It isn’t easy to match a single word with every hotel you’ve experienced in your travels but word association comes easy when it comes to the Windsor Arms in Toronto – discreet. You realize this at check-in when you’re introduced to your butler. Don’t think starched collar and white gloves, though, he’s an easy going chap and will give you the lay of the land when he whisks you to your suite. And what a suite that will be.
After the gregarious front desk staff inquires about your trip and your key is handed to you in a small wallet imprinted with the hotel’s coat of arms, you realize that you’ve entered a very special private world. A few steps backward will land you on the seat of a round lavender banquette where you can take it all in, the lobby’s chic surroundings that is, every detail carefully orchestrated. Catch that crystal chandelier above – straight out of St. Petersburg. It’s all so private clubby, and “By the way”, says reception, “don’t forget to make a reservation for tea in the corner tearoom if you have time and our martini bar just to the left is open until 1 am”. Martinis will be mandatory in this atmosphere I think and something tells me the bartender will be discrete, too. Didn’t pack anything nearly formal enough, you’re thinking? Forget it, the staff is white gloved here but you won’t need to be, except for tea of course.
An elevator car with a built-in, glass vitrine library of real books ascends to one of only 28 (recently refurbished) suites the hotel possesses. Suspense builds as the door opens on caramel leather walls in the bank, then malachite green lacquered hallways, the walls harboring selected shots from the oeuvre of the well-known celebrity photographer, Ron Galella. The notorious snapper’s famous subjects all in startling black and white, Jackie O being the most prominent, line the corridors and provide a dramatic rhythm to your entrances and exits. “Is that Mick and Jerry (Hall) waiting in the limo at the other end?” It’s as if you’re one of their entourage too, if you know what I mean, and when you open the door to your suite and spy an acoustic guitar hanging on the wall, you’ll be ready for a spontaneous duo with Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton. All of the hotel’s suites we’re told are furnished with a musical instrument for the guest’s pleasure whether it be a baby grand piano, harp or guitar. What a cool idea!
Now we’ve seen some pretty snazzy hotel suites but forget about tricked-out decoration here, the Windsor Arms’ decor oozes genuine Anglo DNA, but of the Simon Cowell variety, not Laura Ashley. Walls papered in a flocked silvery grey frame floor to ceiling paneling, painted a translucent putty. Impressionist reproductions hanging in the sitting room and bedroom, rendered completely private by sliding transom doors, along with billowing two-toned silk drapery on the windows, accent classic Federal style furnishings. It’s very, “Colonel Mustard did it with the lead pipe in the drawing room” feeling, but tongue in cheek naturally. Huge rooms harbor lots of lamps and furniture, including a stately writing desk enlivened with a vase of real white roses and fitted with a Nespresso machine with condiments on a silver tray (of course) and some antique books for spontaneous pensive moments after your coffee. Sit back in the oversized velvet club chair and read a little of Robert Louise Stevenson’s Catriona or just plop on the cushy Chesterfield sofa next to that lovely flower shaped coffee table and catch some airwaves on your 72 inch flat screen. When your thoughts finally turn to self-pampering (and there’s no getting around that here), head for the roof top spa where you can be in touch with your mood with an aromatherapy massage or refresh yourself with a few laps in the stunning salt water fireside pool, open 24/7 to guests.
But you’ll want to get back to the private world of that suite straightaway to prep for fun goings on in Toronto after dark. Hang your duds inside the expansive compartmentalized closet that easily accommodates even the biggest bag, park the night’s outfit on your personal valet, plug your iPod into the bedroom’s docking station and crank-up the tunes before jumping into that massive Jacuzzi in the limestone bath. After a soak with Molton Brown’s blissful templetree moisture bath you’ll rouse yourself under a cold jet in the walk-in shower. Ready for action, run don’t walk for those martinis downstairs.
Remember, your butler will think of everything after you’ve left for the evening and after a night on the town you’ll return to your haven to find a sweet treat for two sitting in your dumbwaiter (yes, the hotel kept the original building’s charms). No surprise, huh?
Tea tomorrow at 3pm, look sharp and get ready for your own Ron Galella photo opportunity!
*The hotel offers a vegan menu alongside a regular menu in both the restaurant and for room service, created by vegan Chef Doug McNish. There is also a private screening room for 15.
Windsor Arms Hotel
18 St. Thomas Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
877-999-2767