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How to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

December 2, 2022

Staying healthy over the holidays can be a challenge. The weather outside is cold and we spend most of our day indoors, breathing in recycled air and possible germs. The abundance of alcohol and sugary treats over the holiday season reduces our immune systems, making us more susceptible to illness. The stress and pressure of preparing for New Years’ events can decrease your health even more – making you a target for flu bugs, colds and much more.

However, there are a number of ways that you can keep yourself healthy over the holidays.

Keep Up Your Exercise Routine

It’s tempting to ditch your workouts and let your days fill up with parties, errands and holiday preparations. However, it is important to keep your exercise routine as much as possible. Staying active will give you more energy, help you deal with added stress, boost your immune system and help you manage your weight during the holiday season. Squeeze in a visit to the gym whenever you can and try to enjoy active holiday activities such as going for a walk in the snow with your family. When staying in your furnished rental in Toronto, you can utilize the gym in the downtown Toronto apartments which is included in your rate, so you dont have to pay extra to work out.

Reduce Your Alcohol Consumption

The holidays bring with them a number of situations where alcohol is consumed, from a mug of mulled wine to cocktails and drinks at the New Years’ party. It’s fine to have a few festive drinks but be careful not to go overboard. When you drink too much it will reduce your immune system function, put a strain on your liver, raise your blood pressure and add a lot of empty calories. Try to alternate your alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones at a party or an event so that you can cut back and stay healthy over the holidays.

Fill Up on Healthy Food

If you are going to a holiday get-together where you know there will be a lot of sweets, cookies, candies and other unhealthy treats, make sure that you eat a full meal of healthy, nourishing food first. Then, you will be less likely to eat as many unhealthy treats.

Take Time to De-Stress

The holidays can be a stressful time. There are a lot of commitments to friends and family, a lot of events to attend and plan for as well as the financial stress of gifts. You might find yourself being stretched thin and feeling stressed. Make sure that you give yourself time to take a break and recharge. Allow time for yourself to enjoy activities that reduce stress, such as going for a walk, practicing yoga or listening to some calming music.

Stay Warm

When the weather outside is frightful, make sure that you keep yourself warm and bundled up. A warm coat is important, as well as a hat and gloves to reduce heat loss through your head and hands where you lose the most heat.

Keep these tips in mind so that you can stay healthy and make the most of this holiday season.

Looking for a 30+ day furnished rental in downtown Toronto for your travel program?

Start your search for furnished apartments in downtown Toronto today with DelSuites.

Announcements, Customer Service Experience, Fitness and Health, Medical Stays

DelSuites Partners with AGTA Home Health Care to Take Accessible Travel Farther

May 4, 2022

DelSuites has always been proud to offer a comfortable, private space to call home while recovering from important medical procedures. Because our properties are located near the specialized care units at major Toronto hospitals, we know how medical stays impact every aspect of a family’s life—and we work hard to make that challenge a little warmer, more comfortable, and more livable.

Now you can unlock a 7% discount on the medical supplies you need to make a post-hospital stay easier—and bring a new level of support to the hard work of healing.

DelSuites has partnered with AGTA Home Health Care to add peace of mind, dignity, and professional support for the people who come through our doors to recover. With 22 years’ experience supporting aging, injured, and physically challenged clients—or anyone who just needs a little extra support around the house—AGTA brings proven care and accessibility to the privacy and comfort of a DelSuites furnished rental in Toronto.

Whether you’re coming to Toronto for an important medical stay or planning everyday travel while living with a few extra needs, DelSuites and AGTA let you enjoy Toronto worry-free, in a warm, luxurious space you can happily call home.

Bringing health care to you on your medical stays

AGTA Home Health Care brings the DelSuites ethic of hospitality to health care: letting people stay—or heal—at home, whether home is permanent or temporary.

AGTA’s founder, Vince Agovino, has been caring for people since 1995. His experience of the formidable challenges friends and families face when organizing home care for their loved ones spurred him to found AGTA Home Health Care.

AGTA understands how all the puzzle pieces—personal support, medical expertise, and the right supplies—come together to make the difference between navigating your space and enjoying it. They bring together everything you need to make a positive recovery or live in a truly accessible space.

AGTA’s one-stop, accessible website lets you buy or affordably rent medical supplies and assistive devices for as long as you need the support. With everything from cast protectors for easy showering, easy-grip kitchen knives, wheelchairs, crutches, and ramps, they will ensure you have everything needed, prior to your arrival.

AGTA also works seamlessly with funders like WSIB, ODSP, and the Ontario Assistive Devices Program to help conveniently improve your quality of life.

On the human side, AGTA offers full, 24-hour home health care visits. AGTA’s compassionate, professional staff of personal support workers and in-home nurses are pre-qualified with Toronto’s Home and Community Care Support Services—so you know your care is top-notch. AGTA seamlessly coordinates care with your medical team so you can recover in comfort and privacy—and family members can focus on being there.

