Hamilton bed breakfast. (Hamilton) Ontario bed breakfasts reviewed by Janette Higgins

One of the best bed and breakfasts in Hamilton Ontario,
as recommended by Janette Higgins.

Toronto Area and Niagara Region

Rutherford House Bed and Breakfast

Janis and David Topp 293 Park Street South Hamilton, ON Canada, L8P 3G5
Phone: 905-525-2422
Super friendly, easygoing hosts and a B&B in an historic downtown Hamilton neighbourhood full of trees and beautiful older homes.


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Review by Janette Higgins

author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide

Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B reviews and holiday reports online.

Note 1 to reader: Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I travel incognito, pay where I stay and write reviews of the top 5%. Here is a Hamilton bed and breakfast I recommend. Janette Higgins

It turns out that Rutherford House Bed and Breakfast hosts, Janis and David Topp, had stayed at many of my recommended B&Bs before opening their own. So they had a pretty good idea of what I’m looking for when I seek out the best. Turns out, too, that they meet the test. Both Janis and David are friendly and easygoing; they’re really at the top of the pack when it comes to the genuine warmth of the welcome.

Unlike the majority of hosts who take early retirement to run a bed and breakfast, they both got ‘packages’ at their respective workplaces at the same time. They seized the opportunity to re-invent themselves and over two years restored this beautiful 1880s-built house for bed and breakfast. It was their fourth old-house restoration so they were pretty adept. Other activities occupy them as well. Golf figures prominently on David’s agenda and Janis is busy with her interior decorating venture. Family adventures fit into their schedule, too. When I was there they were off the next day with their grandchildren for a trip to England. Keen soccer fans, David and his grandsons were eagerly looking forward to a match involving Manchester United on their home turf.

With Janis’s interest in décor, you can expect the rooms to be attractively decorated. In fact, as you will know from experience if you’ve stayed at very many B&Bs, not all is as it appears on the web. Pictures can lie. But at this bed and breakfast the rooms actually appear better in real life than they do on the web. There’s a cosy throw over the wing chair in the Durand Room and the dark magnolia wallpaper is a dramatic backdrop for the cream curtains and bedding. It has a king bed or two extra long twins and the en suite bath has a shower in the tub. The similarly bold Park Room has black-and-ivory toile wallpaper setting the stage. It has a queen-size bed and a wicker rocker with overhanging floor lamp to read by. The bathroom is en suite with a shower stall.

As for breakfast, the Topps love to spoil their guests. You’ll take it in the dining room, which also contains a small guest sitting area with two wing chairs. There are all the usual offerings including juice, tea or coffee and fresh fruit. Then there’s a main course like baked eggs in black forest ham baskets served with toasted homemade whole wheat bread. Another day it might be yam/potato latkes with sour cream accompanied by chicken sausages with sun-dried tomato and flavoured with sage and basil. Toasted corn bread rounds things out. After breakfast an easy walk brings you to Copp's Coliseum, St. Joseph's Hospital and the Art Gallery of Hamilton. A bit further afield, but an easy drive, are the Royal Botanical Gardens and McMaster University.

Note 2 to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the hosts know you read my review of their bed and breakfast on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer

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Rutherford House Bed and Breakfast, Hamilton, Ontario

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Website:

http://www.rutherfordbb.com

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Season:

S $115, D $120 plus 5% GST and 3% Hamilton Destination Marketing Fee

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Cards:

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Restrictions:

enquire about children; no smoking; no guests' pets

Facilities:

2 rooms (1 king en suite with shower in tub; 1 queen en suite with shower stall); in-room fridge; central air; wireless internet

Parking:

Breakfast:

Location:

This bed and breakfast is conveniently located in a heritage district of downtown Hamilton

Directions:

Take Hwy 403 to Hamilton. Exit at Aberdeen. Turn left at Queen. Turn right at Herkimer. Turn right at Park St South. Drive to last house on the left

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Check out Janette Higgins' other site www.gardendesigncoach.com