During a vacation, beds have a knack for becoming impossible to leave, and this is definitely the case at the Alt Hotel St. John’s. Its floor-to-ceiling windows look out onto The Narrows—the stretch of water between the Atlantic Ocean and St. John’s Harbour—and this view is the perfect bedside vista to take in while enjoying your morning’s first cup of coffee, cozily propped up on a few comfy pillows. Later, you can have a second (or third—we’re not judging) in the lobby’s Terre Café, where the beans are roasted locally by Gros Morne Coffee and Cape Coffee.

Along with serving up a stunning seascape and strong espresso, the lobby acts as a gathering place for visitors and locals alike, becoming the site of friendly meet-ups to the sounds of bands playing traditional music. “There’s this incredible sense of community here that, as a business operator, I’ve never seen anywhere else,” says Clarah Germain, the property’s Rooms Division Director. “People help each other out in business but also as individuals.”

At Terre, the hotel’s fine-dining terroir-focused restaurant, a love for the wild side of St. John’s shows up at the table. Headed by Germain’s partner, Matthew Swift, who formerly ran the kitchen at Montreal’s Joe Beef, this haunt was selected as one of Air Canada’s enRoute magazine’s best new restaurants in 2021. Book a table to try some of the freshest seafood around—like the diver scallops caught by Terre’s seafood forager Tim Ball—delivered to the restaurant on a daily basis between July and December. Swift often serves them raw, topped with in-season plants and a drizzle of brown butter.

Terre is one of many hot tables in town, alongside fine-dining favourites like The Merchant Tavern, where you are given the tasting-menu treatment and can feast on fresh wild ingredients, or newcomer Portage for more casual dishes inflected with Asian influences from co-owner Celeste Mah’s heritage. Both restaurants are within stumbling distance of your room.

The historic neighbourhood of Quidi Vidi is home to Mallard Cottage, where you can indulge in modern spins on local classics, like salt cod tartar. To get your blood flowing between these lavish meals, Germain recommends taking the 40-minute walk from the property to the top of Signal Hill, from which the first transatlantic wireless signal was sent. On special June days, when the timing is just right, you can see both whales and icebergs from here—a reminder of how much this town is surrounded by nature.

For an extra dose of tasty natural beauty, take a day-trip drive along the Baccalieu Coast, stopping an hour away along the route at The Newfoundland Distillery Company to try a glass of seaweed gin. This quick jaunt is the perfect prelude to spending an evening on the hotel’s patio, accompanied by bites of smoked mussels paired with effervescent Pet Nat wines and the crisp ocean air.

Book your stay at the Alt Hotel St. John’s here.

Read more:
10 Canadian Hotels That Will Take Your Breath Away
10 Luxury Hotels to Discover in 2023
These Are the Best Vrbo Vacation Homes in Ontario