A seamless way to plan an accessible stay

Our partnership with AGTA doesn’t just open doors for those recovering from medical procedures. Travelers living with disabilities or chronic health issues frequently work a little harder to get the comfortable, luxurious travel experience everyone expects. AGTA and DelSuites let you consider that work handled.

The open, accessible layouts of DelSuites units are built for everyday living. With full kitchen and laundry facilities, accessible indoor parking, and wide, spacious doors and bathtubs, we’ve got the basics of an accessible stay. But with AGTA, travelers can affordably rent the small modifications that take those basics to a full-fledged accessible solution: bath steps, tub rails, back support, and more.

It’s a way to focus on what you’re in Toronto to do, see, taste, and enjoy, instead of working hard to source the tools you’ll need to overcome barriers. And if you need personal support workers—some days or every day—it’s a way to open Toronto up to you as a warm, welcoming, fun travel destination.

With DelSuites, the everyday costs of living are always included in our rates: WiFi, phone plans, cable TV, linens service, and the use of our buildings’ recreational and fitness amenities. AGTA’s affordable equipment rental rates make Toronto travel not just physically, but financially accessible.

All you have to do is pick up the key to your DelSuites rental. With a pre-trip order to AGTA, all the supplies you need can be waiting for you.

All you need to do is arrive

Both DelSuites and AGTA understand that hospitality is everything. It’s core to a warm travel experience; it catches us after a hard health scare; it’s what lets us age at home. We’re proud to come together to make everything about Toronto travel and medical stays easier—and make much more possible.

To set up an accessible, supported Toronto stay, visit our Medical Stays information page. Our Bookings team and AGTA Home Health Care will help you settle into your home away from home—and make sure it’s a place to feel well and supported.

Downtown Toronto Condos, Fitness and Health, Toronto Condos

Toronto Rental Apartment Safety: The Quick Guide

March 29, 2022

Apartment safety photo by Oluwaseun Duncan from Pexels

Staying safe in a new rental apartment can be daunting—especially if you’re visiting another city or country, and don’t know what to expect. While there are always situations we can’t control, we can be better prepared for them—and know how our spaces are equipped to help us out.

On that note: Here are some quick basics on staying safe in your Toronto furnished rental suite.

Know the safety features in your suite

The great thing about renting a furnished condominium suite is that they’re built for everyday living—and have all the safety features you’d expect from long-term homes. Most Toronto condominium buildings have layers of built-in fire safety features, and DelSuites puts our suites in Tridel buildings, which have fire alarm panels, pressurized elevator shafts to keep the air clean, sprinkler systems, heat sensors, and more.

If you’re concerned about safety, there are a few key things to find: your fuse box, your water shutoff valve, your smoke alarm, your fire extinguisher, and your closest fire exit.

Most Toronto condominiums put the water shutoff valve underneath one of the sinks: either in your kitchen or your main bathroom. Knowing where that is can stop any drainage or flooding trouble before it starts, just by flipping a switch.

The same goes for your fuse box. Fuses will be clearly labelled, so if something doesn’t look right, you can cut the power to just that appliance without worrying about the rest.

All DelSuites units have access to a working and unexpired fire extinguisher — it’s located in the building hallway. Your building also keeps your smoke alarm tested and up to date. Finding both on your first day will help you feel confident in case a late dinner or movie-night popcorn burns a little too much.

But your fire exit might be the most important safety feature to find when you arrive for your stay. Accidents can happen, small or large. Knowing your plan to leave the building safely—which stairwell is closest, what your backup is, and where it lets you out onto the street—can make a difficult situation, or even just a fire drill, much easier. And in better situations: you’ll know exactly how to get in your daily steps.

Know your building’s specific safety features

Buildings are communities, and depending on their situation, they have a variety of safety and security features that can put your mind at ease.

Most Toronto condominiums test their fire alarms once a month, by law—so don’t be alarmed if you wake up to a deep voice telling you it’s testing day.

Many buildings have features that restrict or control who comes in and out of the building. Alongside a professional concierge at the desk, many buildings have buzzer systems, security cameras throughout elevators and hallways, and fob- or card-coded elevators to make sure only residents can access their floor.

DelSuites buildings also have security and anti-theft features in our indoor parking lots: sensors, cameras, and restricted access. You can be confident your car—rental or otherwise—will stay safe.

If you’re facing noise or something that concerns you in your hallway, you can always call down to your concierge desk and they’ll offer you advice—or come check it out.

Dress for the weather

It’s not what most people think when we think “safety”, but in a Toronto winter, having warm enough coats, boots, and clothes is a way to stay safe. On bitterly cold winter days—when temperatures drop to -15 C or below—the city issues Extreme Cold Weather Alerts, and too much time outside without the right protection can mean frostbite.

