1. The Mosaics: The hotel is home to over half a million tiny tiles- 841 tiles in each square foot you see. Every mosaic was designed and created by owner Jennifer Birmingham, representing roughly 1000 hours of work. In addition to the entrance floor in the lobby, all twenty-five guest room bathrooms feature a unique mosaic band that runs around the tub and through the shower: one foot high and twenty-seven feet long.
2. The Map: Based on one printed in 1564, the year William Shakespeare was born, the map was hand painted over the course of a month by local artists Brian and Karen Romeril.
3. The Chandeliers: If you were familiar with the original Four Seasons hotel in Toronto and feel a sense of déjà vu, it is not in your head. Items as varied as the forty-pound front door pulls, the public space chandeliers, the hallway wall sconces, the bathroom amenity plates, some of the artwork, and the wallpaper came from this iconic hotel.
4. The Take a Book Leave a Book Library: Find a new read or leave your finished book for other guests to enjoy. Anything marked with a “Blue” dot is yours to take home and enjoy!
5. The Theatre Library: Look up the line you missed in this afternoon's play, immerse yourself in the world of Shakespeare, or learn the intricacies of theatrical design with the help of this borrowing library.
6. The Games Area: Chess or crokinole? Cards or Clue? Set up one of our dozens of games here on our beautiful games table, or in our beautiful lobby, or take it to your room for the evening!
7. The Pantries: each wing of the hotel has its own pantry with ice maker, Nespresso coffee maker, milk frother and bottomless jars of monthly rotating sweets.
8. The Chef's Garden: We rely on fantastic local farmers for the bulk of the produce we serve, but our little Chef's garden is a place to grow our own special fare.
9. The Gazebo: look familiar? The roofline of the gazebo was modeled on the Festival Theatre. Here you can enjoy a casual cocktail or reserve a very special tasting menu curated by the talented Bruce Hotel culinary team.
10. Enjoy one of our (seasonal) outdoor games. We have bocce ball, croquet, Jenga, connect 4, and badminton. Our reception team would be happy to set up your game of choice. (Tennis, bicycling and golf can also be arranged by our reception team for an additional charge).
11. The Bee Meadow: From the moment they emerge in the spring to when they bed down in late fall, our bees, and all those in the vicinity, are offered up a buffet of delights. Depending on the time of year, you may see the blooms of dandelion, white clover, and great willow herb, to name a few.
12. The Beehives: On the edge of the bee meadow sit the homes of our bees. Currently, we have six hives tended by beekeeper Stuart Arkett. In peak season each hive will house 60,000-80,000 bees. On average they produced around 500 pounds of delicious light honey per year.
13. The Cottage: Our most luxurious and private accommodation, completed in 2020.