torontobound

Can someone share their experience or thoughts on the Marriott Bloor Yorkville or the Intercontinental Yorkville?

BAK

Good locations, one (Marriott)just east of Yonge Street, in a shopping complex with a Bay department store and direct connection to the Toronto subway system.

The Intercontinental is a few blocks west of Yonge, between Avenue Road and Bedford. Both are short walks from good restaurants. It's been years since I've been in themeeting rooms of either one, but you can expect Intercintinental or marriott level catering and service. To me, this means very good, at reasonable prices, as contrasted to the Windsor Arms, Park Hyatt or Four Seasons, also in the same neighborhood, where service will be astoundingly good, but very expensive.

There's underground parking at the Intercontinntal, via an entrance to an above ground lot, off BEdford just north of Bloor. (I was there last week) For the Marriott, there's a multi-story above ground parking garage, so it's just as easy for your guests.

If you really want to impress people... move up. But if you want really nice at a good price, it seems to me these would be fine choices.

Room rates for your guests who need rooms will be reasonable, too. To some extent, as with so much about travel, "it all depends."

I've had a fair number of dealings at other Marriotts in Toronto and always been happy. I've had drinks, one meal, and attended several meetings at the Intercontinental, and found it fine, too.

Do you need a wedding photographer? I'm going back into the business, under certain circumstances.

BAK

wow

oh, Brian, please...I can't believe you said that!

torontobound

I do need a wedding photographer-- at a reasonable rate....! I really appreciate your help, Brian. We're doing this wedding on our own (i.e. without family help), so impressing people will be pretty well impossible. I think we'll stick with the Marriott or the Intercontinental-- since the price differential between them and the Hyatt/Four Seasons is more than 100 CAD a person. We're trying to do something nice, but we won't be able to afford showy.
I had read some negative things about the Marriott Bloor, though, so I thought it was worth checking with you seasoned veterans. We're coming from New Jersey, and it's all just so difficult to assess from a distance. Again, I really appreciate your advice. We don't have friends in Toronto. And, Brian- if you want a low key gig- a half hour wedding service and a couple hour luncheon- let me know!

torontobound

On another note, are there other places you might recommend? Like an inn or a restaurant with a private room that you've been to an event at that you loved?
Just a thought. We're not wedded to any particular place.
We just need a classy, reasonably priced place for a mid-day luncheon.

gemelli

Do you have a date in mind and are you committed to midtown?

BAK

Torontobound -- send me an e-mail to [email protected] and we can talk about non-forum things.

But, back to forum things -- a little while ago I walked through the other Intercontinental, down on Front Street, just to get a feel for the place. A couple from New York stopped me and asked me to take their picture with theri camera, and durign the course of doing this I found out that they really liked thehotel, the service was great, and when I mentioned this forum, they asked me to tell people is was an excellent place to stay.

With this in mind, I can't see why the other Intercontinental would not be equally good, although not as recently renovated.

It's been a while since I've been in the Yorkville Mariott, but I'll see if I can take a look around within the next week.

Other places: lots of hotels, of course, but The Old Mill is a restaurant with a cahpel, a long-time favorite of people wanting non-church weddings, fully experienced, and upper-middle priced. It's in the west end of Toronto, at Bloor Street West and the Humber River, and it recently opened its own hotel, for wedding parties.

Nice grounds, too.

BAK

wow

ok, BAK...I take it back! Obviously, your offer has been well rec'd. I hope it all works out for everybody!

Cat123

Just a couple of other ideas for you if you are looking for another wedding spot -

The Glenerin Inn in Mississauga (not downtown but about a 25 minute drive or so to the east of the city) does nice weddings. It is a small, intimate, historic home and wouldn't be crazy expensive.

http://www.glenerininn.com/

For another location right downtown, La Maquette restaurant is a veteran of the Toronto dining scene with lots of wedding experience. The owner is a great lady and would be a big help.

http://lamaquette.com/

BAK

It's amazing how computers can take over people's typing fingers. Or else Mississauga moved soince I was last there. but generally, it's to the west of Toronto, and the airport is there, making it a convenient pla ce for out of towners who fly in, assuming they don't want to see the real city.

Le Maquette is an interesting place, right downtown, and a friend had dinner there recently, and said it was excellent. Weird little outdoor sculpture garden next door that's always grin-inspiring, too.

BAK

Cat123

Thanks BAK - you're right - the computer can often get ahead of my brain!