While Toronto’s adapted for those colder days—the downtown PATH system can get around them entirely—it’s smart to pack for the weather, especially if you’re not visiting from a cold-weather region.

Your concierge—and guest services team—is your resource

We often don’t think about how basic things work—until we travel internationally, and things work entirely differently.

Not sure how one of your appliances works? Or if the hairdryer you brought from home is made for Toronto’s electrical outlets? Can’t find a fire extinguisher, or what the best and safest route to the parking garage would be?

Your concierge and guest services team are your guides, hosts, and resources. Think of them as a friendly, professional tour guide for a new living space: the guest services team for your unit and your neighbourhood (where do I find a pharmacy, again?) and your concierge for the building.

If you’re worried about something in your suite, need a safe route to do something, or just want to double-check your instincts: just ask. They’ll be happy to help.

Safety means different things to all of us, but whatever you need, we can help you find it—or set it up. Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how we can help you explore your furnished long-term rental apartment, or find one that fits your lifestyle.

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

Travelling with Dietary Restrictions: A Quick Guide

January 4, 2022

Dietary restrictions Photo by Lubo Minar on Unsplash.

How we eat is part of our everyday lives: what we eat, when, and where. But also what we don’t eat. And what we don’t eat shows up in whole new ways when we travel to a new place.

Travelling with dietary needs or restrictions can be difficult: Packing your own snacks, balancing medications, and hours of extra research on where you can enjoy a good meal without getting sick afterward—sometimes in another language. It’s an extra layer of work that can make it much harder to focus on your business travel, enjoy the neighbourhood, or just kick back and relax on that hard-earned vacation.

But whether it’s allergies, diabetes, food intolerances, religious and cultural diets, or just sticking with a lifestyle that makes you feel great, it’s possible to have the trip of a lifetime and still eat the way you need. When you’re visiting Toronto, DelSuites fully furnished short-term rentals is here to make travel with dietary restrictions not just possible, but the trip of your life.

The flexibility of a full condominium kitchen

When hotel rooms were a traveler’s first option, the advice for traveling with dietary needs was to find a room with a mini-fridge, pack lots of snacks, and do a lot of research.

But since flexible vacation rentals have become more common, we’re all exploring new ways to experience a destination, and the standard special diet travel advice has become much simpler: stay somewhere you have the option to cook. Even if new restaurants and nights out are the highlights of your trip, you’ll have cooking as a backup option—and can enjoy your trip without the stress of looking for your next meal.

Here’s where DelSuites fully furnished rentals step up: a chance to choose how you want to travel, eat, and play—without sacrificing comfort, convenience, or luxury.

Situated in residential buildings across Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods, DelSuites short-term rentals are built for everyday living. That means all our suites have fully equipped—and full-sized—kitchens, putting modern appliances, pots, pans, cooking utensils, and a full set of dishes at your disposal. And if you have dietary needs where cross-contamination matters—celiac, kosher, halal, FODMAP, or a severe allergy—it means a private kitchen where there’s no need to stress about other travelers’ meals or a homeshare host’s preferences. You can bring in your favourites and relax with perfect confidence that you’ll be feeling great after dinner.

Eat the way you want

DelSuites’s convenient and dynamic services let you choose how you want to travel without stress—and let you change your mind once you’re here.

If you’d rather do your own cooking for one or every meal of the day, our booking concierges can help you prearrange a grocery order to be delivered on your arrival—and our buildings’ friendly staff will get it to your door. Toronto’s diverse, multicultural neighbourhoods mean you’ll have endless options to find essentials, whether it’s a favourite international snack, a holiday dish, or ingredients that are certified gluten-, dairy-, or nut-free. It’s a chance to skip border regulations about food and relax, knowing you’ll have a full fridge by suppertime.

If you’re used to carrying snacks, you’ll have the space and equipment to prep and store them for your day out—and stop relying on dry food or non-perishables. Or, with the city’s array of options, you’ll have a chance to discover new favourites.

And if you’re looking forward to trying Toronto’s dizzying array of restaurants—and leaving cooking at home for a while—our full-sized fridges will let you store extra helpings from your new favourite takeout place for those midnight leftovers snacks.

But best of all: If you change your mind and decide you’d rather eat in after all, you’ll have the flexibility to do it without fuss or consequences. And instead of thinking about meal planning, you’ll get to focus on the experience.

Enjoy one of Canada’s top dining cities—without breaking the budget

However you eat, Toronto’s an excellent city for food-lovers. It’s a multicultural, diverse, and curiosity-driven place to eat where you can find classic fine dining from top chefs on the same block as warm, generous Anishinaabe pow wow eats—and an enthusiastic lineup for both.

