Spa-ntaneous Bliss!

Week #3 of my Frankencold with no relief in sight. I needed some serious pampering, and found it at the new Four Seasons Hotel Spa.

And by "new" I mean the hotel itself had only been open for 12 days, but considering that the "old" Four Seasons at 21 Avenue Road didn't even have a spa - guests were directed across the street to Stillwater in the Park Hyatt - this is an entirely "new" amenity available to Four Seasons Toronto guests - and to the general public, like myself.

Taking the elevator up to the 9th floor I was greeted by name (love that!) and escorted to my locker. Yes, it was my first time to the Spa so a short  familiarisation tour of the facilities was in order.  The indoor "relaxation pool" is flanked by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows leading to an outdoor terrace.  There's a cosy lounge with comfy chairs, soft lighting, and glossy magazines where I would chill out after my massage, but my first stop, after undressing and donning a thick robe, was the pre-treatment room.  Reclining in one of the organically curved chaises longues I sipped tea while completing the short medical history to let my therapist know of any concerns or conditions she should be aware of.

The treatment room - one of 17 - is possibly the largest I've ever seen, and although my eyes would be closed for the 60 minutes of blissful rubbing, I appreciated that it wasn't all white and antiseptic.  I also appreciated the toweling off of oil from my hands and feet, and the delightful temple bell that gently signified the end of my deep tissue massage. 

I should mention that when I made my appointment I was given several options, including whether I had a preference for a male or female massage therapist.  I also gave feedback during the treatment as to how much pressure I wanted or was comfortable with.

And speaking of pressure, the sinus congestion that had caused me such grief was no match for the *amazing* eucalyptus steam room.

Pink Champagne and George Clooney

I had the most amazing lunch couple of weeks ago at Maison Boulud in the recented re-opened Ritz-Carlton Montreal. Our waiter, who bore an uncanny resemblance to actor George Cooney, encouraged us to order off the menu and share dishes. Everything was beautifully prepared and presented. We at the most leisurely pace imaginable, savouring each course and sipping pink champagne.

Maison Boulud is one of internationally-renowned Chef Daniel Boulud's 15 restaurants worldwide (Cafe Boulud just opened in the new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto). We sat at a table on a covered veranda overlooking the garden, but the restaurant offers such an interesting variety of intimate and varied dining areas; on a return visit you could feel you were at another restaurant entirely.

Re-opened after four years and $200 million in renovations the hotel itself is even more impressive, and has already achieved Five Diamond status - in the same amount of time (four months) as did her sister property, the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.  The guestroom inventory has shrunk (to 129 from 229) making for roomier rooms, and the iconic Oval Ballroom, lovingly restored by artisans who hand-painted the finishes to exacting detail, remains the jewel in her meeting space.

 

Funny thing happened....

...on my way to a doctor's appointment.

I had a little time to kill so I thought I'd wander through the lobby of the new Four Seasons Toronto.  I entered from Yorkville Avenue, where the driveway circles around a huge, red fountain.  It's a bit of a maze inside, with very high ceilings, and the space broken up into small, intimate areas.  There's an art piece depicting a dandelion gone to seed suspended over the front desk. (The dandelion motif is repeated in other artwork throughout the hotel, along with other 'natural' images).

I didn't get far before getting "made" by one of the hotel sales managers. He spotted me, and offered to show me the event space - cool!

We went up to the 3rd floor to see Aria, the 6,776 sq.ft. ballroom with amazing 21 ft. high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. There are breakout rooms on that floor, and on the 6th floor, where the baby ballroom, Vinci (3,249 sq.ft.) is located.

I also got to see one of the gorgeous guestrooms, all taupe with mustard accents, an inviting curved sofa in the corner, and an even more inviting stand-alone stone bathtub - apparently a nod to the decor in the new Spa, which I'll see (and experience!) next week!!

Sucks to be Sick

There's no good time for a bad cold, but feeling lousy when you're away from home is especially awful. It does make you appreciate a nice hotel room, though. 

Let me count the ways the Delta Centre-Ville made my recent stay as comfortable as possible - while I was suffering from a stupid bug.

1. An easy-to-use thermastat allowed me to raise the temperature of the room to a cosy 25C. Quickly. Good for my chills.

2. A great bed: pillow-top mattress, crisp linens and puffy comforter. Bliss.

3. Excellent black-out drapes for day-time napping.

4. The room was also incredibly quiet, so I could really get the rest I needed.

5. An uncomplicated coffee maker, used to make pots and pots of hot tea. Jasmine Green Tea was my favourite.

6. A totally awesome desk/work space for when I did drag myself out of bed. I love that it wasn't cluttered with hotel propaganda; the room service menus and guest services guide were neatly propped up on a ledge. There was excellent task lighting, access to no less than seven electrical outlets, and all manner of computer cables, neatly retracted....

