whatever
Senior Member
I think those tiers are just for the reward programs, which is probably based on the per night prices for the rooms. Only makes sense that it should cost more points to get a free night at Central Park than in Toronto
Blues
New Member
Best in what way? Physical plant?
If best in terms of the best overall luxury hotel in terms of the quality of physical plant, service, and amenities, it's a bit too early to judge that. However, some early reviews I've heard the service and amenities are positive. The RC should emerge as the best overall luxury hotel until 2011, when it will have to battle the upcoming properties for that title. (I've also heard rumors of Hyatt planning to sink some serious money into it's Park Hyatt property in Yorkville.)
You're correct on this.
If best in terms of the best overall luxury hotel in terms of the quality of physical plant, service, and amenities, it's a bit too early to judge that. However, some early reviews I've heard the service and amenities are positive. The RC should emerge as the best overall luxury hotel until 2011, when it will have to battle the upcoming properties for that title. (I've also heard rumors of Hyatt planning to sink some serious money into it's Park Hyatt property in Yorkville.)
You're correct on this.
urbandreamer
recession proof
^The corner of Av&Bloor PH building could really be gutted...keep the facade and some interior features...add a 40s tower above it...sell 30 floors as condos, the rest new hotel rooms. So a 50s tower here makes sense.
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Okay, time for a hotel amenities tour, and we'll start with the lobby of course.
Craig White
The glass bridge - seen both above and below - is made of single pieces of glass spanning the whole lobby.
Craig White
Hirsch Bedner Associates, with 13 offices across the globe, is responsible for the interior design, while hundreds of pieces of art throughout the Ritz were chosen and commissioned exclusively from Canadian artists.
Craig White
We'll take those stairs up a floor, and then another, to the ballroom level.
Edward Skira
The ballroom can be partitioned in halves, in quarters, and in eighths. Below is a quarter of the whole room.
Edward Skira
Light fixtures throughout the hotel are interesting, and are particularly grand in the ballrooms.
Edward Skira
Above the ballroom is the spa and recreation level.
Craig White
The extensive spa includes many facilities that we haven't pictured here, but we do have shots of the gym...
Craig White
..and the pool. A hot tub sits in a corner of the room.
Craig White
Craig White
Let's head back downstairs and check out the food and drink offerings. We'll start with the Deq bar at the south side of the building. Deq's back patio with its wood pizza oven will operate in the warm weather, while the interior is cozy, with nooks and crannies to settle into.
Craig White
Edward Skira
Of particular note in Deq is the prosciutto bar, serving fantastic Pingue products from Niagara.
Craig White
Another main floor bar is located of the lobby. The Toca Bar (Toca stands for Toronto Canada) features a tapas-style menu and raw bar.
Craig White
Above Toca Bar is Toca itself.
Craig White
Craig White
Toca features a cheese cave stocked by the legendary Cheese Boutique in the South Kingsway.
Craig White
Toca also features a semi-open kitchen...
Craig White
which is fully open to those who might book the chef's table hidden in the heart of the kitchen.
Edward Skira
And that's it - we return to the lobby to end our visit.
Craig White
Craig White
The glass bridge - seen both above and below - is made of single pieces of glass spanning the whole lobby.
Craig White
Hirsch Bedner Associates, with 13 offices across the globe, is responsible for the interior design, while hundreds of pieces of art throughout the Ritz were chosen and commissioned exclusively from Canadian artists.
Craig White
We'll take those stairs up a floor, and then another, to the ballroom level.
Edward Skira
The ballroom can be partitioned in halves, in quarters, and in eighths. Below is a quarter of the whole room.
Edward Skira
Light fixtures throughout the hotel are interesting, and are particularly grand in the ballrooms.
Edward Skira
Above the ballroom is the spa and recreation level.
Craig White
The extensive spa includes many facilities that we haven't pictured here, but we do have shots of the gym...
Craig White
..and the pool. A hot tub sits in a corner of the room.
Craig White
Craig White
Let's head back downstairs and check out the food and drink offerings. We'll start with the Deq bar at the south side of the building. Deq's back patio with its wood pizza oven will operate in the warm weather, while the interior is cozy, with nooks and crannies to settle into.
Craig White
Edward Skira
Of particular note in Deq is the prosciutto bar, serving fantastic Pingue products from Niagara.
