A favorite retreat for Toronto’s literati seeking an escape from the bustle of the city, but who refuse to forgo their daily dose of arts and culture. Hotelier Jeff Stober—the visionary behind Toronto’s Drake Hotel and its associated clutch of restaurants—has retrofit an 1897-built Wellington Iron foundry into a boutique hotel that appeals to the most worldly of travelers. The space marries country charm (carefully selected antiques, pastoral vistas, a private pebble beach animated at night by a bonfire) with artsy panache. Each room is distinct, not only in terms of furnishings and layout, but in the original artwork by artists such as Team Macho and Rick Leong. The Owner’s Suite is the most coveted hotel room in the County: a chic cottage-reminiscent A-frame room with an unbelievable south-facing view of Lake Ontario, a fireplace, a private patio, and a palatial marble bathroom. All rooms have only either a king or queen bed.