Toronto has always been a popular draw for tourists looking to explore Canada’s vibrant urban center. Famed for its world-class museums, hot restaurant scene and unique, multi-cultural flare, the city always surprises. A bevy of new hotel openings over the last couple of years—mainly of the boutique or luxury variety—underscore the metropolis’ status as a prime pick for business and leisure travellers alike.
Over 30 Toronto hotels made the cut for our Experts’ Choice Awards this year. Whether you’re searching for a quiet, out-of-the-way escape like the Ivy at Verity, or a five-star lavish property at the center of the action, like the Shangri-La, you’re certain to find what you’re looking for among our experts’ highest-ranking picks. Here’s a rundown of the T-Dots top three hotels.
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Located in the well-heeled Yorkville neighborhood, this elegant property is one of the city’s most stylish additions to its hotel-laden landscape. As expert Forbes Travel Guide declares “You can’t find a better-situated hotel. It’s steps from fine shopping, dining and cultural activities.” In under 15-minutes you’ll find yourself at Toronto’s most popular attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum and shopping at the high-end Holt Renfrew. While there’s no shortage of fine-dining options nearby, the hotel’s restaurant Café Boulud, overseen by award-winning Chef Daniel Boulud, showcases delectable French bistro classics with a modern twist.
In 2017, this luxe hotel, the city’s first five-star, celebrated its 10th anniversary and remains one of Toronto’s most coveted accommodations. It’s prime location in Yorkville means guests are surrounded by the city’s most exclusive shops like Chanel, Tiffany and Prada. Despite the nearby sight-seeing and sophisticated shopping options, you’ll be tempted to stay indoors to take advantage of the hotel’s full-service spa, complete with saltwater pool. The property’s restaurant ONE offers French and Italian cuisine and is overseen by Toronto’s most well-known chef, Mark McEwan. Guests also enjoy nice little extras like free Wi-Fi and the hotel is pet friendly.
No, despite what you may think the hotel was not named after Toronto’s famous singing sensation. Set in the city’s oh-so-cool and colorful Queen Street West neighborhood, this beloved boutique property is one of the Toronto hippest hotels. True to its location at the center of the city’s art and fashion district, the property features an eclectic combination of art and funky décor. If you like to mix with locals, The Drake, as it’s known among Torontonians, is a perfect choice. Residents flock to the property’s rooftop lounge, which is considered one of the best in the city and at night you’ll tap into Toronto’s music scene with live music at the aptly named Underground bar and nightclub set in the basement of the hotel.
Barcelona is a rare city. It features as much culture as virtually any other destination in Europe, but in a uniquely laid back environment, with excellent weather, beach access, and a fantastic culinary scene. It consistently appears at or near the top of “best of” travel lists, and was a runner-up to San Sebastián, the winner of our Best of Europe award in 2018.
This year, Barcelona takes the top spot in Europe in our Experts’ Choice Awards. Critics and writers from leading travel media power the Experts’ Choice awards. We draw on “best-of 2019” lists and our proprietary scoring algorithm that aggregate and weight expert reviews for hotels, restaurants and attractions.
Barcelona is renowned for its architecture, which range from Gaudi masterpieces such as Basilica of the Sagrada Familia Casa Milà and Park Guell to modern skyscrapers by architects such as Herzog and de Meuron. Best of all, you can enjoy many of these buildings from multiple angles by taking advantage of the city’s rooftop bars.
The Grand Hotel Central has a rooftop infinity pool that’s unparalleled. Our expert reviewers are tracking several exciting recent and upcoming hotel openings in the city. The Edition, which opened in summer 2018, also has an excellent rooftop as well as a cocktail bar and a cabaret show.
The Kimpton Barcelona, opening this summer, will be centrally located near La Rambla, the city’s most famous (and most crowded!) street, and will feature the luxury and eccentricty that the Kimpton brand is known for. Nobu Barcelona, which is taking reservations for stays starting from September, will feature a 23rd floor restaurant that we expect will become a highlight of the city’s dining scene.
