Kat Florence Transforms a Historic Building into a Meaningful Escape
In the tiny township of Elora, discover a luxurious hotel that embraces modernity while honouring the past
The first time I visited Elora, a photogenic spot dotted with 19th-century limestone buildings the colour of biscuits, was 2019. My husband Evan and I wanted a nearby scenic escape and Elora checked the boxes. It’s a 90-minute drive from Toronto and it’s easy on the eyes. A stunning gorge with vertiginous limestone cliffs cuts through the historic village, which is peppered with independent shops, restaurants and artistic sculptures (art runs deep in Elora – it was a haven for bohemians in the ’70s and a favourite spot of Group of Seven painter A.J. Casson who declared it Ontario’s most beautiful village). In December 2024, when I was invited back to stay at the newly opened Kat Florence Hotel, I jumped at the opportunity to unspool a thread of thoughtful vision and design.
The Paraiba Suite at 850 square feet offers a luxurious retreat for two, featuring a king bed, one bathroom, and floor-to-ceiling original stone walls with picturesque views of the Grand River.
Kat Florence, a sixth-generation Elora native, was in her hometown with her husband, Don Kogen, and their two daughters, when Covid struck. They were unable to return to Bangkok where they’d been living and running their jewellery business (she’s a designer; he’s a gem hunter). “To my surprise, Don, who has literally lived in every country in the world, fell in love with little Elora,” says Florence. The couple heard rumours the historic, 1848-constructed Commercial Hotel, and The Gorge Cinema within it, were going to be demolished and replaced with a corporate hotel chain. “It broke my heart,” says Florence. “I could imagine that being a negative change for tiny Elora and its rich history.” They decided to buy the building, restore the cinema and create a luxury boutique hotel.
Every suite at the Kat Florence Hotel comes equipped with a full kitchen.
It was no small task. “The building hadn’t been occupied for 30 years,” Florence says. “There were trees growing through broken windows, holes in the floor and it was falling inward.” The couple worked closely with BEN Stoneworks, a local family-run masonry team, to restore the building using local limestone. With the structure in place, Florence turned her talents to the design. She says, “My vision was to seamlessly blend Elora’s past with modern luxury. I wanted a sanctuary where history and contemporary elegance coexisted.”
After interviewing many firms, Florence selected Thirteen Design Studio, a dynamic, all-female team to help her bring the hotel to life.
The hotel features four stunning suites – Paraiba, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby – all named after gemstones. Each one is unique, individually decorated and features a kitchen with Miele appliances, a service bar, fireplace and comfy seating area. For larger groups or couples seeking a bolthole, there’s The Cottage Suite. Florence and her team restored this 1858-built former bakery (it’s around the corner from the hotel) into a getaway that feels more like a private residence with three suites, a full-size contemporary kitchen with Gaggenau appliances, a lush garden and hot tub.
In every accommodation, furnishings and accessories were created by local artisans at Homestead Woodworks and Chervin. “All of these pieces are custom-built to support the community and add authenticity to the guest experience,” says Florence.
Personalized concierge services are just a text away, whether you’d like the mixings for a martini or a massage, and the list of amenities is top-notch: Au Lit sheets are crisp and cool, the bath towels feel like velvet and the toiletries smell terrific.
But at Kat Florence, it really is about so much more than the bells and whistles. Florence says, “The real luxury now is time to savour things, like how the light enters the room, the warmth of the floors, the caress of a towel, and how it all comes together to make you feel loved. In the end, I want our guests to feel treasured and taken care of.” We certainly did.
