You’d be hard-pressed to find any sentient being that isn’t in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake.

There are so many reasons to gravitate to this pretty-as-can-be historical charmer, and 124 on Queen Hotel and Spa is surely one of them.

Set on Niagara-on-the-Lake’s main street, the hotel’s plum location is just the start of its appeal. Since opening in 2011, 124 on Queen has accomplished something that is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s climate: it’s a crowd-pleaser. And you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to know it.

Locals beeline to Treadwell, the hotel’s farm-to-table restaurant, to treat themselves to gratifying plates—right now, Pingue’s prosciutto with Niagara apricots, arugula, pecorino and honey vinaigrette is flying out of the kitchen. Guests are ensorcelled by Deluxe King Suites decked out with full kitchens, expansive living areas, and rest-easy king-size beds. And anyone worth their weight in dead-sea salt has the Spa at Q booked on repeat. 

It’s a stunner. This destination spa offers 12,000 square feet of pampering. While the massages, facials, body treatments, and all the usual self-care suspects are superlative here, for me, the real knockout is the Hydrotherapy experience. It’s a circuit that pivots between a sensory shower, warm and cool pools, a eucalyptus steam room, a cedar dry sauna and, the kicker, a real snow room! It is the first in Canada, and if the fir-tree murals don’t make you feel like you’re in an alpine forest, the frosty flakes of ice that fall from above will.

In addition to Treadwell (which is located steps from the hotel’s front door), there is NOTL. It’s set within the hotel and features a spiffy cocktail bar, as well as a dining room and patio for alfresco bites. This is the place to enjoy Afternoon Tea on Sundays, Happy Hour on the weekends, or just have a nice meal—the tempura-fried Quiet Acres zucchini blossoms with spicy mayo and togarashi is a smart order. 

There is so much happening here that I pressed General Manager Eric Quesnel to choose just one element of delight. He said, “If I had to pick one feature, it would be the hydrotherapy circuit at the Spa at Q.” Then, he quickly asked me if he could add something else and said, “My favourite thing about 124 on Queen is the sense of calm it offers. Even though we’re right in the heart of town, there’s a quiet stillness that settles in the moment you arrive.” That is certainly part of its crowd-pleaser status, and, word of advice, book now because this place fills up fast.

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