I’ve stayed in many hotels over the years, but never anywhere quite like Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant in Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. The lodging is more than a historic boutique hotel with fine dining. It’s also a classroom, garden, and, in many ways, a movement.
When I first pulled up and saw the gabled and turreted structure perched high above the village, I knew I was in for something special. What I didn’t expect was how deeply the experience would stay with me.
The bucolic setting really helped set the scene, quite apart from a New Brunswick city hotel.
A room in the turret
After checking in online and receiving my front door code, I met the general manager, Sakina, at the reception desk and received my room key. I was in Room #1, up a winding staircase near the top of the turret. There’s something magical about sliding an old-fashioned metal key into a heavy wooden door and stepping into a suite that feels like a storybook.
The space was huge, with eclectic furniture that blended antique pieces with South Asian collectibles. A cozy sitting area with couches and an electric fireplace invited me to sit down and take a look around. Sitting by the bed was a glass dish and a note.
“Welcome, and please enjoy this raspberry chocolate truffle, made fresh today!”
After popping the buttery, rich truffle in my mouth, I peeked in at the bathroom. A Jacuzzi tub for two, plus a separate walk-in shower, beckoned.
Sakina told me that each of the inn’s 13 rooms is unique. Some are family-friendly and have two beds, others are romantic king suites overlooking the pine forest and gardens. The mix of art on the walls—much of it sourced from around the world—gave the entire inn a gallery feel.
Amenities for mind and body at Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant
Each room was stocked with Indigenous-made sweetgrass toiletries, smart TVs, coffee makers, and, in some rooms, mini-fridges. Plus, the Wi-Fi was fast and free.
As for wellness, I’m a sucker for hotels with pools. Pathsaala’s is no ordinary lap tank. The glassy blue indoor pool sits steps away from steam rooms and hot tubs.
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A dip and a steam were great ways to shake off the road dust of the Trans-Canada Highway.
A place for learning and empowerment
Pathsaala means “the seat of learning” in Sanskrit. Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant is a hands-on learning center for youth who need a boost. It’s part of the Ontario-headquartered, international Elephant Thoughts educational charity. Founded in 2002, the charity helms several similar initiatives in Canada and abroad. Additionally, it works with Indigenous schools in the North. Its mission is built on three values: global citizenship, environmental sustainability, and quality education for all.
At Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant, those values come alive. Students in culinary arts, hospitality, green construction, and sustainable agriculture don’t just learn in classrooms—they learn by running a world-class inn. Guests like me become part of their journey simply by choosing to stay.
As one staff member put it, “Fine dining and excellence in service are the best ways to teach our students.”
It’s a philosophy you can taste, touch, and feel in every corner of the property.
Food as art, nourishment, and skills training
The beating heart of Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant is its food.
“Food is about nourishment, art, expression, connection to land, and each other,” the menu reads, and the kitchen lives up to every word.
Breakfast, included with the stay, is prepared by students from 8 to 10:30 a.m. It’s served in a funky area overlooking the garden.
I savored Turkish eggs one morning while my partner indulged in beautifully plated eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. Knowing these dishes were crafted by young people learning their craft made every bite even more meaningful.
Dinner is offered on Friday and Saturday evenings. That’s when the restaurant becomes a culinary incubator under the direction of Chef Ray Bear. Bear is of Cree and Acadian heritage, and his résumé is impressive. After training at the Culinary Institute of America, he worked in many distinguished restaurants, including Toronto’s Canoe and the Prince George Hotel in Halifax. Here, he is a mentor first, chef second.
Making meals with a goal
“My goal with the students?” he asked. “To build their confidence. Watching them come out of their shells and realize they can actually do something—it’s powerful.”
During our seven-course tasting menu dinner, he came by the table and recounted taking students mushroom foraging in the woods nearby.
“What do you see? How do you identify the edible ones? Doing this, I learn as much as they do,” he explained.
What he shares with his students is more than culinary instruction. It’s life skills, connection to the land, and an education in curiosity.
Whether you go for the seven-course tasting menu or order à la carte, each dish is alive with local ingredients. Sources include the inn’s gardens, nearby farms, and foraged treasures. The menu changes constantly, shaped by the seasons and the students’ learning journey. Dining here isn’t just eating—it’s participating in a story.
Take a walk in the garden at Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant
If the kitchen is the inn’s heart, then the garden is its soul. I spent a morning wandering among rows of vegetables and herbs. Bees buzzed happily around blossoms (the property has 25 hives), and I learned that edible flowers—like bachelor’s buttons and borage—are harvested here for the restaurant’s artful plates.
The gardens aren’t just for beauty; they’re classrooms for Pathsaala’s Sustainable Agriculture Program. Wandering through the beds, I met Bobbi Jo Oatway, the lead gardener. Originally from Prince Edward Island, she’s a graduate of sustainable agriculture from the University of Maine. Chef Bear relies on the garlic, onions, zucchini, peas (100 pounds of them this season!), and other produce that she and her students grow. It was all stunning, but a highlight for me was the garden’s gong.
Where history meets a new beginning
The inn was originally a private home, built in 1932 for local pharmacist Bill Lewis. It evolved into a boutique inn in the early 2000s. Known as The Castle, it quickly became a favorite stop for travelers. By the time Elephant Thoughts acquired it in 2022, the property had already blended historic charm with modern comfort.
But under Elephant Thoughts, it gained a new layer of meaning. Now, every hallway, every garden bed, every dinner service is tied to something bigger: training, opportunity, and hope.
Rates at Pathsaala Inn and Restaurant
A king room starts at $159 per night. Queen rooms start at $169, and two Queen beds start at $189. Suites start at $239. Breakfast is included in the overnight rate.
Check rates online at Expedia or Hotels.com.
Hotel feature by Toronto-based travel writer Maureen Littlejohn. Photos © Maureen Littlejohn. Tourism New Brunswick arranged for her stay as she researched a larger piece. As always, her thoughts and opinions are her own.