There has been a rapid rise in the number of tourists visiting Barcelona in the last few years, and several of our source publications have warned that this may negatively effect your experience of the city. Our #1 piece of advice is to avoid visiting the city in peak season, especially August, when the in any event the weather is often unpleasantly hot. In the shoulder and off-peak seasons, Barcelona remains an exceptional experience and a deserving winner of the title of Best of Europe 2019.
Epicurean adventure is not often synonymous with theme parks. But tucked within Walt Disney World Resorts are hidden gastronomical gems appealing to even the most distinguished palates. If you’re looking to celebrate that special occasion, these expert choice picks not only tantalize your taste buds, but whisk you off on a culinary adventure. After all, this is Disney World.
Exuding sophistication and elegance, this AAA Five Diamond Award recipient, located inside of the breathtaking Grand Floridian Resort (86), boasts fresh cut flowers, a champagne trolley and a mere 14 tables, ensuring the most personalized service. The Chef’s Degustation Menu, sourcing only the freshest ingredients from around the world; think truffles from Italy and herbs from Ohio, evokes a long, leisurely dining experience, one dubbed by Forbes Travel Guide as “tailor made for those craving sophistication.” Coupled with a selection of over 600 wines, Victoria & Alberts is by far a bucket list dining experience.
The mid-century modern eatery, located inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort (80), draws a crowd for unprecedented views of the Seven Seas Lagoon, and the Magic Kingdom nightly fireworks show. But beyond the stellar views, the California Grill offers an extensive collection of Contemporary American cuisine. From lighter fare; such as hand rolled sushi to a more hearty grilled Colorado bison loin, there’s a little something for everyone. Enjoy a glass of wine from the expansive collection while marveling the master chefs creating their culinary delights in the open kitchen. It’s a show that rivals the fireworks display!
As close to the Savannah as one can get without traveling thousands of miles, guests are greeted by African exchange students, the rich aroma of spices and a pair of wood burning. Throughout the evening, the lighting alters from sunset to sunrise, adding to the romantic ambience. With “elegant takes” on African cuisine, according to Zagat, dishes are fused with Coastal Mediterranean, African, Indian and European flavors. With over 1800 bottles, Jiko also boosts one of the country’s largest collections of South African wine. After diner, take a walk through the Animal Kingdom Lodge (87) and the “Savannah” grounds, where giraffes and zebras freely roam.
Dubbed “an oasis in the middle of chaos,” according to Zagat, Disney’s Boardwalk is home to the recently redesigned Flying Fish. Named after the famous Coney Island Coaster, “Flying Turns,” it’s easy to sense the nostalgia of a vintage seaside town. With entrees such as; Hokkaido Scallops complemented with Antebellum grits, sweet corn and a peppadew emulsion, and Wagyu filet, asparagus, sweet onion risotto and truffle sauce, the presentation is as pleasing as the flavors. Not quite your Coney Island fare.
Celebrity chef Todd English’s restaurant transports guests on an unprecedented underwater adventure with an interior brandished in elements of glass, tranquil blue colors and aquariums. It’s as sexy and sophisticated as the menu. The raw bar selection platter; including Maine lobster tails, clams, the day’s ceviche, and more feature the freshest seafood from the east and west coast. And, that’s just the beginning. The award winning restaurant serves up seafood, steak, speciality cocktails, and everything in between. Be sure to end the evening with the seasonal truffles from two time world champion pastry chef, Laurent Branlard.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Costa Rica the happiest country in the world, and that’s because there’s just so many reasons for the denizens of this tiny country to celebrate. With some of the highest living standards in the region, Costa Rica can perhaps best be described as the Switzerland of Latin America for its peace and prosperity. Or is it better described as the Borneo of Central America, for its biodiversity and outstanding opportunities for eco-tourism? Or how about the Denmark of Central America, due to Costa Rica’s environmentally-conscious economy? Or how about be ditch comparisons all together and admit that when it comes to beaches, Costa Rica is in a league of its own. This slender strip of isthmus has more beaches than borders, and puts postcards to shame with that smooth white sand and turquoise waters. So when it came to deciding on which country deserves our Experts’ Choice Award for Best Beach Destination for 2019, we just couldn’t pass up Costa Rica.
