In the past 10 years, a number of chic luxury hotels have opened in the city, setting new standards in extravagant accommodation and service. Unlike those big name hotel chains, these hotels cater to your unique lifestyle needs. Essentially, these exorbitant establishments are supposed to be an extension of your home — save for their intimate and stylish appearance and impeccable amenities, of course.
But what if you were able to bring your favourite hotel’s swanky style and apply it to your very own home?
We spoke with the top five luxury hotels in the city to find out how.
Cool Canadiana at Toronto’s new Ritz-Carlton
The mandate behind the design of the new Ritz-Carlton was to reflect the uniqueness of Toronto and its inherent “Canadian-ness.” To help achieve this effect, modern artwork was commissioned by emerging Canadian artists and rooms were designed around the artwork. So those seeking to emulate the hotel’s look may want to first hit up their local art gallery and flea markets. The colour scheme is warm with muted browns, cream, light greens and the Ritz’s signature blue. Contemporary furniture is mixed with older pieces evocative of another era, like tall wingback chairs.
Lots of Edelman leather, wool cotton weaves and plush fabrics give an overall warm and comfy feeling. Warm wood textures are reflected in the exquisite tables from Knoll and Bright Chairs.
Ritz-Carlton is located at 181 Wellingston St. W.
Contemporary modernism at the Thompson
Tony Cohen, co-partner of Thompson Hotel Toronto, says the idea behind the hotel’s ambiance was to “convey a timeless high-design look that is luxurious yet comfortable and functional for our guests” while still paying tribute to the hotel’s neighbourhood of King West. Perhaps nothing demonstrates the local shout-out more than the handpainted 3D mural of Toronto’s ubiquitous skyline, 125 feet across by 12 feet, by renowned Spanish artist Javier Mariscal.
But if a massive mural seems unlikely (or unnecessary) for your abode, you might want to start with another feature piece, like a Moroso table, a custom chandelier with hand-blown glass by Ochre, furniture pieces by Klaus Nienkamper or B&B Italia — all of which are standouts in the hotel.
Cohen believes the hotel’s unique look is the combination of these featured pieces along with luxurious materials, like velvet and leather, and is tied together by the diverse use of glass, wood, stone and fabric. There are dark oak hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and accents of red and orange scattered throughout.
Thompson Toronto is located at 550 Wellington St. W.
From left: Drake Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton and Thompson Toronto’s contemporary style
The Hazelton Hotel’s Hollywood glamour
Yabu Pushelberg is the interior design powerhouse behind The Hazelton Hotel in Yorkville.
To achieve their vision of evoking a “modern version of a classy gentlemen’s club” with an “occasional flash of Hollywood glamour,” you may want to start with a luxe statement in the foyer.
For example, at the Hazelton, guests are greeted by a sculptural bronze reception desk. Too luxe? Then you may want to try some embossed leathers, ribbed velvets in elegantly restrained browns and greys, and beveled mirrors that are etched with details of a feminine damask motif. These adornments help create a masculine flavour interspersed with feminine and glamourous touches, which, in turn, imparts the hotel with the warm intimacy of a manor home. And for the ambitious, we may recommend hanging grey mohair on the walls (as they do in the ballroom) or cladding your kitchen walls in cowhide (like in their restaurant).
The Hazelton Hotel is located at 118 Yorkville Ave.
The cool Zen vibe at the Cosmopolitan Hotel
The first step in achieving the Cosmopolitan Hotel’s Zen minimalism look? The bed.
According to Michael Kaye, the hotel’s director of design and procurements, keeping your bed white and crisp is a definite must to emulate the clean lines that are synonymous with the hotel’s soothing feng shui model. Side lamps are small but longer in height, and bathrooms have open boxed vanities to give the sense of more space.
Once you’ve cleared unnecessary clutter from your humble abode, we recommend adorning the rest of your house with floating frames, fountains and bamboo stems to mimic the Cosmopolitan’s calm and tranquil atmosphere.
Cosmopolitan Hotel is located at 8 Colborne St.
Eclectic nostalgia oozes at The Drake Hotel
The look of the Drake, which manager Carlo Colacci dubs “Drake-style,” is essentially a balance between high and low.
It’s a fun mishmash of using expensive materials alongside economical items in a refined way.
“We’re not the kind of hotel to buy the most expensive furniture,” he tells us.
“We like to take things from the community and other international cities.”
Local flea markets were scoured for vintage books and records, and old gramophones were found on a road trip in upper state New York. Furniture made from reclaimed material is also a focal point in achieving the Drake’s “mixed nostalgia” ambiance.
Dining tables were made from wood from a derelict bowling alley and the impressive bookcase found in the lounge was created from a wooden wall that once ran around the east side of the hotel.
Colacci advises choosing one large item, like a couch or desk, and adding a retrospective spin to it, be it an antique globe, vintage speakers or weathered books.
The Drake Hotel is located at 1150 Queen St. W.