This Resort in Canada Is a Longtime Favorite Among T+L Readers — Here’s What It’s Like to Stay

And it was in the path of totality for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.

Staying at Manoir Hovey, Travel & Leisure readers’ favorite resort in Canada, is special all on its own — but throw in a celestial phenomenon where the moon blocks out the sun's light, and you could pretty much call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The resort, just north of the U.S.-Canadian border in Quebec, was smack dab in the path of totality, making it one of the best spots to experience the eclipse at its peak. After a four-hour drive on Saturday — with a pit stop at a ski mountain on the route for the last tracks of the season — we were met with cloudy skies, flurries, and freezing temperatures. Let’s just say it wasn't exactly ideal eclipse-viewing conditions. Yet, as fate would have it, the skies opened up by the time Monday morning rolled around and let the sun take center stage just in time for the cosmic event. 

Manoir Hovey hosted a viewing party in its onsite private gardens, featuring canapès and eclipse-themed cocktails. Armed with our ISO-certified eclipse glasses provided by the hotel, we spent nearly an hour peering through them as the moon slowly covered the sun and eerily dimmed our surroundings. Totality began at 3:28 p.m., and it was completely dark outside for the next few minutes — so dark that if you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was the middle of the night.

There was something undeniably human about the whole experience. I'll never forget the moment the darkness set in when perfect strangers ripped our glasses off in unison and cheered in disbelief and appreciation. 

While it could be a lifetime before Manoir Hovey experiences another total solar eclipse of this magnitude, that shouldn’t stop you from booking a visit. The resort has been voted No. 1 in Canada by T+L readers for years thanks to its gorgeous location on Lake Massawippi, impressive culinary scene, and adorable private cottages.

Manoir Hovey

• Suites and cottages feature nature-inspired interiors with sprawling views of Lake Massawippi.

• Le Spa has an ultra-private thermal experience, complete with a hot tub, cold plunge, hammam, and a pink Himalayan salt bath.

• The property is conveniently located 30 minutes north of the U.S.-Canadian border, making it the perfect road trip destination for northeasterners.

• The main restaurant, Le Hatley, is a destination in its own right and recently received its AAA Five-Diamond designation.

Here, my full review of Manoir Hovey, a lakeside luxury boutique resort in Quebec.

The Rooms

The summer estate turned boutique hotel has 39 keys, with tasteful accommodations ranging from forest-facing suites to lakeside private cottages. We stayed in a Deluxe Room in the “Coachouse” building, where nature-inspired interiors and a vibrant green color scheme are complemented by the lake and its surrounding birch forest visible from our outdoor balcony. Tip: The view is best experienced while enjoying a room-service breakfast of pastries, chocolate pancakes, and a piping hot latte.

The five standalone cottages on the property house between two and four guests, making it the perfect retreat for couples, small families, or friend groups. These accommodations feature some additional amenities that make the hotel’s quiet luxury aesthetic just a bit louder — separate living areas, fully-furnished kitchens, private docks, and outdoor hot tubs. Book the Heron or Oriole suites for access to your own personal swimming pool.

Food & Drink

People from all over Quebec will make a day trip to the manor just for a meal at the fine dining restaurant Le Hatley, an ode to the resort’s hometown. Head Chef Alexandre Vachon, a French-Canadian himself, curates a refined take on Quebec classics made from sustainable ingredients sourced from local producers and foragers. The menu varies seasonally, but my favorite bites from two nights I dined there were the duck egg topped with snow crab and brioche breadsticks and the truffle risotto, plus a main course of freshly caught sablefish, cauliflower, and citrus in a beurre blanc. Of course, the precursor to dessert: Quebec cheese — and lots of it. Then, we capped off the impressive dining experience with a dessert of chocolate and caramel ganache, caramel sauce, and ice cream flavored with Coureur des Bois, a maple whiskey.

Head to Le Tap Room Bistro for more casual daytime eats on the outdoor terrace or dinner inside by the cozy fireplace. The welcoming pub setting feels much less formal than Le Hatley, but that doesn’t mean the fare compromises on quality. Get a taste of Quebec with hearty eats, including Abenaki poutine and the wagyu beef burger, or indulge in a classic French-Canadian sugar shack brunch for $75 per person — a prix-fixe menu that incorporates the province’s famous maple syrup in each of the four courses.

