Glad to be on the front-end of these reviews (#2). Because I have a gut feeling this one-of-a-kind artisan mansion o' Dali and semi-hedonistic art-directed wonder will be huge in the coming years. Want to be in a surrealist movie set? Then this is your place.
I mean, one could recommend Darling Mansion to their parents if they were hip. Hipsters if they weren't elitists. And elite art lovers randomly in town on short notice to see new AGO retrospective shows (as me + my girlfriend did for Basquiat, http://www.ago.net/basquiat). AND definitely recommended for those who want to pretend they're in Dali's weekend home 40 years ago. Complete with magazines and books from the '70s (wink, wink).
This was also more affordable than the cheapest hotel we *almost* booked -- and thank ye romantic Gods we did not go the hotels.com route. On the road 1.5 hours away in Kitchener, we called a friend of a friend and "discovered" what might be the BEST B n' B I've ever been to short of my dreams. And I've been to 13 countries around Western Europe, and Dali's museum in Figueres, Spain; I never even imagined a place like this.
PROS: The host was engaging and fun; decor was mind-blowing; room was CLEAN, and bottled water everywhere! Our room was $99 for double. (I'm sure subject-to-change if it catches traction with travelers.)
CONS: I don't consider a shared bathroom a "con." The host Tanya may even make you coffee and bacon (though, I don't eat bacon). Cry me a river!
NOTE: This place's sister business is the Salvador Darling: Oyster Bar & Cocktail Lounge; also worth checking out for the mannequins and shots courtesy of Tanya. (I swear she has a twin.)
NOTE 2: The place was amazingly finished in mere weeks (or 1-2 months) -- it looks lived in for years. I think they're still finishing up the kitchen + back patio. But looks like you could cook your own breakfast, too, if you asked. They seems flexible.