Ontario is heading into Step 3 of economic re-opening, meaning indoor dining and movie theatres opening and gyms at 50 per cent capacity, it was announced today. Then we got a news release heralding the soon-to-be-opened 1 Hotel Toronto, on Bathurst St., where the old Thompson Hotel used to be. The new “mission-driven, sustainable, luxury hospitality” hotel is now accepting reservations. So things are heading in the right direction, right?
Related: The restorative powers of travel, post-pandemic
Opening is scheduled for Aug. 4. 1 Hotel Toronto comes with an exciting team behind it. The nature-focused hotel brand was founded by Barry Sternlicht, CEO and chairman of Starwood Capital Group. Mohari Hospitality acquired the King Street West property and re-developed it as a luxury lifestyle destination.
Mohari is a real estate investment company founded by entrepreneur Mark Scheinberg. The design was developed in collaboration with SH Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Starwood Capital Group. Also involved was famed architect and designer David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group.
1 Hotel Central Park New York
Canada’s best luxury website: New hotel in bustling King Street West neighbourhood
“Having grown up in Toronto, I’ve watched the incredible regeneration that the city has experienced in recent years,” Scheinberg says. “By redeveloping one of Toronto’s hospitality and entertainment icons, Mohari is helping to transform the downtown area. As well, provide an exciting and relevant hospitality destination that can be embraced by the local community.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with SH Hotels & Resorts to bring 1 Hotels, a leader in luxury sustainability, to Canada for the first time.”
1 Hotel Central Park New York
1 Hotels launched in 2015 with a property on Miami’s South Beach. They have since added properties in New York’s Central Park, Brooklyn (located on the East River), West Hollywood (on Sunset Boulevard), and Sanya (China).
1 Hotel Toronto will feature 112 guest rooms including 21 suites, offering city and iconic skyline views. Guests are immediately connected to the natural environment through the light and airy design. That also includes sustainably sourced wood furnishings and a property-wide water filtration system.
“Bee Hotel”
On-site will be an organic composter that can reduce 12,000 pounds of organic waste to under 1,000 pounds of compost per month, ultimately avoiding landfills. That will be used to feed over 2,500 plant varietals on property and in local parks. The hotel will also be host to a “Bee Hotel,” designed to attract native bees and pollinators by building a habitat uniquely designed for their nesting preferences.
With well-being and comfort in focus, additional signature amenities include heated floors, in-room plants, organic cotton linens, yoga mats, and signature organic bath products.
1 Hotel Central Park New York
On the dining front, fresh local ingredients are the underlying theme. 1 Hotel Toronto will be offering five dining and entertainment experiences, each unique from the other. 1 Hotel Garden Pavilion, an onsite organic garden, growing over 40 fruits and vegetables, and 12 herbs, with seating for up to 40 people, as an example.
More on this interesting addition to the downtown core in the coming weeks.
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
Check out my stories, and email me direct at mkeast@regardingluxury.com
