The definition Shangri-La:
1. An imaginary remote paradise on earth; utopia.
2. any place of complete bliss, delight and peace
(source: online dictionary)
The Shangri-La Hotel Toronto is nether imaginary nor remote. On the contrary, housed in a stunning skyscraper, it enjoys a grand location on University Avenue in downtown Toronto, within a stone’s throw of the city’s business, shopping and entertainment districts. Despite being situated in the heart of Canada’s largest city, the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto certainly lives up to its other definition: a place of bliss, delight and peace.
This is exactly how I felt the moment I stepped into the hotel. For some odd reason, it felt like a homecoming – I was welcomed like an old friend and that feeling never left me during my entire stay. It’s hard to say how the wonderful staff of the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto achieve this; perhaps it’s the gracious manner in which every guest is addressed, the sincere smiles, or the seemingly effortless but highly attentive (or rather, intuitive) service. However they do it, one thing’s for sure: they do it very well.
Throughout my stay, I couldn’t help but notice the glee I felt each time I walked through the hotel doors, a feeling somewhat akin to slipping into bed on a cold night to discover a hot-water bottle under the duvet. Bliss!
The staff amazed me each day I was there. The waiter knew my preferred breakfast, the bartender knew my favorite wines and housekeeping knew exactly how I like my toiletries organized. In my book, it’s these subtle touches that make a huge difference in any hotel stay.
At the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, the small, luxurious touches weren’t limited to the service from the staff. Let’s start with my room. I stayed in a deluxe one-bedroom suite with a spacious living room, two large bathrooms and an equally large bedroom and walk-in closet.
Read more: Keith Jenkins, Velvet Escape
