Toronto, you own my heart.
Quite literally.
It was just over 8 years ago that I visited Toronto for the second time. I was flying north for the NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals) annual conference.
Reconnecting with old friends. Meeting new ones. Poutine.
And then, at the end of our board meeting (I was the liasion for the Philadelphia chapter), I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Hi. I haven’t met you yet.â€
It was the very cute guy I had noticed earlier in the board meeting, who apparently was the VP of Finance of the national organization.
Butterflies.
“Hi. I’m Hitha.â€
Little did I know that the guy would become my husband, my best friend, and my other half.
It’s hard to top a trip like that. But Delta Hotels and SoapBox nearly did.
I spent a short 36 hours in Toronto to celebrate the new SoapBox toiletries rolling out in all Delta Hotels in North America.
Soapbox, I knew. They make high-quality, clean personal care products with a strong social mission (1 product purchased = 1 product donated). They’re a longtime partner of Sundara, the ever brilliant nonprofit that recycles soap and distributes them to villages throughout India and Myanmar.
But Delta Hotels was new to me. A member of the Marriott International family, the brand brings high-touch service to the frequent business travelers. While the brand was born in Canada, they’re quickly expanding into the United States and Asia.
After my wonderful stay with them, I’m here for it.
Day 1
I checked into my room on a Thursday afternoon, and immediately noticed the Delta difference.
Easy-to-reach outlets – both wall plugs and USB. A massive and comfortable bed. Incredible views. A spacious bathroom (with a view of its own).
I like it. I like it a lot.
I quickly unpacked and grabbed the phone.
“In-room dining.â€
“Hi there. Would it be possible to order poutine?â€
“Oh yes, ma’am! Would you like anything to drink?â€
“A giant pitcher of water, please.â€
“It’ll be right up.â€
I cleared out my Rho Pharma inbox, and was just about to start my HOTG one when I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in, please.â€
The waiter gently placed the tray down on my desk and handed me the receipt to sign.
“Enjoy your meal, and enjoy Toronto!â€
Canadians. They truly are lovely.
The hot gravy was thoughtfully provided in its own carafe, and I doused my fries with it.
Oh. My. God.
Is there anything better than crisp French fries, melted cheese, and gravy? No. There is not.
Snack finished, e-mails answered. Time to get ready for the evening’s festivities.
I changed from my t-shirt and bomber into this tunic, laced up these boots, and added a swipe of lipstick. Hair…ugh. Low bun it is.
I headed to the lobby and ran straight into Dave, one of the founders of SoapBox.
“Hiiiii!â€
I’m a huge fan of Dave. He started SoapBox in his kitchen (literally), making every bar of soap by hand and fielding random inspections from his landlord.
Just a little over a year later, SoapBox made its first donation (from sales from 200 bars of soap) to Loaves & Fishes.
They land their first Whole Foods location a few months after that. David and Dan (his classmate turned cofounder) quit their day jobs, grow the business out of Dave’s basement and into their first office, and launch body washes.
3 years later, they’ve launched multiple product lines, are available in major retailers nationwide, partnered with several more NGOs worldwide (including Sundara), and made the milestone donation from their millionth product.
Dave, Dan, and Elena (their operations lead) join us for the tour. Â We wind our way through the bar and dining room of SoCo Kitchen + Bar, and stop briefly at their to-go section.
“Our chefs are highly competitive in the Toronto food scene. We’re the reigning macaroni and cheese champions.â€
Seriously. And she was right.
It’s the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten.
We moved on to the 46th floor, to the club lounge of the hotel.
Reserved for Marriott Gold/Platinum and Club Level guests, the lounge offers complimentary breakfasts, happy hour, and bar with a spectacular view of the city.
These lounges are why I’ve been a Marriott loyalist for the past decade. The food is always good and the service is excellent.
But most importantly, it makes my trips easier. I’ll actually eat breakfast, or unwind after a long day with a glass of wine and a good book.
We tour a few of the rooms, the corner skyline room being my favorite. With a soaking tub overlooking the city, it offers the perfect vacation moment during an otherwise busy trip.
We stop by the fitness center and pool, both of them large and beautifully appointed. I had a sudden pang of regret of not packing my sneakers.
It’s a really good gym.
Gin and tonics welcomed us into the main event of the night – a fragrance-blending event with Soapbox and Bell Fragrances. We settled into our seats and enjoyed a few brief presentations from the Delta Hotels, SoapBox, and Sundara teams.
And then we started sniffing.
First came the SoapBox soap, featuring the fragrance specially blended for Delta Hotels.
It smelled clean, slightly sweet, and a tiny bit heady.
Basically, toiletries I would steal from the hotel.
The team passed around paper strips featuring the individual notes that made up this blend. I discovered that I love rose scents more than I thought, that I couldn’t smell musk alone (apparently we’re all sensitive to musk, and some more than others), and dark fruit makes me hungry.
We moved on to mixing our own fragrances.
It’s been over a decade that I’ve done anything in a lab. But pipetting different amounts of fragrance, swirling, smelling, and adding some more was a lot of fun. And when the Bell team walked around and offered advice on our scents, I was thrilled when she marked mine “perfect.â€
It really is. I’ve been wearing it every day since I got back.
I made a quick stop to my room to drop off my scent, made a quick FaceTime call home, and headed downstairs for dinner. We had Char No. 5 to ourselves, and I was excited to eat.
But first, a cocktail.
Whiskey is not my preferred drink, but when in Rome. I asked for a penicillin (a delicious whiskey, lemon and honey cocktail) and enjoyed the incredible buffet spread out for us.
