One of my favourite hotels in Ontario

Arowhon Pines - Algonquin Park - Ontario


Arowhon Pines is a small, rustic 50-room summer resort located in the heart of Algonquin Park, a huge nature and wildlife preserve. Arowhon Pines is on the shores of Little Joe Lake from where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the woods of the Canadian north. Perfect for a peaceful getaway, honeymoon or to celebrate an anniversary.

The tranquillity of Arowhon Pines' natural setting amidst lakes, rivers and forests filled with wildlife - myriad of birds, moose, deer, fox - seeps into your soul. They combine this spectacular peaceful location with a renowned kitchen, warm hospitality and attentive service - your assurance of this is the fact that 60 per cent of guests return year after year.

The rustic log cabins range in size from three, four, eight and twelve bedrooms. All bedrooms, furnished with antique pine furniture, have ensuite bathrooms with robes, electric heat and hair dryers. Each shared cabin has a spacious central lounge with comfortable chairs and couches around a wood burning fireplace. The one and two bedroom suites, each in their own building, have a lounge, fireplace and private deck.

In keeping with Arowhon's approach to a relaxed and peaceful holiday in the woods, there are no televisions or radios in the rooms. Outside telephones are centrally located. In the evenings guests watch a movie, drop by an impromptu bonfire, take a moonlight paddle or enjoy meeting others from around the world in the lounge.

Arrowhon Pines is a pretty three hour drive from Toronto and Ottawa - and is open from late May to Thanksgiving.

Ontario - Staff visit by Julie Thompson

Sandra and I compared the Toronto downtown hotels, from the 3-star Days Inn, via the lovely boutique hotels such as the Cosmopolitan and the Soho Metropolitan, to the regal Fairmont Royal York. Our visit to Niagara was wonderful, including a stay at the gorgeous Queens Landing in Niagara on the Lake (much more relaxed than Niagara Falls) and a superb helicopter flight over the Falls in glorious sunshine plus some wine tasting. We travelled through the Menonite communities for a further night of luxury at the Relais & Chateau Langdon Hall – a beautiful country hotel – and then visited Blue Mountain which as a resort with lots of activities on offer and the benefits of Intrawest properties to stay in, is a hard place to beat for a 2 or 3 night stay just a short distance from Toronto.

We then travelled through Georgian Bay enroute to Algonquin Provincial Park, comparing all the various properties in the Huntsville area, of which there is one to suit every requirement and budget, and then the hotels in the park itself. Here you can choose from the lovely adult-oriented Arowhon Pines and the family friendly Killarney Lodge or take a boat over to Bartlett Lodge and stay in one of their eco-friendly cabins, or even try their new resort platform tents for a ‘tent and breakfast stay’. After visit to the opulent Couples resort on the edge of the park, we completed our trip with an overnight stay at Elmhirst Resort. This family run resort is always a favourite with our clients and it was great to experience their facilities first hand before the flight back home.