Toronto

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, the Brand's First Canadian Hotel, Opens

Welcome to Toronto! The Ritz-Carlton today announced the opening of their first Canadian property, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto. Featuring 267 guestrooms, the new hotel is a 53 story addition to the city skyline. After numerous delays (the hotel was originally slated to open last fall) the brand has finally made their infiltration into what many have called the world's most international city.

Want to watch the opening ceremonies, starting at 11:30 AM on Wednesday? The hotel is streaming it all on Facebook, further cementing our view that the Ritz-Carlton is one of the top luxury brand in the social media space.

With unimpeded North or South facing views of the city or Lake Ontario, each guestroom or suite at features floor-to-ceiling windows with heated perimeters, African Anigre wood and Portuguese Estremoz marble, as well as spacious bathrooms with heated marble flooring, dual vanities embedded with 22" HD television screens, private rain showers and soaker tubs.

Opt for a room on the Club Level and enjoy access to the 20th floor Club Lounge, offering spectacular water views as well as complimentary food and beverage presentations and private concierge service.

Gallery: Ritz-Carlton Toronto

Tags: canada, new hotel, ritz-carlton, ritz-carlton toronto, toronto

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Dunning Sportswear - Ironman Meets Savile Row

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style

Dunning Sportswear - Ironman Meets Savile Row

The famed Ironman Triathlon meets Savile Row in Dunning Sportswear, a burgeoning Canadian label making waves up North with its first two Toronto boutiques and plans to conquer the U.S. in the new year. The label's designer Ralph Dunning is a former Ironman competitor and son of a Savile Row tailor who used to design for the likes of Reebok and Saucony. His eponymous label fuses his athletic expertise with traditional menswear and high-tech fabrics, so that athletes don't need to sacrifice style for premium performance. Dunning has partnered with the best mills and facilities to ensure strict quality control; items are made by hand in Canada, not overseas, and everything is designed for year-round versatility and a wide variety of activities. The high caliber of the garments is evident in the softness and durability of the fabrics, attention to detail and perfectly tailored fit.

Their technical fabrics are engineered "from the yarn up", meaning that performance is built-in and won't wash or wear out after repeated use. The brand was founded by Toronto native and lifelong athlete Ralph Dunning, an Ironman competitor who garnered widespread acclaim in the '90s for his Rip 'n Hammer line of premium technical clothing for triathletes and cyclists. Dunning's distinctive designs featuring clean, athletic silhouettes without unnecessary embellishment are field tested and worn by famed athletes such as Craig Alexander (above), two time Ironman World Champion. "The clothes are so clearly created from an athlete's perspective," Alexander notes. "They've got the classic look with built-in performance, as well as some great cotton and wool pieces which are often what I really want after a race or training session."

Gallery: Dunning Sportswear

Tags: athlete, athletes, Canada, Craig Alexander, Ironman, Ironman Triathlon, mens style, Ralph Dunning, Savile Row, sports, Toronto, triathlon

Toronto's Most Expensive Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A couple of readers have directed me to the fact that Toronto's most expensive home is in the pricey Bridle Path neighborhood. This home actually hit the market last year for $29.8 million Canadian so the current price of $26.8 million represents a bit of a price cut.

A recent report in the Toronto Star says that the owners are Margaret and Lee Ka Lau. The home has more than 40,000 square feet of space. The home is on a double Bridle Path lot, encompassing four acres, one lot is the main house and the second lot is give over to a massive sports complex that includes an indoor tennis court, bowling alley and an indoor pool. The two properties are connected by a tunnel that has an indoor putting green. The home was built around seven years ago and includes a cinema and an arboretum. Elise Kalles has the listing for $26.8 million Canadian.

Gallery: 9 High Point Road

Tags: canadian real estate, toronto

Enzo Ferrari's Bespoke Clothing for Sale at $100,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari was obviously a man of great style - just look at the supercars bearing his name. For Ferrari enthusiasts he is of course nothing short of a god as well. Now Collector Studio Motorsport Gallery in Toronto is offering the ultimate in Ferrari memorabilia – a museum quality collection of Enzo's bespoke clothing and accessories, priced at $100,000. The highlight of the collection is an original Bertazzoni of Modena custom tailored beige wool houndstooth sport coat made for the great man in 1972, and worn for the next 10 years, including at the 1972 AutoSport ceremony, along with a pair of bespoke Bertazzoni gray flannel pants he wore with it.

