It was just last year that Vancouver’s Rosewood Hotel Georgia became Canada’s first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel. Fast-forward to 2014 and the luxe trailblazer is getting some opulent company as Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto and Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver lengthen the elite list of Canadian properties boasting the hospitality industry’s highest honor. Each of these three hotels earned a Five-Star distinction with its own recipe of impeccable service and warm hospitality. Here’s how they blew us away.
Since its opening in October of 2012, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has served as the flagship property of Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts — and its plush accommodations will make you want to call Canada’s largest city home, too. Overlooking a prime corner in the well-heeled shopping mecca of Yorkville, the hotel’s 259 sophisticated guest rooms and suites begin at 500 square feet and offer some of the biggest bathrooms (and deepest soaking tubs) we’ve seen. The 55-story glass tower (which means floor-to-ceiling windows in every room) is also home to chef Daniel Boulud’s excellent Café Boulud Toronto and the 30,000-square-foot Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, both of which just earned Four-Star distinctions of their own. Soaring architecture and delightful perks — from in-room iPads to mini-bars stocked with those famous Canadian ketchup chips — deliver drama in all the right ways.
Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto
Another 2012 debut, Trump Toronto stands in the heart of the city’s financial district, though “stands” doesn’t quite do this high-rise justice; it reaches 65 stories and is capped with a glowing spire. Service and amenities are similarly over-the-top. The brand’s signature 24-hour Trump Attaché program gives every guest VIP status, fulfilling requests for personalized stationery, personal shopping and anything else you can think of, though the hotel’s 261 guest rooms and suites are so well stocked (Nespresso machines, pillow menus) that there may not be much else you need — other than a reservation at STOCK Restaurant Bar & Lounge. A meal at this 31st-floor gem isn’t over until you’ve ordered from the showcase chocolate cart. Incidentally, Quartz Crystal Spa’s saltwater infinity lap pool is the perfect place to swim off any sugar overload, while ogling skyline views.
This West Coast Four Seasons may be a 30-story fixture in downtown Vancouver, but its 372 rooms and suites are serene retreats from the city’s bustle, in a palette of green, blue, amber and cream influenced by British Columbia’s mountain-to-sea landscapes. The heated fourth-floor, indoor-outdoor pool offers another slice of paradise in this urban setting, and the complimentary coffee served poolside (and in the lobby) each morning is a welcome sight for early risers heading for a swim, the top-notch Club Four gym or the weekly “Discover Vancouver Morning Jog” led by hotel employees. But don’t let all the fitness fool you — Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver is also a top choice for traveling gourmands. The Four-Star YEW Restaurant on the second floor specializes in local seafood — so much so that only one small menu section features “not fish” dishes — along with trademark vegan selections and signature cocktails.
Photos Courtesy of Four Seasons and David Whittaker
