A charming home in Historic Old Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Your home away from home!

Secret Garden Cottage

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada
7
3
1.5

About

The Secret Garden Cottage is a charming home situated right in the Historic Old Town of NOTL. In any season, enjoy the entire house AND the gifts that this beautiful area has to offer: Walk or cycle to the many high-quality wineries, outstanding restaurants, charming shops in town, and highly-acclaimed Shaw Festival productions. Or cozy up with all of the comforts of home, enjoying a glass of local wine on the back deck or in the Garden Room, while gazing out over the stunning Secret Garden.

Good to know

The Secret Garden is a hidden gem, and the beautifully landscaped property can be enjoyed from both inside and outside of the home, with spacious front and back porches, and a cozy Garden Room. Please message me through Airbnb to request a link to a video of the property, with music composed by me in the background! MAIN FLOOR: Previous guests will tell you that the highlight of the Cottage is the Garden Room, perfect for enjoying your morning hot drink, or a glass of wine in the afternoon or evening. From here you get to enjoy the birds and wildlife, as well as the expansive 3-tiered Garden with constantly changing colours throughout the season. In addition to the over 30 amenities on site, another of this two-floor cottage's unique features is the Music Room with an office space, an upright Kawai piano, and a sofa that can be prepared in advance as a double sofa bed, making it the 3rd Bedroom with blackout blinds, ensuring a quality sleep. (SMALL EXTRA CHARGE TO PREPARE THE SOFA BED, see below.) Kitchen and pantry are well-stocked with baking and cooking supplies, and an adjoining dining room has an expandable table with 6 chairs. The comfortable living room contains a multitude of games, books and puzzles, and a large screen Smart TV with an Amazon Fire Stick. The is also a Powder Room on this floor. UPSTAIRS: Two bedrooms with quality queen size beds, with the Primary containing a twin sofa bed. (SMALL EXTRA CHARGE TO PREPARE THE SOFA BED, see below.) Both rooms have blackout blinds, ensuring a quality sleep. The spacious bathroom with combined tub/shower, toilet and sink with plenty of counter space, also has quality safe and clean Canadian Rocky Mountain Soap Co. toiletries and plush towels for your use. OUTSIDE: Located at the back of the garden, the shed contains 2 bicycles, saving you having to rent elsewhere! Enjoy the floral and musical themes throughout the cottage, and be sure to have a glass of wine (provided by your host!) on the deck overlooking the extensive and stunning Secret Garden, or in the Garden Room with a beautiful view! IMPORTANT TO KNOW: 1) The maximum number of guests, including children, that the Secret Garden can accommodate comfortably, is 7. 2) If you require use of either or both of the sofa beds during your stay, there is an additional charge of $50 per night per bed. Sofa beds are prepared in advance of your arrival with cozy bedding, extra pillows, and thick mattress covers that make the beds very comfortable, and then dismantled following your departure. 3) The local Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) of 4% IS BUILT INTO THE NIGHTLY FEE, which I submit to the Town quarterly. 3) NOTL Town License: 061-2023 4) CRA BN for HST purposes: #87571 7795 My love of Niagara-on-the-Lake led me to purchase the Secret Garden Cottage! It is my happy place, and I am honoured to share it with you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable. Thank you!

Other Details to Note

1) About TAXES: Town of NOTL requires me to charge a MAT (Municipal Accommodation Tax) of 4% on the room rate fee. Airbnb does not have capacity for this to be charged separately, so I have had to build it into the nightly fee. I "back out" the MAT and submit it to the Town. HST (Harmonized Sales Tax - combination of Provincial and Federal) of 13% is applied to the room rate and MAT, and I submit this to the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency). 2) NOTL Town License: 061-2023 3) CRA BN for HST purposes: #87571 7795 4) The Amazon Fire Stick connected to the 33" TV allows you to watch or listen to anything available on Amazon Prime (provided by the Secret Garden Cottage), or to access other streaming services using your own accounts for eg. Netflix. (Please do not exit my Amazon account during your stay. Thank you!)

Availability

What this place offers

Amenities

Common

  • Essentials Towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper, and pillows
  • Air conditioning
  • Cleaning products
  • Cooking basics Pots and pans, oil, salt and pepper
  • Dedicated workspace
  • Dishes and silverware
  • Dryer In the building, free or for a fee
  • Washing Machine In the building, free or for a fee
  • Hair dryer
  • Heating Central heating or a heater in the listing
  • Hot tub
  • Kitchen Space where guests can cook their own meals
  • Pool Private or Shared
  • TV
  • Wifi

Bathroom

  • Body soap
  • Conditioner
  • Shampoo
  • Bidet
  • Bathtub
  • Hot Water
  • Rain Shower
  • Shower gel

Bedroom and laundry

  • Extra pillows and blankets
  • Bed linens
  • Hangers
  • Iron
  • Clothing storage
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Room-darkening shades

Common

  • Essentials Towels, bed sheets, soap, toilet paper, and pillows
  • Air conditioning
  • Cleaning products
  • Cooking basics Pots and pans, oil, salt and pepper
  • Dedicated workspace
  • Dishes and silverware
  • Dryer In the building, free or for a fee
  • Washing Machine In the building, free or for a fee
  • Hair dryer
  • Heating Central heating or a heater in the listing
  • Hot tub
  • Kitchen Space where guests can cook their own meals
  • Pool Private or Shared
  • TV
  • Wifi