Costa what?
Good luck finding Costa Rica on a map. Sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama, this humble country rarely makes international headlines. When it does, it’s often for one of Costa Rica’s numerous environmental achievements,
Such as its ambitious plan to become the world’s first zero emissions nation. While many of its neighbors struggle with insecurity, corruption and violence, Costa Rica has spent the last few decades quietly building a paradise at the crossroads between North and South America. It’s so peaceful that since 1949, the country has proudly boasted a constitution that bans the creation of a standing army. It’s peaceful attitude was recognized in 1980, when the United Nations opted to base the U.N. University for Peace in Costa Rica. Nonetheless, Costa Rica isn’t quite perfect, and in early 2019 an uncharacteristic spike in violent crime led the Canadian government to warn its citizens to exercise caution while visiting the Central American country. Since then, Costa Rican authorities have announced a crackdown on violent crime and illegal arms. Despite this, you’ll find locals in Costa Rica are generally open, gracious people.
Of course, Costa Ricans (or Ticos, as locals refer to themselves), don’t just love each other; they also care deeply for the environment. A deeply ingrained culture of conservationism has taken root in this country ever since the 1950s, when American Quakers flocked here to create their own de-industrialized utopia. By 1972, the Quakers had created their own bio-reserve with virtually no government or corporate backing.
Since then, Costa Rica’s conservation movement has exploded, and today the country has around 160 protected areas, ranging from volcanic highlands perfect for hiking, dense jungle teeming with unique wildlife, and marine reserves that will take the breath away from even the most seasoned of scuba
Manuel Antonio National Park
veterans. Whether land or sea, wherever you go in Costa Rica you can expect to be blown away by the unparalleled biodiversity. Costa Rica contains an estimated 5 percent of global biodiversity, despite comprising barely 0.03 percent of the world’s surface. Arguably the most popular place to experience Costa Rica’s natural environment is the Manuel Antonio National Park, with its diverse range of seaside ecosystems that feature colorful toucans, screeching macaws and adorable sloths. It also happens to be the most well-visited beach in the country.
Alternatively, head to the highlands for the Volcan Arenal National Park. The centerpiece of this reserve is the active Arenal volcano, which is surrounded by lush jungle and hot springs. Otherwise, birdwatchers should flock to the Mixto de Vida Silvestre Romelia National Refuge, where you might be lucky enough to catch sight of the rare rare waterfowl. An even better reason to visit is to see the Olive Ridley sea turtle, which uses this reserve as one of just a few known nesting grounds. True adventurers, however, shouldn’t miss the Volcan Rincon de la Vieja National Park. Dominated by the boisterous Rincon volcano, the park bubbles with hot springs, fumaroles and steaming mud pots.
Beaches, beaches and more beaches
No visit to Costa Rica would be complete without a couple of lazy beach days. Along with the afore-mentioned Manuel Antonio National Park, the surf town of Tamarindo is as flavorsome as it sounds. Find yourself a cozy beach hideaway like the humble Tamarindo Inn, and hit the surf. Otherwise, for something really unique, pay a visit to Flamingo Beach, which gets its name from the unusual pinkish hue of the sand. Finally, consider ending your trip with a mind-blowing flyover tour of the Marino Ballena National Park. This beach is best known for its shoreline shaped like a whale’s tail, and is best seen from the skies.
Wherever you go in Costa Rica, you’ll find rest and relaxation on some of the world’s best beaches, and exhilarating ecological experiences throughout the well-preserved jungles, highlands and shores of the gem of Central America.
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