As part of a group of women in Stratford for the weekend, the Lofts were a perfect place to stay, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others! The accommodations were great value ($125/night + taxes in the off season), in a location that can't be beat, and with clean and modern rooms.

Location & Parking:
Right in the heart of downtown Stratford, the Lofts are located above Bentley's restaurant on Ontario St. To access the rooms, you go up a flight of stairs either directly behind, or in front of the restaurant (not sure if there is an elevator for those less mobile). The reception is at a desk just inside Bentley’s.

Free parking is included in a clean, covered lot about two blocks away (5 min walk) on Cobourg St. The walk was not an issue for us, especially since we did not drive the entire weekend --- however wanted to highlight the off site location for those of you who might find this inconvenient. There is a parking lot behind Bentley’s that was handy for loading/unloading the car and checking in (entrance off Albert St).

Accommodations:
We stayed in loft 109, which had a king bed on the lower level, and two single beds on the upper floor. The unit was very large, spacious and clean, decorated in a tasteful modern style. The main floor had a small kitchen area (including a microwave, kettle, tea pot, ice bucket, with milk, creamers and bottled water in the fridge), a desk, dresser, dining table and chairs, and armchair in front of the huge flat screen TV.

In addition to the single beds, the upper level had a smaller flat screen TV, an armchair, armoire, and is where the bathroom is located. The bathroom was very spacious and clean, with a ceiling fan, and large walk-in shower. Toiletries included shampoo, conditioner and lotion. There was a wall-mounted hair dryer (in other words, not a great one!).

There were individually controlled heaters downstairs, upstairs and in the bathroom which were really effective in warming up the rooms in the evenings. For those who are particular about your bed, note that the mattresses are not spring mattresses (they are tempurpedic – which I found quite comfortable).

Our loft had a huge skylight to make up for the lack of windows (109 being an interior unit) that let in a lot of sun in the morning. If you are at all sensitive to light and want a dark room to sleep in, or might feel claustrophobic without windows, make sure you choose an exterior room. Note that the hotel website has floor plans for every single unit, so you can easily identify which room you would prefer to stay in.

Remember that since this is a loft, everything is very open which means quiet/privacy might be an issue for some. To access the bathroom, you need to pass directly through the sleeping area upstairs. If you are watching TV downstairs, this could disturb anyone sleeping on the upper level. Just a watch-out in case this might be an issue for you!

We took advantage of the free wi-fi which had a pretty good connection.

Service:
I don’t imagine you can expect the same, instantaneous service you would get at a standard hotel; remember that this hotel is run by the same people who manage the restaurant below and don’t necessarily have staff on call. For instance, upon checking in we noticed that the TV was not working, and while they said they would have someone look into it, the issue was not addressed the entire weekend (not a big deal for us as we were mostly away from the hotel). If you’re used to having super attentive, top-notch service, while the front desk staff were certainly friendly enough, this probably isn’t the place for you!

Overall, this was a great find, and I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again in the future. Any questions? Feel free to send me a message.

Stayed with our older kids who loved the upstairs beds. Great having 2 TV's. Loved the decor, wonderful beds, great radio, fireplace & we had a large skylite in our room (102). Having the kitchenette was handy as well. Staff was friendly, great restaurant downstairs, could not hear any noise from there even on weekend. Highly recommend.

-nice and comforting, friendly atmosphere.. Bentley's realy made my trip to Stratford outstanding! I deffinltey would reccomend this, for families with children or a couple it is great for both.

The pros: newly renovated rooms (last two years); You are in the center of downtown and can walk to everything which we loved; Food in the restaurant was good and the entire place was very clean and modern; Staff were friendly.
The cons: A bit pricy; Steep stairs. If they ask you if you need help with your bags take them up on the offer!
We had a great time and would recommend this place for your first trip to Stratford, once you get a lay of the land you could probably find a cheaper hotel on the outskirts of downtown.