My husband and I stayed at the Pillar and Post Inn in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario last December (2005) immediately following Christmas in hopes of starting a tradition for the two of us. We returned this December from the 27th till 30th (2006) for three nights of R&R and were more impressed than ever!!

This is a fantastic property for couples looking to get away from the every day hustle and bustle. Although this resort is not considered an adults only establishment, we found that sanctuary from the many families who occupied the upstairs pool, could be found in the luxurious Spa (100 Fountain Spa) just a short walk down the stairs. The hotel has a very common sense policy of not allowing children under the age of 16 in the spa area. We found the Spa area to be quiet, accommodating and just plain “heavenly”. The new renovations to the spa area this past year made our 2nd visit seem like a first. I think our favourite part of the entire stay was finding a spot on one of the comfy couches in the Spa Lounge and reading away the afternoon with a glass of wine and the fireplace behind us. The Spa Lounge also has a wide assortment of fruits, teas and fruit water complimentary for those enjoying the space. In addition clean, comfortable white robes and slippers are available for use by guests during their stay.

Directly beside the lounge area is the outdoor Hot Spring…it has an entrance via the spa down a set of steps and into a beautiful little garden area holding the spring and a cascading waterfall. So relaxing after a treatment such as pedicure or massage!

The main floor pool area continues to be a nice diversion from the day as well. It is a salt water, shimmering blue pool with attached hot tub, dry sauna and steam room. The pool does not have a deep end, ideal for families with young children and there is a decent amount of chairs surrounding the pool. As well, there are men’s and ladies’ change rooms with lockers in the same area and a work out room for those who are keeping their new year’s resolutions. This is not a “Wolf Lodge” or Niagara Hilton type of property…they are the more “kid friendly” hotels in the Niagara area. Just remember that regarding recreation, the children are only allowed in the main pool area, excluding the hot tub and not the downstairs area, hot spring, or Spa Lounge. That may be restrictive for some single parent vacations as those travelling alone with the kids wouldn’t have much opportunity to see the downstairs area.

We enjoyed every second of the stay and are already talking about a return visit for our anniversary in April and another in December 2007 to carry on the tradition.

We stayed in Room 258 (see pictures for details) located on the second floor directly above the pool area in the spa section. It is an ideal location for us because we spend the majority of our visit in that area. It allows you to pop up to your room on occasion in a matter of minutes and with the rooms being larger it seems like more of a treat in that area. Room 258 is a “deluxe room” which includes a gas fireplace, sitting area, bar fridge, decent size television and two double beds. There are king size beds located in other rooms on that floor but we didn’t have a problem with the two….they push together easily? In the mornings you receive a complimentary newspaper at your door and in the evenings the Pillar has the added touch of turn down service in the room, including a rose left on the pillow and a weather forecast card outlining the days ahead. In addition the washroom has lovely ceramic tile, good size tub, and amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, soap bars, hair blower and make up mirror (see pictures for details).

On the property you will also find a well appointed pub style lounge with full lunch and dinner menu. There is also a full service restaurant directly across from the check in desk and from what I understand there is also a reception type hall on the top floor above the restaurant. We ate at the pub lounge one evening and both the speed of service and quality of food was much improved from the year before. They appeared to have more staff than had been on duty last year at the same time and the quantity of food was great as well. I believe that on weekends they have entertainment in the lounge but we weren’t around to check it out.

The staff at the front desk, the pool area, the spa and throughout the entire Inn was exceptional. They really do go above and beyond to make the guest happy. My husband had a “Man’s Pedicure”, his first ever, and said it was a great treat and I had a massage with “Terry” which was relaxing as well. Please be forewarned that if you want a treatment in the Spa and know the dates of your stay in advance, book as far ahead as possible. I did so approximately 3 weeks prior and was glad I did because when I got there and wanted to book an additional massage during the stay, they were completely booked up. Perhaps it was just the time of the year but likely best to cover your bases none the less. In the treatment room you will find newly purchased massage chairs for use during pedicures and other treatments. In my opinion they are a treat in themselves and everyone should have the chance to try them out!

In conclusion the Pillar and Post is ideal for couples who want to get away for an anniversary, honeymoon, or simply a break from the day to day but it is also ok for families wanting to visit the Niagara Region. There is a hotel shuttle to take you into the heart of Niagara on the Lake free of charge or it is a leisurely 10 minute walk down the road. Yet another added touch from the property. Have a great time! Best stay in Niagara on the Lake by far!

My husband and I spent three nights (Dec. 27-30th, 2005) at this resort as our Christmas gift to one another. We stayed in a suite located above the pool and spa area and also used these facilities each day of our stay.

To start with, the parking is free and located conveniently across the street in a lot facing the lobby, along with additional parking to the side of the hotel.

The lobby is a tad dated but very well appointed with comfy chairs in front of the fireplace and around a table for the scrabble players in your group.

The day we checked in they were running quite late in the room turnaround and our checkin was at 4:00pm instead of the normal time of 3:00pm. We were asked to wait in the lobby area or were invited to sit in the lounge for a while. After the first half hour (3:30pm) we reapproached the lobby personnel and were told that it would be longer....at which point I spoke to the manager, who in turn discounted our three night package for the inconvenience. That was a very welcome and unexpected offer and set the tone for the rest of the stay. They went out of their way to make things better.

Once our suite was ready, my husband and I settled in and toured the facilities. The highlight of this establishment is the HOT SPRING located in the Spa area....an outdoor hottub with an inviting surrounding. So nice on a cold day! The rule at the spa is no one under 16 allowed in the spa area or hotspring and during our stay it did appear to be enforced. We had heard from others during previous stays that it wasn't and the children ruined the atmosphere......no in our case and we are happy for that!

The pool and hottub indoors is very inviting but our only complaint is the lack of seating around the pool. There are approximately 4 sets of two wicker chairs (8 total) around the pool along with a table in between and 2 sets of two iron table and chairs. Therefore if the pool area is busy, you have no where to sit. We suggested to management that they make better use of the space in this area and provide more seating...maybe they'll take this advice in future. In the SPA area they also offer robes for use around the pool and spa area and slippers....nice touch.

We did not take advantage of any of the spa treatments during our stay but did see people going in and out of massage and other treatments and they appeared pleased.

Our only other complaint other than the seating at the pool was the service in the Lounge and restaurant...the food was good, the drinks were mixed well but the service by the wait staff was terrible. On each occasion in the lounge we had to hunt down someone to take the order....often finding them walking right by us...and at the restaurant we waited 20 minutes on average each breakfast for a table and found the wait staff to be frantic, running around, forgetting beverage orders, etc....like everything was very much too busy for them. We are decent tippers (12-15% depending on service) but didn't tip at the lounge once and at the restaurant only once in three days! It just didn't warrant it.

Lastly, the room was well appointed with the most incredibly cozy bed, decent size television and good lighting for reading. The bathroom provided washclothes, shampoo, hairdryer, makeup mirror, and lots of towels and the entertainment unit had an ice bucket, channel changer and mini fridge to keep your Niagara wine cold. And the nice added touch in the room was white robes for each of us, hanging in the closet.

Overall despite the little things like the service for food and beverage and chairs at the pool, we had a FANTASTIC STAY at the Pillar and Post....can't let the little stuff ruin a perfectly fine stay. It was relaxing, fun and we would recommend this location for anyone just looking to escape from reality and sit by a pool with a good book!