Don't Stop The Dance!

The venerable King Eddy is again taking a new dance partner.

After seven years under Starwood stewardship as Le Meridien King Edward Hotel Toronto, the 109-year old “grande dame” will – on July 17th – take back her maiden name, and follow the lead of one of her owner-partners, Skyline Hotels & Resorts.

For guests and groups booked into the hotel it should be pretty much business as usual, and the current condominium development and renovation plans remain unchanged.

Whew! Yours truly has been patiently waiting for the reopening of the Crystal Ballroom every since I heard about The King Edward Hotel’s “secret” roof-top ballroom.

Skyline also manages Deerhurst and Horseshoe resorts, and the Cosmopolitan and Pantages boutique hotels

The End of An Era

It seems such a cliché to say “if these walls could talk”, but certainly The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto would have borne witness to some pretty juicy stories in its 45-year history.

It seems The Sutton Place name has always been linked with the famous as well as the infamous, starting with an unsuccessful mob hit just months after it opened in 1967. The incident literally put the hotel on the map – with newspaper articles describing the brand new property as “posh” and “swanky”. In the three years I worked there we were still the host hotel for the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, now known as simply as “TIFF”. I have my own personal “star stories” including a chance encounter with none other than Madonna!

Last week I attended a farewell function for the staff, past and present – in anticipation of the hotel’s closure on June 15th. It was a classy and surprisingly moving trip down memory lane which included messages from various celebrities who fondly remember The Sutton Place as their home away from home while in Toronto.

But it was the testimonials of the long-time employees that really choked me up. Many, many with over 25 years of service spoke with such deep pride about taking care of the thousands of guests who walked through those doors at 955 Bay Street.

That’s why they call it the hospitality industry.

Tragically Hip

Club-style line-up, complete with bouncer, outside The Drake Hotel



It's Saturday night, and the line-up up of expectant and slightly inebriated party-goers stretches down the block. I was there to attend a Prince tribute in the Drake's designated event space, the Underground, but the main floor Dining Room was standing/dancing/drinking-shots room only, and I imagine the Sky Yard (a second floor outdoor patio overlooking Queen Street) was equally packed, considering the fine weather.

May-be not what some of the hotel guests staying there expected.

The scene certainly lends validity to concerns of residents in Prince Edward County, where Drake owner Jeff Stober is opening a remodelled and renovated century old inn: The Drake Devonshire. 

Bottom line for someone in my position is to know my client's expectations, the demographics of the group, and the goals and objectives of their meeting - as well as the overall "culture" of a prospective hotel, beyond its guestroom amenties and meeting room specs.

Come Up To The Lab

The "Chocolate Lab" is a signature dessert station offered at the Trump Hotel Toronto, both in its 31st floor restaurant, Stock, and for private functions.

Elements can be customized, as they were last night for our ConferenceDirect Client Event, held in the private dining space overlooking Stock.

It's hard to believe the hotel has only been open 90 days!  We were warmly greeted by the General Manager, who shared with us his vision for the residential-style of service, differentiating Trump in a now-crowded luxury market.

This evening afforded my clients, and clients working with my other ConferenceDirect associates in Toronto, to mix an mingle, sample some of the Trump cuisine (including the Chocolate Lab treats!), and see the hotel meeting rooms and guestrooms for the first time.

ConferenceDirect's Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer, Brian Richey happened to be in town and joined us - thanking our customers for trusting us with their meeting planning needs ("Like the airlines, we know you have a choice") and acknowledging all of the ConferenceDirect associates for the work we do in providing a consistent level of service to our valued clients.