Wellington Willows a mix of Trini, British style in Canadian B&B

The experience David and Esther Little gained while travelling across the globe is what allows them to make their guests feel extra special at their very own Bed and Breakfast.

Together for 18 years, David, who’s British, and Esther, who’s Trinidadian, opened Wellington Willows Boutique Bed and Breakfast in Prince Edward County, Ontario, four years ago.

“We did not decide to open a B&B, it just happened,” said Esther. “Dave wanted to retire from corporate life and we were looking for something different to do. We stumbled across the opportunity to buy and run a B&B in a nice part of Canada and to have a different type of lifestyle and work to our own beat.”

They both came from corporate backgrounds, so did not have experience in the hospitality industry. But they were not reluctant because, in the course of their different jobs over the decades, they had both travelled and entertained extensively. So they took a leap of faith.

“We like to entertain and I like to cook, so we said, ‘What the heck. We could try this!’”

The farmhouse they bought was already a B&B, but it was built in 1868. It had to be renovated, updated, and decorated, which took about six months to complete. In the end, they had four suites, four bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, lounge, a porch, beautiful gardens, and a spacious outdoor entertainment deck.

One of the main draws of the B&B is Esther’s gourmet breakfast. However Dave’s concierge service, giving recommendations and sometimes making arrangements for day trips, is also popular.

Between its friendly owners, inviting and relaxing environment, nearby antique stores, lake, wineries, biking trails, national parks and other outdoor activities, Wellington Willows was rated TripAdvisors’ 2020 Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best inns and B&Bs worldwide.

“Because we have travelled a lot for work and pleasure, we know what we want when we stay somewhere, so we built on that and went a step above to give people little touches you may not get at a hotel.”

Some of those touches include upscale rooms that include luxury linens and shampoos, and farmhouse-chic decor. There are also Trini touches in the food as well as a barn quilt that adorns one of their walls with nods to TT, Britain, and Canada, where the couple made their home.

Wellington Willows is usually open seven days a week from May to November and weekends are their busiest times.

Dave said one of the things they did not anticipate was the different diets of guests. While they understand and appreciate food allergies and other dietary restrictions for medical reasons, he found guests’ preferences “interesting.”

Esther added, “On registering we ask them if they have any dietary restrictions, because it’s not easy for us to get certain things out here. It’s not like we’re in downtown Toronto and we could pop in to a specialty store to get this, that and the other.”

Meanwhile, the menu changes every day. Esther created a home garden where she grows organic vegetables and fresh herbs. Also, whenever possible, she tries to use produce and other food from local farmers and producers, including free-range eggs, maple syrup and preserves.

One challenge, said Dave, is that the B&B is dependent on tourists, so the number of visitors is never steady.

“With Airbnb taking off, that has taken away a bit of business from the traditional bed-and-breakfast places. And of course, everybody’s big challenge now is covid.”

Esther recalled that they were in lockdown from March to the beginning of June, and Wellington Willows did not open until the end of June. After that, she said, people were anxious to leave their homes and get away, so they were fully booked for several months.

They immediately made changes for the safety of their guests. Even before the province made mask-wearing mandatory, the couple asked guests to wear masks in common indoor areas. They also reduced capacity, and physically distanced their guests as much as possible. They had to invest in additional outdoor and indoor furniture, as well as heaters, since they moved eating outdoors when the weather permitted, and separated guests at breakfast.

They also decided to close at the end of October, a month earlier than usual, because the number of new covid19 cases in Ontario was increasing.

“Again, we don’t know how this year will go, because the numbers are way higher. When we closed in October, the numbers in Ontario were around 500 cases a day, and then there was another lockdown around Christmas. Now it’s close to 2,000.

“So going into this year, I don’t know what our summer will look like.”

Despite the uncertainty, Esther and Dave are happy about their investment and look forward to meeting new people.

Esther added that they have had a few guests with Caribbean heritage over the years and it was usually a topic of conversation when they figured out her accent, saying it was “always nice to bounce them up.”

Dave agreed and stressed that, when the borders reopen and people begin travelling again, Trinis will get a discount at Wellington Willows.