Queens Landing

Queens Landing is the Niagara-on-the-Lake hotel we recommend for travellers who want a view of the water with their history, and it is one of the town's best-loved addresses, regularly praised in traveller rankings of Canada's hotels. Part of the Vintage Hotels group, it stands at 155 Byron Street on the edge of the Old Town, overlooking the Niagara River near the point where it flows into Lake Ontario, with the harbour below and the American shore across the water. The building is designed in a Georgian style that blends with the town's historic streetscape, and the interiors follow suit: elegant public rooms, traditional furnishings and guest rooms and suites that combine modern comfort with a classic, slightly formal feel. Ask for a river-view room; watching the light change over the water and the far shore, where Old Fort Niagara has guarded the river mouth since the 18th century, is the hotel's great pleasure. The lounge serves craft cocktails and local wines, and there is dining on site. Facilities suit a leisurely stay, and the sister properties, the Prince of Wales and the Pillar and Post, are both a short walk away, so their restaurants and the Pillar and Post's spa are easy to reach. From the front door it is a few minutes on foot to Queen Street, the Shaw Festival theatres and Queen's Royal Park on the lakefront, and the wineries of the Niagara-on-the-Lake region are a short drive. The falls are about twenty-five minutes south. Best for: couples on anniversaries and romantic weekends, theatre-goers, wine-country travellers and anyone who wants a refined, quiet base with river views away from the bustle of the falls.

The setting: Niagara-on-the-Lake grew up at the river mouth because this was the strategic gateway between Lake Ontario and the Niagara portage, and from Queens Landing you can see why. Fort George sits just upriver on the Canadian bank, Old Fort Niagara faces you across the water, and the harbour below has been a landing place since the town's founding. In winter, the river view and the quiet streets make the hotel a peaceful retreat.

Stay tips: book a river-view room well ahead for summer and festival weekends. In winter, look for packages that combine dinner, wine tastings or spa time at the Pillar and Post. Walk everything in town; parking is available at the hotel. Check the Shaw Festival schedule for the main season, and the Fort George calendar for its seasonal programmes. If you want to visit the falls, go early in the day and return for dinner in town.

Who it suits: couples, history and theatre lovers, and travellers who value calm, service and views over nightlife. Families are welcome, but the hotel's character is adult and relaxed. If you want the falls outside your window, stay in Fallsview; if you want a spa on site, choose the Pillar and Post.