WELLINGTON, ONTARIO – Cheeky, fun and off the charts on the vibrancy meter. A stay at the Drake Motor Inn is like a designer vacation amidst the superb quiet of Prince Edward County.
My wife and I recently had a fine evening at this uber-trendy spot a couple hours east of Toronto, as well as a truly memorable meal at the restaurant at the Drake Devonshire Inn, their equally buzzworthy sister place a few steps down the road.
The sense of playfulness begins before you even enter the motor inn, especially if you come up Wharf Street from the “downtown” section of the town of Wellington, as the side of the main building is covered in a swatch of wild colours that look like a jigsaw-puzzle overlaid (work with me here) with a set of piano keys.
There are also half a dozen units in a sleek, black building a few feet to the south.
The Drake Motor inn in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
Our room, number 11, was an upstairs unit in the colourful, northern building. I was in love with the place before we even got to the room, as the main floor to the building features an outdoor, covered patio area with comfy seating, a bright blue patterned floor covering, and, best of all for a Hawaii lover like me, a Hula Girl lamp next to a trio of pineapple-shaped candles. It was all I could do not to grab them and run.
Inside the main door to the four units in the building is a small but beautiful sitting area with a comfy sofa, magazines, an indoor bar/dining table and deep green plants and oh-so-carefully curated green and blue vases, not to mention what looked like a funky yellow cow.
Room 11 is a delight; a spacious affair with two double beds, an enormous deck off the back with a chaise lounge and two chairs, and a super-sized bathroom with a shower big enough for the Toronto Blue Jays starting infield.
The bathroom is set off at one end of the room and enclosed by a wall of zippy, striking etched glass in cool shades of blue and green. I’ve been travelling for work for more than 30 years, and I’ve never quite seen anything like it.
A Hula Girl lamp at The Drake Motor inn in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
The blues and greens from the bathroom wall were repeated in the carpet, as well the walls, which were decorated in two types of fabric in a soft, pretty shade of what I would call sea-glass green. The beside desks were a brilliant shade of orange.
It’s a terrific design that reflects the location of the motel, just two short blocks from Lake Ontario. (Hey, can’t I pretend to be a designer?)
This being a product of the fertile minds behind the Drake Hotel in Toronto and the equally fashionable Drake Devonshire Inn, guests also will find fun extras such as a Polaroid camera, as well as cute bits like the words “Take it Off” written on a wrapper on the washcloth in the bathroom.
The room also was outfitted with a Nespresso machine, a fun, wooden desk, a comfy sofa, tons of power outlets/charging stations and a mini-fridge stocked with milk, coffee cream (thank you) and, this being Prince Edward County, local wine and beer.
There was also a very large TV and cool photographs on the wall.
Room 11 at The Drake Motor inn in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
The motel has a pickleball court out back, and an outdoor fire pit.
We had our dinner at the Drake Devonshire, where they have a gorgeous, light-filled restaurant that was perfect on a mid-April night.
The seared scallops with pressed potatoes were cooked perfectly, as were the roasted root vegetables. We also enjoyed a nice kale salad, a lamb dish that was on their menu for Countylicious (the Prince Edward County discount dining program), a fabulous chocolate-beet cake (no, you couldn’t taste the beets) and a lemon tart with just the right pucker value.
The wine list is terrific, and I also sampled their full-flavoured, smokey and thoroughly delicious Departed cocktail, with 12-year-old El Dorado rum, Campari, Averna, Mezcal and Peychaud’s bitters. Ooh, and la and la.
Seared scallops at the Drake Devonshire Inn in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
It was a lovely night, so I dipped outside to check out the sunset on the beach, and to briefly watch a majestic heron fishing along the banks of a creek outside the restaurant.
There’s a great patio for summer weather (I had a fine meal here a few years ago) and also a fire pit surrounded by vivid, green Muskoka chairs.
If you’re looking for a taste of urban style in a beautiful, restful setting close to the big city, you can’t do much better than this.
JUST THE FACTS
The Drake Devonshire is two very short blocks from the Drake Motor Inn. Both are located in the cute, huggable town of Wellington in southwestern Prince Edward County, and are roughly two hours and 10 minutes from midtown Toronto. Conde Nast Traveler named Prince Edward County one of the world’s best places to visit in 2026.
Sunset at the Drake Devonshire Inn in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Jim Byers Photo
Wellington is home to several terrific galleries. The parking lot for the Drake Motor Inn is beside the Midtown Brewing Co. and a short block from Wellington Park, a lovely waterfront facility with a gorgeous, wooden playground for kids.
The increasingly sophisticated town of Picton, home to several nice restaurants and pretty boutiques, is about 15 minutes away. Sandbanks Provincial Park, which has amazing sand dunes, great beaches and stunning sunsets, is roughly 20 minutes by car.
Editor’s Note:
Our visit was paid for by the Drake Motor Inn. They did not review or approve of this post prior to it being published.
