Have you ever taken a Staycation? We generally do in the summer time when we head up to the cottage. We consider that our Summer Staycation as we would never consider going anywhere else. However, when I recently received the opportunity to enjoy a staycation at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, I almost dismissed it. After all, we already live Toronto. Why would I give up the comfort of my home for a stay in a hotel? But when I realized that the hotel has an amazing indoor / outdoor pool and that there are suite options available I was instantly sold! Lucky for me that I said yes because it ended up being a great adventure for the entire family. A day hasn’t passed since our stay where the kids haven’t asked us when we’re going back to stay at the Sheraton. So if you’re considering a staycation (and you should), here’s the low down on the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, and why you should make your next stay there!
Hotel Amenities
By far my family’s favourite part was the hotel’s indoor and outdoor pool. In fact, it’s the largest indoor-outdoor heated pool in downtown Toronto. There are tons of pool noodles and floats that that kids can use (but no life jackets if your child needs one). There are plenty of lounge chairs and couches to relax by the pool. Next door is an amazing fitness centre. While I was planning on using it to keep up with my daily exercise routine, I didn’t because I forgot my running shoes at home (booo). I did check it out though and it’s a huge room filled with treadmills, ellipticals and weights. The fitness centre is open 24 hours.
Suite Room
When you’re traveling as a family of 5, space is important. While we don’t often spend a lot of time in our rooms, except for sleeping, it’s important that we can do so comfortably. After all, if we have a bad night’s sleep, it’s just not enjoyable – for any of us! The suite consisted of two rooms. One room had a King size bed and full bathroom (and a TV, desk and plenty of room) and the other room had a pull out couch, huge dinning room table, a bathroom and plenty of room. We also requested a cot so Kyle could sleep on his own. This allowed us to put the boys to sleep early without us having to stay in the bathroom while we wait for them to fall asleep (you know what I’m talking about!). Just to make the night even more extra-special, we ordered a movie and ate some popcorn and candy while lying down with the city lights peering through the window.
Food
When you’re staying downtown, there’s no shortage of places to eat. But when you’re traveling with kids (who are tired, ‘hangry’ and have short attention spans), you want to eat as close as possible to your hotel room. So we got to check out the hotel’s BNB restaurant. They had a colouring / activity mat for the kids, a kid menu, and just as important, televisions broadcasting sport channels. John and I tried out their sampling option that allowed us each to pick 3 (small portion sized) dishes. I personally loved it all and I would highly recommend it if you visit here. The boys each selected an item from the kids menu and were as equally satisfied with their choices – even though they were less colourful or unique as ours. Most importantly, they ate their food and were satisfied.
For breakfast, we headed to the Club Lounge (more details about the lounge below). Breakfast options included cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, oat, scrambled eggs, sausages, a variety of breads, spreads and pastries. Let’s just say that nobody left hungry!
Club Lounge
During our stay, we received the opportunity to check out the Sheraton Club. When you upgrade to the Sheraton Club, you receive exclusive access to the private Club Lounge located on the 43rd floor (the views alone are amazing). There you will find free WiFi, hot breakfast, snacks and beverages available throughout the day, evening hors d’oeuvres and Starbucks coffee! You can upgrade your booking to Club Lounge access at an additional cost when booking your room. Get all the details here.
Location
Last, but not least, is the hotel’s amazing location. Located at the heart of downtown Toronto, across from Nathan Phillips Square. The hotel is a short walk or quick subway ride to most family-friendly attractions including Ripley’s Aquarium, CN Tower, Rogers Centre (for when the Blue Jays play), AGO, and The ROM. This was what truly made our staycation so enjoyable – it was fun being tourists in our own city. Toronto has so many great things to offer, we rarely take advantage of them.
So how do I judge the success of our staycation? Through my kids… I knew they loved it when only a few hours after we checked out Nate says “are we going back to the hotel now?”
Do you take yearly family staycations?
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Marriott International, Inc. In exchange for this post, we received a one night’s stay at the the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. All opinions are my own.