Also included is an original and totally unique "Ferrari" brown and white silk necktie custom made for Enzo in 1978, and worn for the next 10 years; and an original pair of bespoke Marelli brown leather shoes worn by him in the 1970s and 1980s, complete with box. The collection comes accompanied by a letter of authenticity from a Ferrari colleague of Enzo's who acquired the items from him directly, as well as many photos of Enzo wearing each item. Also included are the original notes from the Modenese tailor who made the clothing, along with fabric swatch samples and measurements to match.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: bespoke, Collector Studio Motorsport Gallery, collectors items, cothing, Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari, Italy, memorabilia, mens style, Modena, necktie, supercar, tailoring, ties, Toronto

Thompson Hotels Go Global in Toronto

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Globalization is the topic du jour in Toronto, with the G8/G20 conferences that are happening in and around the city over the coming days. As if on cue, the US-based Thompson Hotels has just opened its first international property in Toronto.

From the outside it's sort of hard to tell what exactly Thompson Toronto it is -- there's a lot of reflective glass on the exterior. On the inside, there are 102 guest rooms, 18 suites, a 24-hour diner called The Counter and yet another location of Scott Conant's Scarpetta.

The location couldn't be better -- it's blocks away from the still just scruffy Ossington neighborhood where you can still smell pot wafting from creative people's windows, and right in the center of King West Villages, where the creatives have likely moved up to more expensive intoxicants.

Thompson plans to open a property in London in 2011.

Tags: g8, ScottConant, Thompson, ThompsonHotels, toronto

How to Score an Updated Room at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto was the largest and tallest building in the British Empire when it opened in 1929 -- which certainly qualifies it as one of those "grand dame" hotels. This status has both its upsides and its downsides -- while the lobby is impressive for meeting business clients, you certainly want to score a recently updated room.

Like many hotels, the Royal York has been in the process of updating its rooms, and while a more extensive overhaul is happening in the near future, that won't help you if you're checking in over the next few weeks. Here are a few tips that will:

1) Join the President's Club before your stay -- it's free, and you get preferential room selection, plus free wifi and other goodies.

2) Ask for a room with a flat-screen TV. Only the updated rooms have the flat screens. (Psst: this question works well in any hotel in the midst of an update.)

3) Whether you care about an updated room or not: if you're not a smoker, avoid any room on the second floor. It's a smoking floor, and it's also above the hospitality suites which allow smoking.

Tags: canadian travel, fairmont royal york, FairmontHotels, hotels, toronto, toronto hotels

Huge Multicultural Mall Complex Planned In Canada

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

One developer is betting big on Canada's economic future. Development company, The Remington Group, is planning Canada's largest multi-cultural shopping area, The Remington Centre. The mixed-use complex in Markham, just north of Toronto will have over 360 retail stores including shops currently found at a local Asian shopping center. The new retail center will combine both Eastern markets and Western boutiques. Retail spaces are available for lease, as in a traditional mall, but can also be bought like condos. The project is one of the largest retail redevelopment projects in Canada and will include a 20-story residential/hotel tower with 475 units and luxury hotel suites. The form of the complex is based on the Chinese Ru-Yi, a symbol of wealth and good fortune.

A parking garage will offer 3,500 spaces and the Remington Centre will also include a large public plaza that will have a pond that converts into an ice rink in the winter and a permanent stage with a cascading waterfall to accommodate 2,000 people for shows. Ground breaking should begin sometime within the next two years.

[via World Architecture News]

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Tags: mall, markham, remington centre, RemingtonCentre, toronto

The Ultimate Luxury Gift Crate for Men - Cognac & Cuban Cigars

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Spirits, Books, Men's Style

King's Crate, a new company based in Toronto, has launched a line of luxurious new gift crates created specifically for men of refined tastes. The collection is crowned by the Havana crate (above), which includes a stylish humidor, ashtray and cigar cutter, three Cuban cigars (Cohiba, Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta), your choice of Havana Club rum from Cuba, Courvoisier cognac or Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch, Pastiglie Leone Italian candies in a nostalgic pinup girl tin, cashews and roasted peanuts, and a copy of Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany. The price ranges from $196 - $270 Canadian depending on which booze you choose. Of course, the Cuban cigars and rum are only available in Canada (which has no Cuban embargo) and alcohol is limited to customers in Ontario at the moment, but the company has other crates filled with gourmet goodies and stylish accessories which can be sent anywhere. Each gift arrangement comes packaged in a handcrafted, reusable cedar crate.

Tags: Canada, cigars, Cuba, Cuban cigars, CubanCigars, gift basket, GiftBasket, gifts, humidor, Kings Crate, KingsCrate, Ontario, rum, Toronto

Forest Glen, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A little birdie tells us that this charming estate tucked into a lovely area of Toronto belongs to Isadore Sharp. Who is Sharp? Isadore Sharp is the founder and CEO of the Four Seasons hotel group. The four-bedroom home is on around 2.7 acres adjacent to the Rosedale Golf Club. It ia accessed down a long stonewalled drive and has a tennis court and verdant rolling grounds. Take the virtual tour and peer at the all the exquisite collectibles (Sharp appears to collect a variety of precious things). Several corner cabinets hold what appear to be whole sets of fine china, ample enough for the dining room which large enough to host a very big dinner party. This home is listed at $9.8 million Canadian.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Forest Glen

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, isadore sharp, IsadoreSharp, toronto

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Fine French Restaurant In Toronto Shutting Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Another luxury restaurant has become a victim of the economic downturn, the Four Seasons Toronto will be shutting down its 37-year-old restaurant, Truffles, as of September 5. Fine French fare seems particularly vulnerable in this economy. Truffles, which was consistently rated as one of the city's top restaurants, served creative but formal fare rich in its namesake ingredient. The restaurant's signature dish was spaghettini with served with a a sauce of reduced chicken stock, cream and truffle oil with a foamed truffle sauce covered in black truffle shavings. The Four Seasons is building a new hotel in a different location and that hotel will feature a more casual restaurant.

