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Business Travel, Downtown Toronto, Toronto Family Travel

Where to Shop When Relocating to Toronto

May 14, 2015

Relocating to Toronto can be daunting if you’re not prepared. If you are travelling for business and relocating to Toronto, and moving into a furnished rental in Toronto, you may want to add some personal touches to your home away from home. Here are a few of our favourite shops in Toronto.

1. Cambie
If you need to keep warm on your couch at night, we recommend the local shop, Cambie, where owner Camille Byrne has sourced blankets from Peru. Not only are the blankets gorgeous and a great accompaniment to your living space, you are supporting two local communities. Though the blankets are Cambie’s most popular selling item, there are other decor items to add to your home including rugs and cushions.

2. BYOB
If you are entertaining in your place, the best place to source all of your needs for bespoke cocktails is at BYOB. From intricate glassware to beer kits and bitters, this place has it all for your party needs. Anything from BYOB also makes a great hostess gift (and is one of our top shops for gifts).

3. CB2
In close distance to our downtown toronto apartments, CB2 is a modern and stylish one-stop shop for all of your decor needs. There are a great selection of chairs and chaises to add to your living room, should you be staying with us long-term. They also have a great selection of affordable bedding and accessories.

4. Hudson’s Bay Company
Located right across the street from the Eaton Centre at the heart of downtown at Yonge and Queen Street, The Hudson’s Bay Company literally is the oldest shopping and trading post in Canada. The department is your one stop shop for basic decor and kitchen items as well as clothing and accessories. Everything you need will be here and an excuse to explore the Eaton Centre later on. Don’t forget to get one of their signature striped items as a memorable Canadian souvenir.

5. Kol Kid
If you are looking for bespoke toys, clothes, and other items for your children (from growth charts to decor for their room), Kol Kid is the place to go. In the heart of Queen Street West, this children’s store is a staple for stylish items for your kids and a Toronto treasure.

What are your favourite stores for design and decor in Toronto? Are you thinking of relocating to Toronto? Find out more information here on how we can assist.

Downtown Toronto, Downtown Toronto Condos, Family Vacations in Toronto, Fitness and Health, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk

Tips to Healthy Eating in Your Furnished Suite

May 8, 2015

Being healthy while travelling on the road whether for business or for leisure can be a difficult task to upkeep. Luckily, the kitchens at the furnished apartments at DelSuites gives you the resources to eat as healthy as possible while you’re in Toronto for your trip. Here are a few of our tips to healthy eating, whether you’re in the city for a short-term or long-term stay.

1. Buy Locally from Farmers Markets. Shopping at the farmers markets ensures that your produces is locally sourced. Locally sourced produce means it’s fresh and that you’re getting the best quality and nutrients in your meals as opposed to the exported product found in grocery stores (most produce, as a result, will be processed). While in another city, like Toronto, going to the farmers markets will keep you in the company of locals and chat up the local farmers and producers of your food. There are a number of farmers markets that are in the areas of our properties from downtown to Etobicoke and Mississauga.

2. Buy in Season. As above, the food you buy at the farmers’ markets is seasonal. That said, if you are at a market or at the grocery store near your furnished rental in Toronto, buying in season will ensure your produce is as healthy as possible. Asparagus and Rhubarb are prime in the spring; corn is perfect in the summer months; tomatoes are at its peak in September; and apples and pumpkins are ripe and ready in the fall. Buying in season also helps you connect with the earth and weather as it changes throughout the year.

3. Get your Groceries Delivered If you are on business while in Toronto and on the go, having no time to shop can result in unhealthy eating. Luckily, one of our services is grocery delivery via Real Food Toronto. This way you can plan your meals to keep your meals fresh and delicious if you can’t get to the farmers markets. Real Food Toronto prides itself on its selection of healthy options for its customers.

4. Broil and Bake instead of Fry. Our fully stocked kitchens come with state of the art ovens, pots, and pans for all of your cooking and baking needs. Cooking instead of going to restaurants will also keep you healthy on the road and with our amenities, there’s no excuse not to cook in your apartment! Whether you get your groceries from a local grocery store (many grocery stores are conveniently located near our properties), or at the farmers market, try to broil or bake your fish or meat instead of frying it, as it will save you from added calories or additives in your meals.

5. Eat at a Table. Having a place to sit away from a desk or taking the time out in the morning to enjoy a healthy breakfast will keep you satiated and less likely to induce in cravings later on in the day as well as giving you that peace of mind and time for yourself before a busy day in the city or while on business.

What are your favourite tips to healthy eating?

Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Food & Recipes, Lifestyle talk

Where to get High Tea in Toronto near Your Furnished Rental

May 6, 2015

As Mother’s Day approaches, one idea to celebrate the day is to partake in the tradition of afternoon or high tea in Toronto. Luckily, there are a number of places across the GTA near your furnished rental to indulge in this leisurely treat. Pinkies up!

1. The Old Mill
Near our Nuvo and Park Nuvo properties, The Old Mill is a storied tradition and has been at the Old Mill Inn in Etobicoke for 100 years. Bring your favourite fascinator and celebrate with your mom in style. For $30, you can snack over a varied menu of finger sandwiches, scones, and afternoon tea pastries, a variety of teas, and even bubbles (at an extra cost). With a view of the outdoor garden through the old-fashioned windows, this is one of the best atmospheres for afternoon tea in the city.

2. The Windsor Arms
One of the most famous places to enjoy the afternoon tea tradition in Toronto (and not too far from our 173 Duplex and Republic short-term rentals at Yonge and Eglinton), The Windsor Arms also has one of the most luxurious tea rooms in the city. In one of the three elegant tea rooms, you can sip from over 20 different selections of tea as well as a savoury menu of finger foods. The Windsor Arms arguably has the best scones and devonshire cream in the city. If you can’t make the regular seatings, there is a twilight menu serving the tea menu at 5:30 and 6:00 PM daily. Fancy hats or fascinators are encouraged. You can borrow one for $5 and proceeds benefit the Look Good Feel Better program, a charity that offers hands-on cosmetic and hair alternatives workshops for women with cancer.

3. The Old Curiosity Tea Shop
This high tea tradition is not too far away from our Circa apartments for rent in Markham which offers over 50 different teas. The Victorian tearoom also specializes in current and discontinued Royal Doulton china replacements. The afternoon tea tradition is by reservation only.

4. The Tea Room, Streetsville
An affordable place for this tradition in Mississauga, you can choose from three different menus for afternoon tea. The Tea Room High Tea menu offers a garden salad in addition to the three tiered tray of tea sandwiches, quiche tartlet, scones, and sweets. You can also choose among an array of black, oolong, and herbal teas.

5. DEQ at the Ritz Carlton
This modern take on the afternoon tradition is a short walk from our downtown toronto apartments furnished apartments in downtown Toronto. There are four different menus to choose from, each which feature the luxury Sloane tea, its blends sourced by certified tea sommeliers. Nibble an updated twist of the traditional menu such as a larger size of the salmon sandwiches served on croissants and macarons served on a modern version of the tiered tray.

Where is your favourite place for high tea in Toronto?

Feedback and Reviews, Lifestyle talk

A Guide to Decorating Your Furnished Condo

April 30, 2015

Whether you’re a business traveler in Toronto on an extended stay, a family looking for a longer city vacation, or a film or TV industry pro moving in for the summer shooting season, part of what makes a furnished rental great is the unique character you can’t get from a hotel room. But part of the draw of furnished rentals is the ability to personalize that space you’ll be living in for weeks or months into a home away from home.

Here are a few low-cost, simple tips on decorating your furnished condo décor—and creating a gorgeous Toronto nest that truly feels like it’s yours.

Start With Colour, and Texture, and Light…

The simplest antidote to a furnished rental that’s not yet found its voice is texture and colour. Most Toronto furnished rentals come with a very clean look that makes adding your own personal touches easy, without having to break out paintbrushes or power tools. Patterned rugs, couch cushions or throws and small lamps can all bring a condo space to life without much investment—and portably enough to bring home with you!

Want a warm, rich, South Asian-meets-bistro feel? Visit Morningstar Trading, which specializes in Rajasthani imports, for hand-carved wooden vases, bright fabric, plush embroidered cushions, and small furniture pieces that bring colour into a room.

If you love the clean, rustic, and airy feel of reclaimed-wood furniture and eggshell-white walls? The Drake General Store, an offshoot of the Drake Hotel specializing in Canadian designers and brands, has a wide selection of log-cabin Canadiana, including carved-stone coasters, soft throw blankets, and needlepoint cushions.

For a clean, minimalist aesthetic, check out Harbord Village’s Things Japanese, a cozy source for everything from shoji screens to soften the afternoon light to wood-and-paper table lamps, vases, decorative boxes, and rollable, portable inked wall scrolls.

Bring the Spring In

One of the simplest ways to put your mark on a space is by bringing something green home. Most Toronto fruit markets will have a selection of potted herbs once the warm weather hits, and a spilling, vibrant mint in a brightly coloured hanging planter from Roncesvalles Village’s Scout or your local hardware store can both brighten up your space and contribute materially to a homemade mojito.

