Shortly after we bought this property, back in 2012, before we even had furniture, we decided to hold an open house. There was an Open Streets event in Hamilton and we timed the open house for the same weekend, and advertised to the downtown neighbourhoods that we would be open.

Piano Lessons

We had so many people come to see the house! Among the curious neighbours were several people who had lived in the house in the past, and who had spent time here. One of them was an older lady, who came to see if the house was the same as when she’d seen it as a little girl. She told us that when she was young, she used to come here while her mother was taking piano lessons. While she was waiting for her mother, she used to slide down the stair rail!

This was a lovely story, and we were able to corroborate it when we looked into some of the previous residents of the house. From 1908 to 1933, the Hopkins family lived here – and the lady of the house was indeed a pianist.

Mynora

Mynora Hopkins was the daughter of Levi and Amanda Beamer, and was born in 1870 in Southern Ontario, probably near Lincoln. She married William Hopkins, a doctor, in 1892.

Unfortunately, despite her extremely searchable name, we don’t know much more about Mynora. We don’t even have a picture of her. She and William had three children, and their son (also William) went on to become a magistrate in Hamilton.

It is a fact of history that women are usually less visible than men. We are going to keep looking for Mynora and see what we can find. Until we do manage to shine a light on her, we are happy to honour her in a way that is within out power.

Renaming

Our largest private room, located adjacent to our kitchen, used to be accessed through a door that was underneath our basement stairs. It seemed logical to call it the Potter room. Due to many changing circumstances – including a renovation that moved our staircase – we are renaming this room. It will henceforth be known as the Mynora room.

We look forward to unearthing more of the history of this beautiful, historic house!

Here’s to 2026!

We are looking forward to a great new year, but first, let’s take a moment to look back. In 2025, we were the accommodation of choice for guests from 78 different countries! As always, the majority of guests came from here in Canada, but about 60% of our guests were international travelers. We were busier than the quiet year we had in 2024, but there’s certainly room to improve in 2026.

The Lows

We got an unfortunate “trick” on Halloween. A car crash in the intersection next to us sent one of the cars right through our front fence! Fortunately, no one was hurt and the only casualty was our fence. We’re lucky that our insurance will cover the repairs, but in the meantime our poor fence is propped up with a post. The fence itself is quite old – not as old as the house, but probably about 100 years old. It’s wrought iron and quite elegant and we’re looking forward to having it beautifully repaired.

We suffered some personal loss during 2025. We’re very grateful for our friends and family who supported us through it.

The Highs

Given our increasingly shaky relationships with the large OTAs, we have reached out to a few new platforms to reach tourists and travelers. It’s important to try new things when the old stop working! We are looking forward to working with listing partners and reaching hikers, film-makers and more.

Late in the year, Hamilton’s primary downtown concert venue reopened after a long closure for renovations. The headline act for the grand opening was nonother than Paul McCartney, and the Pring was sold out, full of fans! In addition to concerts, sports teams will be returning for regular games. There are several big-name acts coming in the new year and we can’t wait to have music fans and sports fans staying with us at the hostel.

Looking forward

In the next year, we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Festivals, music, awards, races and even the World Cup! For ourselves, we are hoping to do some upgrades to the backyard. And, of course, we will have a beautiful front fence!

We are often asked: so, are you a bed and breakfast? Or, is this like an Airbnb? The answer to that is: No. We are not a bed and breakfast in the traditional sense, and we are definitely not a ghost hotel listed on that website. The Pring Guesthouse is a hostel, and that is a different type of thing entirely.

A Hostel is not a Bed and Breakfast

So, what’s the difference? Essentially, the difference is that a hostel is shared accommodation, whereas a bed and breakfast is more similar to a boutique hotel. Of course, there is a lot of variation. Unlike a big box hotel, where every room is more or less the same and every hotel in a chain, everywhere in the world, is basically the same, hostels and B&Bs have individuality. We have character!

But the main difference is right there in the name: breakfast. Generally, a bed and breakfast offers an a la carte menu, where a cooked breakfast is available in a dining room. This is sometimes a part of the price, and sometimes costs extra.

But do you Offer Breakfast?

Well… sort of. No, we do not cook breakfast! However, we have a full kitchen where you are absolutely welcome to prepare your own breakfast. And it can be as complicated or as simple as you like. We’ve already mentioned our enthusiasm for coffee. But we also provide many types of tea and hot chocolate.

If you want to prepare your own breakfast, we provide dry cereal – four different types, which vary depending on the mood of the person doing the grocery shopping. In the fridge you will find milk – dairy, as well as a few types of non-dairy. We generally have oatmeal packages, and occasionally baked goods. And we also have the essential tools, like frying pans, pots and a toaster.

What are My Other Options?

If you’re not in the mood to prepare your own breakfast, don’t worry. We are fortunate enough to be located close to numerous excellent breakfast spots; from the sophisticated to the eclectic! And much more, all within an easy walk.

So you don’t need to worry about being hungry on your visit to Hamilton. We have absolutely got your covered there!

For twenty years now, the second Friday in every month on James Street North is Art Crawl. Originally it was organized by local independent artists and enjoyed by only a handful of people. Since then, it has blossomed into a great night out regularly visited by hundreds – even thousands – of people each month.

On that Friday afternoon, artists start arriving on the street and set up their tables or stands to show off their work. No one owns Hamilton’s Art Crawl – there’s no organizing body – and whoever wants to show up to sell their art is able to do so. Paintings, sculpture, mixed media, crafts, musical acts – anything goes.

Temporary Works and Permanent Galleries

Not all the artists are temporary. Many of the original organizers of Art Crawl ran galleries on the street, and some of those galleries are still there. Many more galleries and studios have opened.

During the warmer months, the City of Hamilton has closed vehicular traffic to James street. This allows people to flow out into the street, and larger art displays to be set up. Fun activities like chalk drawing pop up along the street, too, as well as dancing and other performances. Cross traffic is closed on the smaller streets, though the larger ones remain open.

Great Fun for Everyone

In addition to the arts and activities, many shops, cafes and restaurants stay open late. There are so many places along James North to get a great meal! A lot of these places also have patios set up on the street so diners can enjoy the festivities.

When guests arrive and ask us if there’s anything fun to do around town, it’s always a treat for us if that happens on an Art Crawl evening. And, of course, it’s not uncommon for a guest to arrive who is here to perform or to show their art. We enjoy the opportunity to go downtown and take part in the fun. And you can check our walls for art we have bought from wonderful local artists.

It really is a wonderful thing. Hamilton is home to many fantastic festivals throughout the year, but we are fortunate that one of the best happens every month!