Stratford’s Local Gem
By Rebecca Dumais
If you’re seeking small-town charm and a top-tier booking to go along with your Shakespearean adventure, the Bruce Hotel is the perfect getaway. Not only has it achieved the AAA/CAA Diamond Designations’ top ranking year after year; it also has a 24-hour cookie hotline.
The hotel, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, is located on the former site of the Brooks Steamer Factory and is named after owner Jennifer Birmingham’s father. Birmingham has previously owned two B&Bs in the area: The Butternut Tree and Touchstone Manor.
Few destinations can hold their place in the ranks of quality, luxury and service for an extended period, but the Bruce Hotel is one. Since day one, it has received AAA/CAA Diamond Designation every year. However, in 2023, the hotel topped its record of excellence by earning a Five-Diamond rating – an accolade only awarded to the most luxurious, upscale and extraordinary properties. To date, it’s the only boutique hotel in Canada to get the coveted five diamonds.
“In terms of getting and retaining the diamond, which we just found out we’ll be retaining again next year,” Birmingham says, “what makes the diamond? Pressure. It’s a lot of work, a lot of testing of the staff. It’s important that everybody who comes here gets the same experience.”
Now, about that cookie hotline. Guest feedback is high on the dedicated phone line for cookies at their beck and call. “You just have to press the button, and we’ll bring cookies and maybe coffee too.” They’re made in-house and there are usually four different flavours (chocolate chip being a standard, of course).
Post check-in, past the lobby you’ll find the restaurant, divided into a casual lounge and fine dining area, and outdoor patio. There is a gym, pool, business centre, and a spa treatment room (which is not full service, but local practitioners are permitted to come and use the space to treat you). There are four guest wings (two on the main floor), and a small library where guests can take a book and leave a book. Unusual for a hotel of this type, the Bruce is fully wheelchair-accessible. “That is rare and something we’re very proud of,” she says.
In what seems like a natural choice given the location, each room is named after a Shakespearean play or character. Two of Birmingham’s favourites are Cordelia (from King
Lear, room 2503) and Touchstone (from As You Like It, room 2006). Cordelia is decorated in calming blue; Touchstone is laid out in dark rose and brick tones. All rooms offer soundless conditions for peaceful rest, and feature a second internal door to keep outside noise to nil.
The five-diamond touches you can expect include twice-daily housekeeping and top-notch turn-down service that is executed so well, even the inspector said it was the best he’d ever experienced, Birmingham says. Part of that evening wind-down includes… more cookies. Handmade fortune cookies contain quotes from certain festival performances that year, but Birmingham says the hotel’s culinary staff will also do custom ones for guests. Fresh, hot coffee is delivered to your door upon request. “Whatever time you want it in the morning,” Birmingham laughs, adding, “It’s the little details.” The hotel has its own app for guests to download, allowing them to submit requests as desired.
The restaurant serves delicious contemporary cuisine with Canadian-focused ingredients. Led by executive chef Jacob Leblanc – previously from Canoe – the hotel’s food program offers a touch of “old school dining,” Birmingham says. Things you’ll see on the menu feature traditional with a twist. Watch for Long Table dinners, which showcase the area’s fabulous farmers. Speaking of growers, the hotel is currently planning to launch a bespoke farm tour program led by Nick Benninger, the Bruce Hotel’s director of experiential tourism.
The Bruce’s accommodations are easily walkable to downtown and festival theatre venues. The Stratford Festival runs from April to October, and there are many other things to do post-performance season. Go for a scenic drive, check out the Justin Bieber exhibit at the Perth County Museum, or the World’s Smallest Movie Theatre, The Little Prince, all in one of southern Ontario’s favourite small-town tourist destinations.
For more information, visit TheBruce.ca
