Lunenburg's only 4.5 Star Inn

Located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, The Mariner King Inn majestically stands in the heart of Old Town Lunenburg.  The Inn, built in 1830, has undergone extensive renovations restoring the old and melding it with the needs of today's travellers.  The Inn has three rooms and two suites in the original building, while the Cranberry and Candy Apple additions add six suites and three rooms with a more contemporary, mariner theme in mind.  All rooms have luxurious, environmentally conscious and allergy free queen or king size beds, en-suite bathrooms, WiFi, TV (dvd), minibar, safe, telephone, and air-conditioning.  Other amenities include good morning breakfast buffett, business center, exercise room, cosy parlour, winter garden, and laundry facility. 

A Historic Hotel Experience

The Mariner King Inn and Additions offer upscale and contemporary lodging in the centre of Historic Lunenburg. Our intimate setting, the history of our buildings and our knowledgeable staff await your visit.

The story of how the Mariner King came to be begins with King William, the last of the Georgian Kings. William was the first British Royal to come to Nova Scotia. The then twenty year old Prince-captain arrived in Halifax aboard his frigate Pegasus in 1786. His search for raffish sailor's pleasures soon led him to the boudoir of forty-two year old Frances Wentworth, wife of the expelled Loyalist Governor of New Hampshire. Mrs. Wentworth's charms brought the "Sailor Prince" back again in 1787 and yet again in 1788. The ambitious Frances brazened the scandal in Halifax "like a haughty Queen" while husband Johan took his humiliation to the back woods where he enjoyed a comedown sinecure as H.M. Surveyor of Forests. In London, Frances renewed her "friendship" with the prince in 1791 earning his support for the appointment of husband Johan as Governor of Nova Scotia.

Frances would be Queen of Nova Scotia, at least. For his part, William settled into the respectability of his new position as Duke of Clarence while his mad father and outrageous brother fulfilled their unpopular royal tenures. All the Empire sighed with relief when the Mariner King finally ascended the throne in 1830.

In Lunenburg, Dr. Charles Bolman marked the coronation year by constructing a proud home at 15 King Street in the centre of town, one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture at the time. Six years later the property was purchased by the up and coming sea merchant John Zwicker for the tidy sum of 600 pounds. Zwicker had already named his square-rigged brigantine The William and was plying the booming West Indian trade. The Zwickers continued to prosper and became one of the first to Victorianize their home in the fashionable Italianate style in the 1870's, adding on the famous Lunenburg "bump" over the entrance. The King Street property remained in the Zwicker family until 1953. Sherman Zwicker, a former mayor of Lunenburg, and well respected for his lifetime of work in public administration, grew up in room number two. Just before his death in 2004 he received the Royal Order of Nova Scotia in recognition of his outstanding contribution working to promote health and well-being of the people of his community and to preserve the cultural heritage of Lunenburg and its fishing tradition.

After the Zwickers sold the house, it went through many changes, from apartments to a rooming house, to a home for the elderly. It once housed the offices of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival, a French bakery, and a restaurant called the Compass Rose. It has been operating as an Inn for 25 years and was purchased in 2007 by Stellar Investments Inc. The Inn has since undergone extensive renovations restoring and beautifying it in the Victorian style and at the same time melding it with the needs of today's travellers.

The Mariner King and Lunenburg in the press & media:

Lunenburg Included in Google's World Wonders Project Whether it's the geometric shapes of the "Lunenburg Bumps", the infamous grid pattern courtesy of the Crown, or the world famous Bluenose, internet-and-technology giant Google has selected the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Lunenburg for the company's World Wonders Project. With this selection, Google has given Lunenburgers' and Nova Scotians' another reason to be proud. And so they should be! This extremely significant and important selection has placed Lunenburg in the same categorey as Old Jerusalem, the historic district of Quebec City, and Versaille. The most exciting part? A photo of Stellar Investments Inc.'s Mariner King Inn was chosen as the face of Lunenburg. Many thanks to all of the staff, contractors, and others that have supported our endeavor and helped to make it a success. This is a tremendous opportunity for Lunenburg to capitalize upon and once again reassures the community and the world that Lunenburg has something truly worth treasuring.Google's World Wonders Project Toronto Sun Article

Hooked on Lunenburg Take a look at Stellar Investments Inc. (Cilantro, Trattoria della Nonna, and The Mariner King Inn) in the first video of the Hooked On Lunenburg series! Check us out on facebook as well and share with friends!Hooked on Lunenburg Video

Doctor's Review - A Shore Thing A great read by Susan Maccallum-Whitcomb in the June 2012 "Doctor's Review". Mentioning many great places in Lunenburg including The Mariner King Inn, King's Plate and Trattoria della Nonna on UNESCO FRESCODoctor's Reivew-A Shore Thing

Live Well In Lunenburg UNESCO FRESCO was featured in the Lunenburg Board of Trade "Live Well in Lunenburg" video. Take a peak and learn about Lunenburg's many great big and small businesses!  Live Well in Lunenburg

UNESCO FRESCO Website Keep in touch with all that goes on within King Street, Lunenburg with the UNESCO FRESCO website. Check out new and up-coming Events, Specials, New, etc. Also! sign up for the UNESCO FRESCO Newsletter and be the first to hear of everything at the first of every month!  www.unescofresco.com

The Market Chef with Celebrity Chef Massimo Capra Experience the sights and sounds of The Mariner King and King's Plate through the lens of TGTV and Celebrity Chef Massimo Capra.  Capra, who travels the world  searching for the freshest food, has chosen to visit Canada's historic fishing capital Lunenburg and our Michelin-rated Executive Chef Konrad Haumering at King's Plate.  Together Konrad and Capra visit Lunenburg's growing fresh farmers market, it's local mussel farm, and select fisheries in search of the choicest mussels, scallops, halibut, and lobster that will ultimately be soaked, seared, and served at King's Plate for TGTV's filming of "The Market Chef." See Massimo, Konrad, and The Market Chef clip »

Lunenburg featured on Ottawa's 'A' Network during the taping of July 14th's "'A' Morning Video" Quoting 'A' Network's YouTube page, "Angie takes a trip through historic Lunenburg Nova Scotia in a horse and carriage," while taping a piece about Lunenburg for July 14th's episode.  At minute mark 1:15, you can see the building housing The Mariner King's Cranberry Suites as Angie and Basil cruise down King Street.  The video features colorful shots of the town and harbour's architectural gems and a brief description of Lunenburg's storied maritime history.   See 'A' Network's Lunenburg Nova Scotia clip »