Craig White
Another main floor bar is located of the lobby. The Toca Bar (Toca stands for Toronto Canada) features a tapas-style menu and raw bar.
Craig White
Above Toca Bar is Toca itself.
Craig White
Craig White
Toca features a cheese cave stocked by the legendary Cheese Boutique in the South Kingsway.
Craig White
Toca also features a semi-open kitchen...
Craig White
which is fully open to those who might book the chef's table hidden in the heart of the kitchen.
Edward Skira
And that's it - we return to the lobby to end our visit.
Craig White
migtree
New Member
These are by far the best images of the Ritz interior that I've seen so far. Much more complimentary then those seen after the media opening.
Automation Gallery
Superstar
Yeah..hopefully the trash talk stops here but i doubt it...you will always hear of someone thats been at a Ritz in the Far East or Europe or even the USA that is 100 times better looking with better service, etc.
lol. Anyways, we should be so lucky to have the 5-star Ritz here in Toronto.
Therion
Senior Member
I like it. It's very Canadian, in that it is somewhat understated, and wood is a dominant design feature. It definitely isn't as glitzy as many top hotels around the world, but I consider that a plus.
interested
Senior Member
Agree interchange. this is definately showing it in much better light. I appreciate everyone's taste is different. It is nice, definately not over the top and frankly understated as Therion says.
I understand the Canadiana theme through out. It is a nice hotel but just my view it would not be memorable based on its appearance. However, if it is well run and the service is excellent, people will appreciate that it is a 5 star hotel and will accept its relatively modest decor.
Some of the 5 star hotels I have seen have been in Europe and it is hardly fair to expect a converted castle with history mixed in with new modern materials and old world workmanship or going to the Middle East where money has been thrown about endlessly to attract foreigners. The costs here given our labour costs compared to say Dubai and perhaps the unwillingness of developer's to go "to the extreme" may in fact be what saves our realty market to a degree compared to "Dubai World's" situation.
As well, as pointed out this is a 2 of 5 point priced hotel. Toronto simply cannot charge the hotel rates to justify going over the top as in some of these other locations where a hotel room would be $800 instead of $500/night.
I understand the Canadiana theme through out. It is a nice hotel but just my view it would not be memorable based on its appearance. However, if it is well run and the service is excellent, people will appreciate that it is a 5 star hotel and will accept its relatively modest decor.
Some of the 5 star hotels I have seen have been in Europe and it is hardly fair to expect a converted castle with history mixed in with new modern materials and old world workmanship or going to the Middle East where money has been thrown about endlessly to attract foreigners. The costs here given our labour costs compared to say Dubai and perhaps the unwillingness of developer's to go "to the extreme" may in fact be what saves our realty market to a degree compared to "Dubai World's" situation.
As well, as pointed out this is a 2 of 5 point priced hotel. Toronto simply cannot charge the hotel rates to justify going over the top as in some of these other locations where a hotel room would be $800 instead of $500/night.
Tewder
Senior Member
Toca looks nice.
Why is the ballroom carpeted? or does 'ballroom' simply mean conference hall these days?
Why is the ballroom carpeted? or does 'ballroom' simply mean conference hall these days?
G
gabe
Guest
I didn't like TOCA. Looks too much like a suburban Milestones. Also the staff at the TOCA bar were university kids and while they were friendly they weren't very well informed. I expect that kind of service at the bar at the Holiday Inn but not a 5 star Ritz Carlton.
steveve
Senior Member
the interiors are for the most part, pretty warm and welcoming, though now that i look at the pool area a second time, those white, plain, chunky, pillars look a little too undertreated,
Atlantis
Active Member
steveve
Senior Member
Ritz looks VERY good next to Metro Hall, can't wait to see 300 Front from this angle, that one has a slick profile on the north/south sides.
then there's the Mercer, which hopefully doesn't go wrong,
G
gabe
Guest
Puttin' on the Ritz
April 22, 2011
Annette McLeod
Even among the world’s most recognizable luxury brands, there are but a few symbols that elicit murmurs of appreciation for their impeccable service and style. A pale blue Tiffany’s box. A Louis Vuitton bag. Chanel’s back-to-back intertwined C’s. The name Ritz-Carlton.
