Glenerin Inn ~ Mississauga Ontario Canada

Historic Rooms at Glenerin Inn perfect for romantic getaways

Should you find yourself outside the Glenerin Inn in springtime's sun and gentle breezes, you'll be forgiven if you pause a long while to drink in the view, and reflect on a time long past, to when a gentleman named William Watson Evans likely stood in your stead, his head full of plans to build a country retreat for his family.

As you pause for a while amidst a riot of blooming spring flowers, offer thanks. For although the Evans family had but few short years to enjoy their holiday home, their tradition of hospitality and comfort live on, and their sprawling country estate still welcomes guests today.

Of course, 80 years ago, when Evans stood atop this hill north of Dundas just west of the Credit River, he was in Toronto Township, not present-day Mississauga. The views to the south and west were of gently rolling farmlands, not towering upscale condos and quiet suburban homes.

But on a neighbouring hilltop, St. Peter's Anglican Church, with its landmark stone spire, peeked through the treetops then as it does today. Sawmill Creek still flows through the wooded ravine at the back of the property, and birdsong still fills the air, charming present day visitors at this peaceful retreat in the middle of a busy city.

If you haven't been to the Glenerin Inn for a few years, you'll notice a number of changes.

Carriage House gets new life with renoovations

Likely, the first one will be that the reception area is no longer located in the main inn but in the adjacent Carriage House.

"The Carriage House just seemed to be a more logical place for it," says a spokeperson for the Glenerin Inn. "The Grand Hall is one of the new function rooms, and is better used now for receptions or an overflow area for weddings." The Hall's soaring ceiling, tall windows and massive stone fireplace harken back to an era long gone.

It's easy to imagine this room filled with tuxedo-clad men, and women in sweeping ball gowns, ringing in the New Year or celebrating a family Christmas.

And the Carriage House, originally a large garage with living quarters above, now contains several guest rooms and suites, including one with a sunken whirlpool tub. The original tunnel connecting this garage to the main house is no longer a seldom-used overflow storage area. It's now a proper hotel hallway, all carpets, soft colours and lighting. "The staff and guests use the tunnel all the time now, so it has to be nice for them," she says.

Under the new management, with its focus on better use of space, she says there's been an upsurge in the number of weddings, receptions and corporate meetings. Recent renovations added more function rooms. There are now six, including a covered outdoor patio in seasonal use.

Credit Valley function room

One of the new function rooms, the Credit Valley Room, located at the front of the inn projecting towards the parking lot, now sees service as an elegant banquet room with high, oak-beamed ceiling, stained glass windows and stone fireplace.

The Credit Valley Room was originally the Evans family's music room. Prior inn owners had divided it into four guest suites (two on an upper level, and two on the main floor), effectively confining its stained glass windows to just one suite. Now, the windows get a deservedly wider audience.

"Again, this [renovation] makes much better use of the space," she says, noting that this elegant room is now booked well in advance, especially for weddings. The Evans Room is another popular venue for weddings as well as for corporate meetings, training sessions and receptions.

Located on the main floor, to the rear of the inn and overlooking the ravine, the Evans Room is bright and cheery, flooded with natural light from a large bay window at one end, and through French doors along either side.

The dining room, too, reflects recent changes. The former Thatcher's is now the Glenerin Restaurant. Dinner is served to both guests and the general public on Fridays and Saturdays; on Sundays, there's brunch.

"Of course, we serve our guests breakfast each day, as well as cater weddings and corporate lunches," she says. To handle the increased demands for food service, a new gleaming stainless steel and tile kitchen has been installed on the main floor, close to the major function rooms.

Credit River stone facade

There are new washrooms, too, and the existing ones are newly renovated, including floor tiles, dark hardwood trims, and sinks that bring to mind porcelain wash basins of old, all reflecting the era of the building.

Pending future additions, Glenerin Inn's foot-thick Credit River stone walls now hold 29 guest rooms, all with ensuite baths, cable television, high speed internet connections and period antique furnishings. Each one is unique, from the tower suite, high in the treetops to one with a feature stone wall.

Visitors come from around the greater Toronto area, as well as from outside the country, including the United Kingdom and Bermuda. They're here to attend business seminars and weddings, or to visit children attending the University of Toronto at Mississauga. Some guests are honeymooners who book one of the luxury suites that contain either a jacuzzi or a working fireplace.

One can't help but think that William Watson Evans (whose final resting place is close by, in the Evans family plot at nearby St. Peter's, would be well pleased with the inn's owners. They've risen to the challenge of maintaining a heritage site that's accessible to the public. Reborn as the Glenerin Inn, his former family home continues to offer safe haven and comfort, which surely is what Evans intended.

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Glenerin Inn 1695 The Collegeway Mississauga Ontario Canada

[905.828.6103 Toll-free 877.991.9971]

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Glenerin Inn is south from the Toronto Airport (YYZ: Pearson International) and west from Toronto Island Airport (YTZ). Driving time from either airport is 20-30 minutes, depending on time of day. The Glenerin Inn is walking distance from the University of Toronto Mississauga campus (Erindale Campus), which makes it a popular lodging choice for visiting parents and academics, etc.

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