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Tags: four seasons, FourSeasons, restuarant, toronto, truffles

The Hazelton, Toronto's Luxury Hotel

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Hazelton in Toronto is part of a new trend in the area towards ultraluxury travel accommodations. Boasting 62 rooms and 15 suites the Hazelton is 7200 sq feet of pure decadence and glamor, complete with a dash of 1940s Hollywood glitz tossed into the decor. Room features include 300 thread count Italian sheets on the beds, granite slab walls and heated floors in the bathrooms, motorized drapes (that can be controlled from the bed), and 50 sq ft private foyers. The best room in the house, the Presidential Suite, also features a terrace overlooking Yorkville, a wine cellar, 11 flat screen TVs, and a grand piano. The price? $7,500 a night.

Gallery: The Hazelton Hotel

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Tags: hazelton hotel, HazeltonHotel, hotel, the hazelton, the hazelton hotel, TheHazelton, TheHazeltonHotel, toronto

Canadians Camp Out For Condos, Again

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

What is going on in Canada, the condo market is sizzling hot! Here in the States we are watching condo projects hit the auction block because they won't sell. In Canada they are lining up in the cold to get their paws on fresh new condo projects. We saw it in Vancouver and now we are seeing it in Toronto at 1 Bloor St. East, a $450 million 80-story slice of a skyscraper we first talked about in April. Back then various analysts were expressing fears that the condos might be too ritzy for Toronto. It doesn't seem like that will be a problem as people are camping out for a whole week just to get their first pick of the condos. Real estate agents have recruited hardy souls to hold their places in line because each person is able to secure three condos. The luxury suites start at $300,000 and run up to $18 million for the penthouse suite.

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Tags: 1 bloor east, bloor, canada, condo development, condominiums, condos, toronto

The Hazelton Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

At the recent Toronto International Film Festival once of the hot places to go was the newly opened Hazelton Hotel. The stylish hotel has a hot restaurant called One, a posh screening with leather seating and a health club that boasts a mosaic lap pool and a fitness area as well as a spa with four private treatment rooms. The hotel will also be home to a retail store called Hazel that will carry fashion lines from international designers.

Oh yes, and there are rooms too, 77 of them including suites. The rooms have an average size of over 600 square feet and each one has a plasma TV, iPod docking station, granite-lined bathroom with a soaking tub and a rain shower, heated floors and Bulgari amenities. Weekend packages at The Hazelton Hotel including a one-night stay, bottle of champagne, in-room breakfast and welcome gift start at $650.

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Tags: canada, hazelton, hotel, toronto, vacation

Trump's Toronto Tower Gets A Trim

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A few months ago, I mentioned that Donald Trump's 70-storyToronto tower was a go. Seems those reports were premature, the tower will go up but not quite as high as planned. The Toronto Star reports that the tower is getting a bit of a shave, down to 57 stories. The new plans lop off 11 residential floors and two hotels floors but the overall number of units has gone up (with a decrease in unit size).

The Toronto tower has been a slow seller by Trump standards although now it looks to be 80% sold in the pre-construction stage. Concerns over the elevators and the HVAC system were also cited as reasons for the downsizing. The building will still be lavish with massive penthouses spanning up to 7,719 square feet and a wide variety of multi-million dollar properties for sale.

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Tags: condominium, donald trump, DonaldTrump, skyscraper, toronto, tower

Spirit of Toronto Whisky Gala

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Auctions, Events

I cover plenty of wine festivals but not as many whisky galas. The Spirit of Toronto event on May 12 is a whisky-lovers dream. It includes sampling of more than 100 single malt whiskies, masterclasses with distillers, a whisky cocktail bar,live jazz and an outdoor cigar bar. The event will also include Canada's first rare whisky auction, which will offer a rare whisky which was distilled at the Glenury Royal distillery in northeast Scotland. The distillery shut down in 1985 and only 498 bottles of this 50 Year Old were produced in 2003. Proceeds from the gala go to the Parkinson Society Canada as a tribute to Michael Jackson author of the "Malt Whisky Companion" and a person living with Parkinson's disease. Tickets are $105.

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Tags: auction, canada, gala, liquor, scotch, toronto, whisky

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