124 on Queen Hotel & Spa has been a staple of Niagara-on-the-Lake since 2011. Between 2020 and 2022, during the height of the pandemic, an ambitious expansion was completed under new owners David Jones and Nick Capasso.
David (who grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake) and Nick purchased the block that includes the original hotel, connecting the buildings together to add 39 new guestrooms and expanding the spa to 12,000 square feet.
The renovations added five wellness suites on the ground level, which have utilized natural materials such as wood, marble, and stone to set a restful mood.
These open-concept suites feature a king-size bed, an electric fireplace, a wet bar with built-in mini fridge, and a spa-like ensuite with a double vanity and rain shower. Each suite also has a private patio with a gas fire pit overlooking the property’s gardens.
To add to the serenity of a guest’s stay, the hotel now boasts the only sustainable rooftop garden space in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
“It’s a beautiful spot to listen to the birds sing. It’s exquisite,” says marketing manager Stephanie Don Griot.
Guests can relax in the Zen Garden space, sipping on coffee or a glass of wine. The hotel just introduced its garden wine-tasting experience, where a sommelier offers a tasting of six Niagara-region wines. Both hotel guests and non-guests are welcome to these tastings, and it’s a convenient alternative to traveling to the wineries themselves.
If guests do want to visit local wineries, 124 on Queen offers bicycles for transportation around town. With parking spaces being limited in Niagara-on-the-Lake, guests can easily park and charge their cars in the hotel’s underground parking during their stay.
The hotel’s overall wellness experience includes the sprawling 12,000 square foot Spa at Q. Spa and wellness packages are available, as well as passes to the hotel’s hydrotherapy circuit, which the business describes as a “sensory experience.”
The hydrotherapy circuit features warm and cool pools, sensory showers, a sauna, a steam room, and the only snow room in Canada. The snow room has a snow machine that produces actual snow for you to cool off in and play with (snowballs allowed).
“There aren’t any spas like this in our area,” says Stephanie.
In addition to the spa experience, 124 on Queen has two restaurants, Treadwell Cuisine and NOTL Bar & Restaurant. Treadwell Cuisine is well-known and beloved in the Niagara-on-the-Lake area. The menu is a farm-to-table concept, switching up the dishes often to stick with what’s currently fresh from the farm. Wine aficionados will be happy to learn that Treadwell’s wine cellar has the most VQA wines in Canada.
NOTL Bar & Restaurant opened last year as a lobby lounge, with 2024 being its first full year open as a restaurant. It’s the more casual option of the two dining experiences, with a lounge-like atmosphere, bench seating and a four-season patio space. NOTL is run by Treadwell’s chefs, and also offers a farm-to-table menu that changes often. As the hotel is known for their mixologists, this summer they’ve added a happy hour at NOTL, running daily from 2-4PM.
There are several function spaces available at 124 on Queen, for those looking to book for weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, corporate events, and more. Booking inquiries can be completed online via the hotel’s website. The entire building is fully wheelchair accessible, with elevators and ramps.
Over these past thirteen years in business, and especially since the renovations, Stephanie says that the hotel has a lot of repeat visitors. Many of these guests book not just one night, but two or three. It’s a place where they can get away, relax, and recharge.
For more information, visit www.124queen.com.