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Apr 23
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A Comprehensive Guide to Toronto’s Best Hotel/Condos Buildings

By Advice For Buyers, Toronto

Toronto, a city known for its dynamic lifestyle and diverse real estate offerings, has seen the emergence of a unique housing trend – the hotel/condo hybrid. Combining the comfort of hotel living with the convenience of condominium amenities, these developments offer residents a lifestyle that’s both luxurious and convenient.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the noteworthy hotel/condos in Toronto, each bringing its own distinctive charm to the urban landscape.

The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

Location: 183 Wellington St W, Toronto, ON M5V 0A1
Developer: Cadillac Fairview & Graywood Developments
Architect: Kohn Pederson Fox Associates
Year Completed: 2011
Number of Floors: 51
Number of Units: 159
Sizes: 1,397 – 11,000 Sq.Ft.

Features:

  • Luxury Redefined: As part of The Ritz-Carlton brand, these residences offer unparalleled luxury, with high-end finishes, stunning views, and access to the hotel’s amenities. The 24 hour concierge is available to help with valet parking, chauffeur services, and security. The building is equipped with an expansive gym, yoga studio, saltwater pool and spa!
  • Prime Location: Situated in the heart of the Entertainment District, residents enjoy easy access to theaters, restaurants, and cultural attractions. The Ritz-Carlton, is directly connected to the PATH, Toronto’s downtown walkway linking 27 kilometers of underground shopping, services, and entertainment, as well as St. Andrew subway station. The condo is also within walking distance to the city’s attractions, restaurants and sports venues; The CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, Roger’s Centre and Scotiabank Arena (formerly Air Canada Centre), as well as the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Shangri-La Toronto

Location: 180 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5H 0A2
Developer: Westbank and Peterson
Architect: James Cheng
Year Completed: 2012
Number of Floors: 66
Number of Units: 393
Sizes: 819 – 4,400 Sq.Ft.

Features:

  • Opulent Living: The Shangri-La residences exude opulence, with spacious layouts, contemporary designs, and top-tier amenities. Our favourite space in the Shangri-La is the stunning Lobby Lounge. Residents do have their own private entrance, but walking through the lounge is always a special treat. They have an expansive drink menu with an array of small-bite options. For something a bit more upscale, Bosk is the ideal place to have a conversation, business meeting or special date night.
  • Five-Star Services: Residents can indulge in the hotel’s world-class services, including a spa facilities (Miraj Hammam Spa), fitness center, and an indoor lap pool, hot tub and sauna!

St. Regis Residences Toronto

Location: 311 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5H 4G5
Developer: JFC Capital ULC
Architect: Zeidler Partnership Architects
Year Completed: 2012
Number of Floors: 58
Number of Units: 118
Sizes: 1,300 – 11,000 Sq.Ft.

Features:

  • Timeless Elegance: Formerly known as the Trump Hotel – the property was sold for nearly $300 million, and was rebranded to the St Regis in 2017. Today, the St. Regis Residences embodies timeless elegance, offering a refined living experience with bespoke services and sophisticated design. Residents have exclusive access to the Sky Lobby on the 32nd floor, which comes complete with 24-hour concierge, a fitness centre, a fully equipped gym, an indoor pool, and direct elevator access. Room service and maid service is also available (at an extra cost)
  • Coveted Location: Situated in the Financial District, residents are near Toronto’s business hubs and cultural attractions. Residents can dine out right in the building at either the Astor Lounge (perfect for drinks and small bites) or at the Louix Louis Grand Bar and Restaurant on the 31st floor… you’ll definitely want to check out the 60 ft mural on the ceiling of the Grand Bar. Painted by local Toronto artist Madison van Rijn, the mural, known as a ‘Bouquet of Whisky’ is inspired by a glass of Canadian whisky and looks just as refreshing as one. Salute!

Four Seasons Private Residences Toronto

Location: 50 Yorkville Ave, Toronto, ON M4W 0A3
Developer: Menkes Developments & Lifetime Developments
Architect: architectsAlliance
Year Completed: 2013
Number of Floors: 55
Number of Units: 210
Sizes: 655 – 9,038 Sq.Ft.

Features:

  • Yorkville Elegance: Nestled in the upscale neighborhood of Yorkville, the Four Seasons Private Residences provide a sophisticated living experience with stunning views of the city. You’re steps away from the cities finest shops in the city, with all the big brands at your doorstep.
  • World-Class Amenities: Residents enjoy access to the renowned Four Seasons amenities, including a spa, fitness center, and gourmet dining. D Bar is the destination of choice for those looking to unwind with a cocktail and some lite bites. Cafe Boulud offers a more formal setting and features a menu highlighting seasonal locally sourced ingredients and one-of-a-kind style.

Conclusion

Toronto’s hotel/condos redefine urban living, offering residents a blend of luxury, convenience, and world-class services. Each development brings its own unique character and charm, catering to different tastes and lifestyles. Whether you’re drawn to the opulence of The Ritz-Carlton, the contemporary elegance of Shangri-La, or many offerings of The Four Seasons these hotel/condo hybrids enhance the city’s real estate landscape, providing an elevated living experience for those seeking the best of both worlds. Explore these iconic residences and discover the epitome of sophisticated living in the heart of Toronto.

Connect with us below for more information about any of these hotel/condo projects!