But everyone who eats a slightly different diet knows finding food that works can comes with a cost—paleo, keto, lactose-free, nut allergies, and celiac-safe foods can come with a serious price markup, and that cost can add up as you pile on restaurant meal after restaurant meal.

DelSuites helps you balance your travel budget by letting you save the costs on premium food and take care of easy meals on your own. With a chance to whip up a quick smoothie or omelette for breakfast, you can really savour your restaurant budget with a few high-end treats—instead of a lot of mid-range meals.

Eat, Play, Love

Most of all, everyone at DelSuites wants to make sure your experience in Toronto is a great one. Contact us at DelSuites by phone at (647) 370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com and we’ll help you set up diet-friendly accommodations—and make sure dinner’s on the table when you arrive.

Business Travel, Fitness and Health, Holiday Events

Safer Holiday Gathering Tips for the Season

December 21, 2021

Safer holiday photo by Maxime on Unsplash

With omicron variant cases rising, safer holiday gathering plans are on everyone’s mind. How can we spend warm, nourishing time with our loved ones—and not pass COVID on as well?

As we head into the holiday season, here are a few tips on how to adjust our plans to stay safe.

Keep it smaller

Canada’s public health officials are asking us to keep our holiday celebrations smaller and more intimate this year.

The recommendations for the most people you should have at an indoor gathering are different in every region. And after two years of COVID waves, it’s not easy to decide we’re not going to see someone this year. But taking a moment to think about what the most sensible number of guests might be—not so small as to leave you missing loved ones, but not so large as to risk them—is definitely worthwhile.

Think about your guests’ real needs

As public health officials have been saying, there’s “no magic number of people that makes a gathering safe.” Instead, think about the real people you’re gathering with this holiday season—and plan around their real needs.

If your friends or loved ones are older, immunocompromised, pregnant, or higher-risk, it’s worth planning your gathering around their safety threshold, rather than yours. Even if there’s a level of safety you’re personally comfortable with—an indoor dinner instead of an outdoor meetup, or mixing vaccinated and unvaccinated guests—it’s just good hosting to talk with the most at-risk person on your list first, and find out what makes them comfortable.

The greatest gift we can give this year is the chance to be with loved ones without fear of COVID exposure—or arguments about it. With a little footwork, everyone will be safer—and happier.

Book your vaccines

Toronto’s shown a great commitment to getting our vaccines. But now that they’ve been approved for kids and higher-risk adults are getting booster shots, it’s important to keep on top of our shots.

The more people who are vaccinated, the less chance we have of getting sick—and making others sick.

Wear a good mask

While omicron may be daunting, the difference between this year’s holidays and last year is our tools. We have much more effective tools against COVID this time around—and one of them is a good-quality, good-fitting medical-grade mask.

High-quality masks have never been easier to get. They’re available from office supply stores, pharmacies, and even vending machines at Toronto Pearson Airport, Union Station, and major Toronto subway stations.

If you’re visiting Toronto for longer, you can plan ahead and have your mask supply waiting. Ontario mask manufacturers Canadian Shield offer express shipping on masks, face shields, respirators, and rapid tests. Order a few days before your travel date, and you can have a Health Canada-certified mask supply waiting for you when you arrive—enough for you and your guests.

Use rapid tests to make sure you’re safe

Rapid tests are a part of the COVID safety puzzle that’s never quite clicked in Ontario—but they can be vital in keeping your holiday gathering safe.

Rapid tests are available from some pharmacies and online suppliers: either over the counter or shipped to your door. They’re easy, convenient COVID tests you can do at home, giving you a result in 15 minutes. Get a negative, and you’re likely safe; get a positive, and it’s time to confirm that with a formal PCR test.

Having your guests each test themselves before your holiday gathering is a great way to make sure nobody’s carrying an asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic case of COVID. And it means you’ll be able to relax into spending time with loved ones, instead of worrying about the air you breathe.

Have a backup plan

Our situation’s changing fast, and it’s smart to have a backup plan, whether big or small.

On the simple end, a holiday backup plan can mean sending invites for a virtual Zoom holiday party in case gathering recommendations change—and your guest list ends up being too large.

If you have to travel across borders, knowing where to get a PCR test so you can make your flight home on time can save you trouble later. In the most serious scenario, it might be worthwhile to line up somewhere to stay in case borders close entirely.

Safer holiday gatherings are the holiday spirit

Either way, be prepared to be flexible as the situation develops: and get your friends and family to help out. Planning a group gathering that keeps everyone safe is much easier when we’re all on board—or when we divide tasks like testing and planning equally to make it easy on the host.

Even though COVID’s affecting our holiday plans, the holiday spirit’s unchanged: that we’ll always do better when we lean on each other, talk with each other, and work together.

Happy holidays!

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