Niagara-on-the-Lake Is Getting a Stunning New Boutique Hotel This Summer — Meet The Clayfield
May 29, 2026 Team Contributor
Widely recognized as the birthplace of the Canadian Icewine industry, Niagara-on-the-Lake got a compelling new reason to visit. Just yesterday, Canadian entrepreneurs David Feldberg and John Hawley kicked off the ambitious The Clayfield and the broader Clayfield Commons project on the Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Visitors to the popular destination in late summer can enjoy a novel hospitality experience, complete with wine country culture, culinary offerings, and community-focused placemaking.
The Clayfield, a design-forward boutique hotel joining Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, is set to open in late summer 2026 at the gateway to Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake. What makes it unique is the design. It boasts of a new walkable village district built around a tree-lined public square, with restaurants, cafés, retail, and gathering spaces woven into the neighbourhood’s fabric.
The hotel is a collaboration between the families behind the award-winning residential community The Village and Stratus Vineyards, the world’s first fully LEED-certified winery. Co-owner David Feldberg captures the spirit of the project when he says, “People are looking for experiences that feel a little more personal and a little more connected to where they are. What interested us with The Clayfield was creating something that still felt relaxed and very much part of the rhythm of the region.”
Designed by Montreal’s Sid Lee Architecture, the building draws its name directly from Niagara’s layered clay soils. The rounded silhouette rises from vertical wood elements and layered concrete forms. Not hard to notice that the architecture genuinely looks like it’s intrinsically hemmed in the landscape. Inside, each space follows a seasonal arc: winter-calm guestrooms, a spring-inspired lobby, a harvest-warm restaurant, and a summer-toned spa.
The beating heart of the culinary program will be Terrain, a modern wine country restaurant. Developed by Toronto’s Ascari Group, with Niagara-born chef Joel LaBute leading the kitchen, it promises a seasonal wine-country dining menu firmly rooted in local producers and Ontario growers. LaBute brings over two decades across some of Canada’s most respected kitchens, including Scaramouche, Langdon Hall and Araxi.
John Hawley, co-owner of The Clayfield, beams optimistically, “From the beginning, the vision for Clayfield Commons was to create a place connected to the character of Niagara-on-the-Lake itself.” He further adds, “We wanted the hotel, restaurants, public spaces, and surrounding village to feel integrated into the everyday experience of the region.”
For travellers seeking a luxury Ontario weekend getaway that feels genuinely connected to its setting rather than dropped into it, The Clayfield opens this summer.
Visit here for updates ahead of the late summer 2026 debut.
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