However, in this case I don't think it is my computer's fault. Since I am living half in Toronto and half in Vancouver right now, I keep mixing up my east and west... Very confusing! Hopefully when I finally get back to Toronto full time in the spring it will all get sorted out - otherwise I'll have trouble finding the office!

In any event, I think that for a lunch time wedding, Glenerin would be fine and would still let those who wanted to see the city do so. It is a nice spot and has less of a "wedding factory" feel than some of the other places near/inn Toronto.

antlori

I would definitely choose the Yorkville Intercontinental over the Marriott. Our company holds a few meetings in Toronto, usually at the Park Hyatt which is superior but expensive. We've done a few at the Intercontinental as well and it is not quite the Park Hyatt but still very nice for a more modest price. The food is very good and they have one meeting room that overlooks Bloor Street and on a sunny day it is really spectacular. The Intercontinental has more of a boutique feel to it vs. the Marriott which is a high-rise "big box" type of hotel. I've seen their meeting rooms and they aren't as nice as the Intercontinental. I have no personal experience with the Old Mill but I've heard it is also very nice.

tedgale

I have not stayed at the Intercontinental but I visited 2 of my brothers there, when they came up to recruit new teaching staff for their respective universities at the American Economics assn (name??)

The hotel is very ordinary.

The Marriott -- where I was staying then and where I would gladly stay again -- is super-quiet. Most rooms overlook an interior courtyeard garden, several stories above the street, or overlook a treed ravine. It has a rather deserted, anonymous feeling -- I sometimes seemed to be the only person on the floor -- that I really like after a hard day of shopping.

Footnote: I have stayed there for 15, maybe more, years -- and through several name changes (the hotel's, not mine).

Mathieu

I've been to a wedding at the Old Mill. It was a small occassion (50 people), in a nice wood panelled room with a fire place and very enjoyable. The meal too was well served and delicious, perhaps all the more because of the intimate crowd and setting. The grounds are nice though perhaps not at their natural best this time of year.

I've been to La Maquette on King street a few times too and we spent last New Years Eve there. We had a great time. Good food and service, and quite romantic if you reserve the space under the glass dome.

One more suggestion : Auberge du Pommier
is another good restaurant owened by the Oliver-Bonacini group thats also good for a wedding luncheon. Its located in the northern part of the city and is about a 20 minute drive along Yonge street (at York Mills) from the Intercon and Marriott. Sub way accessible too. Check it out at : www.aubergedupommier.com

torontobound

Cannot thank everyone enough for their thoughts and suggestions.
Now, it seems, we're suddenly considering the Hyatt as well.
Any thoughts on that? I know I've heard a number of positive things about it- just curious if people have more detailed comments.
Very grateful-
Michelle

BAK

Any idea why the Hyatt? It's a lot more expensive, perhaps, but if the catering manager needs the work, price is probably negotiable.

But if it does cost more, I'd look at
The Windsor Arms, too.

And the 33rd floor of Sutton Place is wonderful. And there are meeting rooms at the top of the Four Seasons,. which is, I think, the best hotel in town.

Several people I know have been at the Meridien King Edward lately, with very positive comments.

And on it goes.

BAK

Kira

Torontobound, I'm not sure if you're still looking, but I've stayed at the Intercontinental several times. Rooms are very nice. Hallways are strangely always either very, very cold or very, very hot. Had problems each time checking out, with my bill (the minibar filling takes place very late in the day, and so the previous guest's minibar useage is charged to you, or in another case, a local call was charged as a long-distance call). Everything always worked out fine in the end, but my parents in law had a similar problem, and if you look on Tripadvisor, you'll see it's happened to others also. Still, it was always easily solved - just a heads-up. The swimming pool isn't huge, but it's one of the most gorgeous I've seen in Toronto. Swimming at night with the dark sky above is wonderful. I wish I could remember what the meal was like. I know it's supposed to be 4-diamond or something, but I don't recall it standing out as either wonderful or bad, either.

You might consider checking the Hyatt. I've never stayed there, but it's supposed to be one of the best in the city.

I've had many meals at the Four Seasons, and their food is probably the best hotel food in the city, including their group event meals. Service is stellar. The hotel rooms themselves are not as nice as you'd expect, but I would wholeheartedly recommend their meal services. The woman I know who organizes the lunches says that although she's looked into switching venues, she continues to work with the Four Seasons because the staff is so professional and the prices are reasonable, considering the quality and quantity of the food.