Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Events, Family Vacations in Toronto, Lifestyle talk

Visiting Toronto in Winter

November 28, 2016

Visiting Toronto in winter might send a shiver down your spine, but as long as you bundle up there are a lot of things to enjoy in this chilly city during the winter months. Plus, there will be fewer tourists, flights and accommodation will be less expensive. You may even have the opportunity to get to know the locals. Here are some of the reasons visiting Toronto in winter can be enjoyable.

There’s Always Somewhere to Skate when Visiting Toronto in Winter

Toronto has approximately 50 skating rinks run by the city, which means that no matter where you are you can always find somewhere to strap on your skates and glide gracefully across the ice (or crash awkwardly into the boards). Check out the rink at Nathan Phillips Square, the Colonel Samuel Smith Park skateway in Etobicoke or the covered rink at Greenwood Park.

You Can Feast at Winterlicious

When you have worked up an appetite with all of that skating, you can warm up inside and enjoy the fantastic culinary scene that Toronto has to offer. Winterlicious will run in the last week of January for two weeks and during this time many restaurants throughout the city offer a menu of discount fixed price dinners. Each menu showcases starters, entrees and desserts and features the specialties of the restaurant. The 2017 event will take place from January 27th to February 9th and more than 200 restaurants will be taking part.

You Can Warm Up Inside a Museum

When the weather outside is chilly, you can stay warm within some of Toronto’s fantastic museums and art galleries. The Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario are the big names, but there are also many others to explore including the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, the Ontario Science Centre and the Bata Shoe Museum.

You Can Do Some Underground Shopping

Want to be able to shop until you drop without having to brave the freezing temperatures? The underground PATH system has 19 miles of retail shops and restaurants, making it the largest underground shopping complex in the world. You can spend all day shopping, eating and exploring without ever having to venture outside.

Hockey Season will Be in Full Swing

Cheering along with the roaring crowd at a Toronto Maple Leafs game is an essential Canadian experience to have during your visit to this great city. Winter is the best time to do this, as you will be visiting right in the middle of the hockey season. If you want to learn more about the sport before the game, you can visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and learn the stories of the best players in the NHL.

These are just a few of the many reasons why visiting Toronto in winter is great, even during the coldest months of the year. Wear a toque, breathe the crisp cold air, stop for regular hot chocolate breaks at Tim Hortons and enjoy!

Announcements, Customer Service Experience, Feedback and Reviews

DelSuites Achieves TripAdvisor Certificate

August 19, 2016

The Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence is an impressive accolade that is awarded to the best businesses listed on the review website. It honours restaurants, hotels and attractions that receive great traveller reviews consistently. There are many establishments around the world that have earned this award for delivering superior customer service and DelSuites is proud to announce that it is one of them for the third consecutive year.

DelSuites is thrilled to have qualified for this distinction three years in a row, which is a reflection of the fact that they have dedicated themselves to offering their customers an excellent experience. Cliff Norton, Director of Sales, states “It is very easy and common for a company to call itself customer centric, however, there can be no greater measure of being a customer focused company than actual customer reviews and an award based on their reviews.”

Qualifying for the Certificate of Excellence

The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is now in its 6^th year. In order to qualify for this award, a business must have an overall Tripadvisor rating of at least four out of five stars. Also, it must have a minimum number of reviews in order to qualify, including a minimum volume of reviews that have been received within the last 12 months.

Only the top 10% of the businesses on the review website qualify for this prestigious award. The winners include top notch hotels and restaurants from all over the world. Because the award is based on the reviews of the customers, it is truly a reflection of those businesses that go above and beyond to make sure that their customers have the best possible experience. DelSuites is honoured to be named among the other businesses that have qualified for this award.

TripAdvisor – Your Source for Travel Reviews

TripAdvisor is one of the most valuable resources for travellers, as it allows users to view millions of reviews of hotels, hostels, resorts, tour agencies, attractions, restaurants and more. These objective user reviews allow travellers to plan their trips based on real experiences by other visitors. TripAdvisor was one of the first websites to adopt this model and it pioneered the way in user-generated content, creating an example for many other types of review websites that came after it.

TripAdvisor also operates more than 24 other travel brands, including Vacation Home Rentals, TravelPod, Airfare Watchdog, Cruise Critic, Jet Setter, Flip Key, Gate Guru, The Fork, Smarter Travel and much more. It is one of the biggest brands on the travel scene and the go-to place that travellers go when they want to read an unbiased review before booking a trip.

After receiving the Certificate of Excellence for the third year in a row, DelSuites will continue to go above and beyond to provide the best possible travel experience for its guests from all over the world.

View the DelSuites TripAdvisor press release.

Business Travel, Family Vacations in Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk, Toronto Family Travel

Quick Healthy Snacks when You are Busy

August 8, 2016

It can be incredibly challenging to eat healthy when you are travelling. Whether you are on a long flight, a bus journey or an epic road trip, often the only food available is from convenience stores and fast food outlets. Greasy fast food will not only pack on the calories, it will make you feel bloated and tired when you are in transit. If you can bring along some quick healthy snacks on your trip, you can refuel with nutrients that will give you energy and help you feel great.

Looking to prepare some healthy foods for your next trip but don’t know where to start? Here are a few ideas of some quick healthy snacks:

Dried Fruit

This travel snack ticks all the boxes – it is healthy, tasty and extremely portable. It is also great for kids because it won’t make a mess or cause stains in the car or the plane. There are many great tasting types of dried fruit including dried bananas, apple rings and dried peaches. Look for fruit that has doesn’t have any additives like sugar, colour, flavor or preservatives.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Having travel snacks that are high in protein is important, because the protein will keep you feeling full for longer. Hard boiled eggs are a great travel snack, so boil up a few before you go and keep them in a container. They can last a long time if you don’t peel the shell, as the egg itself is the perfect wrapper.

