A Staycation Treat At The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

A Pampering Escape On A Staycation Treat At The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

For a great birthday splurge we booked a staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.  Since we live in Toronto, we often don’t think about enjoying the great hotels in the downtown area.  But with our first big trip for 2024 not scheduled until April, we decided to enjoy some mini trips during the cold winter.  And David’s birthday was a great reason to plan a pampering escape close to home.

Our great suite upgrade got us a lovely spot to spend 24 hours at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.   We enjoyed Afternoon Tea with family for a pleasant afternoon.  Great food options and a lovely indoor pool ensured we made the most of our short stay.

Planning A Short Staycation Stay

This year we decided to enjoy some short stays in Toronto when we headed into downtown for entertainment.  Our first short stay was at the Eatons Centre Marriott when we got theatre tickets to see Chicago.   It was great to be downtown for dinner and then walk to the theatre.  And after the show we did not have to worry about traffic or weather to go home.

For our second short staycation, we looked for a treat for David’s birthday.  We always loved visiting Ritz-Carlton hotels when we travel.  And our first Canadian experience at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal provided a real birthday splurge for us.  Since we had not yet visited the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, it was an easy choice.  Made even easier when we learned they provided a great Afternoon Tea.  

It snowed right before our planned stay in Toronto so we left the car at home and took an Uber downtown.  We finished our stay on a work day so we could take our condo shuttle bus back home.  We got quick and easy transportation for this staycation.

The Elegant Ritz-Carlton Toronto

When we looked at the hotel rates for the Sunday night, we found that the points rate at this time of year for this one night stay was great.  We tried to get the best value from our travel loyalty points and high end luxury properties like Ritz-Carlton hotels were often great on short stays.  

When we researched the hotel to see what was offered we were delighted when we read that the General Manager was the same person who was the General Manager on our first Ritz-Carlton stay in Geneva at Hotel de la Paix.  We knew this boded well for an exemplary luxury stay and an interesting experience.

When we entered the hotel lobby it sparkled with crystal decor everywhere we looked.  We even found a colourful Chihuly glass art piece in the Ritz Cafe.  We came to love Chihuly’s work when we first visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle.

Around the hotel there were 400 pieces of original Canadian artwork commissioned specifically for the hotel.  Much like the Hotel de la Paix in Geneva, wandering the hotel felt like we were in an art gallery.

Everywhere we looked we found the elegance we expected on a staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.

An Upgraded Suite On A Staycation Treat At The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

Our first delight came when we were warmly welcomed on early arrival at the hotel by the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Ritz.  And we found that our our room was ready.  We then discovered we were upgraded to a corner suite with a view.  We were delighted to have lots of room to spread out.  

The great corner room view gave us the waterfront and the CN Tower during the day.  And as we watched night fall, the colourful view became even more stunning.

When we heard a knock and opened the door, we saw a vast spread of sweet and savoury treats.  The tray included wine bottled specifically for this hotel.  Of course we had to check out the treats in front of the view!

We had the most perfect start to a staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.

An Afternoon Tea Birthday Celebration

Our son Kris and his girlfriend came to the hotel and joined us for Afternoon Tea at the Epoch Bar and Kitchen Terrace.   Our table was reserved in the quiet back room with a roaring fireplace.  A perfect spot on a cold winter afternoon.  It reminded us of the setting we enjoyed for our AfternoonTea at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal.

This was Kris’s first experience with a formal Afternoon Tea ritual.  So we were taken through the Afternoon Tea menu and we learned about the different treats we would get.  

We looked over the tea menu and sniffed the tea samplers.  Everyone choose their own tea flavour.  We were happy to see that tea was served with a timer with multiple sand drops for different types and strengths of tea.  A “must” for real tea drinkers!

Everyone approached the 3 layers of treats on the tea trays in a different order.  On the bottom we found a nice selection of savoury sandwiches.  On the middle layer we got 2 scones each – one with cranberries and one plain.  The scones were served with clotted cream and two different jams.  We found a great selection of tasty sweet treats on the top layer.

We knew we would not make it through all the food on the tea trays.  Especially when another birthday treat arrived.  A selection of yet more sweet treats arrived on a Happy Birthday tray complete with a birthday candle!

We enjoyed a tasty pampering few hours for Afternoon Tea and a family birthday celebration.  A wonderful staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.

Eating Our Way Through The Restaurants At The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

We arrived early at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.  After we checked in, we headed downstairs for a small meal to hold us over until our late Afternoon Tea booking.  On Sunday the Toca Restaurant served brunch at mid-day.  When we looked at the menu, we really wanted to try the Bananas Foster French Toast.  But we knew that Afternoon Tea had many sweets to tempt us.  So we shared a far more healthy breakfast hash and a plate of the perfect bacon we only ever found at hotel restaurants.

After Afternoon Tea we really had no appetite for dinner but we put the Toca Restaurant on our list for a return visit for an authentic Italian dinner one day.  The menu had many of our favourite Italian dishes.  We marvelled at the cheese room and knew we would get the best fresh cheese.  And a peek at the wine room showed us many we might try.  

The next day my morning started the right way with a hot and tasty cappuccino from the Ritz Cafe. Even though we did not get a Marriott Bonvoy free elite breakfast at Ritz-Carlton hotels, we still got breakfast at the Toca Restaurant that fuelled us for the day.  The breakfast menu had good selection and huge servings which ensured we started our day right.

On a staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto we found so many great food venues we never had to leave the hotel.

A Little Relaxation Before We Departed

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto had a great myBlend Spa.  We wished we planned more than a one night stay and booked a full day spa escape.  But we were not leaving without enjoying a little time at the indoor sea salt pool.  With some time in the jacuzzi hot tub.

The pool had a large number of lounge chairs and a small cabana area set around the large pool area.  If we wanted to eat more, we could even order room service right to the pool! It was one of the nicest hotel pool areas we had every experienced.

We relaxed for an hour in the pool area.  It was a great escape before we headed out in the cold winter weather to go back home.  We found this a perfect way to finish our staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.

So Glad We Planned A Staycation Treat At The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

Sometimes a short break really can make a difference.  We enjoyed a packed 24 hours on our staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto.   

Our luxurious accommodations were lovely and we got the best views.  Afternoon Tea in front of a roaring fires was a pampering way to spend a cold winter day in Toronto.  We enjoyed great food.  And David’s birthday was well celebrated.  A great way to take a break close to home.

We heard there was something new coming to the Ritz-Carlton Toronto. That will definitely require a return visit!

Have you done a staycation treat at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto?  Did you enjoy more than just one day of pampering?

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