Everybody needs a mini staycation every once in awhile, so when the opportunity arose for me to visit St. Jacobs during St. Jacobs Sparkle and to spend the night at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, naturally I jumped at the opportunity. Besides, St. Jacobs has always been one of my favorite Ontario small town destinations. It is this opportunity that introduced me to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites and I am now hooked!
THIS IS A SPONSORED POST, HOWEVER AS ALWAYS ANY AND ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE MY OWN.
About St. Jacobs
St. Jacobs is a small town located in Southwestern Ontario approximately 1.5 hours from Toronto in the Region of Waterloo. This small town is a well known tourist destination and is popular for its Mennonite Heritage, boutique shops, restaurants, and coffee shops (you won’t be finding any chain stores here), and of course the famous St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market. You can’t visit St. Jacobs without visiting the Farmer’s Market!
Map Showing Location of St. Jacobs
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES, ST. JACOBS, ONTARIO
Location of Hotel in St. Jacobs
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is located at 14 Benjamin Road, St. Jacobs and is in close proximity to the St. Jacobs Market, Shopping Outlet Mall, and the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and it is the location that makes the Holiday Inn Express & Suites the ideal place to stay when visiting St. Jacobs.
Rooms and Room Amenities
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites offers several different types of rooms,
- Double Room
- King Room
- Suite
- Adjoining Room
- Accessible Room
all of which provide an abundance of space, even if travelling with children. If you are travelling with older children or friends, it might be wise to consider booking adjoining rooms to allow for more privacy.
Regardless of the type of room you book, all rooms offer plenty of amenities:
- Keurig coffee maker
- complimentary coffee and tea
- large flat screen television
- large work area
- microwave
- small refrigerator
- free wifi
- shampoo, conditioner, body wash
- hair dryer
- large bath towels
- extra large shower
- comfy bed and extra bedding
- iron and ironing board
SHOE SHINE/HAIR ELASTICS/ MAKE-UP REMOVER
Whether you are travelling solo (like I did), looking to have a romantic getaway or just want to take your family on a mini staycation, the Holiday Inn Express & Suites has a room with amenities that will satisfy all of your needs.
Hotel Amenities
There are times when it is just necessary to get away and relax with no people to see and no places to go. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites is the perfect place to do just that. Bring along a good book, a bottle of wine and a bathing suit for a perfect night of relaxation. If you are travelling with little ones, there is a whole host of hotel amenities to keep them occupied without having to leave the hotel, while mom and dad relax.
- on demand entertainment, including video games
- complimentary shuttle service from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- ice machine
- wake up calls
- complimentary wifi throughout the hotel
- complimentary breakfast
- business center
- pool and splashpad
- complimentary fully equipped fitness facility
- self-laundry facilities
5:30 a.m. – 11.00 P.M.
6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
12:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
COVID Precautions
I was brave enough to stay in several hotels during the pandemic, however, I can say without a doubt that the Holiday Inn Express & Suites was the most COVID ready hotel that I had stayed at. Throughout my stay, I never felt unsafe, nor did I find it difficult to social distance from other guests, as the hotel has large open areas which makes it easy to avoid close contact with others.
Final Thoughts On the Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Whether your staycation is for one night or several nights, you will be welcomed to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites by smiling and friendly front desk personnel. They will make you feel right at home while you lounge in the lobby area with your morning coffee or while sipping on a glass of wine after a day full of adventures.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites in St. Jacobs is the perfect spot to do as little as you want or as much as you want, but be for-warned one night is not near long enough.
I will definitely be returning to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites the next time I am in need of a Staycation!
Activities in St. Jacobs
There are plenty of boutique shops to explore while visiting St. Jacobs, but it is not only about the shopping. If you are more of the adventurous type don’t despair, there are plenty of other activities in St. Jacobs occupy men, women, and children of all ages (although I have to warn you, it will be difficult to leave the hotel).
I was fortunate enough to visit St. Jacobs during St. Jacobs Sparkle in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and it has always been a truly magical experience. While wandering the streets of St. Jacobs during St. Jacobs Sparkle you will feel like you have been transported into a fairytale. Even if you aren’t much of a shopper, this is an experience that shouldn’t be missed. You can’t help but get an uplifting feeling as you wander amid the twinkle lights of town.
ST. JACOBS SPARKLES
November 14, 2025 – November 17, 2024 and November 21, 2025 – November 24, 2025.
DISCOUNTS AND PROMOTIONS
Visit St. Jacobs Village to see the discounts and promotions offered at each store
SHOP TIL YOU DROP AT ST. JACOBS SPARKLES 2024
If you haven’t visited St. Jacob’s during St. Jacobs Sparkles, then I highly recommend that you put it on your list of must do’s this holiday season. However, don’t say that I didn’t warn you that you will be tired, your feet will be sore, and a night at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites and a refreshing dip in the pool will be in order.
….. BELIEVE IN THE MAJIC OF CHRISTMAS …..
Things To Do In St. Jacobs For The Non-Shopper
Although I highly recommend visiting St. Jacobs during St. Jacobs Sparkles, I realize that it is a busy time of the year and shopping is not for everyone. For those of you who are more of the adventurous type, there are plenty of activities and adventures in St. Jacobs other than shopping.
- St. Jacobs Market
- St. Jacobs Outlet Mall
- St. Jacobs Country Playhouse
- St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre
- Hot Air Balloon Ride
- Beer Tasting
- Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario
- Hiking
- Visit the West Montrose Kissing Bridge
- Carriage Rides
- Horse Drawn Tours
- St. Jacobs and Aberfoyle Model Railway
ST. JACOBS FARMERS MARKET
OPEN YEAR ROUND
Thursdays and Saturdays 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Most buggy rides depart from the St. Jacobs Farmers Market.
