Sleep (And Play) Like Royalty At The Ivy

In the 1850s, 111 Queen St. East was the site of a bustling chocolate factory in the heart of downtown Toronto. Fast-forward 150 years and the restored building is now home to Toronto’s newest downtown boutique hotel. The Ivy at Verity is part of the private women’s club Verity, a 55,000 sq. ft. facility and the fastest growing club in Toronto. Although the European-inspired hotel was created for Verity members and their guests, the rooms will be open to the public, both men and women, at the outset.

True to its boutique status, the Ivy has a grand total of four rooms. Not to worry, though — quality definitely trumps quantity in this case. The hotel describes the interior design company, Trianon Design, as “[specialists] in creating a vital synergy of old world and contemporary chic,” and peeking into one of these rooms, I can see why. Colour and light abound, thanks to the artfully eclectic furniture, gorgeous light fixtures (like the ceiling lamp that resembles a rambling bushel of ivy) and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and double-doors, which lead out onto a balcony overlooking a 19th-century courtyard. Each of the four rooms has its own unique design scheme: cool blues and green in one, tans and deep reds in another.

The bathrooms are also unique across the four suites — not to mention easily three times the size of your average hotel bathroom. Brightly coloured flowers (a running theme at Verity) and marbelled surfaces add a touch of elegance, while heated floors up the comfort factor. The tub, which comes with a variety of bath salts and a card offering scent suggestions, would probably look mighty inviting after a long day of meetings or a shopping spree at the nearby Eaton Centre.

But the centrepiece of each room has to be the Hastens bed. You can sleep like a king or queen – literally, since Hastens has been appointed a Purveyor to the Royal Court of Sweden. Worth $19,000 each, the beds are made entirely by hand using all-natural materials like horsehair, flax, wool, cotton and Nordic pine. Guests can lounge in luxury as they enjoy the room’s Wi-Fi Internet access, big-screen television and Blu-ray disc player.

Opened in February of this year, the Ivy’s rooms range from $329 to $349 per night for non-members of Verity. Cecilia Keller, Verity’s director of operation, says the Ivy attracts international travelers, locals and newlyweds alike as a cozy escape from the day-to-day hubbub of city life. At the same time, the excitement of urban life is at your doorstep. Theatres, galleries, concert halls and a cornucopia of other cultural attractions are just minutes away, from the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (home of the Canadian Opera Company) to St. Lawrence Market.

Still, no one would blame you if you decided to stay inside for your whole visit. Besides concierge, room and in-suite spa services, guests of the Ivy can make use of Verity’s extensive facilities, which can be accessed without ever leaving the building complex. Stroll downstairs to enjoy fine dining at George Restaurant, ranked as one of the world’s extraordinary restaurants in the Zagat 2008 International Guide. Everything is made from scratch, including the bread, for which the recipe took one year to perfect, says Keller. Like other areas of the Verity complex, the restaurant’s décor is a unique combination of old and new — exposed brick and art nouveau wrought-iron vines on the windows are found alongside chic private dining rooms.

Female guests of the Ivy can also drop by the Verity fitness centre for a hardy workout, or relax in the infrared sauna or the ozonated pool. The latter is equipped with an underwater treadmill, one of only two in Canada, says Keller. Those looking for a rejuvenating experience can ask for shiatsu or Lomi Lomi massage at the full-service sweetgrass spa (also women-only), which offers seven treatment rooms and an in-house naturopath and acupuncturist, in addition to classic spa treatments. The adjoining flower shop, sweetgrass flowers at Verity, is an offshoot of Sweetgrass Flowers near Summerhill and Yonge.

Keller reveals that plans for Verity’s future include adding more rooms at the Ivy and setting up interactive meeting rooms that may offer, for example, cooking classes followed by dinner. In the daily juggling act of family and career, Verity helps bring balance to women’s lives by reminding them to take a little time for themselves, she says. With rooms like the ones at the Ivy — the only tough part may be leaving!

— Eva Lam

For more, read Lifestyle’s Spring 2008 feature on Verity here.