Review: The Pearle Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

My stay at The Pearle Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection in Burlington came after a busy weekend in Toronto with family and before a work week near Muskoka. After working opposite schedules for a few weeks, my wife and I used this stay as a chance to connect.

I’m happy to say the Pearle Hotel delivered on every single level and will undoubtedly be one of our favorite non-resort stays ever. Let’s take a look at what you can expect during your next stay.

Booking

I booked this stay with a Free Night Certificate worth 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, and in hindsight, I need to add this hotel to my list of the Best Hotels to Redeem 35K Certificates. The value here is excellent at ~1.4 cents CAD per Marriott Bonvoy point. Or, if you’re redeeming a certificate, you can often get $400+ CAD value for paying your $120 CAD annual fee.

When booking, I had one Nightly Upgrade Award in my account that would expire Dec 31st, 2024. I figured I had a good chance of clearing the upgrade as we stayed on Sunday night so I applied it toward my booking. 

My hunch was correct, and I was pleased to receive the email that we were upgraded to a Studio Suite with Lake View, the best option available, with a nightly rate of $550 CAD.

If you are interested in making a redemption at the Pearle, both the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card and the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business card earn a free night certificate upon the cardholder’s anniversary every year.

American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card

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American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card

The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card earns Bonvoy points and offers cardholders benefits including an annual free night and 15 qualifying nights towards elite status.

Check out our American Express Marriott Bonvoy card review for more details.

BONUS
50,000 Marriott Bonvoy

MINSPEND
$1,500

NET VALUE
$330+

ANNUAL FEE
$120

FOREX FEES
Yes

EXPIRY
–

Check-In

We arrived at the hotel in our car, and as a summer festival was happening nearby, we decided to valet park to make our lives easy. The valet also has easy in/out privileges, making the $45 CAD charge per day seem less egregious.

Collecting our bags, we stepped into the stunning lobby and were immediately impressed.

The staff informed us of our Marriott Bonvoy Titanium elite benefits during check-in and granted a 2 pm late check-out. The Platinum Elite Breakfast Benefits are very strong here. You get $75 CAD for a la carte breakfast in their flagship restaurant and a $13 CAD credit for their bakeshop, Pearle’s Cafe.

My only complaint (and it’s trivial) is that the keys should have some kind of engraving rather than being blank wood. We’ve stayed at much lower-end properties like the Hyatt Centric Dublin, and they even engraved their keys.

Location

The Pearle is in a fantastic location overlooking Lake Ontario. Downtown Burlington is vibrant and thriving. It’s quickly becoming a destination for Toronto’s more discerning wealth rather than just a suburb outside of a big city.

Parking

As mentioned, parking is $45 CAD per night and includes valet service. If you can find a place to park, there is an open lot right across the street, with a $20 daily maximum.

Room – Studio Suite, 1 King, Lake View

Making our way to the elevators we noticed a cute postcard station filled with vintage pictures of Burlington. This was just the beginning of easter eggs found all over this hotel.

Arriving at our room, we were very impressed with its luxury vibe with warm accent lighting and large lake-view windows.

There’s some tasteful art immediately to your right and one of the best full-length mirrors of recent memory.

Returning to the room’s entrance, we find the ensuite doors and the oversized wardrobe.

The wardrobe had lots of space and a safe in the bottom drawer. The robes here rivaled those of the Ritz Carlton Toronto, which probably has the best robes we’ve experienced. This is a weird detail to mention, but the handles on the wardrobe had a funky texture, unlike any hotel I’ve seen before. The attention to detail at this property was exceptional, and it fits the bill perfectly as an Autograph Collection.

The ensuite is bigger than some hotel rooms we’ve stayed in, and it has a dramatic entrance with twin sliding doors.

The vanity was well-equipped with various amenities, and Zenology provided the skincare products.

An extra-large walk-in shower is always a treat, and in typical Marriott fashion, it was equipped with rainfall and a handheld sprayer.

My only complaint about this otherwise amazing bathroom is that the toilet chamber needs a separate door. The hotel does install branded stickers on the toilet tissue, similar to another recent Autograph Collection stay we had at Mount Juliet Estate in Ireland.

Moving into the main part of the suite, there’s a nice-sized luggage rack and sofa near the bed.

The bedsides are well equipped with regular outlets and USB-A’s. The bed frame is fitted with motion-sensitive lights that are super convenient.

The desk, entertainment unit, and minibar are all melded into one, but the design implementation is excellent.

The TV has excellent connectivity with an easy-to-access HDMI port, and this Autograph property does a great job of implementing the classic personal Marriott TV Greeting. Adding another easter egg, a “handwritten” letter from Pearle herself was waiting for us on the writing pad. 

An iPad is present to control some room functionality, but we didn’t spend any time trying to figure it out.

This hotel is big on sustainability, and that’s evident in the setup of the water and minibar.

After we returned from dinner, we had some fresh ice, glasses, more water, and ‘Relaxing Sleep Spray’ by The White Company waiting for us. The White Company is the same brand that provides pajamas for Qatar Airways Business Class. We were impressed with the standard this hotel holds itself to.

The mini bar also includes a small fridge and snacks, but we couldn’t find a menu anywhere.

After asking through the app, we were pleased to find out that snacks and drinks were included! Usually, this kind of perk is only available in European hotels, like the Galleria Vik Milano. To further the great service, a member of the guest services team followed up to make sure everything was to our liking.

Next to the multipurpose area is a cozy, fuzzy chair. It’s great to have a seat and look out at the wonderful lake view.

Restaurants

Isabelle – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Breakfast

Isabelle is the breakfast restaurant and a central hub throughout the day, serving all three meals. They have a lovely patio in the evening, but we opted to dine at one of our favorite Oakville restaurants instead.

The restaurant’s design is lovely. The best way I can describe it is like a modern farmhouse, and it has excellent views of the lake.

The menu had many options to stay under the $75 credit as part of the complimentary Marriott Elite status breakfast benefit. We ordered two cappuccinos, Isablle Breakfast, and French Toast. Everything was fantastic, but the French toast was a particular highlight.

Pearle’s Cafe – $13 CAD Dining Credit

Pearle’s Cafe is located on the street side rather than the lakeside, so quite a few locals filled it.

The cafe is marvelously decorated and features pastries in the morning and pizza in the afternoon. The $13 credit bought us two pastries and a coffee to share.

Facilities

On your way to the fitness center, pool, and spa, you’ll find this wonderful display describing the hotel’s namesake. It’s worth a five-minute stop!

Downtown Burlington has an excellent bike path along the lake, and if you’re up for an adventure, the hotel has complimentary bikes you can use.

Fitness Center

This hotel has a residence, so the fitness center is exceptionally well-equipped. The front desk even has headsets to loan if you need them for your workout.

Pool

The pool area is equipped with a lounge before entry. It’s primarily for spa guests, but hotel guests are welcome to use it.

The pool is gorgeous and impeccably maintained, with rolled towels at every seat.

Spa

We did not partake in the spa, but it appears full-service and open to the general public, not only hotel guests. It seems to be of the highest quality.

Conclusion

The Pearle Hotel & Spa in Burlington doesn’t seem like a destination to spend a relaxing weekend from the outside looking in, but it is. With beautiful rooms, fantastic service, and elite benefits, this would be an excellent jumping-off point for a weekend of wine tasting in Niagara. 

If you’re based in Southern Ontario and have a Free Night Certificate to burn, this is probably the best place to use it.