hotel & Spa, you are greeted by warm smiles and professional courtesy. The astounding thing is that this very first touchpoint of excellence is consistently delivered at every experience through your stay.

The front staff are simply perfect and were lovely to spend time with. Jocelyn Maurice, the hotel’s Managing Partner explained: “It is our culture, our people are at the centre of our visitors’ experience. We tend to hire locally. We hire for cultural fit with an undying focus on service and customer delight.” And that they do. Until this trip, I had thought The Savoy in London, was the international standard. My stay at Elora Mill gave me cause to reflect and possibly even reconsider.

As luck would have it, Elora Mill was hosting its first brunch during my stay in “The Grand”: a lovely period restored building adjacent to the main hotel. The grand hall, normally reserved for weddings, was doing its inaugural “High Tea” to celebrate Mother’s Day when I visited. The room was filled, if not overflowing, with excited patrons there to celebrate with family. My mom, who sadly passed several years ago, would have loved to be there by my side. The tables were festooned with floral arrangements. Lovely and excited chatter filled the room, and magical jazz notes of the bespoke musical experience provided by “The Boutique Collective” drifted through the room.

Naturally, the main event was the lovely tea and delectable savoury and sweet trays. I ordered an absolutely delicious Rouge Provence, while my guest enjoyed a Classic Earl Grey from their ample tea menu. The temperature of the tea was perfection, as was the flavour and the aroma. Our server offered us a splash of Saint Germaine liqueur to sparkle up the tea which I couldn’t say no to: a fabulous French infusion of Elderflower with notes of peach and apricot. Magic. The savoury plate arrived with a mouth-watering selection of finger food spectaculars, including Brioche Egg Salad with Black Truffle, Cucumber & Watercress sandwich and a very special little item: Deep Potato topped with crème and anointed with caviar. Freshly baked scones arrived, steamingly warm to greet a large dollop of clotted crème and a strawberry coulis. Sinful would be an understatement. And of course to finish, we had to gently dive into a towering staging of fine desserts, including Dark Chocolate and Blackberry Opera cake, and my personal favourite: the Lemon Poppyseed and Toasted Meringue Bouchon. Afterwards, I decided to call it a day and retire to my room for a well-earned siesta. After a nap and a quick change for a dip in the spa’s toasty warm pool, I ventured to the dining room for dinner.

That was another great chapter of this getaway. If you are a lover of exceptional beef, the Beef Wellington is to die for. It was presented as a work of art table-side that did not disappoint. Medium rare, juicy, flavourful and simply put … amazing! The hotel boasts a lovely wine selection and after a glass or two of fine reds, I called it a night.

The following morning’s itinerary was fly flishing. As a fly fishing aficionado, I was excited to toss a fly on The Grand River. Literally steps from the front door of the hotel lies some of the country’s finest brown trout fishing. The desk team called me promptly at 5:30 a.m.: “It’s time for fishing” a happy voice announced. I met my guide for the day, and we donned our fishing gear and began the beautiful jaunt down through the Disney-esque manicured forest and down the bank of The Grand to our first fishing pool.

Again, the culture and values of the company and the hotel management style rose to the surface. Sadly, no fish rose to the surface that day, as the season was early and the water running high down the gorge was giving trout little reason to rest and stay in the pools we had chosen. But back casting a fly over trout waters as the sun rises, listening to the honking of paired up early season geese and full coloured spring nesting Mallards, and chatting with my wonderful guide literally brought a tear to my eye. You see, I look at life as an adventure. And this surely was one. An unexpected adventurous delight when visiting Elora Mill.

Weary from my walk and morning on the water, I slumped into my river side seat at the picturesque restaurant and enjoyed myself to a plate of fabulous buttermilk pancakes with drizzled Elora Mill Maple Syrup, paired with a steaming cup of cappuccino. Bliss!

My vote says this experience would make a quintessential Father’s Day gift. Or frankly any experience quintessential for that matter. Anyone looking for a true treat could find an excuse to stay here. If you’re looking for an exceptional time, literally an hour drive from Toronto, or a fabulous venue for an event or a wedding, look no further.

Images courtesy of Duet PR on behalf of The Elora Mill Hotel & Spa and Thomas Pigeon.