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A CANADIAN WINTER PERSPECTIVE:By Mira FriedlanderJulia Roberts said it first. On a recent Oprah Winfrey show, she volunteered that her favourite hotel to SLEEP in was a Four Seasons.
There are even people who purchase the linens. But while those are lovely, they're not special in the way the beds are. I'm saving my pennies - counting on spending around $1,000 - and trust me, it's worth it. All that's got me thinking about traveling this winter and spring - especially for Canadians who are facing a low dollar anytime they venture beyond their own borders. So here's a suggestion. Instead of going south and cutting back to make up for exchange rate, why not stay home and add that 30+% onto your travel budget? It'll give you remarkable purchase power in Canada and help the local economy. That's if you can get a hotel room - Canada is very attractive to Americans right now and luxury hotels are affordable for those who might not otherwise have the bucks to stay there. The Four Seasons Toronto offers those lovely beds and is in the heart of chic and lively Yorkville -surrounded by fabulous shopping and some of the city's best restaurants. It's also across the street from a movie theatre with fours screens and one short block away from two museums, so inclement weather is never a problem. The hotel offers several packages, but the most popular is a week-end one called "The Privileged Shopper", which includes a passport to around 100 local shops, each offering a discount or some other perk. The passport takes in Toronto's hottest, high-end, shopping districts: Hazelton Lanes, Yorkville, Manulife Centre and the Colonnade. The package will set you back $235 Canadian a night and includes complimentary afternoon tea in the Lobby Bar. If you can travel during the week, you shouldn't miss "Champagne and Sonatas", a new music and dining experience that runs every other Tuesday through to March 23, at Truffles Restaurant. Truffles is the only restaurant to ever receive the CAA/AAA Five Diamond Award for five consecutive years. During these special evenings, leading members of the prestigious Glenn Gould Professional School of The Royal Conservatory of Music will perform at interludes during a special gourmet dinner. At $95 for the meal, a champagne reception and the concert (including free parking), it's a reasonably-priced way to enjoy an evening at one of the city's finest eateries - whether or not you also take a room for the night.
Since being renovated some years ago, the room itself has lost a bit of its charm - a softer look has been replaced with the glass and chrome that is now so popular. On the other hand, art display cases function as dividers and recently the hotel commissioned Ontario College of Art students to make its dinner plates, so it's very de rigueur. And you'll have to book a table at lunch - this is a favourite hang-out for the corporate power elite.
There's a fully equipped health club with each machine featuring its own mini-television set and you'll find local jogging maps in the room. There are many (safe and) beautiful areas for walking or running just minutes away at the University of Toronto campus, or a short stroll up Yonge St. in the Rosedale ravine. As a hotel guest you'll receive complimentary fresh fruit, juices, coffee, spring water and a morning paper - not to mention a free shoeshine. But that's not what makes this place special - lots of top hotels offer similar amenities. What gives the Four Seasons a special place in my heart is a combination of service and the comforting ambience of the rooms. And from the moment you walk into the lobby of the Toronto hotel, with its soft, forest green carpets, the leafy atrium and dark wood, you begin to relax. Unlike so many deluxe hotels, which are streamlined and efficient, but cold, this is a place where the old clichee about "make yourself at home" really does work. Add to that a concierge for whom no question is too trifling or too tough and the best sleep you'll ever have away from home, and you're looking at a value-for-money vacation you'll always remember. Photos courtesy of Fours Seasons Hotel -Updated 2-15-99- |
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I know exactly what she means. It's the amount and quality of the quilted padding in the
mattresses that makes you feel you've died and gone to heaven. In fact, they're so popular that this
upscale hotel chain does a brisk business selling them to former guests.
Speaking of food, the hotel's Studio Cafe is terrific. For many years it was my family's favourite
Sunday night dinner spot. The menu is still broad and appealing, with a real treat for vegetarians -
a Sampler plate that offers small portions of five different foods. The content changes according to
seasonal availability and it's truly delicious.
If you're going to do the overnight thing, do it right: Bring your swimsuit for the year-round
indoor/outdoor pool and book a massage from the health club. The professionally licensed therapists
are excellent here and will come up to your room with a portable table.