Mississauga’s Glenerin Inn gets ‘The Vintage Touch’

Glenerin Inn staff, l to r, F&B supervisor Roy Gobind, server Amela Bojic, general manager Heather Howkins, servers Dusanka Luki and Svetlana Vujicic, chef Roomie Karai, server Davour Rakanovic and front office manager Bobby Thomas.

By Colleen Isherwood
Editor

MISSISSAUGA—The ambiance is one of an English country manor, with stately stone fireplaces and rich wood-panelled rooms in a woodland setting. The 21 guest rooms have sloping ceilings and an old world charm.

The 82-year-old building provides the most romantic possible setting for a wedding. It’s got a history that includes housing English schoolgirls during World War II.  And, according to its new general manager, it’s one of Mississauga’s best-kept secrets.

The building in question is the Glenerin Inn, which has recently come under the management of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Vintage Hotels, which owns a trio of historic inns—The Pillar and Post, The Prince of Wales and Queen’s Landing Inn.  Glenerin general manager Heather Howkins was most recently food and beverage manager for The Pillar and Post.  Her goal is to reveal the secret and make the Inn a gathering place for local residents.

“On my first visit in April, I was under the impression that everything in Mississauga was modern with straight walls.  I was greeted by wonderful architecture, and the character of the place blew me away.
 
“There’s an oasis hidden here in Mississauga.  The property backs right onto a ravine – you feel like you’re in cottage country.

“There are four beautiful patios on site. I see them in the middle of summer hosting locals with a glass of wine, a nice cheese plate and jazz – the setting just lends itself to jazz on the patio – a place to relax after work or on the weekend.”

Howkins sees the local market as crucial to the Inn’s success.  Now that people are cancelling their travel plans due to the economic situation, the Glenerin Inn offers them a chance to escape to the country without venturing far from home.  To promote the Inn to locals, Howkins has placed ads in local newspapers, and implemented promotions that are suitable for both locals and out-of-towners.

“We’re in the midst of a very well-populated area here.  I find that people don’t realize that we’re open, that we have a dining room and a nice, comfy lounge downstairs, and that the general public is welcome.  We want to reach out to the community – we only need a small percentage of the population to keep us busy.”

Upcoming event ideas include a Jazz and Creole night, a Murder Mystery evening and a Calypso night.

From the outside the Inn looks like an exclusive country club, and Howkins believes many locals mistakenly think it is just that.  Frequent changes in operating hours for the restaurants also kept people from frequenting the Inn.

The 65-seat dining room has been made simpler, cleaner and more open, and renamed Elements.  “[The name] is perfectly fitting, because it is surrounded by stone and wood elements, and it also provides the essential elements of life, food and drink,” says Howkins.

Another change has been implementation of the Vintage Hotels’ Service First initiative.  This training program, which underlies Vintage’s mission statement, “Exceptional individuals delivering exceptional experiences”, focuses on making each guest’s experience truly memorable. It also trains staff so that they are ready for advancement.

For example, Howkins received training as a general manager while she was still working as F&B manager at The Pillar and Post.  Howkins has developed formal standards and procedures for both the hotel and restaurant operations, implemented training and ordered uniforms for all staff.

They have started work on the guest rooms as well – adding flat-screen televisions, updating bathrooms, improving Internet access – “bringing them up to today’s discerning traveller’s expectations,” says Howkins.

Amenities will include irons and ironing boards, in-room coffee, and a fridge with complimentary bottled water or juice.

Upcoming promotions include an in-room spa package.  The Inn has partnered with some massage therapists who will do in-room massages.  A weekend couple’s retreat, including accommodation, dinner, breakfast and an in-room massage, goes for about $529.

In addition, the Inn also supports St. Peter’s Anglican Food Bank, St. Peter’s being the church the WWII girls attended while they were here.
 
At the Inn’s Nov. 7 Grand Reception, guests who brought a food donation for the food bank had their names entered into a draw for a gift basket.  Glenerin will continue to support the food bank at all its themed events.