Nov 17
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Meet Noda Design

By Toronto

It’s about time the city formally meets one of its most creative and talented interior designers – Toronto based (and globally connected) Nora Voon of Noda Design! For well over a decade, she’s been building up a portfolio of homes, offices and restaurants around the world… and now, she’s opened her first brick and mortar shop here in the city!

Their flagship location is now open by appointment at: at 11 King St. East (Toronto, Ontario. M5C 3C2) 

In Noras own words:

A well-designed space should tell a story. Of great travels, of love, passion, mystery, seduction. At Noda you won’t find cold, empty, minimal Instagram spaces in our portfolio, that’s never been our style. We go for texture, for artifacts, bold rich colours, for quirk and kink. 

Let us introduce ourselves. We are Nora Voon, founder, artist, designer, a lover of traditional craftsmanship, and a dedicated traveler. As a graduate of Inchbald School of Design in London, UK, Nora studied Interior Architecture and was awarded for her work at the Preen Fashion House by Fox Linton Associates. 

 

From there Nora took to the world, to work with artisans and designers on projects in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. This time inspired Nora’s love for organic motifs mixing high design with delicate crafts. 

Nora created Noda to honour the places she loves, the people she respects, and frankly to infuse the architecture and design world with a great mischievous sense of delight. Along for the ride are Ceren Kaptan, our lead product and furniture designer with degrees from Florence, Italy, and Turkey. And to keep us all on our toes is Julia Milborne our haute marketer, strategist, and client relations with a background in marketing and real estate.

 

Yes, we’re all women team and so proud of it. #Badass We bring a female empowerment perspective to every project and piece. On our own, we led adventurous lives, and now working together we bring that same all-in energy to the spaces and objects we create. 

From the get-go, Noda’s objective has been centred around one of our favourite four-letter words: PLAY! To tease, to wink, to arouse the mundane. We do this in the interiors we reimagine and pieces we create. Snagging inspiration from our most treasured destinations. Our tag line is: Made From The World. It speaks for our worldliness brought to life through great craftsmanship.

 

Go on, go check out our portfolio

Come on in!
For many years Noda ran as a design group, but today we add bricks and mortar to our name. The Noda Flagship store is in Toronto, Canada straddling between the design and the financial district, right on 11 King Street East.

Inside is our line of Noda collection, along with unique finds curated and collected from Nora’s travels. To us, this is a living space, where we’ll soon host great talks and events. We plan to be a hub for conversation and creation.

Pop in for a visit

The great tapestry that is our planet, is our greatest muse. This is the story we bring to you. Let our journey begin.

Nov 26
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Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik Iceland

Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik Iceland

By Toronto

Iceland is home to many things… waterfalls, lagoons, and even really, really, realllllly good hotdogs – but did you know, it’s also where you’ll find one of the BEST DESIGNED BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD!

Located in downtown Reykjavik, The Harpa Concert Hall (as it is officially known) is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera. It has four large halls – the largest can accommodate up to 1800 seats. But it’s size alone isn’t the only reason why you can’t miss it… the envelope of the building is wrapped with 714 uniquely shaped glass panels, each giving off a different colour or shade depending on how the light hits it! It is also the proud winner of the prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation beating 335 other works from 37 European countries!

The History of The Harpa 

The hall was designed in collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson along with his Studio, and the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects who also built the Opera House in Copenhagen. 

Harpa celebrated its opening with a concert on May 4th, 2011 – but its rise to fame started much earlier.  Construction started in 2007, and at that time the plan was to build an  “Icelandic World Trade Center” complete with hotels and luxury apartments. But then the financial crisis hit in 2008, and deeply impacted the country.  Things got so bad that the project was essentially put on hold and sat half finished. Thankfully Icelandic Government stepped in to save the project and funded it to completion.

According to the Grayline Iceland blog, the hall got its unique name through a public competition:  Over 1,200 residents entered over 4,000 names. The winning name, Harpa, is an Old Icelandic word that refers to a time of year, and it is also a month in the old Nordic calendar, and the first day of the month of ‘Harpa’ as it was known was the first day of summer.

Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall

After crossing waterfalls, and hot-springs from your to-do list, be sure to include a stop at The Harpa.  It’s free to visit, though access to certain areas may be restricted while events are being held. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to see, and offers a warm refuge from the windy Reykjavik streets!

Visiting The Harpa for your first time is much like walking into a giant igloo (much warmer of course)! The sheer size of the place is incredible, and the transparent walls allow for some spectacular views of the bay and mountains in the distance.  The ceilings are capped with reflective mirrors that further distort the sense of space inside the Hall. You’ll be in awe at the architectural and engineering marvel that went into its construction… but if “world-class design” isn’t your thing, there’s also a restaurant and gift shop (complete with furry hats) – as well as guided tours of the Hall.

Prior to visiting Iceland, I had no idea the Harpa even existed.  With all that the country has to offer, visiting “another building” never really registered on the itinerary of things to do – but after seeing it’s beauty first hand, I’d highly recommend it as something everybody should see while in Iceland… below are some of the other sights we took in while on the trip:

 


Oct 26
Love0

Feel Good Lane Mural Project in Toronto

By Toronto

Feel Good Lane is located between Atlas and Arlington, half a block north of St. Clair West. The laneway was renamed in memory of Barry Luksenberg. Barry, who went by the MC name of “Feel Good”. The Laneway had it’s garages painted with the help of local street artists.

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