By Julie Harrison
There are always locations in a big city that attract a certain “snob appeal.” Sometimes it can be fun to partake, but sometimes pushing your nose against a window loses its appeal. If you’ve hit the Explore stage of being an EX, here is a guide to Toronto for when you’re traveling for pleasure, not business.
EXile, and sink into a solitary surroundings
When traveling alone to Toronto, university professor Margaret Harrison likes to book into the Metropolitan Hotel on Chestnut Street. “It’s quiet, and offers good access to really important things – like the shops!” This hotel offers an “All About You at the Met” package that starts from $175 CDN and includes deluxe accommodation and two upgrade services.
Besides shopping, Harrison notes that the Met is is located behind City Hall/Nathan Phillips Square, “and there’s often cultural events to get lost in.” And if you’re visiting in the winter, be sure to bring your skates so you can enjoy the outdoor skating rink, complete with music.
For an experience more off the beaten path, Miriam Elmaleh, a television producer and Toronto local suggests the The Drake Hotel on Queen’s Street West. The hotel’s concept is artist-inspired and offers an eclectic mix of rooms styles, from the smallest “crash pad” room priced at $179 CDN to the “suite” for $289 CDN.
“It’s more funky than pampering, but is a great place to be alone and wander the small galleries that line the streets between Bathurst and Dufferin,” says Elmaleh. “The hotel also has a lounge, restaurant and yoga studio.”
EXhale, then inhale a revitalized you
Goodlife Fitness comes highly recommended as a place to let off steam. These gyms offer women-only facilities, which makes many women feel far more comfortable. Members can use any facility across Canada, and most gyms allow a free introductory visit. Use the site’s “Club Locator” feature to select one of 8 different locales in Toronto, including a women’s only club in the Eaton’s Centre.
Pam Geraghty, an Ottawa school teacher says that, “For the most part, it's not a bunch of body builders showing off; but rather real, normal people getting some exercise.” Natalie Court, a mother of three, is quick to add that many of the facilities offer child-minding for extremely reasonable rates.
