04/13/2021
A note from Gordon, Linda and Tyanna Craig, current owners of Perth Manor Boutique Hotel:
As of May 4th, it will be ten years since we started on this amazing journey. When we first came to Perth, we knew nothing about running a successful business, never mind a Boutique Hotel! After a two-week-crash-course-training-session with the previous owners, Michael Dwyer and David Marshall aka the Manor Boyz, we were left to our own devices!
When Gordon first showed me pictures of this property and talked about taking it on, I thought he was nuts and told him so. Regardless, he booked an appointment for us to view the property. With great effort he got me out of the car and into the building. When he asked me why I was resisting so strongly, I said âwhat if I like it?â Well I didnât like it â I loved it - from the moment I walked in the front door. The grand staircase, the beautiful woodwork, the tapestry on the walls from the 1920s, the chandeliers â although those chandeliers and I have admittedly had a love-hate relationship when it came to cleaning them â I truly loved it all. And as I learned more about the history of The Manor, its relationship with the town, and the history of all of the owners that came before, a passion to share it with as many people as possible started to burn.
Since then it has been a roller coaster ride that has brought so many fascinating people into our lives. From the brides who entrusted us with one of the most important days of their lives, to musicians who shared their talents with our guests and members of our community, to the business people that wanted a place to rest that was more like home, to all of the guests that came here looking for a change from the day-to-day routine of life, we have had the privilege to host them here in this magnificent building and to share a moment in their lives forming a fond memory in return. Not to mention all of the hard-working and dedicated people who have worked for us and become such good friends over the years; we were so fortunate to have such awesome staff â we certainly couldnât have done it without all of them!
Perth is a beautiful community and learning about its history and The Manorâs place in it over the years has been so interesting to us. I truly feel part of it just sitting in the living room and imagining the Stewarts and the Sabistons going about their day-to-day lives, thinking of the residents who stayed here when it was a âhome for the agedâ with Mrs. Doornberg, picturing people dressed in their finery for an elegant meal at Phil and Gisela Astonâs Restaurant and remembering all of the amazing guests who have stayed here over the years since.
As we approached our ten-year mark, we decided it was time for the next chapters of our story and of The Manorâs history to unfold. We had the property listed as both a business and as a private residence â many people looked at it with creative ideas of what to do with the property. In the end, it has sold as a private home. A sincere thank you for our agent, Barbara Shepherd, for navigating us through this challenging time â selling a business/property during a pandemic has its challenges and she was always there for us!
In some ways I am sad The Manor has sold as a private residence because I have so enjoyed sharing this impressive home with so many people and offering them the privilege we have had, to experience a step back in time into an elegance that is so rare. But I have to say, we are thrilled it will return to its roots as a family home and will be so well taken care of. We wish the new owners as much happiness within these walls as all of the people before have experienced.
We will continue taking reservations now through the summer, our last reservations will be for Labour Day Weekend. In honour of our ten year anniversary and in an effort to show our appreciation for the guests we have hosted over the last ten years, we have a special offer just for them. If you are one of these guests and would like one last stay at The Manor, we are offering return guests a 10% discount on their stay starting May 1, when hopefully this current âemergency brakeâ by the Ontario government is lifted. If you have always intended to stay, but have never got around to it, now is the time to do it as it is your last chance! We are offering a Multi-night Booking Special to new guests â stay two or more nights and receive a $20 discount the second night onwards! These specials are available through direct bookings only, either through a secure form on our website or by giving us a call. If you are holding a valid gift certificate for a stay at The Manor, please call and make reservations as soon as possible as they hold no cash value and we would hate for you to miss out!
COVID restrictions have made things more difficult, but when the time is right and health regulations allow, please stop in if youâre in the neighbourhood, or make one last reservation before we close â we would love to see you!
Thank you for all of your support over the years, we have appreciated it immensely. Please keep well,
~ Gordon, Linda and Tyanna Craig
