Jeff Stober is a former tech-industry head hunter who left his corporate life behind to make his distinctive mark on Toronto's hip cultural scene. His first venture was the Drake Hotel, on Queen Street West in Toronto. The renovation of an 1890s stagecoach stop yielded a boutique hotel with small "crash pads," as part of a very urban space with a café, restaurant, lounge and performance space. The entire hotel was filled with local art, and very much a part of the community.
Stober opened Drake 150 in the downtown Toronto core in 2013, once again a pioneer in bringing together a renewed neighbourhood experience, this time on Bay Street, where the sidewalks once rolled up at night.
But it is Stober's foray into Prince Edward County that marks the real test of taking his urban hipster formula into the wild. The Drake Devonshire is equally intimate: only 11 rooms and two suites, each embedded with a snippet of poetry from the late Al Purdy (who hailed from the county) waiting to be discovered. The "rustic Canadiana" look is by the design firm +tongtong.
Like the first two Drake outposts, this is a cultural partnership with the community, and, in concert with local arts groups, there will be artists, bands, authors and salon-style roundtables appearing throughout the year. There will be a mix of permanent art installations, such as a site-specific piece in the dining room and one-of-a-kind works by Toronto's Team Macho in each of the TK guest rooms.
As this is wine country, after you safely park and check in to the Drake Devonshire, check out the cheekily-named house wine Vintner's Daughter by Wellington's Rosehall Run winery. The award-winning mixology program features cocktails such as the Sandbanks Sour along with a deep and intriguing international wine list to savour. And foodies take note: plan ahead to come for the clam bakes and the pig roasts.
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