seven&nine

There are few hotels that are more clearly a labor of love than Stratford, Ontario’s seven&nine. That is, if it’s even a hotel. Set a scant minute’s walk from the Avon Theatre, one of the anchors of the annual Shakespeare festival, it was built as a private house, and an extraordinary one at that. Architects Shim/Sutcliffe were inspired by the kind of raw-concrete modernism that recalls figures like Tadao Ando and Alvar Aalto, and the house is decorated with modernist classic furnishings and contemporary artworks to match.

Even as a guest lodging, its primary mission is to allow travelers to experience a uniquely artful house from the inside. It’s a totally self-sufficient two-bedroom house with a full kitchen, supplied with a Nespresso machine, Pelee Island wines, and bath products by Le Labo. The contrast with the 19th-century Gothic architecture for which Stratford is known is a striking one, and the town is a surprisingly pleasant and livable one, even outside of the Shakespeare season.

Please note: seven&nine can only accommodate Friday and Monday check-ins with a 3-night minimum stay and 4-night minimum stay requirement respectively.