If you’d rather smell your plants than taste them, small florists like Church-Wellesley Village’s Ladybug and Yorkville’s Sweetpea’s not only take online orders for long-lasting floral arrangements, but deliver to your door. And for the budget-minded, there’s nothing better than a tall Mason jar and a handful of daffodils from the corner variety store.

Beautiful and Useful

There’s a reason coffee table books were so popular in the sixties: They were objects, almost carelessly placed, that told your guests a story about what you love. Small, useful objects like coasters, cushions, handmade notebooks, and more make your mark on a space, and help you inhabit it completely.

Almost every neighbourhood in downtown Toronto has a monthly flea full of the useful-and-beautiful, with vendors offering vintage, handcrafted, quirky, and just fun items in their own neighbourhood. There’s a flea in Leslieville and The Parkdale, and more. Admission rarely goes above two dollars, and they’re an increasingly gr Decorating Your Furnished Condo eat source for good décor finds—and a fun day out.

Having a few old favourites on the nightstand can also go a long way, and specialty Toronto bookstores like Ben McNally Books for literary fiction mavens, The Sleuth of Baker Street for mystery hounds, Bakka-Phoenix Books for science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans, or TYPE for lovers of art and design can supply you with your best-loved bedtime stories to reread or shelve prominently—and make your space feel that much more like home.

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Ultimately, decorating your furnished condo rental in Toronto is halfway about the experience: Each object you bring home to brighten your space is a piece of Toronto you’ve gotten to know, a walk you took, or a neighbourhood you’ve discovered. And it’s a great way to enjoy the time you spend here—and build a few great memories when it’s time to head home.

Toronto Family Travel, Vacation Travel

Alternative Travel Destinations in Canada

April 24, 2015

Canada Mention the words Canada and travel and immediately, and a few cities and images come to mind: Toronto; Montreal; Quebec City; Vancouver; the great outdoors. Indeed, these places are integral places on the Canada tour but if you’re looking to get off the beaten path, here are some new travel destinations in Canada, whether you are here for a short or long-term stay.

1. Manitoba
Ontario’s next door neighbour is starting to get the attention it deserves. In addition to being one of the best places in Canada to get up front and close with wildlife like polar bears, beluga whales, caribou, and grey owls, you can also have a more urban experience in the evolved Winnipeg. The city is home to Canada’s first Museum for Human Rights; the Assiniboine Park Zoo; and a thriving dining scene thanks to events like the Raw & Almond pop-up dinners on the Assiniboine River every January. For those who love culture, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and if you need to relax, try the new Thermea by Nordik-Spa nature experience.

2. The Eastern Townships
A quick two hour drive from Montreal, the Eastern Townships is one of Canada’s lesser-known weekend getaways and one of its best. Book a night or two at the quaint yet sophisticated Relais et Chateaux property, Manoir Hovey, and don’t miss their delectable cheese cart as part of their dining experience, which is just as popular as their lakeside view. For an idyllic experience, visit the Bleu Lavande lavender fields which are in season in July and August. The Eastern Townships is a nice complement to your time spent in Quebec City or Montreal.

3. Alberta
Not many think of the Prairies as a vacation destination beyond the Calgary Stampede in July; or Jasper or Banff for skiing in the winter or lakeside in the summer (make sure not to miss the stunning glacial lakes of Lake Moraine). Beyond the ski hills of Jasper, you can now visit the Glacier Skywalk, which hovers above the Sunwapta Valley along Alberta’s Icefield Parkway. There is also so much more for those who want an outdoor adventure in the province. For the family, follow the dinosaur trail in the Badlands, with a visit to the UNESCO world heritage site, Dinosaur Provincial Park, 200 km west of Calgary. And on the archeological theme, check out the Indiana Jones exhibition at the TELUS World of Science centre in Edmonton. Edmonton has become a cultural hub in Alberta and is an alternative to Calgary as an urban travel destination.

4. St. Pierre et Miquelon, Newfoundland
Newfoundland is quickly becoming one of the world’s best travel experiences thanks to Gros Morne as the default hiking destination, and a lot of press attention to Fogo Island for its stunning scenery and luxury hotel, the Fogo Island Inn. However, not many know about the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, North America’s last piece of French territory. Actually a part of France, the islands have its own airport, use euros and is your chance to go to Paris without crossing the Atlantic!

5. The North West Territories
Yellowknife is one of the most remote destinations for some of the most idyllic Canadian adventures you can have like dog sledding; catching a glimpse of the Aurora lights; ice fishing, and hunting. Consider the Northwest Territories if you want an off-the-beaten path adventure in Canada beyond British Columbia.

We hope this post has provided you with some inspiration to get into the lesser known parts of Canada.

What are your favourite travel destinations in Canada?

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