Trail Mix

Another great portable healthy snack is trail mix. You can bring it along in a Tupperware container or Ziploc bag and grab handfuls whenever hunger strikes. There are lots of different types of trail mix out available out there in the bulk section of the grocery store. Or, you could make your own by combining the nuts, seeds, dried fruits and other items that you prefer.

Granola Bars

A store bought granola bar can be the perfect item for keeping you fueled up when you are on the road. However, when choosing your granola bar be aware that some brands are loaded with sugar that you may as well be eating a chocolate bar! Look for these quick healthy snacks with low sugar and plenty of natural ingredients.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a fantastic food! It offers lots of protein and energy and it’s very portable. You could bring along a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter on a road trip and stop for sandwiches whenever you are hungry. You can also bring along some crackers or celery sticks for spreading peanut butter on – whatever tastes good to you. Finally be sure to check out some healthy on the go snacks children love.

These are just some ideas for portable quick healthy snacks that are great to bring with you when you are travelling, so you can satiate your hunger without filling up on junk food and arrive at your destination or furnished apartment in Toronto feeling great.

About me, Community Events, Events, Giving Back

Giving back to the Toronto Humane Society

May 26, 2016

Delsuites cares about the local community and makes an effort to contribute and make the world a better place. That’s why they recently got involved with the Toronto Humane Society and donated five bags of gently used towels.

During a recent visit at the shelter, Lauren and Suelyn were able to take a tour inside the Toronto Humane Society and visit with all the animals that are currently in their care. They met with a wide range of animals that are up for adoption. They also got to meet animals who had recently undergone surgery and learned a little bit about the history of the organization.

The Importance of Donations and Volunteers

The Toronto Humane Society is a non-government funded charity organization that relies on donations of any sort; whether that means supplies from pet stores, food donations or monetary donations from a wide range of sources. You can also become a monthly donor at the Toronto Humane Society and provide the animals with the daily support they need for as little as 60 cents per day. Also, they wouldn’t be able to operate without the help of over 500 volunteers who help at the society on a yearly basis.

These volunteers have a number of very important roles involved with keeping the centre running and taking care of the animals. Their daily roles include walking dogs, socializing the animals, providing them with care and grooming. They will bottle feed kittens, cuddle with puppies and socialize other small species including: mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters.

The Toronto Humane Society also provides public spay and neuter services for cats and dogs in order to reduce the number of kittens and puppies that enter the shelter every year.

A Positive Impact on the Community

The services that the Toronto Humane Society offers benefit the community in a lot of positive ways, which is why Delsuites is thrilled to donate and support what they do. First and foremost, they change the lives of dogs and cats who may otherwise be injured or living on the streets. Also, by offering free & low-cost spaying and neutering services they reduce the number of stray animals that wind up on the streets.

The medical and behavioural programs the Toronto Humane Society offers sets up the animals to lead a happy and healthy life in their new homes and give them the best opportunity to thrive. The society focuses on prevention and education and it takes a leadership role with partnering shelters. The educational programs that it offers empower people to take care of their animals.

Without the work that they do, the number of unwanted births would skyrocket and drive greater numbers of animals into the shelter. To find out more about the Toronto Humane Society and what they do, or perhaps find your own furry companion a forever home, you can visit their website.

Business Travel, Downtown Toronto Condos, Family Vacations in Toronto, Lifestyle talk, Toronto Family Travel, Vacation Travel

Make Your Toronto Vacation Rental Feel Like Home

May 12, 2016

If you’re travelling far from home, the impersonal surroundings can get to you after a while and make you feel a little bit lonely and homesick. Staying in a Toronto vacation rental is a much better option, as you will have the conveniences of home such as being able to cook your own meals, wash clothes and have separate areas for sleeping and socializing. A Toronto vacation rental can be a home away from home and can really help you to enjoy your trip in comfort.

So what can you do to make your Toronto vacation rental feel even more like home? If you are staying for a while and you are starting to miss where you came from, here are some ideas for creating a cozy and welcoming home away from home.

Fill the Room with Your Signature Scent

Do you have a favourite type of candle or incense that you like to burn when you are at home? Or perhaps you have a particular room freshening spray or essential oil that you always use? Take it with you on your trip so that your Toronto vacation rental can smell just like home. Scent is strongly linked to memory and emotion so when you take a deep breath you will immediately feel calm and centered.

Put Up Your Pictures

Buy a few cheap picture frames and print out a few pictures of your most beloved family and friends. You can place them on the bedside table or the mantelpiece of your vacation home so that you can be reminded of your loved ones even when you are away. There are even digital photo frames that you can buy which will display a memory card filled with photos on a slideshow.

Cook a Favourite Meal

Do you have a favourite dish that reminds you of home? Whether you are on a business trip by yourself or a family getaway with all the kids, bring the recipe and cook it up in the kitchen of your vacation home. If it requires special ingredients that you can only get at home, make sure you pack them with you! The kitchen will be filled with a comforting and familiar smell and you will enjoy a taste of home.

Bring Your Own Music

Why not bring your favourite music from home to listen to at your Toronto vacation rental? Many Toronto vacation rentals will have a stereo system with an iPod or iPhone jack so that you can plug in your own playlist. If not, there are also many great portable speakers you can travel with so that you can listen to any music anywhere.

These are just a few ways that you can make your Toronto vacation rental feel more like home when you are staying in an unfamiliar place. With all of these wonderful little touches you will be so comfortable in your holiday home that you won’t want to leave! Dont forget to check out these top 10 things to do before you head out on vacation.

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