One of Canada’s top hotels. Decadent lobster on what might be the city’s best patio. And a killer room overlooking bustling Yorkville.
Sometimes a staycation is the best type of getaway, and I had a great one on Friday and Saturday.
My wife and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary last week and were invited to stay the night and dine at the Hazelton Hotel in Yorkville.
Hazelton Hotel lobby, Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The hotel was recently renovated and has a bright, fresh and, to my mind, more youthful look to it than I remember. The lobby is stylish and sleek and welcoming, and the rooms are wonderful.
We lucked into an executive suite on the second floor, which was not only gorgeous but positively immense. The dressing room/closet area was as large as some European hotel rooms I’ve stayed in, and the bathroom featured double sinks, tons of space, acres of beautiful dark marble and a massive bathtub big enough for Serge Ibaka of the Raptors. There was even a small TV inside the bathroom mirror, because you don’t want to miss a minute of the game, right?
The bed was tucked away in a large room of its own with a big-screen TV, and we had a huge living room area with a lovely, curved, soft green couch, a comfy chair, another big-screen TV and a Juliet balcony that opened onto Yorkville Avenue so we could enjoy the fresh air and the passing parade of people.
An executive suite at the Hazelton Hotel, Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Yorkville was mighty crowded on Friday night. It was great to see the city so alive, with $100,000 cars slowly rumbling down the street and young folks dressed to be seen. Not everyone had one, but it seemed like the majority of people were wearing masks. We certainly did.
The hotel, which has a five-star rating and is part of the Leading Hotels of the World program, has gone out of its way to make sure guests feel safe. There was social distancing at check-in, and we both were given personal PPE kits with a mask, sanitizer, gloves and antiseptic wipes. Each floor had lovely sanitizers outside the elevators, and the elevators had signs on the floor for proper distancing.
The information sheet in our room said the person who cleaned the room wore full protective gear and that the room was cleaned with hospital grade chemicals. Even the Nespresso machine (nice) was completely cleaned and the water tank emptied and re-filled prior to our arrival. Now, THAT is detail.
The Hazelton Hotel is in the heart of Toronto’s trendy Yorkville area. JIM BYERS PHOTO
There no magazines, note pads or pens in the room; something that I’ve found in all four of the hotels I’ve stayed at in the last month.
One of the big changes at the hotel is the bar, which has been given a terrific makeover and features several sexy, black-and-white photos on the wall, which gives the place a much younger feel than I remember from a past visit.
The hotel’s Valmont Spa and the indoor pool were closed, as was the screening room for movies. Those could open in late August, but a lot will depend on what stage the city is in in terms of the coronavirus.
The bar at ONE Restaurant at the Hazelton Hotel in Toronto. JIM BYERS PHOTO
ONE restaurant’s interior space isn’t open yet, either, as Toronto is still in Stage 2 for COVID-19. But the patio opened a couple weeks ago, and it’s glorious; a shady wonder surrounded by green hedges and trees with tiny white lights.
Chef Mark McEwan is one of the most talented chefs in Canada, and his ONE restaurant at the Hazelton does a tremendous job. We had the truffle frites in the past, so this time we opted for “lobster spoons,” six white spoons that hold prime lobster tail drenched in butter and vermouth, which is rich, flavourful, decadent and way past delicious. Hands down the best lobster I’ve ever had.
Avocado toast at the Hazelton Hotel’s ONE Restaurant. JIM BYERS PHOTO
The garganelli pasta with veal meatballs is a wonderful dish, and they did a nice job with the duck breast, too. For dessert we split a deconstructed New York-style cheesecake with strawberry compote. Yowza.
They also do a fine breakfast, which we enjoyed Saturday morning. The scrambled eggs were velvety smooth, and the avocado toast might be the most attractive, Instagrammable breakfast you’ll ever see.
