This year saw the openings of many significant event and meeting venues in Toronto, including restaurants, outdoor spaces, private rooms, hotels, entertainment venues, and more. Here's a look at the most notable venues to open in 2012.
The long-anticipated Shangri-La Hotel opened in September on University Avenue with 202 rooms. The 90-seat lobby restaurant features an all-day menu inspired by Southeast Asian food vendors and an extensive list of handpicked teas. The Bar, a 30-seat space, serves as the entrance to the hotel's in-house restaurant Bosk, which seats 80 diners and has a private dining room for 30. Event and meeting space is housed on the third floor in nine meeting rooms that stretch out to 14,626 square feet. The rooms are separated into four areas but can be combined by two central corridors to create a single event space. The event rooms are named after prominent Toronto destinations and include a 42-seat screening room, a two-story glass room, and the largest space, Queen’s Park. The latter, which dazzles with 39 crystal chandeliers and occupies 3,670 square feet, can be divided by an air wall that descends from the ceiling. Pivot doors open to reveal a glass wall and an outdoor garden terrace overlooking University Avenue.
The Four Seasons Toronto opened in October. The 55-story building is home to two restaurants from Michelin-star chef Daniel Boulud, a 30,000-square-foot spa, and Aria, a 6,776-square-foot ballroom that holds 575 guests. The 17 various event spaces, housed on the third and sixth floors, are modern and come equipped with high-tech equipment including built-in projectors.
The Trump International Hotel and Tower, which opened in January, offers two floors of meeting and function space. The 3,744-square-foot grand ballroom has room for as many as 300 guests. The Presidential Hospitality suite on the 30th floor is better fit for intimate gatherings. The 4,000-square-foot suite includes one bedroom, a screening room, private dining room, living room, two powder rooms, and access to additional executive floor suites. The presidential suite has the capacity for 60 guests.
Groupe Germain Hospitalité opened Ontario’s first ALT Hotel in July. The hotel's modern vibe starts in the lobby with a piece of artwork made up of 80,000 Instagram images submitted by participants from all over the world. The hotel is steps away from the Pearson Airport and has 12 stylish meeting rooms equipped with 50-inch televisions and projector screens. The largest space, the Rose Fuscia room, seats 135 guests theater-style.
The Arcadian Loft opened this spring as the newest addition to event venue Arcadian Court. The 6,773-square-foot space can be divided into five smaller rooms for various events, each outfitted with screens, projectors, and dimmers. Playing into the neutral color palette of the venue, the decor includes gray wood floors, light-colored finishing, and city views thanks to a 200-foot glass wall. The Loft seats 312 or holds 340 for receptions.
Inspired by the '60s and '70s, Cube nightclub is dotted with brass details and mirrored surfaces. The 7,000-square-foot club opened in February and holds 600 guests indoors and 400 outside on the 3,500-square-foot patio. Cube is available for buyouts, and catering services are also available for private events.
The first-ever Marilyn Monroe Café opened in Oakville in November. Owned by Authentic Brands Group, which co-purchased the rights to Monroe’s image last year, the café is not filled with memorabilia, but rather is designed as a place where the actress would feel comfortable. The space is available for buyouts with room for 43 guests on the main floor, 12 on the mezzanine, and 30 on the patio.
Top Chef Canada’s Ryan Gallagher leads the kitchen at Reds Wine Tavern after the restaurant, formerly Reds Bistro, was re-branded and renovated this fall. The rehaul, which opened up the space and heightened the ceiling, added leather, brick, and wood decor accents and new communal tables. The restaurant’s two private rooms—one boardroom-style space for 12, the other with room for 50 for receptions—were also redone.
With an 11-page drink menu and more than 400 bottles behind the bar, SpiritHouse certainly earned its name. The 3,500-square-foot cocktail bar opened on King West in April and holds as many as 96 guests. The space is available for buyout and includes a semiprivate lounge area with a glossy, U-shaped banquette for 18 people.
