It had been a good while since the hubs and I travelled without the kids and so when I discovered that we had won a romantic getaway in the Outaouais region, I was OBVIOUSLY thrilled. I often get asked about romantic getaways from Toronto and what I discovered is that less than 5 hours away, is the idyllic spot for urban parents to escape the humdrum of everyday life. As we arrived at the Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa late at night (was well past 10 p.m.), twinkly lights greeted us and I was excited to explore the resort the following day.

 

 

 

Disclosure : Our visit was in partnership with Tourism Outaouais and Travel Massive but, as always, opinions are TOTALLY ours!

 

The Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa is located in Gatineau Park and used to be a 19th-century flour mill. Situated on the banks of the Gatineau River, this sophisticated spa hotel is surrounded by 24 acres of forest and it’s easy to embrace the outdoors and be one with nature here. It’s what I enjoyed most about our stay. Us city parents gets don’t have too many chances to embrace the outdoors in a peaceful manner (we’re too busy running after the city kids),

Our room was located away from the main house and our bedroom had a view of the park…it was easy to pretend that the hubs and I were the only ones in the apartment complex! Since we arrived pretty late, we lounged in our bathrobes (in our room) with a glass of wine and planned for our weekend. We probably should have Skyped with the kids (of course they were still awake and having their way with the grandparents) but we decided to leave them alone!

The next morning I started my day with a hot stone massage at the Wakefield Spa. As with most spas, this one immediately put me in a relaxed state of mind and my masseuse was absolutely lovely. On a cold fall day, there’s something about a hot stone massage that’s quite magical. My body was at complete ease by the end of my massage (you know the hubs wanted NOTHING  to do with massages!) and I was seriously reconsidering going back to my room for a nap after the session! Though, I had promised the hubs I’d meet him for brunch and so we met at the Muse Restaurant where he greeted me with French Toast overlooking the MacLaren Falls. The Wakefield Mill Hotel and Spa makes it easy to relax as they have gorgeously calming views at every corner! They’ve found the balance between attentive service and allowing their guests to get the feeling of privacy throughout the property. Not something we see too often. Also, we did see a family with little ones here but for the most part, the guests seemed to be escaping their own kids!

 

We had booked into the afternoon yoga class and so we ventured off to enjoy that (though I still wanted to sleep!) and was surprised that we were the only two who had enrolled for the class! Winning! We received a private yoga class and had the chance to work out the kinks in our backs and hands (all that typing and picking up Shopkinz!). Instead of enjoying the outdoor hot tubs or swimming pools, I opted for a quick nap before we had to check out and head to our next destination…so YES! I did get my afternoon siesta that I love so much during our travels.

 

 

A massage, a delicious  breakfast with serene views and a couple’s yoga class… tell me that isn’t the perfect way for busy parents to kick off a romantic weekend! This is an all season property and I can see how fans of winter activities would enjoy it here (there’s many trails) but for me, spring, summer and fall is where it’s at! The town of Wakefield itself is super cute and I wish we had an extra night to spare as I would have loved to venture to the bars and cafes to meet the locals. There’s always next time because we’ll definitely be back as it’s an easy drive from Toronto and is the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway for parents.