The newest addition to Toronto’s roster of luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton is a 53-storey modern building that, as it appears from the outside, could perhaps house a flotilla of nine-to-fivers
The newest addition to Toronto’s roster of luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton is a 53-storey modern building that, as it appears from the outside, could perhaps house a flotilla of nine-to-fivers like the CBC building next door. But inside, it’s pure Ritz: understated but luxurious, with upscale materials and finishes, and solicitous but never intrusive staffers hovering at the edge of your vision, ready to fulfill any request.
Specially commissioned or hand-picked Canadian art dots the walls, stands on pedestals, and is even embedded in the lobby floor. The pewter-topped bar at Toca (a mash-up of “Toronto†and “Canadaâ€) in the lobby’s northeast corner sports a crushed-ice mound where fresh lobster tails and oysters nestle. A stylized triptych, a Muskoka lakescape, hangs over the door of Deq, the hotel’s other restaurant. To its right, a gleaming statue stands sentinel. Near it is an unremarkable door that leads to a remarkable place: the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington St. W.
The condominium comprise 159 suites built by Graywood Developments and designed by New York-based architects Kohn Pederson Fox and Toronto’s Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects. Of them, 80 per cent are already sold.
On Saturday, April 30, just for the day, a selection of the remaining units will be specially priced.
This event gives prospective buyers a chance to save up to $300,000 on suites ranging from the 1,397-square-foot, one-bedroom Chelsea B to the 3,418-square-foot Augusta, a three-bedroom suite with a library. (There aren’t any discounts on the $9,650,000, 6,020-square-foot Valencia.) There’s a moratorium on floor premiums that day too, with sale suites starting on the 34th floor. Maintenance fees are 79 cents per square foot.
From the residents’ lobby, it’s a quick elevator ride to the 22nd floor and a second lobby, where residents may either switch to a yet-more-private elevator to access their suites, or go down one flight to the 21st floor, which houses their amenities. They include a bar and lounge area, conference room, spacious landscaped terrace, games room, guest suites, well-equipped fitness room and decked-out personal screening room, perfect for upscale movie nights. And of course, the hotel’s amenities are just an elevator ride (or even a phone call) away: housekeeping, valet parking, room service, pool, spa, gym, tuck shop, yoga studio and those two gorgeous restaurants.
The Ritz-Carlton’s close proximity to King West’s dining and entertainment strip, major sports venues, trendy Queen West, Roy Thomson Hall, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the island airport and even several unexpected green spaces, collude for the ultimate urban lifestyle. It also offers direct access to the PATH, Toronto’s underground shopping complex that links just about the entire financial district. Residents who work on Bay St. could go indoors in the fall, not emerge until spring, and miss nothing.
“This is the place to live,†says Graywoods Developments COO Stephen Price as he conducts a recent tour, referring not just to the building but the neighbourhood, as well. “This is where the city’s moving.â€
The 1,600-square-foot Park Avenue suite will sell for $1.5 million on April 30, $155,000 off its regular price. The careful floor plan encourages you past twin closets in the entryway into the living/dining room and its wall of windows, and beyond to the gourmet kitchen, where top-of-the-line appliances include a wine cooler and a panel fridge undetectable from the surrounding cabinetry. Another wall of windows and another breathtaking view greet you in the bedroom.
The 3,200-square-foot Newbury suite has a private elevator that opens directly into the foyer. A second, rear entrance opens on a service corridor.
The suites — designed by 1212 Decor and Choices The Agency — manage to both radiate opulence yet not intimidate. Perhaps it’s the extravagance of light that pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows. In both directions, the views are astonishing. To the south, the lake, the island and, on a clear day, a glimpse of New York state. To the north, an urban landscape that stretches into the discernable distance.
At the end of the tour, he looks around, smiles, and raises his hands slightly to encompass it all. “This all started with an idea, a piece of land and a spreadsheet.â€
Registration for the one-day sale on April 30 is online at www.ritzonedaysaleevent.com or by calling 416-591-1000. Prospective buyers will get an information package and an appointment to view 10 model suites, including two designed and fully furnished by hot New York firm 12/12.
Click here for pics http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/realestate/article/978357--puttin-on-the-ritz
April 22, 2011
Annette McLeod
Even among the world’s most recognizable luxury brands, there are but a few symbols that elicit murmurs of appreciation for their impeccable service and style. A pale blue Tiffany’s box. A Louis Vuitton bag. Chanel’s back-to-back intertwined C’s. The name Ritz-Carlton.
