While there are many ways to show Mom she's special, perhaps none speaks of love more than an afternoon tea. (Clipart.com)

Mother's Day -- that special Sunday dedicated to showing Mom just how much she means to us -- is just around the corner.

While there are many ways to show Mom she's special, perhaps none speaks of love more than treating her to afternoon tea at the charming Prince of Wales Hotel in historic Niagara on-the-Lake.

The Prince of Wales is Victorian elegance and hospitality at its best, so it's little wonder it has embraced the aristocratic British tradition.

It all got started in 1840, when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, grew tired of the long interval between lunch and dinner, and began requesting a tray of tea, bread and butter to be brought to her room at 4 p.m. each day. Later, she began to invite friends to join her and word soon spread throughout society that "ladies" were visiting each other for "afternoon tea."

On this side of the ocean, afternoon tea has evolved into a soothing and relaxed experience offered at a few of Canada's top hotels.

In the elegant confines of the Prince of Wales, the Drawing Room setting makes visitors feel as if they are among royalty. Filled with antiques, the decor is exquisite and the warm inviting atmosphere in keeping with the gracious building.

The Afternoon Tea menu includes four selections of finger sandwiches on homemade bread, tantalizing pastries, scones with jasmine-tea infused sultanas and clotted cream, and some of the finest teas from around the world.

"On Mother's Day, the Drawing Room is the perfect spot to honour your mom," says Dianne Turner, marketing and public relations specialist for Vintage Hotels.

"The ambience and service are spectacular."

After, treat your mother -- who for years has taken care of others -- to a few hours of pampering at the hotel's Secret Garden Spa.

Extensive renovations in 2008 have totally transformed it into a "soul-soothing oasis," Turner says.

And in keeping with the hotel's tea tradition, the Secret Garden Spa specializes in tea-infused treatments -- or "special-teas" as they're known here.

Green, white and rooibos teas, which contain elements beneficial to health, are essential ingredients in new treatments such as the Green Tea and Sugar Cane Pedicure.

I also recommend the detoxifying sea clay wrap, which uses mineral salts to restore moisture and eliminate toxins. The treatment is refreshing, and made my skin feel silky smooth and rejuvenated.

IF YOU GO

Mother's Day is May 10. The Prince of Wales is located at 6 Picton St., in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Afternoon tea -- from $32 per person -- is served from noon to 6 p.m. daily. For more, call 1-888-669-5566 or visit vintage-hotels.com.