Toronto; The Drake? LeGermain? "Traditional?" Your advice please...
 

OK, it's for next year but I plan WAAAAY ahead.

We've stayed in the Four Seasons, both Intercontinentals, the Marriott Eaton Center.

The "other half" said, "I wish we could find a hotel like the Aleph" (this rather moderne and fun place we stayed in Rome a couple of years ago).

I said I'd look around...

The Drake..sounds interesting but no elevator?

LeGermain..if you can get through the reviews on TA (do you really KNOW anyone who uses the word "sumptuous" on a daily basis to describe anything, much less "hip-chic" whatever that means?) and all that modernity and only one electrical outlet in the room and what someone described as a protein-deficient breakfast offering.

Yeah, I always want to be near public transport (even though we'll have my car which i am sure will cost a fortune to leave parked for three-four nights).

I don't mind paying big bucks but I already AM "hip-chic" and don't need a hotel to remind me of it!

Thanks for any thoughts...

Hi Dukey,
I never know how to dredge up a thread but there was recently one called "Want a Toronto hotel with new rooms" which might be of interest to you.

And yes, you would up hip-chic quotient of any hotel you stayed at.

Others to look at are the new Hazelton (on Yorkville), the Park Hyatt (Avenue Road and Bloor), the Windsor Arms (same neighbourhood).

I don't know about staying at the Drake - it's in a trendy but still edgy area but but but - I just wouldn't choose to stay there. I looked at the Aleph hotel site but can't tell what the area it's located in is like.

The Gladstone (totally useless trivia: the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city), a few blocks west of the Drake and the Drake were both down-at-heal hotels in a down-at-heal area which were fixed up with great sums of dough and that seems to have started the rejuvenation of the area but it's still on-going. The neighbourhood is changing rapidly. It's very close to Parkdale though which is struggling.

However, it might be what you're looking for so it's on the Queen streetcar line east to downtown, seems to always have trendy events going on - especially during the film festival. The Gladstone's restaurants always seem to be busy - but I haven't eaten there. I don't know about the Drake's.

The other thread goddess mentioned -some of the suggestions are the Hazleton on Yorkville - supposed to be the only 5 star hotel in the city http://www.thehazeltonhotel.com/

Pantages, downtown a block from the Eaton Centre. http://www.pantageshotel.com/

The Cosmopolitan on Colborne Street, also downtown, further south, and the same ownership as the Pantages. http://www.cosmotoronto.com/

The Soho http://www.metropolitan.com/soho/rooms.asp

Windsor Arms was voted the #1 hotel in Toronto in 2007 according to Conde Nast so it must be true! http://www.windsorarmshotel.com/ - it's in Bloor-Yorkville.

Personally, I wouldn't stay at the Drake or the Gladstone either. We just took a long walk in that neighbourhood on Saturday and while there are a handful of interesting stores and galleries, the neighbourhood is clearly still rather depressed. Besides, it's not convenient enough to downtown. They're very much fun and funky hotels -- certainly worth going to for a drink or art show or book launch, but not to stay in.

I do know how to spell heel as in "down-at-heel"....not heal...yikes

Goddess - have you walked along "hot" Ossington yet...still a long way to go there, too.

We drive up Ossington all the time, Sally -- my SO grew up at Bloor and Os, so we ALWAYS have to drive by his old house (and I ALWAYS have to hear the same travelogue! ;) ). The Ossington walk is high on our list to explore. We were on the Danforth the other night for dinner -- lots of new stuff there too and it's always nice for a walk on a summer night.

Now if only my crap neighbourhood would be discovered...not the residential, the retail strip.

Where, Sal? I'll do my best!

Kingston and Warden - there's no reason EVER to go there - although I just found out there's a nude beach at the foot of Warden with saucy goings-on ... who knew?? Thank goodness for neighbourhood meetings - it's the beginning of the Bluffs at that point - but you have to climb down a rather treacherous path to get there and then up again. Of course, I will attempt it but with son along if he'll come - in fact, everyone at the neighbourhood meeting looked pretty darn interested in attempting the climb.

And we have a nice market on church grounds on Fridays in the summer.

Hmmm, not much I can do for you there, Sal. The Bluffs is definitely not my 'hood. In fact, I was there for the first time recently when a friend was playing in a band at the restaurant at the marina there. Still, what you lack in GAPs and coffeeshops, you gain in beautiful landscape.

I am beginning to think that the Four Seasons might end up being the best place for us. It is close to the friends' home we will be visiting and last night, "Mr. Excitement" took a look at the LeGermain website and wasn't as impressed as i thought he might be.

Sigh....and I am hearing there may be a "new" Four Seasons opening in Toronto..could this actually be true?

Seems like they are - I thought it was condos - it's a couple of blocks east of the present hotel on or near Bay Street.

http://www.fourseasons.com/pdfs/pres...to_25Jul05.pdf

I actually called the hotel this morning and made a reservation for next June.

I asked about the new one...the woman told me it would be a couple of blocks away from the current one and realistically wouldn't be open until 2011.

It's being built now - seems a long time till 2011.

That may be why she added the word "realistically" but who knows?

BTW I also made a reservation at the Marriott-Eaton Center...I actually thought it was fine when I was up in February and we may just stay there again after all.

Another hotel that isn't mentioned much is the Sutton Place at Bay and Wellesley - I think it has a floor with butlers, etc.

I think you will enjoy the Four Seasons....we had a lovely weekend. Very restful!