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Hotel Scene In St John's Heats Up

July 22, 2008

Newfoundland's Capital Has Crop of New Boutique Properties; St. John's Time Promises 11 Days of Non-stop Partying

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland, July 21, 2008 - The hotel scene in St. John's has been heating up, offering visitors a wealth of choices for exploring the "City of Legends." A turn-of the century mansion, a beach house ideal for iceberg watching and a sleek contemporary design hotel are just three of five new boutique properties that have opened in the last four years both seaside and downtown within walking distance of the city's galleries, cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and attractions. They join the city's first boutique property in an 1850 mercantile building and a monastery with state-of-the-art spa which opened within the past seven years.

It's easier than ever to get to St. John's - the oldest English-founded settlement in North America - with Continental's daily service from Newark. Why not escape the hot and steamy summer weather and head up for St. John's Time, an 11-day, non-stop party that kicks off with the George Street Festival (7/31-8/05.) Streets are closed, pubs throw open their doors and bands rock into the night. Celebrated since 1826, the Royal St. John's Regatta, North America's oldest continuous sporting event, is set for August 6. From August 8 to 10, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival features performances of traditional Newfoundland music, Celtic tunes and modern rock and at the Buskers Festival visitors can see up to 30 shows a day on four stages. www.stjohnstime.ca

A handsome city which expanded from its colorful waterfront and carved-granite harbor, St. John's has Victorian architecture, heritage shops and a lively arts scene. Visitors can meander down quaint side streets lined with brightly-painted 19th-century row houses. Rising up over the harbour, Signal Hill (famed since 1902 for being on the receiving end of Marconi's first transatlantic wireless signal) offers great views and is crowned by Cabot Tower. Dating from 1897, this castle was built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the 400th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in the "New World." The city's top cultural attraction, The Rooms, is a striking modern complex housing a museum, an art gallery with 7000 works and historic archives. Nature buffs can visit the nearby Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, with its breathtaking scenery, the oldest lighthouse in the province (1839), not to mention whales and icebergs.

Opened in the city's historic quarter in 2007, the beautifully-restored Ryan Mansion, a National Historic Site, dates from the early 20th century. After a two-year restoration, the 5 Star Canada Select property retains its original Queen Anne style with elaborate crown moldings, carved mahogany mantles and wainscoted walls in oak. The six guest rooms (with plans for an additional eight suites) - all with fireplaces - include: baths with heated marble floors and two-person Jacuzzi tubs, plasma TV's in the bedroom and bath, Frette linens and toiletries by L'Occitane en Provence. A sumptuous breakfast features partridge berry preserves and blueberry-studded bread is a highlight of evening tea, served in the Butler's Pantry. The mansion has some historical connection to the Titanic. Built during the same period, the mansion's Grand Staircase was said to be carved by the same European craftsmen as that of the ocean liner which sank in the waters of Newfoundland in 1912. The Ryan Mansion is offering special dinners with the Titanic menu served on the ship's fateful last evening presented on finely-crafted British replicas of the Titanic china. Rates are $184 to $481. Call: 1-709-753-7926 or email: www.ryanmansion.com

Media Contact
Molly Aylward
Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership
902-621-0194
molly@tiapei.pe.ca

Meredith Pillon
MPMC
212-289-1627
meredithpillon@mpmcus.com