For more information on buggy rides and tours, contact St. Jacobs Horse Drawn Tours
SUNDANCE BALLOONS
ST. JACOBS OUTLET MALL
DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM
HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES
Enjoy Your Staycation
Whatever your interests, and whatever time of the year you visit, I know that you will have an amazing staycation as you travel back in time throughout your stay in St. Jacobs!
HAPPY STAYCATION 🙂
I always love learning about new places I’ve never heard of. This place sounds like a great place for a staycation in this charming town. Thanks for sharing this find with us!
There’s so many things to see and do! It’s an awesome place to visit to get out of the city.
Will definitely visit this place when we visit Canada next year 🙂
Love reading about places I’ve never heard of. It sounds a really cute place. I love the fog off sign. We stayed in a lot of the holiday inn express places when we were last in Canada, I love knowing what to expect in a hotel after a long day travelling.
The Holiday Inn’s have come a long way since they introduced the “express” brand. They are fantastic!
I lived in Toronto for a couple of years and had also a day trip there. the article brought my memory back to the time. It seems that Holiday Inn Express still has its presence in Canada. I say so because I like the hotel chain but its market get downsized over the years in Europe where I am living now.
Yes, the Holiday Inn is quite popular here. It has upgraded quite a bit and they are now quite nice.
Holiday In Express are my preferred hotels for business and private travels. I am real happy about the major renovations most HIE and HI hotels have undergone over the last 10-15 years to bring them out of their 1970s looks.
I agree completely. They have done a really good job. This particular HIE was new so it was especially beautiful and CLEAN!
I’ve driven through St Jacobs a number of times as I live nearby, but never thought to stay there. It looks like the Holiday Inn is a great place to stay, and it’s good to know they’ve got all the necessary precautions in place with the virus. I’ve heard that the farmers market is nice to visit too, so next time I’m in the area I’ll be sure to stop by.
Same with me. I live in kitchener and have been to St Jacob’s tonnes of time but had never stayed over. I loved the hotel! Its right across the street from the market which wasn’t too busy. I highly recommend visiting in the winter
A lovely post. Thank you. It is good to hear that the hotel has taken good precautions for covid-19 as many people will be wary of staying in hotels. And who doesn’t love a farmers market, that is the best sort of shopping!
I have stayed in 2 or 3 hotels since the beginning of COVID and I was SUPER impressed with the precautions taken at this hotel as well as all of the stores in St. Jacobs. They have really made it safe for people to do their holiday shopping.
Such a great review of Holiday Inn Express & Suite in St. Jacobs. I will consider it for staying for a night when I will visit this charming town. St. Jacobs Sparkle seems to be a magical experience.
It was fantastic! Amazing Christmas decorations and so many unique stores. I loved everything about this staycation
I am a big fan of the Holiday Inn Express chain. When I travel, I want to experience the destination, not hang out in the hotel, and they are a consistently safe, clean, quiet, and comfortable accommodation option!
I completely agree. This one had a microwave and refrigerator so I was also able to keep some food in the hotel
This does look like a wonderful stay! I’d love the food’n’shopping opportunities. Unfortunately, we cannot do staycations in Germany, at least not at hotels. Only business travellers are allowed to stay at hotels. I think they do it to discourage people from travelling too much – and sadly, it works. So enjoy your stay to the max – you never know with what they come up tomorrow….;-)
Our border is still closed so only Canadians can stay at our hotels right now. We are trying are darndest to keep them in business
St. Jacob’s Sparkle and year-round Farmers Market would be definite draws for me!
Its amazing! It takes hours to get through
Like a lot of people, staycations have become my go-to for 2020, and truly, the HOTEL makes it or breaks it for these kind of trips! It’s good to hear that the Holiday Inns are taking COVID precautions to heart. It definitely makes me want to book with them in the future; I really appreciate hotels and brands that want to protect both their staff and their guests.
I was SO impressed with this hotel. I have stayed in several throughout COVID, but none have even come close to the protocols this hotel has taken. I can’t wait to go back!
Oooh nice! A staycation in St Jacobs looks fabulous. It’s so nice that you visiting when the St. Jacobs Sparkle 2020 was happening too.
p.s. It is really good to see they are being so careful with the covid-19 precautions. It is still a bit scary to travel right now!
I was so impressed with this hotel and the precautions taken. I wouldn’t hesitate to visit and in fact I highly recommend.
I miss traveling so much! St. Jacobs looks like an awesome place to explore/visit.
I do as well, so I’ve been spending the year exploring my own Country, and I’ve been finding some pretty great places.
Love the boutique and unique coffee shop style of this town. Looks cute!
Me too! I’m not much of a shopper, but I love the towns with the boutique shops.
St. Jacobs looks so cute! What a wonderful place for a little vacation or stay-cation! The Holiday Inn Express also looks so quaint and nice. Definitely a great hotel option!
St. Jacobs is a great place. Even though I live just 20 minutes down the road, it was great to stay over. That way I was able to do more than I normally would have.
St Jacob sounds amazingly magical and in fact has prompted me to go ahead and send in my application for a passport . It’s been on my list of things to do for about a year.
While I tend to stay away from hotels I appreciated all the information about the Holiday inn Express. Sounds really perfect if you’re traveling with children.
I also want to let you know that a couple links in the email are not working.
Thanks Kelly for continuing to share and find workarounds during this time of pandemic
Thanks for the lovely comment Bethann. If you get your passport and the US/Canadian borders ever open up, I would love to meet you and I will gladly take you to St. Jacobs for a tour around! Keep me posted.