We had no idea how the experience would be at Idlewyld Spa and Inn. We had never even heard of it before. All we knew was that the weight of 2016 was sinking us and we needed to escape the first chance we got in 2017. This boutique hotel was just under 2 hours drive from our home and affordable – that’s all we were interested in when we booked it.

As February finally rolled in (January felt like a year), we packed our car and headed off to the small City of London, Ontario. Usually we do our research beforehand and look at restaurants in the hotel and surrounding area to see if they have vegetarian options for Rob (no meat, seafood, eggs or anything made with eggs); we look at tourist attractions and tours, shopping, etc. For this trip, all we did was book a couples massage for the minute we arrived and that was it. At the end of it all, we were glad we didn’t plan every minute. The element of surprise added to our experience.

The staff at the Inn were excellent. We’ve stayed in 5 star hotels where the staff were so extremely courteous that we felt awkward. At Idlewyld, we felt at home. The old charm of the former mansion coupled with the warmth of the staff made for the perfect, relaxing experience. The newly renovated rooms were clean, modern and came equipped with everything we could possibly need for a 2-night stay.

When we made reservations for dinner, the receptionist informed us that the restaurant was voted #1 in London. In our minds we thought ‘Yeahhhhh…it can’t be that great. This is London we’re talking about. There are less than 400,000 people living here.‘It was a small dining room, intimate, tables were close together. The ambiance was colourful; the mood, enchanting. We decided to skip appetizers and go straight for the mains. Both dishes were presented to us like pieces of art and we were not afraid to dig in. After the first bite, we were sold. The food was absolutely fantastic! The portions were just enough for us to feel full, but not stuffed. The Chef did an amazing job choosing the best quality ingredients and that showed. We saw him after dinner as we were plugging in our car and shook his hand. We would go back to Idlewyld in a heartbeat just to eat at their restaurant.