The Little Inn of Bayfield was built in the 1830's as a stagecoach stop on the Sarnia- Goderich line. It is Ontario's longest continually operating Inn and a landmark on Bayfield's Heritage Main Street. The present day bar was, in fact, the original waiting room for the coach stop. Gutted by fire in the 1850's, owner Donald Fraser was quick to rebuild what was then known as the Commercial Hotel. Like most of the stores at the time, The Commercial had a flat roof. Sometime between 1873 and 1895, owner Richard Bailey put an addition on the back of the Inn (including what is now the back parlour or games room, as well as rooms 8 and 10 upstairs) and also the present roof. During the era of prohibition, Richard had a secret compartment for alcohol in the wainscoting of the parlour-- perhaps some lucky person will find it one day! Around the turn of the century, Richard's son operated an ice cream parlour out of the south-west corner room (now the front half of the "old" dining room). At other times, this area housed a bakery and a dentist's office-- separated from the diners by only a curtain!

In the early 1900's, The Commercial became a popular summer destination for travellers. A heritage plaque indicates that the decorative verandah was added in 1903, but other documents suggest that it could have been as early as 1847. In the 1920's, owner Edgar Weston changed the name to The Lakeview. We assume this means you could see the lake from the property at the time! The subsequent owner, Mrs. Seeds, also purchased the property next door (the old carriage house) which she set up as her home. In 1941, the hotel was transferred to Mr. and Mrs. George Little.

George Little had lived in Bayfield as a boy, from 1905-11, when his father, Henry, drove the stagecoach. He and his wife, Ada, returned to Bayfield in 1930 to a house on Clan Gregor Square. Mrs. Little took paying guests in the summer and served meals to a limited number of people. When they took over The Lakeview in 1941, they renamed it The Little Inn and Mrs. Little continued along the lines established in her home. Her reputation for good cooking and well-served meals in a quiet, restful atmosphere went far. She was assisted by her husband, who was constable of Bayfield. George made changes to both the inside and outside of the hotel during the years, including removal of the decorative verandah when it began to rot. When Mrs. Little became ill, the Littles were forced to sell the business.

When the current Innkeepers purchased The Little Inn in 1981, it was comprised of two separate buildings: the original Inn and the coach house next door. The Inn had 10 bedrooms with two and a half shared bathrooms, while the coach house had three bedrooms and one bathroom. In the summer of 1982, the Innkeepers decided to restore the original verandah based on a 19th century photograph. At this time, The Little Inn was designated a heritage site. During the winter of 1983-84, the coach house was restored and carefully joined to the original Inn with the addition of a new dining room whose large windows overlook Bayfield's Heritage Main Street.

Known as the "Carriage House" wing, the upper level saw an addition of eight bedrooms (with private baths!) and a spa room with a sauna and whirlpool big enough for four. Five new rooms on the main floor became the first, and only, wheelchair accessible rooms. Renovations continued through 1984, with care to preserve the integrity of the original Inn, adding private baths to the original bedrooms, and in many cases making one room out of two. During these renovations, the third floor Widow's Walk was developed into a guest room.

At its largest, the Inn had 22 bedrooms. Now reduced to 18, some of the smaller carriage house rooms were combined to form the larger, more luxurious suites that are in demand today. With the addition of gas fireplaces and double whirlpool tubs in many of these suites, the original spa and sauna were decommissioned.

The Little Inn of Bayfield experienced further expansion in 1987 when the building known as the "Guest Cottage" was built adjacent to the Martha Ritz House. Designed with a large comfortable common room suitable for corporate retreats and 10 luxury suites with private verandahs, the Guest Cottage is nestled into a beautiful walnut grove across the street from the original Inn. Open year round, The Little Inn is known for elegant accommodation, fine dining and old-fashioned hospitality. It has been awarded the CAA Four Diamond rating for over a decade and is a founding member of Ontario's Finest Inns and Spas.