Bathroom

  • Body soap
  • Conditioner
  • Shampoo
  • Bidet
  • Bathtub
  • Hot Water
  • Rain Shower
  • Shower gel

Bedroom and laundry

  • Extra pillows and blankets
  • Bed linens
  • Hangers
  • Iron
  • Clothing storage
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Room-darkening shades

Entertainment

  • Piano

Family

  • Board games
  • Crib
  • High chair
  • Pack 'n Play/travel crib

Heating and cooling

  • Ceiling fan
  • Indoor fireplace
  • Portable fans

Home safety

  • Fire extinguisher
  • Carbon monoxide detector
  • Smoke detector
  • First aid kit

Kitchen and dining

  • Baking sheet
  • Barbecue utensils
  • Blender
  • Coffee
  • Coffee maker
  • Dining table
  • Dishwasher
  • Freezer
  • Hot water kettle
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Stove
  • Toaster
  • Wine glasses

Location features

  • Private entrance Separate street or building entrance

Outdoors

  • Garden or backyard
  • BBQ grill
  • Bikes
  • Outdoor seating
  • Patio or balcony

Parking and facilities

  • Free parking on premises
  • Free street parking

Services

  • Luggage dropoff allowed For guests' convenience when they have early arrival or late departure
  • Long term stays allowed Allow stay for 28 days or more

House Rules

When you arrive, you will see that I have created the Secret Garden Cottage as a beautiful oasis, with my own personal flair and belongings. I have a passion for flowers, and the artwork in my home reflects that. As well, I am a musician, and I am sharing my beautiful Kawai piano with you. Please care for my home as you would yours. Thank you!

Accessibility

Neighborhood

The Secret Garden Cottage is perfectly situated in Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake, and is just a 13-minute walk to Queen (the main) Street, with cute shops, restaurants and more. The Shaw Festival theatre locations are also close by. Use the two bicycles provided to experience wine-tasting at the many local wineries, outstanding farm-to-table meals at the nearby restaurants, and the wonderful trails alongside Lake Ontario. In addition: It's a 15-minute drive to the Outlet Collection at Niagara, a 10-minute walk to the Community Pool (open from mid- June through to Labour Day), and a 30-minute drive to Niagara Falls.

Guest Access

Your entry code will be the last 4 digits of the number associated with your booking platform account. There is parking for 3 cars in the driveway.

Reviews

Jack
October 2025 · Airbnb
Everything about our stay at Tara's secret garden cottage was absolutely perfect. From her tremendous communication, organized binder of any and all information we'd need about the property and the town, to the completely pristine cottage that was beautifully decorated and cozy. Tara had even sent over a list of recommended wineries, restaurants and things to do in the area that we found extremely helpful! The garden itself cannot be beat and is such a beautiful hidden gem, so close to Queen St. in NOTL. We will definitely be back, and the secret garden cottage will hold a special memory for us forever. Thank you so much, Tara. We can't wait to come back!
Stacie
October 2025 · Airbnb
Adorable, perfect getaway house in NOTL. The backyard garden and 3 season room was fantastic. House was clean, kitchen well stocked, the bottle of wine left by the owners was a nice touch too. Tara was very communicative, offering helpful tips and suggestions for the area. Great place!
Letitia
September 2025 · Airbnb
So glad we found Tara’s Secret Garden Cottage. It is truly one of the most guest friendly Airbnbs we have ever stayed in and there have been quite a few. We didn’t cook during our 5-night stay, but the kitchen was equipped with everything you could need for a grand spread, including every spice imaginable. The bedrooms/beds were very comfortable. Great storage space. The bedrooms are upstairs if that is an issue. The upstairs full bath had great storage space and plenty of towels available. And boxes of tissue everywhere- much appreciated. Nice having the downstairs powder room, too! Tara’s home is beautifully decorated - great art work. The sun room was a favorite place for morning coffee and the exquisite gardens ( those weeping willows and red leaf maple!) were perfect for afternoon cocktails. We had no issues at all. Only a fabulous stay. Thank you, Tara!!
Carolyn
September 2025 · Airbnb
The secret garden cottage was a perfect choice to spend a night in NOTL to celebrate my mom’s 92 birthday. The home was spotless and so charming and when we arrived it was perfect to enjoy the sunroom and a nice glass of wine provided by Tara while admiring the pretty garden in the backyard. Loved the art of all the walls and the decor was really well done. We would definitely stay here again. Easy location to the theater and town. Highly recommend!
Jen
September 2025 · Airbnb
We had an amazing stay at The Secret Garden Cottage. The house was so lovely and the garden was stunning. The house had everything we needed, and the location was perfect. Tara was super helpful and very quick to reply. We would love to stay again in the future.

Find us

Leave the car at the Secret Garden Cottage, and walk 10 minutes to the main (Queen) Street. Use the 2 bicycles provided to visit wineries, the lake, and more!

Sorry we're unable to show you the location for this property

Approximate location. Full address will be provided on booking.