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Stratford lifts the curtain on Hotel Julie, a Shakespearean inspired boutique hotel
Stratford, a town famous for its love of theatre and its annual Stratford Festival, has received an impressive boost to its artistic appeal... Hotel Julie.
An elevated and stylish boutique hotel, Hotel Julie offers nine uniquely designed flats in a reimagined 19th century row house, providing a modern twist on classic Shakespearean ambiance. Hotel Julie will be the focal point of new series STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE, premiering on Monday, August 7 on CTV Life Channel, CTV.ca and the CTV app.
Located steps from downtown Stratford’s Shakespearean Gardens, shops and restaurants, and multiple historic theatres, Hotel Julie is owned by married couple Paula McFarlane and Jake Tayler, former paramedics who recently changed course to pursue their deep-seated passion for design and hospitality. For the aspiring hoteliers, the stars aligned when the opportunity arose to purchase the historic inn and transform it into a sought-after luxury destination in Stratford’s downtown.
“This project truly is a matter of the heart,” says Paula McFarlane, co-founder, Hotel Julie. “Jake and I had always wanted to create a legacy and become part of Stratford's rich tapestry, and when we went through the historic building we knew it presented a unique opportunity to create an iconic, theatre-inspired destination. We were married in this town, and Hotel Julie is our love letter to Stratford!”
A design for the ages
By combining culture, class, and comfort with exceptional interior design, the team behind Hotel Julie has transformed an inn dating from the 1800s into a chic boutique hotel—offering an unparalleled backdrop for poetic moments, notable memories, and bespoke guest experiences.
Spearheading the project was Autumn Hachey, founder and creative director of Stay Here, a full service multidisciplinary creative studio and lifestyle company that employs a narrative-driven approach to branding. As a full scope Stay Here project, passionately led by Hachey and her team, the brand, design, and story of Hotel Julie have all been beautifully elevated.
Autumn brought in the expertise of Toronto-based full-service interior design firm, Twenty-Two Twelve, owned and operated by sisters Haley McDonough and Jillian Smith-Moher. Alongside Autumn, Twenty-Two Twelve brought Paula and Jake’s theatre-inspired vision to life with luxurious textures, bold motifs and Victorian era colour palettes. All in all, it took the team 10 months to complete the transformation of Hotel Julie, which will be meticulously documented in the upcoming CTV series.
Ready for its close-up
The transformation of Hotel Julie will be the focal point of CTV Life Channel’s original series STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE, which airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, beginning Monday, August 7. The 10-episode half-hour TV series follows interior designer Jillian Smith-Moher and creative director Autumn Hachey, along with their team of collaborators, as they transform the nine-suite historic Stratford inn into a luxury hotel—just in time for the opening of the town’s world-renowned theatre season!
STAYING INN: HOTEL JULIE is produced by Alibi Entertainment in association with Bell Media. To learn more, visit:
Hotel Julie is located at 92 St. Vincent St. N., Stratford, Ont.
