A flurry of luxe winter staycation ideas with complimentary feasts, massages and booze
If the thought of a long, cold Covid winter has you longingly gazing at your idle passport, it might be time to grab the rest of 2020 by the horns and embrace the staycation. Many of Toronto’s leading hotels are offering deeply discounted options for wanderlust-afflicted city dwellers, and—it goes without saying—they all have strict Covid precautions in place, including temperature checks on arrival. Here are a few spots to consider.
A suite with a sweet upgrade at the St. Regis
The St. Regis’s gilded, sky high bar and restaurant, Louix Louis, has come up with a Covid-friendly (but still ritzy as hell) idea. They’ve transformed an entire floor of the hotel into private dining suites for the next month. The experience is available exclusively to guests of the hotel, which means you can gorge on Wagyu burgers and down several of the bar’s lauded cocktails in your PJs and be steps from your plush hotel bed downstairs. The King’s Table package begins at $595 and includes a $250 dining credit to cover dinner, a complimentary room upgrade and valet parking as well as early check-in at 12 p.m. and late check-out the next day at 3 p.m.
A relaxing weekend at the Four Seasons
For stressed-out Torontonians in need of some serious self-care the Four Seasons is offering all kinds of comp bonuses right now: a night’s stay will also get you a $200 credit to the spa (complete with pool access), a $100 food and beverage credit, a complimentary in-room movie and popcorn for two as well as a glass of Moët with a macaron when you arrive. There’s also a guaranteed 9 a.m. check-in and a 4 p.m. late check-out, so you can stretch your time off for a little bit longer. Rooms start at $600 in November.
Live like a rockstar at the Drake Hotel
The Drake Hotel has just redesigned its Artist Loft next door–once exclusively used as a home base for musical acts playing the Drake Underground–and is offering it up to regular folk. The colourful, Design Agency–concepted space has two private bedrooms with queen beds, a loft with two additional queen beds and a communal leisure space, and can accommodate eight guests who are bubbling together. It also features a kitchenette, which can be pre-stocked with items made at nearby Drake Commissary like charcuterie, preserves, breads and sauces. Or if you’re in the mood for takeout, orders can be placed with the hotel’s kitchen. The Artist Loft for four starts at $629 without adjoining rooms or $829 for full occupancy.
A romantic evening at the Shangri-La Toronto
Stays at the swanky Shangri-La now come with guaranteed room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, valet parking, an in-room movie and popcorn as well as 20 per cent off the lobby bar menu. The hotel’s super-luxe Miraj Hammam Spa is also offering monthly specials on spa treatments for guests and non-guests, like November’s new mask-friendly eye and forehead anti-aging treatment that claims to lift eyes and smooth fine lines, and a décolleté massage that drains and de-puffs. Rooms start at $560.
Raid the mini bar at Bisha Hotel
King Street’s buzzy Bisha Hotel just launched the Crown Package for fall, which includes $100 credit towards dining at any of its restaurants, in-room dining or raiding the mini bar. You’ll be greeted with valet parking and a glass of bubbly upon arrival and be granted late check-out until 3 p.m. the next day. Rooms begin at $399.
Girls night at the Hazelton Hotel
Yorkville’s beloved hideaway is offering a Girl’s Night Out staycation special, which includes a $50 credit to its restaurant, One, a $50 gift card for a private shopping experience at Ba&sh boutique located on the hotel’s ground floor and a movie night in the hotel’s screening room. The package also includes two complimentary bottles of sparkling and valet parking. Rooms begin at $699.
Toronto Life November 2020