After the success of the first retreat run in Bayfield in 2011 Feathers Retreats is delighted to announce that they are returning for 2012 to the fabulous Little Inn
The Little Inn, Bayfield
The Little Inn of Bayfield was built in the 1830's as a stagecoach stop on the Sarnia – Goderich line. It is Ontario's longest continually operating Inn and a landmark on Bayfield's Heritage Main Street.The present day bar was, in fact, the original waiting room for the coach stop.
Gutted by fire in the 1850's, owner Donald Fraser was quick to rebuild what was then known as theCommercial Hotel.
In the early 1900's, The Commercial became a popular summer destination for travellers. A heritage plaque indicates that the decorative verandah was added in 1903, but other documents suggest that it could have been as early as 1847. In the 1920's, owner Edgar Weston changed the name to The Lakeview. We assume this means you could see the lake from the property at the time!
The subsequent owner, Mrs. Seeds, also purchased the property next door (the old carriage house) which she set up as her home. In 1941, the hotel was transferred to Mr. and Mrs. George Little.
George Little had lived in Bayfield as a boy, from 1905-11, when his father, Henry, drove the stagecoach. He and his wife, Ada, returned to Bayfield in 1930 to a house on Clan Gregor Square. Mrs. Little took paying guests in the summer and served meals to a limited number of people. When they took over The Lakeview in 1941, they renamed it The Little Inn
When the current Innkeepers purchased The Little Inn in 1981, it was comprised of two separate buildings: the original Inn and the coach house next door. The Inn had 10 bedrooms with two and a half shared bathrooms, while the coach house had three bedrooms and one bathroom. The Little Inn was designated a heritage site in 1982.Winter of 1983-84, the coach house was restored and carefully joined to the original Inn with a new dining room over looking Bayfield’s Heritage Main Street.
The Little Inn of Bayfield experienced further expansion in 1987 when the "Guest Cottage" was built adjacent to the Martha Ritz House. Designed with a large comfortable common room and 10 luxury suites with private verandahs, the Guest Cottage is nestled into a beautiful walnut grove across the street from the original Inn.
Open year round, The Little Inn is known for elegant accommodation, fine dining and old-fashioned hospitality. It has been awarded the CAA Four Diamond rating for over a decade and is a founding member of Ontario's Finest Inns and Spas.
