One of Canada’s finest hotels. A marvelous, family-run winery. A highly-rated spa. And excellent food. Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of the top destinations in North America, a stunningly beautiful Ontario town with a rich, colourful history and one of the top theatre programs in the world, the Shaw Festival. My wife and I were lucky enough to spend a couple days in town earlier this month, a stretch of November that felt more like early October. We had sumptuous meals, wonderful wine, high tea at a posh hotel, relaxing spa treatments, and a fun walking tour. Here’s a look at our Read more
Canada
Sustainable, stylish and supremely tasty. I was lucky enough to spend a night at the 1 Hotel Toronto a week or so ago, and it was even better than I remembered it. The experience begins the minute you step into the warm, woodsy lobby of the hotel, which features more than 3,000 plants that provide a fresh, green relief from the bustling city. I find most North American hotels are somewhat lacking in the service department. But the greeting we got from the hotel valet and the front desk staff was as inviting and hospitable as you’d find in a Read more
London, New York City and Paris made the podium in the newest list of the world’s top cities. Resonance Consultancy, which has been analyzing world cities for 11 years, looked at everything from livability to education, parks and public transit to come up with its list, which I think is always one of the strongest in the biz. London came out on top (it has won the award 11 years in a row), followed by New York City and Paris. Toronto was the top winner in Canada, coming in at number 17, while Los Angeles was the top US city Read more
If you thought you saw more tourists than normal in Canada this summer, you’re probably right. Destination Canada, which markets Canada to the world, says Canada’s tourism sector achieved a record-breaking summer in 2025, with May to August revenue reaching nearly $60 billion. That represents a 6% year-over-year increase. The record revenue was driven by a strong base of Canadian travellers who chose to explore our country like never before, with the highest domestic growth coming from Canadians travelling outside of their home province. That means economic benefits were spread across the country. Rising international interest also powered the record summer, Read more
National Geographic, one of the biggest names in travel, has issued a list of 26 top places to visit next year, and Canadian destinations scored big. Banff was named Readers Choice destination for next year in the magazine’s 2026 hot spot list, while Nat Geo editors put the province of Quebec and the city of Vancouver on their list. Also making the charts were Maui, Australia’s most famous Outback destination, Manila, Rio de Janeiro, the Caribbean island of Dominica, Route 66 in Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, and the Dolomites and Milan in Italy. Here’s a closer look, with comments from Nat Geo. Read more
