Contemporary design with Victorian flair

The hotel’s concept plays with the history of the area, the fame of the building and local traditions, taking the visitor on a journey of discovery that is revealed room by room, space after space.

As the largest town in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Picton is a small community deeply tied to its culture and land, characterized by a thriving winemaking tradition and to the historical buildings of the town center, which are constructed in the vernacular style of Loyalist architecture, developed between late 8^th and early 9^th centuries by Jeremy French. Defined by geometry, symmetry and graceful moldings and decorations, this movement features neoclassical lines and has left an important footprint on the urban fabric of the city. 

Giannone Petricone Associates is giving a piece of history back to the community through its redevelopment project of The Royal, an abandoned hotel dating back to the second half of the 19^th century. The hotel was built at the same time as the development of the railroad and the construction of a network of canals that paved the way for new settlements.

Bought in 2013 by the Sorbaras – a family of Canadian politicians that own a real estate development group – the building was saved from demolition and has now been restored and brought back to life as a bridge between past and present, a witness to local history and a catalyst for a future dedicated to tourism and to the exploration of food and wine in the area. The work took almost ten years and involved the complete gutting of the building, of which only the historic façades were maintained, and the subsequent creation of a three-story luxury hotel, with 28 rooms, a restaurant, spa, outdoor pool, gym, library, and four bars. 

Giannone Petricone Associates’s concept plays with the history of the area, the fame of the building and local traditions, taking the visitor on a journey of discovery that is revealed room by room, space after space. Furnishings that are rich and generous, atmospheres that are sophisticated and elegant while also informal: the interior design embraces the Victorian style of the building, remodulating it in a minimalist and contemporary tone. 

British classicism and the rural style typical of Ontario find a perfect union in the finishings. The materials and furnishings were selected to evoke Victorian charm with a modern touch: carpets with a tartan pattern, echoed in the mosaic tiles in the bathrooms of the rooms, marble-clad fireplaces, wood-paneled rooms and rippled ceiling rosettes create a welcoming environment with a classic flair. Against this canvas, the contemporary elements are the design accents with a strong architectural mark – like the zig zag light fixtures in the main floor hallway, the steel-framed cage elevator with industrial mesh illuminated by strips of LED light, or the fireplace surround in the lobby designed with a wave pattern reminiscent of a linen tablecloth being unfurled or, lastly, the leather-clad walls of the lobby and cafeteria that take their color from the area’s clay soil.

The back of the hotel slowly opens towards the outside: a large veranda acts as a filter between the dining room and the garden, which ends with the pool area. The red bricks of the pavement join with the boundary wall and echo the tones and materials of the main façade, which has been restored and enhanced by the metal balustrade that echo the former balcony and by the ground floor, which opens onto the street with large windows, reinforcing the connection between the city and the life of the building. 

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The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

In the communal lounge on the ground floor, a custom armoire hides the “shake it yourself” cocktail nook: a bar custom armoire with elegant lines where guests can serve themselves freely.

The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

In the same lounge, the wall finish frames the fireplace with a pattern that evokes a light linen tablecloth falling delicately on a table. On the ceiling, the punctual lighting is enclosed by a decoration of concentric circles reminiscent of ripples of water.

The Royal Hotel - Graydon Herriott

The ground floor lobby is in communication with the Counter Café. An impressive white column in the middle of the room decorates the ceiling with a large rosette that echoes the same aquatic pattern in the lounge. The desk is upholstered with channel tufting and embossed with plant motifs.

The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

All the Empire Suites have a fireplace and a bathtub in the room, surrounded by an oak wall reminiscent of fireplace screens typical of the Victorian era.

The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

In the Royal Gala Suite on the top floor, the fireplace is enclosed by a marble cornice that also serves to separate the living space from the sleeping area.

The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

All the bathrooms in the rooms are decorated with a custom mosaic tiling with a tartan pattern. There are three available color combinations that echo their adjacent façades: buff brick, red brick and green slate.

The Royal Hotel - Doublespace

The Royal Hotel - Jeff McNeill

In the back, a spacious patio houses a pool: the terracotta floor evokes the exposed bricks of the façade.

The Royal Hotel - Jeff McNeill

Il giardino è una naturale estensione del porticato e del ristorante: uno spazio dotato di divani e tavolini dove gli ospiti possono godere dell’aria aperta.

The Royal Hotel - Jeff McNeill

The restoration of the exteriors maintained the defining characteristics of the historic building: the finishings and decorations of the Victorian red brick façade define a symmetrical and orderly composition.

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