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Frommer's Very Highly Recommended
The Groupe Germain is something of a legend in Québec for its excellent boutique hotels, and its first Toronto venture opened to instant accolades in 2003. Located in Toronto's Theater District, the Hôtel Le Germain has an elegant but slightly offbeat sensibility. Its design is edgier than that of other Toronto hotels. The public spaces are magnificent: The vast lobby manages the amazing trick of being at once intimate and grand. The library lounge area boasts a fireplace, an espresso maker, a wall of objets d'art, and cozy white couches. The breakfast "room" on the second floor is like an expansive landing (there's a staircase that leads down from here to the lobby), and the tables are all communal. Attention is paid to the smallest details, which explains why the elevators are "wrapped" in words of English and French poetry, and why the corridors are so broad (the Groupe Germain built this hotel from scratch, so it could do exactly as it pleased). The guest rooms are beautifully designed: The ceilings are high, the desk can be moved around to your liking (it's attached to the wall on one side), and the linens and robes are by Frette. My favorite feature, though, is the glass wall in every bathroom, which allows light in from the main room and makes everything feel more spacious (there are blinds for those who want their privacy). All guests have access to the exercise room on the 11th floor, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air terrace.
Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Toronto 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Hôtel Le Germain
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Frommer's Very Highly Recommended
The Groupe Germain is something of a legend in Québec for its excellent boutique hotels, and its first Toronto venture opened to instant accolades in 2003. Located in Toronto's Theater District, the Hôtel Le Germain has an elegant but slightly offbeat sensibility. Its design is edgier than that of other Toronto hotels. The public spaces are magnificent: The vast lobby manages the amazing trick of being at once intimate and grand. The library lounge area boasts a fireplace, an espresso maker, a wall of objets d'art, and cozy white couches. The breakfast "room" on the second floor is like an expansive landing (there's a staircase that leads down from here to the lobby), and the tables are all communal. Attention is paid to the smallest details, which explains why the elevators are "wrapped" in words of English and French poetry, and why the corridors are so broad (the Groupe Germain built this hotel from scratch, so it could do exactly as it pleased). The guest rooms are beautifully designed: The ceilings are high, the desk can be moved around to your liking (it's attached to the wall on one side), and the linens and robes are by Frette. My favorite feature, though, is the glass wall in every bathroom, which allows light in from the main room and makes everything feel more spacious (there are blinds for those who want their privacy). All guests have access to the exercise room on the 11th floor, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air terrace.
Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Toronto 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.
