Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope your first week of 2024 was a good one. I must admit, even though the holiday break isn’t really that long – just one week if you’re lucky – I always find it a little tough getting back into the swing of things come January. People always joke that time stops existing between Christmas and New Year’s, but ain’t it the truth! If you’re anything like me, your holiday break has no rules or routine. You sleep in and stay up late, take mid-day naps, eat cookies for breakfast, and have to open your calendar to remind yourself what day of the week it is. It can be hard to jump right back into life as usual when the break ends. But after a few days, I’m already feeling a bit more acclimated to my usual routine… I’m sure next week will be easier!
In my recent post about Elora, I mentioned that Tania and I treated ourselves to a little “date day” in December, which is a Christmas tradition of ours. We each took the day off work, spent the morning shopping and enjoying lunch in Elora, and then headed to the Langdon Hall Spa for the afternoon. It was our first time at this spa and I’d highly recommend it to others – we had a fabulous experience!
Located in Cambridge, Langdon Hall is a luxury hotel that’s renowned for its country charm and impressive amenities, which include an award-winning spa and Five-Diamond restaurant. Its history dates back to 1858, when Englishman Matthew Wilks purchased the property then known as Cruickston Park. Wilks continued adding property to Cruickston Park over the years, and eventually it grew to 1,000 acres. In 1898, Matthew’s youngest son – Eugene Langdon Wilks – purchased even more land surrounding the property, and hired an architect to build a summer home for himself and his wife Pauline. Designed in the Federal Revival style popular in the United States at the time, the lavish 25,000-square-foot, 32-room mansion was completed in 1902. After Pauline died in 1914, Eugene remarried, and went on to spend his summers at Langdon Hall with his new wife Marguerite and their three daughters. Eugene passed away in 1934 and Marguerite in 1961, leaving the property to their daughter Catherine Thomson, who lived there with her husband for many years. In 1987, the mansion was sold to its current owners: Mary Beaton and architect William Bennett. After nearly two years of renovations, Beaton and Bennett opened Langdon Hall Country House Hotel in 1989. Over thirty years later, it’s still one of Southern Ontario’s most celebrated hotels.
Langdon Hall can best be described in one word: grand. That’s apparent as soon as you pull up to its stately exterior, which transports visitors back to the early 20th century.
Outside the hotel’s main conservatory, there are benches and fire pits where visitors can relax outdoors. Although it might be too chilly for a fireside chat right now, imagine how lovely this would be in the fall or spring!
The spa is located in a separate building just southeast of the hotel. We arrived an hour before our massage appointment to give ourselves time to relax and enjoy the amenities first. Every massage treatment includes access to the spa amenities, which consist of an exercise room, sauna, steam room and whirlpool. Guests are also invited to enjoy the spa’s outdoor terrace, along with Langdon Hall’s gardens and 12 kilometres of walking trails – however, that might be better left for a summertime visit! Neither Tania or I are big fans of the cold, so we just cozied up in our spa robes and enjoyed the indoor amenities.
Our favourite amenity was the whirlpool. It’s nice and spacious with lots of jets, and faces floor-to-ceiling windows that let in tons of natural light. Langdon Hall limits the number of guests in the spa, so it never feels crowded. There were even a couple of times when we had the space all to ourselves!
Like most spas, Langdon Hall offers complimentary magazines and fruit-infused “spa water” for guests to enjoy, but they also provide complimentary snacks. In the lounge area by the whirlpool – which is painted a calming pastel blue – there are platters of fresh and dried fruits, muffins and croissants for guests to enjoy. I’ve never seen this at another spa and thought it was such a nice touch!
After hanging out in the whirlpool and enjoying a snack, Tania and I headed upstairs for our couples’ massage. Our masseuses were Braden and Jacqui, and they were fantastic! All of Langdon Hall’s massage providers are RMTs, so you can request receipts for insurance. It was such a nice way to use up our 2023 health benefits! After our massage, we popped back in the whirlpool for a few minutes before heading home. Check out how gorgeous the sky was as we were leaving…
We had such a nice time at the Langdon Hall Spa, and I’d love to return sometime soon to check out their famous restaurant! Prioritizing self-care is one of my goals for 2024, so I’d love to do more spa days this year. Some of my local favourites include Elmwood Spa in Toronto, the Pillar & Post 100 Fountain Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Grand Wellness Centre in Brantford. Still on my list to check out: Ste. Anne’s in Grafton, Scandinave Spa in The Blue Mountains, Body Blitz in Toronto, and Millcroft Inn & Spa in Caledon. If you have any local spas to recommend, please let me know – I’d love to add them to my list.
Here’s to a relaxing and restorative 2024!