The pizzas. Oooooh, the pizzas. The Diavola, with chorizo and a spicy orange sauce, was my favorite.
Following dinner was a whiskey tasting from Ray Daniel, one of the bar’s top mixologists. He walked us through the history of whisky (and Canadian whisky in particular), the politics of whisky, and why some countries spell it ‘whiskey’ and others ‘whisky’.
Turns out it’s ‘whiskey’ when the country has an E in its name.
Full and happy, I head up to bed after spending some time with the SoapBox and Delta Hotels teams.
Day 2
Oh. My head.
Whisky, we are still not friends (despite Ray’s best efforts).
Breakfast, however, was exactly what I needed. I picked up a strong latte from SoCo and met the group for breakfast, where I opted for breakfast potatoes smothered in hot sauce, some fruit, and water. Lots of water.
Off to the museum.
I love a good museum, but I typically skip them if I’m in a city for 2 days or less.
Do not skip the Royal Museum of Ontario. Just don’t.
It’s unlike any museum I’ve ever visited, seamlessly combining natural history, art, and world cultures. The building itself is as remarkable as the museum, with the more classical building joined by The Crystal expansion.
Imagine The Louvre, but if the pyramid and the Palais Royal was combined. And slightly more awesome.
But it pales to what’s inside the museum. I couldn’t help but think of Rho as I wandered through the natural history exhibits. I heard his chirpy voice in my head call out “tiger! panda! rhino!†as we walked through the rooms.
I must plan a family weekend here. Next spring?
We made our way to the exhibit I was most excited for. DIOR.
The dresses were spectacular. But what I was most struck by was the early history of the brand, which opened up shortly after WWII.
Consider the state of Paris in 1947. The city (and world) was rebuilding, and austerity was the state of the world at the moment.
Enter Christian Dior.
The house opened its doors in 1947, and brought back femininity to women’s fashion – the illusion of the hourglass figure, a rainbow of colors, and the return of couture details.
It was a stark departure from the more masculine, austere fashion of the war. And, I hope, a welcome one.
I marveled over the details of the Venus gown – its architectural details, the beauty of the sequin embellishments, and the cotton candy color. There was Delphine, a deceptively simple dress made bold with its stunning cut, the bold red color, and taffeta done right.
What surprised me most about the exhibit was the origin of the dresses. All were donated by locals and presented by Holt Renfrew, the first store to carry Dior in Canada.
The exhibit is as uniquely Canadian as it is French, which made it all the more special.
I could have spent the entire day at this museum, but it was time for our next stop.
And I was hungry.
We headed up (literally) to 360, the restaurant at the CN Tower. The tower is the most recognizable part of the Toronto skyline and the tallest free-standing structure in North America (and third in the world).
It also offers the most spectacular view of Toronto, as expected.
360 is the view that the restaurant offers, gently rotating to give you the full view of Toronto during the meal. I savored the stunning view and my lunch both – a squash and beet tarte tatin, the juiciest lamb I’ve ever had, and even a bite or two of dessert.
The restaurant focuses on local, seasonal cuisine and wine. We got to enjoy the newly launched winter menu, and I only wish I had a chance to sample some of the local wines.
Next trip. For sure. In the warmer months.
Access to the LookOut and the Glass Floor was included with lunch. If you have a fear of heights, I recommend you avoid it. But I thoroughly enjoyed getting a brand new look at Toronto, and was grateful that I wore jeans instead of a dress.
The CN Tower is much more than a landmark of Toronto. It continues to be used as a communications tower for television, FM radio, and cellular communications. It’s also home to the best fireworks show on Canada Day and New Years’ Eve.
The tower is outfitted with LED lights that offer quite a show (one I enjoyed from my bed) and changes often, for remembrance days and sporting events and holidays alike.
It looks directly into the Rogers Field, where the Blue Jays play. Having still not recovered from the Phillies ‘93 World Series loss to the Blue Jays (yes, still), I couldn’t help but look away when the field came into view.
While the others went on to the brewery, I ducked back into the hotel to get some work done. I picked up another latte from SoCo and was sorely tempted to get the mac and cheese.
I reconnected with the group for the famed Toronto Christmas Market.
Wow. Just…wow.
It’s what I imagine the North Pole to look like.
Charming stands are draped with twinkle lights and offer all the seasonal treats, from mulled wine and roasted nuts to Canadian favorites like poutine.
I couldn’t resist. I got a classic poutine and inhaled it while admiring the massive tree.
It’s a solid rival to Rockefeller Center’s.
A Ferris Wheel turned gently, and little Instagram backdrops were peppered throughout the market. The line for Santa wound through the crowds and the market. The stores remained open, which provided a welcome escape from the crowds and the chilly night.
While the lines to enter are long, they do move along relatively quickly. The entrance on Mill and Trinity is the one I recommend – it’s closest to the ticket booth and the line was mercifully short.
Bonus – the poutine stand is your right when you enter.
(And yes, I’m just a little bit obsessed with poutine).
I ducked out early, given that my flight departed at 6 a.m the next day. I treated myself to dinner at the bar at the hotel and enjoyed a mini mac & cheese with the meatballs.
And a glass of wine. YOLO.
With a full belly and a fuller heart, I headed to bed.
Time to plan a return trip to Toronto – this time, with my family.
I packed this coat and these boots, which kept me perfectly warm the entire trip. I also packed these jeans, this tunic, and this button down shirt. I used this purse and packed everything in my AWAY carry-on suitcase.
Special thanks to the Delta Hotels and SoapBox teams for inviting me on this trip. All opinions are my own.
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