Welcome Back: The New Four Seasons Hotel Toronto Soars as the Canadian Brand's New Flagship

Four Seasons brings home 50 years of experience and innovation with an all-new 259 room hotel in the heart of the city, the year's most exciting restaurant debut, and the first Four Seasons Spa in the city

TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2012 /CNW/ - In the city where it all began, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts now comes full circle with the opening of its new flagship in Toronto, Canada.

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"This is a proud moment for everyone at Four Seasons – at the new Hotel, at our corporate offices, and certainly at all our locations around the world," says Katie Taylor, president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "The future is here now, in this new flagship, and in the thousands of employees around the world committed to raising the bar for luxury hospitality."

The new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto rises above its prime Yorkville Avenue address at the corner of Bay Street. Sweeping into the drive (heated for Canadian winters, of course) past Claude Cormier's visionary roseless rose garden, guests circle the grand fountain designed exclusively for this space. Alighting on a 12-colour mosaic with a floral overlay from the etched glass canopy above, the urban "carpet" is the creation of Cormier and Hotel interior designer Yabu Pushelberg, inspired by the Persian rugs popular in the Victorian era as a nod to Yorkville's more traditional architecture.

Inside, a dandelion motif carries visitors through a series of grand spaces and dimensional screens, with the most striking installation at the reception desk and centrepiece table by artist Alissa Coe. Rich book-matched wood panelling, hand-painted walls, precision-cut stone floors and bespoke carpet inlays form a gallery for more than 1,700 works commissioned from Canadian artists displayed throughout the Hotel. The collection expresses contemporary Canadian culture subtly through the art of Attila Richard Lukacs, Daniel Hutchinson and others in paintings, ceramics, wood installations and sculptures.

The property, owned by HRH Prince Al Waleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company, was designed by architectsAlliance, and built by Menkes Construction Ltd with interior design by Yabu Pushelberg.

State of the Art: Four Seasons Guest Rooms, Suites and Residences

Four Seasons continues its tradition of leading-edge hospitality with recent introductions including the 15-Minute Room Service menu, complimentary in-room wireless internet, WiFi in hotel cars and a dedicated Guest Experience Manager, responsible for making sure every stay is memorable. Before guests lay their heads down on their signature Four Seasons bed in one of the 259 rooms and suites at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, they might pull up an ergonomically-designed chair to an oversized des with ample outlets close at hand, and grab a cuppa from the in-room Nespresso machine. Or, they might use one of the iPads provided in every room to order room service, book a Spa treatment or shop online.

In the guest bathrooms, indulgence is the order of the day with the signature Vicolo Fiori scent by Etro of Milan toiletries, custom-made fast-filling bathtubs, silent-close toilet seats, and tv screens hidden in mirrors.

"Over the years, the desire to actually live at Four Seasons was often heard from our guests," says Regional Director of Residences Valerie Faivre. "For a lucky few, that wish is coming true at the adjacent Four Seasons Private Residences – built by Menkes Construction Ltd. and designed by Canadian star Brian Gluckstein, with full access to all our Hotel amenities and services."

A Match Made in Culinary Heaven: Café Boulud and dbar at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

Travellers and the city's food lovers alike will find a uniquely Canadian setting for Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud's latest dining experience, Cafe Boulud at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. On the new menu is Boulud's signature cuisine, inspired by his four culinary muses: la tradition, classic French cuisine; la saison, seasonal delicacies; le potager, the vegetable garden; and le voyage, exploring the flavours of international cuisines, with a particular emphasis on the rich and varied foods of the Mediterranean and locally sourced ingredients.

Straight from the Boulud Brigade is Chef de Cuisine Tyler Shedden, a Canadian whose culinary education and early career was in British Columbia, and who was hand-picked from New York's DANIEL restaurant to lead the team in Toronto.

In the wine cellar, Wine Director Drew Walker has carefully assembled a diverse collection of labels from the Old and New Worlds, along with great choices from the Niagara Region, to perfectly match Shedden's menu.

At street level, dbar combines the comfort of a lounge with a see-and-be-seen atmosphere at one with the Yorkville street scene. Behind the smoky granite bar at dbar, Mixologist Albert Kirby develops signature cocktails such as La Tour CN, a colourful concoction of gin, maraschino, Champagne and blackberry puree. A full food menu features the best of Boulud's bistro concept enhanced with local flare such as the tarte flambe from db Bistro Moderne and the Tunisian merguez from DBGB, plus locally-sourced and housemade charcuterie and sandwiches.

At Last: Toronto's First Four Seasons Spa

There are spas, and then there are Four Seasons Spas. Spanning the entire 9th floor and part of the 8th, the new Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is the most expansive urban spa in the city, and the largest of any Four Seasons hotel worldwide. More than 2,700 square metres (30,000 square feet) of space includes 17 treatment rooms with several suites for two, a nail and hair bar, men's and women's change rooms with separate steam rooms, an indoor relaxation pool, a fitness centre and yoga studio, and a Spa boutique.

The Spa's signature white tea scent wafts across an extensive menu of treatments ranging from massages and facials to scrubs and wraps, nail and hair services, a series of spa retreats, and treatments for two. Treatments are offered with an innovative prix fixe approach: massages, facials, scrubs and wraps are priced by length of treatment, regardless of the type of treatment. Four exclusive product lines at the Spa include Amala, Ajne, Sjal and Neuma, all making their Canadian debuts at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.

Meet Me at Four Seasons: The City's Best Address for Meetings and Social Events

With two stunning, glass-walled modern event spaces and five additional divisible rooms, the Hotel's 1,331 square metres (14,300 square feet) offer innumerable flexible options for events ranging from elegant weddings and social galas to conferences, board meetings and more. With a five-decade track record of hosting the city's most memorable events, it's no surprise that much of the space is already booked through 2012 and 2013, including the first wedding the day after opening.

About Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continual innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. From elegant surroundings of the finest quality, to caring, highly personalized 24-hour service, Four Seasons embodies a true home away from home for those who know and appreciate the best. The deeply instilled Four Seasons culture is personified in its employees - people who share a single focus and are inspired to offer great service. Founded in 1960, Four Seasons has followed a targeted course of expansion, opening hotels and residences in major city centres and desirable resort destinations around the world. With 89 properties in 36 countries, and more than 50 projects under development, Four Seasons continues to lead the hospitality industry with innovative enhancements, making business travel easier and leisure travel more rewarding. For more information on Four Seasons, visit http://press.fourseasons.com.

CONTACT: Laura Zanzal, [phone], [email protected]

SOURCE: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

http://www.fourseasons.com

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