Does Size Matter?

Well, sometimes, yes – like when you’re trying to shoe-horn your meeting set-up into a space that “on paper” seemed to work, but in reality leaves your attendees feeling like sardines. Or when a small group gets lost in an oversized box of a room. It’s all about getting the right fit.

How do Toronto’s newest luxury offerings measure up?

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto
Located on Wellington - Toronto’s new “south core”. Canadian-themed F&B outlets: TOCA (TOronto CAnada) features a “Cheese Cave”, and DEQ – with its coveted outdoor space – has been a hot spot since it opened last year.
267 guestrooms
23,000 sq.ft. of meeting space
Largest meeting room: Ritz-Carlton Ballroom - 7,400 sq.ft.

2nd Largest meeting room: Wellington Ballroom - 3,053 sq.ft.

Trump Hotel Toronto

Bay Street, Baby – on the corner of Adelaide. Food & Beverage outlets stay on message: Stock Restaurant & Bar on the 31st floor (with semi-private dining space) and SUITS Lobby Lounge. Welcomed its first official guests mid-April this year with much fanfare.

261 guestrooms

Largest meeting room: Grand Ballroom – 3,744 sq.ft.
2nd Largest meeting room: Grand Salon – 3,168 sq.ft.

Four Seasons Toronto
Migrating just a few blocks from its venerable Yorkville located at Avenue Rd. and Bloor to Bay and Yorkville Ave., the *new* Four Seasons Toronto is accepting group business from October onwards. Chef Daniel Boulud will oversee the cuisine in his eponymous restaurant/café and “dbar”.
259 guestrooms
14,300 sq.ft. of meeting space
Largest meeting room: Aria – 6,776 sq.ft.
2nd Largest meeting room: Vinci – 3,249 sq.ft.

Shangri-La Hotel Toronto

The baby of the bunch - the Asian luxury chain’s second property in Canada (a sister for the lovely Shangri-La Vancouver) due to auspiciously open on August 7th.

202 guestrooms

12,000 sq, ft. of meeting space

Largest meeting room: Queen’s Park Ballroom - 3,670 sq. ft.

2nd Largest meeting room: Museum - 1,722 sq.ft.

Recent Hard Hat Tour of the Shangri-La Toronto

"May I have your.......?"

Last week, staying up way too late to watch the season finale of Mad Men I caught the tail end of AMC’s show The Pitch. In the tense final minutes of the show, two advertising agencies were in hot competition to win the Autograph account.

The Autograph Collection of hotels is a new and unique Marriott brand – truly an “evolving ensemble” of one-of-a-kind properties – some historic and/or iconic – others new and edgy. The collection includes city hotels of all sizes and capacities, as well as large convention resorts, and exclusive retreats. Each hotel is, as one of the agencies pitches: “as unique as an autograph”.

Their creative was strikingly beautiful – but the other agency ended up winning the business with their bold, totally-outside-the-box approach – so unlike any hotel advertising I've ever seen – and soooo unlike anything Marriott has ever done.

For awhile you can see a preview of The Pitch on the Autograph hotels website: http://www.autographhotels.com/

I’m looking forward to my own first Autograph experience next week - staying at the famed Algonquin Hotel.

Faster, Higher, Stronger

Okay - just "faster" - but this is GREAT news!!

Delta Hotels is the gold medal winner when it comes to faster internet service in hotels across Canada - up to 20 times faster than your internet at home, making uploading content-heavy presentations or Skyping family or colleagues an easy sprint to the finish line.

Internet XL is currently available in 17 Delta Hotels and Resorts, and is currently *free*.