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

Things to Do in Toronto At Christmas

December 21, 2016

Toronto at Christmas is a very merry place to be during the winter holidays.

If you are planning to spend Christmas in Toronto – you’re in luck. You’ll be surrounded by plenty of holiday cheer and there will be no shortage of joyous events and seasonal activities to get you in a festive mood. Here are some of the best things to do in Toronto at Christmas time.

The Toronto Christmas Market

Inspired by the Christmas markets in Germany in the 1400s, the Toronto Christmas Market creates the ideal festive atmosphere with craft maker stalls, mulled wine, street food, dancers, brass bands and carollers. Set within the Victorian-era cobblestone streets of the Distillery Historic District, this annual event is a great opportunity to shop for hand-made treasures and get in the Christmas spirit. Tomorrow is the last day so make sure you hurry there and visit!

Christmas at Casa Loma

Casa Loma is a unique architectural wonder. Built over three years between 1911 and 1914, it was constructed in the style of a Gothic castle, complete with battlements, secret passageways and over 98 incredibly ornate rooms. Visit between December 1^st and January 8^th to see the castle decked out in its Christmas finest, with several stunning sparkling trees throughout the castle decorated by celebrity designers. Visitors can go on a scavenger hunt through the historic castle, listen to carollers and enjoy sitting down with Santa.

Public Skating Rinks

Skating on one of the public rinks in Toronto is an essential Christmas experience, so lace up your skates and go for a spin. There are three public rinks in Toronto available for skating – the Evergreen Brick Works, The Natrel Rink at Harbourfront Centre and Nathan Phillips Square. The Nathan Phillips Square might be the most iconic rink, underneath the beautifully lit arches, but the Natrel Rink has a DJ spinning live tunes on a Saturday night.

The holiday season is one big long party in Toronto and there are so many great activities and events to enjoy. Pack a warm coat, a toque and a scarf and bundle up for a great holiday season in this lively Canadian metropolis.

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.

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