Vibe: The independent Hazelton Hotel has the type of full-on luxury favoured by lifestyle-conscious high-achievers from the worlds of art, fashion and entertainment, including the occasional pop star. The style speaks of a well-appointed old-style private club—all dark and plush, with plenty of texture and cozy seating nooks. Retro colours—rusts, greens and oranges—are given a contemporary twist, with amber lighting, metal accents, soft fabrics and ostrich leather warming things up.

Rooms: All three tiers of accommodation sport rooms that are spacious, uncluttered and subdued, with huge wardrobes, swivel TVs, a mini bar, a pillow menu, drapes you can manipulate from a bedside switch, and a through-the-roof thread count. A Nespresso machine will help kick-start your day. A sexy, dark green granite bathroom doesn’t feel overdone and comes replete with heated floors, TVs embedded in the mirrors, L’Occitane amenities, a big bathtub with Epsom salts and a separate shower. Nineteen of the 77 rooms have walk-out balconies, with the rest featuring Juliet balconies.

F&B: ONE Restaurant is a destination in itself, helmed by one of Canada’s leading chefs, Mark McEwan, who, in addition to having his own TV show, The Heat, was one of the judges on Top Chef Canada. Classic French and Italian flavours are matched with the best ingredients Ontario has to offer. A classic P.E.I. grass-fed beef selection of steaks is supported by hearty seafood items and a selection of decadent pasta dishes, plus a huge starter list that includes things like salmon tartare, fresh oysters and grilled octopus.

The intimate Neil Young private dining room is sequestered at the back of the restaurant. Guests can enjoy 24-hour in-room dining. The lively bar is perfect for people-watching and a boxwood-lined patio is always busy.

Extras: Find attentive, luxury-calibre service from a team of staff that is quick off the draw to call you by name. A full-service spa touts Swiss product line Valmont. The spa and fitness centre changing areas have large steam rooms, with a lift that takes you down to a tranquil salt-water pool. A 25-seat screening room can play host to everything from business presentations to sports events to Oscar parties. The Yorkville Room seats 70 people for intimate private suppers or business luncheons.

Off-Site: Tucked away in the tree-lined heart of Toronto’s up-market Yorkville district, the Hazelton overlooks a cluster of fashionable boutiques, bars and restaurants, all just a two-minute walk from Toronto’s Mink Mile, the city’s designer shopping strip.

Rate: $$$$
Book Now

The post Toronto: The Hazelton appeared first on TravelRight.Today.

Vibe: Formerly a Holiday Inn, the Kimpton looks more like a residence than a hotel, full of fun quirks, clever details, and arched doorways, hallways and mirrors uniting the design of the public spaces. A cool shade of blue-green replaces the regular hotel beige. Expect lots of wood, patterned rugs and many other earthy colours and textures, including loads of natural light. A fireplace warms up a cozy and comfortable living room-like lounge off the lobby, a fine spot to settle in with the newspaper.

Rooms: The design of the 188 rooms, including 21 suites, is meant to capture the essence of the Annex neighbourhood’s heritage homes, with sculptural furnishings like moulded walnut desks and rounded mirrors, plus gold light fixtures and locally sourced art. The colour palette mimics Canadian nature with a mixture of blues, greens, grays, browns and rusts—practically every shade of a Group of Seven painting. A record player comes with a new selection of Canadian vinyl. White oak armoires feature natural caning at the door faces and a white resin squirrel sculpture inside, a nod to Toronto’s famous west end albino squirrel. Frette sheets, robes and towels add a distinct touch of luxury. Grey-tiled bathrooms feature a marble vanity and natural Atelier Bloem amenities. A yoga mat can be found in every closet. The standard room size is 300 square feet.

F&B: The sole restaurant is The Fortunate Fox, a lively, third party-owned gastropub doing breakfast through dinner and on to late-night snacks. An elevated pub menu features all the basics, including fried chicken, a curry, fish and chips, burgers, pizzettes, sandwiches and salads. Everything is made from scratch.

Extras: The Peregrine Room is the main event room on the ground floor with 1,500 square feet of space in total, including a break-out area. Natural materials, natural light, warm tones of peach and gray, locally sourced furniture and cheeky artwork make for a very non-businesslike atmosphere. An airy, state-of-the-art fitness room also sports an adjacent exercise/yoga room. Bicycles are available for those who want to hop on the Bloor Street bike lane right at the front door.

Off-Site: The Kimpton Saint George is right in the middle of town, between the west and east ends, and equidistant from uptown and downtown. Hotel guests can walk to The Royal Ontario Museum and The Gardiner Museum (Canada’s national ceramics museum) in under 10 minutes. The famed Bata Shoe Museum is directly across the street.

Rate: $$$

Book Now

The post Toronto: Kimpton Saint George appeared first on TravelRight.Today.