The newest addition to Toronto’s roster of luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton is a 53-storey modern building that, as it appears from the outside, could perhaps house a flotilla of nine-to-fivers
The newest addition to Toronto’s roster of luxury hotels, the Ritz-Carlton is a 53-storey modern building that, as it appears from the outside, could perhaps house a flotilla of nine-to-fivers like the CBC building next door. But inside, it’s pure Ritz: understated but luxurious, with upscale materials and finishes, and solicitous but never intrusive staffers hovering at the edge of your vision, ready to fulfill any request.
Specially commissioned or hand-picked Canadian art dots the walls, stands on pedestals, and is even embedded in the lobby floor. The pewter-topped bar at Toca (a mash-up of “Toronto†and “Canadaâ€) in the lobby’s northeast corner sports a crushed-ice mound where fresh lobster tails and oysters nestle. A stylized triptych, a Muskoka lakescape, hangs over the door of Deq, the hotel’s other restaurant. To its right, a gleaming statue stands sentinel. Near it is an unremarkable door that leads to a remarkable place: the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington St. W.
The condominium comprise 159 suites built by Graywood Developments and designed by New York-based architects Kohn Pederson Fox and Toronto’s Page + Steele/IBI Group Architects. Of them, 80 per cent are already sold.
On Saturday, April 30, just for the day, a selection of the remaining units will be specially priced.
This event gives prospective buyers a chance to save up to $300,000 on suites ranging from the 1,397-square-foot, one-bedroom Chelsea B to the 3,418-square-foot Augusta, a three-bedroom suite with a library. (There aren’t any discounts on the $9,650,000, 6,020-square-foot Valencia.) There’s a moratorium on floor premiums that day too, with sale suites starting on the 34th floor. Maintenance fees are 79 cents per square foot.
From the residents’ lobby, it’s a quick elevator ride to the 22nd floor and a second lobby, where residents may either switch to a yet-more-private elevator to access their suites, or go down one flight to the 21st floor, which houses their amenities. They include a bar and lounge area, conference room, spacious landscaped terrace, games room, guest suites, well-equipped fitness room and decked-out personal screening room, perfect for upscale movie nights. And of course, the hotel’s amenities are just an elevator ride (or even a phone call) away: housekeeping, valet parking, room service, pool, spa, gym, tuck shop, yoga studio and those two gorgeous restaurants.
The Ritz-Carlton’s close proximity to King West’s dining and entertainment strip, major sports venues, trendy Queen West, Roy Thomson Hall, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the island airport and even several unexpected green spaces, collude for the ultimate urban lifestyle. It also offers direct access to the PATH, Toronto’s underground shopping complex that links just about the entire financial district. Residents who work on Bay St. could go indoors in the fall, not emerge until spring, and miss nothing.
“This is the place to live,†says Graywoods Developments COO Stephen Price as he conducts a recent tour, referring not just to the building but the neighbourhood, as well. “This is where the city’s moving.â€
The 1,600-square-foot Park Avenue suite will sell for $1.5 million on April 30, $155,000 off its regular price. The careful floor plan encourages you past twin closets in the entryway into the living/dining room and its wall of windows, and beyond to the gourmet kitchen, where top-of-the-line appliances include a wine cooler and a panel fridge undetectable from the surrounding cabinetry. Another wall of windows and another breathtaking view greet you in the bedroom.
The 3,200-square-foot Newbury suite has a private elevator that opens directly into the foyer. A second, rear entrance opens on a service corridor.
The suites — designed by 1212 Decor and Choices The Agency — manage to both radiate opulence yet not intimidate. Perhaps it’s the extravagance of light that pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows. In both directions, the views are astonishing. To the south, the lake, the island and, on a clear day, a glimpse of New York state. To the north, an urban landscape that stretches into the discernable distance.
At the end of the tour, he looks around, smiles, and raises his hands slightly to encompass it all. “This all started with an idea, a piece of land and a spreadsheet.â€
Registration for the one-day sale on April 30 is online at www.ritzonedaysaleevent.com or by calling 416-591-1000. Prospective buyers will get an information package and an appointment to view 10 model suites, including two designed and fully furnished by hot New York firm 12/12.
Click here for pics http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/realestate/article/978357--puttin-on-the-ritz