The Best Inns and Bed & Breakfasts

The Best Inns

• Gowrie House (Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia; tel. 800/372-1115 or 902/544-1050): The exquisitely decorated Gowrie House is at once resplendent and comfortable, historic and up-to-date. The smallest guest rooms are more spacious than larger rooms at many other inns.

• Kingsbrae Arms (St. Andrews, New Brunswick; tel. 506/529-1897): This five-star inn manages the trick of being opulent and comfortable at the same time. The shingled manse is lavishly appointed, beautifully landscaped, and well situated for exploring charming St. Andrews.

• The Great George (Charlottetown, PEI; tel. 800/361-1118 or 902/892-0606): This connected series of restored town houses is historic, central, welcoming, and quite comfortable. Continental breakfast is served in the open-concept lobby, where you can watch the comings and goings without getting in the way. Rooms range from spacious doubles to huge family-size suites, and most of them have either a fireplace, a whirlpool bath, or both.

• Inn at Bay Fortune (Bay Fortune, PEI; tel. 902/687-3745 or 860/296-1348 off season): This exceptionally attractive shingled compound was most recently owned by actress Colleen Dewhurst, and current innkeeper David Wilmer pulled out all the stops for his renovations. But the real draw here is the dining room, which is noted for the farm-fresh ingredients grown in the extensive gardens on the property.

The Best Bed & Breakfasts

• Shipwright Inn (Charlottetown, PEI; tel. 888/306-9966 or 902/368-1905): This right-in-town, nine-room B&B is within easy walking distance of all the city's attractions yet has a settled and pastoral feel. It's informed by a Victorian sensibility without being over-the-top about it. And the rooms are surprisingly modern, with phones, VCRs, DVD players, decks, and Jacuzzis. When seeking out an inn, it doesn't get much better than this.

• Tickle Inn at Cape Onion (Cape Onion, Newfoundland; tel. 709/452-4321 June-Sept or 709/739-5503 Oct-May): The Tickle Inn serves a family-style dinner each night, so technically it isn't a B&B at all -- but this tiny and remote home has the cordial bonhomie of a B&B all the same. Set on a distant cove at the end of a road near Newfoundland's northernmost point (you can see Labrador across the straits), the Tickle Inn offers a perfect base for visiting L'Anse aux Meadows and walking on the lonesome, windy hills.

• At Wit's Inn (St. John's, Newfoundland; tel. 877/739-7420): This centrally located B&B is bright, cheerful, and whimsical. Opened in 1999 by a restaurateur from Toronto, the inn has managed to preserve the best of the historical elements in this century-old home while graciously updating it for modern tastes.