Toronto the Cool

Hog Town, York, TO, TDot - these are the names given to Toronto, the capital of the province of Ontario and the most visited city in Canada. In the early 70's when Toronto became the economic center of the country, it began to shed its image as the most boring (formerly known as "Toronto the Good") city in Canada. Nowadays, with a continuous wave of immigration and a huge condo boom luring people downtown, it has become a multicultural jewel. Go to Toronto and shop in some of the coolest boutiques, check out amazing galleries and museums, take your pick of the plethora of restaurants, and enjoy the nightlife.

Where to Stay?

Hotel Le Germain is tucked away south of King West on Mercer St. off the beaten track just the way the Germain Group, a family-run company, wants it. In fact, they specifically chose their discreet location on purpose. They are vehemently opposed to setting up shop on the main drag and their clients appreciate this. Having started in Quebec, their modest empire is slowly growing across Canada.

Walking through the doors of Le Germain is impressive but surprisingly not intimidating as you might expect from the four story floor to ceiling windows. The library adjacent to the lobby has a massive book shelf across an entire wall filled with books and magazines for guests to peruse. There is a beautiful double sided fireplace and comfortable yet chic white couches to curl up into and   read at your leisure.

Your South American wood paneled room at Le Germain comes fullly equipped with all the amenities you'll need including an umbrella in case it rains. The suites have beautiful gas fireplaces and the luxury room even has a wine bar and an area for entertaining. One of the most unique features at Le Germain is the "peek-a-boo" shower - a large window looks into the bedroom which we thought was a delightfully sexy touch! Bashful guests need not worry as there are rooms with non exhibitionist showers too. If you like what you see in your room, buy it! Everything in your room can be bought from the red tulip artwork by a local artist to the Frette linens to the umbrella. Even the mattresses are for sale. After all, what better way to test out a mattress than to sleep on it?

What to Do and Where to Eat?

There is so much to see and do in Toronto. The best time of year to come is in Mid April - June and September - Mid November. If you don't mind extreme cold or sweltering heat, there is always a lot to do in the Winter and Summer months too. The Bloor-Yorkville area is choc-a-bloc with great stores and people watching. Bloor St. is Toronto's equivalent to New York's Fifth Avenue with all the designer stores. Check out Holt Renfrew, a luxury department store with beautiful displays and very friendly staff. Holt's (as the locals like to call it) also has much more of a boutique feel than its intimidating American or European counterparts. Walk north to Yorkville Ave. and Cumberland St. where you suddenly feel like you are in a small village. It is full of Cafes and roof top patios where you can take a break and enjoy some people watching. You can almost always spot a celebrity shopping in Over the Rainbow on Yorkville or having tea at The Avenue Bar in the Four Seasons on Avenue Rd. Grab a bite to eat at Karen's Wine Bar or Tony Bulloni's on Cumberland St. In the afternoon, the Royal Ontario Museum at Avenue Rd. and Bloor St. is a great place to wander around to see dinosaur bones or ancient Egyptian mummies. For dinner walk a little farther north on Avenue Rd. to Modo for a delicious feast and a great atmosphere.

The breakfast room at Le Germain is airy and urban. All stays come with a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast. Le Germain pays attention to little details like having a cappuccino maker and soy milk available for guests - a very nice touch. If you want to get out of the hotel, take a 30 minute walk to Queen West and enjoy a menu full of your brunch favorites such as eggs Florentine and the best coffee in the city at Sugar. This adorable little place has mismatched antique furniture, friendly staff and a great patio outside. Get there before 11 am or be prepared to wait at least 20 Minutes. After brunch, walk down Queen West - a lovely artsy neighborhood full of art galleries and funky boutiques with one of a kind finds. Check out Spoof for one size fits all shirts that suit every style and shape. Mendocino is the fashionable Torontonian's favorite. They have excellent buyers and the friendly girls in there will pick out great pieces that you wouldn't normally think of putting together. In the afternoon, head over to Ultra Supper Club and enjoy their roof top patio. If you are hungry, go to Lee on King West at Bathurst. Food is served tapas style and everything on acclaimed chef Susur Lee's menu is guaranteed to drive your taste buds wild. Be sure to try the Singapore Slaw. If you are looking for entertaintment check out the Decide Show. Tickets are available at www.decideshow.com. Or Second City.

Another great neighborhood to check out is the Distillery District - an area that is frequently used as movie sets (most recently in Cinderella Man) because of its historical buildings and cobblestone pedestrian streets. You could spend the whole day going in and out of the little shops and galleries, eating ice cream and sipping coffee in one of the little cafes. If the weather is nice, hop on a ferry from Harbour Front and take a trip to Centre Island. You can rent bikes and take a ride along the scenic trail or pack a picnic and just relax, watch the sailboats from the neighboring yacht clubs go by and get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

No trip to Toronto is complete without a view from the CN Tower - the tallest free standing structure in the world. Check out the glass floor and freak yourself out when you look down and see the tiny specs of buildings, people and cars below.

Speaking of views, one of the best is from Canoe, a fine dining experience that is frequently rated among Toronto's best. It features truly Canadian food.

Nightlife?

Like any big city, Toronto has a lot of bars and nightclubs to choose from. Many of the places mentioned above are also great at night but if you're looking for more...have a drink at Czehoski on Queen West then head over to the Gladstone Hotel where there is a room for Karaoke and one for dancing. Social, also on Queen West, is somewhere to get down and dance the night away. College St. (also known as Little Italy) has tons of low key places where you can have a glass of wine and sit on a patio. Check out Marlow and College St. Bar. Also try Coco Lezzone on College St.

****Remember that if you would like us to plan a detailed itinerary complete with reservations and activity programs send us an email.