7. Oh - and getting onto the internet was easy! Yes, Delta does have the fastest connection.

8. When it was time to get cleaned up, I had a really, really long, hot shower. It was heaven. I liked the hand-held shower head and bar to hold onto, in case I was feeling dizzy.

9. High quality June Jacobs body lotion is always a nice treat.

10. Large bathroom with lots of counter space so I could spread out with all my drugs and paraphanalia.

11. Club Lounge advantages: I've never understood that "starve a cold, feed a fever" thing, and was so grateful that I'd booked myself a room on one of the Club Floors. Going to the Lounge, with its awesome, almost panoramic view of the city, got me out of my room to enjoy a substantial breakfast each morning - providing me with much-needed nourishment when I wasn't up to actually leaving the hotel. With my reduced appetite the complimentary hors d'oeuvres during the 'cinq a sept' hours were enough serve as dinner.

12. Delta Privilege advantages: I was too tired to go to the business centre to get a couple of documents printed so I emailed them to the Front Desk. There was no charge for them to print them for me. (I remember a few years ago receiving an extremely lengthy fax at the Delta Barrington - and the same thing - there was no charge). Also, late check-out was easily arranged so that I can stay in my lovely room right up until the time I had to go to the aiport and fly home.

New Gateway

Formerly the Sheraton Fallsview, the newly-flagged Marriott Gateway on the Falls joins the Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview & Spa as the two hotels closest to one of the most famous  natural wonders of the world: Niagara Falls.  The views from the majority of its 407 guestrooms are spectacular, and the new property gives Marriott as a brand a capacity to host much larger meetings and events.

In addition to its 23 meeting rooms/40,000 sq, ft. of function space, the Marriott Gateway is also the closest hotel to the brand new Scotiabank Convention Centre - providing an additional 288,000 sq.ft.

With the re-flagging comes a host of brand standards and features, such as the Marriott Revive bed, and Great Room lobby concept that encourages guests to interact over a cocktail or Starbucks coffee, take care of business with free Wi-Fi, or just chill and enjoy the contemporary, casual ambience.

Not Just for Cowboys

Spacious lobby bar ideal for delegates to unwind and network.
Nary a cowboy in sight!

The Fairmont Dallas *feels* like a Fairmont Hotel. There's thick, plush carpeting in the wide guestroom hallways graced with tasteful prints of Grecian urns. The guestroom doors are an unexpectedly bright shade of coral, but otherwise the decor is sedate, classic, and luxe: warm earth colours, plenty of wood, guilt-edged mirrors, and granite surfaces. Walk-in closets are reminiscent of the original railway hotels and resorts across Canada which had large closets to store steamer trunks for guests staying "the season".

I consult the hotel directory and learn that the building was originally designed as a kind of self-contained resort or country club.  It opened as a hotel in 1969 as the first luxury hotel in the great state of Texas, and has enjoyed a storied three decades built on the visits by celebrities, entertainers, Presidents, and foreign dignataries.

The pool and terrace provide an urban oasis, framed by award-
winning architecture, available for private functions.

Located in the Arts District (the hotel has its own artist-in-residence), anchored by the nearby Dallas Museum of Art, and within walking distance of West End restaurants the Fairmont Dallas is an outstanding conference hotel. It offers 545 guestrooms and over 70,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, with two Grand Ballrooms, stacked: the almost 18,000 Regency Ballroom and the more that 13,000 sq. ft. International Ballroom.

The nearby Perot Museum of Nature and Science (set to open January 2013) will be also be available for group functions for up to 2,300 people

Small Group ALTernative

The new ALT Hotel at Toronto Pearson Airport joins ALT Hotels in Montreal and Quebec in offering "no frills chic" service at a single price - any room, any time - wireless interenet always included.

ALT Hotels, with properties in Montreal and Quebec (and openings soon in Winnipeg and Halifax), is part of Groupe Germain Hospitality which also operates Le Germain Hotels. These include Hotel Le Germain Toronto and Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square. Both brands offer exceptional design features with limited services, or as they say "service light".

Whereas breakfast is included with your stay at Le Germain, you may purchase a wide range of hot and cold meals and snacks any time of the day or night from ALTcetera Eatery - to be enjoyed in the stylish and comfortable lobby, or in the privacy of your own room. Yes, alcoholic beverages are available, and you can get a pretty mean Americano should you so desire.  

The ALT Toronto offers 153 guestrooms and 6000 sq.ft. of function space comprised of 11 meeting rooms and "creative lounges" - with floor-to-ceiling windows, 55" television screens, and colourful names such as Rose, Fuscia, Cyan and Indigo.

I love the proximity of this hotel to the airport, too. No waiting around for a shuttle, simply take the Link train; the picture above was taken from the train stop. There's 'alt' signage inside Terminal 3 to direct you.

For more info go to:  http://pearson.althotels.ca/