Forest Motel, Stratford, Ontario

The Stratford Festival is a popular summer event for many Torontonians. I recently attended MacBeth and As You Like It at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario and stayed at The Forest Motel, Stratford.

I had become familiar with The Forest Motel on a previous trip to Stratford, and loved the idyllic forest setting, which could be a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I told myself that the next time I visited Stratford, I would stay at this relaxing escape, which is located just off Ontario Street.

My travelling companion and I booked a room with two double beds. The room was fairly spacious and featured two comfortable chairs, a table and chairs for small meals, an HDTV, phone, a decent-sized refrigerator, a microwave, A/C and free Wi-Fi. Other extras included a hairdryer, iron, umbrellas, microwave popcorn, and a Keurig coffee maker and pods. The rustic room featured hardwood floors and solid pine furniture, which was very comfortable. There are also two bed & breakfast suites and McCarthy House, a building with two motel units in a more private setting.

The sink is separated from the toilet and bathtub, which allows both of you to get ready at the same time. I love that the fridge was a decent size and had a freezer.

A healthy breakfast in the breakfast room is included with your stay at The Forest Motel.

The serve-yourself breakfast included fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries and cantaloupe, toast, bagels with cream cheese, gluten-free pancakes, home-made muffins, danish, yogourt, hard-boiled eggs, Nature’s Path organic cereal, freshly-brewed coffee, juice and herbal tea. For someone who believes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this breakfast was a great start to our day.

The grounds feature a gazebo set among native plants and flowers, overlooking Lake McCarthy.

Watch the sun set over Lake McCarthy.

There are lots of places to sit, which allows for privacy for motel guests. The motel owners had a fire burning in the firepit surrounded by Muskoka chairs when we were outside one night.

Sitting by the lake in the early evening, we noticed a variety of bird species flocking to the bird feeders, including these two goldfinches.

The surrounding gardens feature gorgeous flowers that attract pollinators.

Canoes, kayaks and paddle boats are available on a complimentary basis to take across Lake McCarthy and you can swim in the lake in the summer. Nature lovers will enjoy hiking along the three kilometres of trails that border the lake. Complimentary bikes are also included.

There is a real effort to embrace the natural at The Forest Motel including the healthy breakfast options, native garden species and woodland setting.

The Forest Motel offers peaceful tranquility and comfortable accommodations just a few minutes away from downtown Stratford and the Festival Theatre. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, I highly recommend The Forest Motel for your next visit to Stratford, Ontario.

The Forest Motel, 2941 Forest Road (just off Ontario Street), 519-271-4573