Activities & Experiences

High season expectedly rolls around in the summer when guests can take full advantage of their time on the lake. The hotel makes this easy by providing guests with boating equipment, from kayaks to canoes to paddle boards to motor boats to pontoons, all free to take out for a spin on your own. During wintertime, when the lake freezes, outdoor activities like ice skating and ice fishing occupy guests. As shoulder season visitors, when none of these activities were available, we split our time between unwinding at the spa, indulging at the restaurants, and learning about French wines from the resort’s head sommelier.

The Spa

Le Spa at Manoir Hovey opened less than a year ago, and it’s already clear that the reward was well worth the investment. Lake activities were more limited during our early-April shoulder season visit. Still, we barely noticed as the spa provided all the blissed-out entertainment we needed to stay occupied. Next to the spa entrance, guests will find a free-to-use hot tub and outdoor pool that’s unheated year-round, turning it into a gigantic cold plunge when temperatures drop in winter.

A $50 fee grants you access to an ultra-luxe indoor/outdoor thermal circuit hidden in the back of the facility. Start in the sauna for 10-15 minutes (gawking at the beautiful lake through floor-to-ceiling windows will help pass the time), then head outside and don’t hesitate before hopping in the 35-degree cold plunge — because if you do, you might talk yourself out of it. The directions on nearby signs recommend staying in for 5-30 seconds, which may sound doable, but as a first-timer, it felt like a lifetime. The last step of the circuit — and the easiest part — is to relax for 20 minutes. I suggest doing so at the firepit encircled by Adirondack chairs or in the relaxation room filled with cozy bean bags and day beds. The area also has an indoor hammam experience, followed by a pink Himalayan salt scrub and a cool shower. Top off the wellness leg of your visit by booking a treatment, with options from therapeutic massages to body wraps to rejuvenating facials using honey sourced from the hotel’s onsite beehives.

Family-friendly Offerings

Families will find plenty to do at Manoir Hovey thanks to a slew of lake activities that parents and kids will love, plus easy access to the village’s adorable main street, where art galleries, antique stores, restaurants, and local ice cream shops await. The menus of the onsite dining destinations are inventive and upscale. However, Chef Alexandre Vachon still delivers some of the best buttered noodles and grilled cheese for younger, less adventurous palates.

Sustainability

Manoir Hovey’s approach to sustainability is framed by Relais & Châteaux’s defined set of values that champion societal empowerment, environmental conservation, and sustainable cuisine. A resident beekeeper oversees two beehives in the onsite apiary, allowing the hotel to use an invaluable — not to mention sweet and delicious — sustainable food production practice. Borrow some beekeeping garb and visit the hives to learn about apiculture and sample the fresh honey for yourself. The hotel is also committed to restoring Canadian forests that fires have plagued in recent years through a partnership with an environmental non-profit organization. For each booking at Manoir Hovey, one tree is planted somewhere in the country.

Location

Manoir Hovey is located a mere 30-minute drive from the U.S.-Canadian border in North Hatley, a peaceful lakeside village among the country’s Eastern Townships. Initially built in 1900 as a summer home for an affluent Georgia businessman, the property transformed into a hotel five decades later and has remained family-owned and operated ever since. It sits on the soothing shores of Lake Massawippi, which is one of the main draws for visitors year-round. Lace up your skates or cast a line through the lake’s frozen surface in the winter, and come summertime, take a swim or captain your own vessel – kayak, canoe, paddle board, pontoon, you name it.

Finding the Best Value

The hotel offers a variety of seasonal packages, including a 20 percent discount on a skincare spa treatment and a “stay for 3 nights, pay for 2” offer (not applicable on Saturdays), which are both valid through the end of the month. Check Manoir Hovey's website's Packages & Offers section to find the best deals when you book.

Members of the Relais & Châteaux Guest Recognition Programme may receive special acknowledgement on property based on information provided on their personal online profile. This may include culinary suggestions tailored to preferences or itinerary recommendations based on specific areas of interest.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.