Prepare to be treated like royalty at PEC’s The Royal. Built in 1879, the property has been restored to be a modern beauty, with every detail meticulously thought out. Whether you're looking for a romantic weekend getaway, a family vacation, or a corporate retreat, the hotel's charming ambiance, impeccable service, and convenient location make it the perfect choice for anyone visiting Prince Edward County.
Location
The Royal Hotel is located in the middle of Picton Main Street meaning that the property it is walking distance of top restaurants, local shops, ice cream stores, yoga studios, and even a local movie theatre. With the restaurants on Main Street Picton, there is such a wide variety available that even the pickiest eaters are sure to find something for them. Restaurants include Spanish inspired Bocado, homestyle Korean Sujeo restaurant, and even a drive-in themed Vic.
In terms of distance to activities, the Royal is a short walk from the marina where you can book boating and fishing tours or just sit back and relax and enjoy the peace and calm of nature. As for wineries, these are spread out throughout the county but some of our favourites are only about 15-20 minute drive away from the Royal.
Check-In Experience & First Impressions
Walking into the Royal, you can see luxury right away. Everything about the property is elegant, modern, and refined. From the wallpapers to the gold finishings and the warm fireplace in the lobby, the property feels luxurious yet still cozy and warm. Colours are beautifully integrated into the space, and a variety of seating options are spread out throughout the lobby.
A lot of contemporary hotels tend to struggle to find the right balance of modern and warm, ending up with the overly marbled black and white décor lacking personality. The Royal, however, merges the two gracefully in a way that makes you appreciate the space and make the lobby an area where you just want to sit back and enjoy a coffee with a friend.
Beside the check-in desk, you can find a small selection of items such as candles, soaps, and knits made from alpaca fur available for purchase. Most items are made locally and provide an opportunity to support the community and discover new artisans nearby. (We may have caved and purchased the mittens).
The check-in experience overall is very easy and pleasant. One item worth mentioning, however, is the parking. The hotel has parking behind the property, however, spots are pretty limited. In the case that the hotel's parking is booked up by arrival time, they do recommend you use the public parking, which is a street over. The public parking is about a five minute from the hotel, so we recommend unloading all your luggage into the hotel before moving the car. We learned this the hard way…
The Rooms
The Royal houses 28 guest rooms in the main building, with five more in The Royal Annex, adjacent to the main building. They offer larger suites for families and even have some that are pet friendly! All rooms are beautiful and modern in design. The premium rooms also feature a soaker tub, sitting area, marbled bathroom and fireplace.
We stayed at a base room (or as they call it – Cortland room) for which the starting price is $369. Yes, the Royal is what we'd consider in the higher price range of hotels in the county, however, the hotel room itself is stunning and full of small, personalized touches. We noted that we were staying at the property for a birthday when booking the room. We were greeted with chocolates, a personalized note, and chocolate cookies (these were absolutely delicious), which made us feel right at home.
The rooms are comfortable, tidy, and very well renovated. The bed, in particular, was extremely comfortable, and the goose-down duvet was very much appreciated when we realized one of us forgot to pack a sweater during the cold month of March.
Plenty of coffee and teas were available to us in the room. We particularly enjoyed the selection of teas from the Canadian brand Pluck, which included teas meant to help you sleep (chamomile, ginger and Ontario lavender), nice after dinner mint, or even a classic favourite Earl Grey Cream. A selection of complimentary chocolates was also in the room. Plush bathrobes (these were fantastic) were also found in the room were a fresh pair of slippers.
Now as for the bathrooms – we don't usually rave about this space in any hotel we go to, however, we have to say we really enjoyed the design elements of this space (yes, we are raving about a bathroom). From the scallop design on the counter to the tilling of all surfaces in the room with the floor-to-ceiling mosaic, everything about this space feels thought out. The bathroom was a really good size and had plenty of counter space for both of us to lay out our belongings. We particularly loved the bathroom toiletries and have even considered purchasing some of the lotions and soaps in the downstairs shop. Though these come at a hefty price of $40+, while we loved them, we didn’t end up purchasing any.
Facilities & Experiences
The Royal does have a spa offering facial and body treatments, as well as massages. Spa appointments also grant access to the dry sauna, which can be enjoyed before or after spa services. There is also an onsite gym and pool (seasonal). We stayed at the property for only one night (and dropped by many, and we mean many times for lunch) – so we didn't get to experience some of these facilities at this time.
Dining
There are quite a few dining options at the Royal.
Firstly, the Royal has the Counter Bar, which serves fresh pastries, sandwiches, and freshly baked loaves of bread. At the Counter Bar, you can also find several made-in-PEC goodies, including soaps, mustards, and wines for purchase.
Secondly, The Royal has the Dining Room & Terrace, a beautiful space featuring an open archway on one side that offers a view into the kitchen, and a ceiling almost resembling a mushroom's underside. Lunch and dinner can be enjoyed in this space.
Finally, the Royal also has the Parlour, where you can enjoy small bites or a cup of coffee fireside.
All the spaces are cozy and elegant, with a menu that showcases the best of the region's local, seasonal ingredients and Chef Albert Ponzo's Italian heritage. Many of the ingredients are sourced from the hotel's 650-acre Edwin County Farms as well as other local growers.
We indulged a bit at the Royal and ate both in the Dining Room & the Counter Bar for lunch. The Royal has a great Lunch Prix Fixe menu – where portion sizes are not altered – something we very much welcome. Currently, the Royal also offers $12 Pizza Mondays, where you can get a variety of wood-fired pizzas made with slow fermented sourdough crust and local ingredients for just $12.
We tasted a variety of items during our visits to the property, including the Duck Confit, the Trout, several different pizzas, and finally, the piece de resistance – The Royal Chocolate cake. We would highly recommend the Ribolitta Soup and the Duck Confit. We noticed many people ordering the tiramisu (which they ran out of by the time we ordered) and the Tagliatelle pasta. We’re definitely ordering these during our next visit after seeing how much others have enjoyed these.
Her Take:
The more I visit The Royal, the more I fall in love with the property. Between the absolutely incredible restaurant & the elegant rooms, the property makes you feel like you've been transported to a posh hotel in the middle of the booming city. It is clear from the design, the service, and the stories we've heard from locals – that much time and thought has been invested into transforming this property.
The passion of everyone, from the chef himself to the property manager, can easily be seen. In all of our hotel stays, we have never really seen the property manager or head chef. You assume they're out there somewhere (or if you're visiting a property from Kitchen Nightmare or Bar Rescue, then maybe not), but you likely never see them. Having been to this property four times, I've seen the manager and the chef each time. They are constantly experimenting and taste-testing new meals for the menu, sorting the goodies in the lobby shop, and interacting with guests. Their passion is evident (as is all other staff), and that readily translates into the overall experience of the property.
His Take:
The Royal feels like a very luxurious house in a small town. Everything about the property is stunning, and the rooms are full of small but meaningful touches you will remember. From the personalized welcome card to the French press for making coffee and the extremely luxurious bedding, I absolutely loved the space and will definitely return.
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