HOCHELAGA INN

History

This Victorian mansion was originally built by John McIntyre – a lawyer and former mayor of Kingston – between 1878-79. The property itself had been inherited by his wife Harriet shortly before construction began.

In 1907 the Bank of Montreal’s Hochelaga Foundation purchased the house from John McIntyre. They used it as an executive retreat for employees traveling between Montreal and Toronto. Hochelaga is the Aboriginal name for land Montreal is built on.

The Bank of Montreal built the double sided fireplace in the houses between the dining and living rooms.

In 1933 The Bank of Montreal sold the mansion to a real estate developer who converted it into 11 apartments.

By 1985, the property was in such bad shape the city was seriously considering having it condemned. Thankfully, it was bought by Picton based hospitality company and underwent a massive renovation converting the building to a luxurious 22 room hotel while doing their best to retain the history of the building as much as possible.

In 2021 the property was bought by ACE Kingston Hospitality and is being run as a boutique hotel. Please visit the website link above to book your stay.

Paranormal Activity

The apparition of a woman who is described as dark in both demeanor and lack of light – her face is never seen clearly – is often seen standing at the foot of guest’s beds.

The apparitions of children have been seen throughout the building with the most often being seen is that of a 9 year old blonde boy.

The cries of the blonde boy mentioned above are reported to have actually woken guests up.

The phantom sound of laughter is also heard coming from the foot of the bed.

The sound of children’s laughter has been reported throughout the building.

Guests have also reported seeing objects fly across the room and the tv’s turning on and off on their own.

Other Reported Activity: disembodied voices; electrical disturbances; light anomalies and feelings of not being alone.