The Charming New Boutique Hotel To Visit For Your Next Getaway
In the small town of Thornbury, Ont., a 15-minute drive from Blue Mountain, stands Leeward House — a quaint hotel that opened its doors this past July.
In addition to the nine design-forward suites split between the main and guest house, there are plenty of luxe amenities including a year-round sauna, hot tub and cold plunge.
Walking up the cedar staircase to the main house for check-in, you’re met with a curvy patchwork veneer bar and cosy lounge that feels more like a well-curated home, than a hotel. Creamy wall paneling, layered fabrics and patterned ceramics, are a warm welcome. “We really got inspired by the landscape,” says Keri MacLellan of Westgrove, who tackled the design and styling. “The colour palette of taupe, mauve and mossy green were all pulled from what was growing in the area.”
Leeward House owner and founder John Paul Adamo bought the property on 49 Bruce St. when it was home to a Victorian house with a pub inside. Although the original building had to be knocked down for safety reasons, he wanted to maintain its beauty and character. Having seen Westgrove’s work for The June Motels, he reached out to Keri to bring his vision to life.
“We’re like the Nantucket of the North,” says Keri.
The curvy wood bar is a statement piece. Westgrove designed the reception’s custom embroidered pendant in collaboration with Huey Lightshop.
For the design, Keri pulled references from Eastern Seaboard boutique hotels and seaside homes in the U.K. Although the inspiration came from outside of Canada, Keri kept much of the sourcing local. “It was important to me that we worked with Canadian ceramicists for lighting, rug designers, furniture makers and upholstery companies,” she says.
The lobby doubles as a reception and cosy lounge, perfect for enjoying a coffee or cocktail.
Decorative objects for the lobby, lounge and guest rooms were found at nearby vintage shops including Danfield Antiques, Inheritance Studios and reDiscovered on Marsh. Thornbury artist Martha Monica’s ceramic vases can be found in the lobby, Montreal rug maker Mark Krebs’ beautiful natural fibre rugs are in every guest room, and various pendants and sconces from Huey Lightshop appear throughout.
One of the hotel’s standout features is its placement of the vanities outside the washrooms. “You can be getting ready while talking to someone else in the room,” says Keri. “It makes the space feel more cohesive.” Here, the vanity is in an earthy Golden Cobra marble.
Frette lines dress the bed with its cool upholstered headboard and textured lumbar pillow.
A rainfall shower complete with floor to ceiling ceramic tile.
Take advantage of Leeward House’s Nordic cycle, featuring a sauna, cold plunge and hot tub.
Board and batten and cedar shake siding in a soft grey define the main house’s exterior.