Hovey Manor facts for kids
Manoir Hovey is a super fancy inn, like a luxurious hotel, located in a pretty village called North Hatley, Quebec in Quebec, Canada. It's known for being a five-star place and is part of a special group called Relais & Chateaux, which means it's one of the best hotels in the world!
A Special Place in North Hatley
North Hatley is a lovely town right by Lake Massawippi. Many years ago, around the late 1800s, rich families from the southern United States started coming here for their summer vacations. They were looking for a nice, cool place to escape the heat after the American Civil War (which happened from 1861 to 1865).
These wealthy visitors brought their fancy lifestyles with them. They had butlers, servants, horses, and carriages. They also enjoyed sports like golf, sailing, and tennis. Around 1895, they began building huge summer homes on the west side of the lake. Many of these houses had more than 15 rooms! Some of these homes are still owned by the same American families today, who continue to spend their summers there. Others have been turned into inns or bed and breakfasts, just like Manoir Hovey.
The Story of The Birches
The grandest of all these summer homes was called The Birches. It was built in 1900 by a man named Henry Atkinson from Atlanta. This house had a wide porch and white pillars, just like George Washington's famous home at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Later, this amazing house was renamed Hovey Manor. Today, it is the most luxurious inn in North Hatley.
When it was a private home, The Birches had its own stables for horses and a coach house for carriages. It also had separate living areas for servants. There was even a private nine-hole golf course! People say that a famous golfer named Bobby Jones Sr., who was a friend of the Atkinsons, might have designed it. Many of these old spaces, like the ice house and the servants' quarters, have now been made into comfortable guest rooms for visitors.
Manoir Hovey Today
Manoir Hovey attracts thousands of vacationers every year. The main building is surrounded by about 25 acres (which is about 100,000 square meters) of beautiful woods and English gardens. It also has 1,700 feet (about 518 meters) of lakefront, with two sandy beaches. Guests can enjoy canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards on the lake.
Manoir Hovey has received many awards for being an excellent hotel. In 2007, it was named one of Canada's top 10 hotels by Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List. This was a big deal because it was the only country property in Eastern Canada to get such an honor. In 2014, it was ranked #1 among the Best Hotels in Eastern Canada in the Condé Nast Traveler: Readers' Choice Awards. This list included other very respected hotels, like the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, showing just how special Manoir Hovey is!
