Toronto Archives - OFFSHORE

The Shangri-La Toronto has the Perfect Valentine’s Day Package

January 27, 2026

It's been a long winter. Here's your sign to treat yourself (and a loved one) to a candlelit Italian dinner and an indulgent overnight stay at Shangri-La Toronto.

This year, Shangri-La Toronto is offering a polished but unfussy way to celebrate Valentine’s Day right in the city. The hotel’s curated experiences are designed to feel intimate and unrushed — ideal for couples who want something memorable without overdoing it.

At the centre of the celebration is Valentine’s Rendezvous at bosk, the hotel’s Northern Italian restaurant. Offered on February 14 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the four-course dinner is meant to unfold at an easy pace, with live violin music setting the tone, a Valentine’s cocktail to start the evening, and hand-dipped chocolate strawberries to finish.

The menu highlights seasonal Canadian ingredients with Italian flair. Courses include red wine–marinated venison carpaccio with Koziak’s Triple Crunch mustard, beet root spaghetti with goat’s milk fonduta and B.C. spot prawns, and dry-aged striploin served with celeriac purée. Desserts lean elegant rather than heavy, with options like dark chocolate merveilleux with hazelnut praline or a raspberry-and-rose creation finished with rosewater ganache.

Make it a Staycation

For couples who want to turn dinner into a true escape, Shangri-La Toronto’s A Suite Valentine’s Day experience removes the need to head home at all. Guests are welcomed with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne and a decadent cake, followed by an overnight stay in one of the hotel’s suites.

A CAD $250 dining credit per night encourages lingering meals or room service, while breakfast for two the following morning keeps things feeling relaxed. Small details make a difference here: fresh florals on arrival, an evening turndown featuring the hotel’s signature tea set and Bathorium bath salts, and flexible check-in and check-out times (subject to availability).

Parking is included as well — a small but appreciated touch for anyone who’s ever hesitated over a downtown stay.

Whether you opt for the dinner, the overnight stay, or both, this is Valentine’s Day done with just enough luxury to make it feel like a real occasion.

AIRE Ancient Baths Just Opened in Toronto

December 16, 2025

The candlelit circuit of thermal pools offers a welcome antidote to the city’s winter chill and mid-season blues.

If there’s one thing Canadian winters are good at, it’s reminding you how tense your shoulders can get. Short days, icy sidewalks, endless layers. Enter AIRE Ancient Baths, the international wellness brand that has just opened its first Canadian location in Toronto, bringing with it a deeply soothing answer to cold weather fatigue.

Long a favourite ritual in cities like New York, London and Barcelona, AIRE has built a devoted following for its atmospheric approach to thermal bathing. Its first Canadian location brings that same slow, immersive experience into a restored 1912 heritage building downtown, just as the city enters its coldest stretch of the year.

Warm stone surfaces, low lighting and hundreds of flickering candles set the tone, while a series of thermal pools at different temperatures encourages you to move slowly, warming up, cooling down and repeating as your body dictates. Unlike a traditional day spa, AIRE centres on communal thermal bathing, inspired by ancient Roman, Greek and Ottoman traditions. Silence, or near silence, is part of the experience, and time becomes pleasantly vague. Optional massage rituals take place within the bathing space itself, which keeps the experience feeling continuous rather than segmented.

The experience tends to appeal to travellers and locals who enjoy slowing down. It’s well suited to solo visits, quiet dates or post-trip decompression. This isn’t a social spa or a quick in-and-out treatment — it’s a place to linger (and warm up).

Toronto’s Ace Hotel is Transforming its Rooftop into a Winter Chalet

November 18, 2025

Toronto may be deep in hibernation by December, but one downtown hotel is determined to pull travellers and locals back out of it – in the best way. Ace Hotel Toronto has launched an entire season of winter happenings, anchored by the return of its rooftop Winter Chalet pop-up and, yes, actual outdoor curling overlooking the city.

From December 2 through February 28, the hotel transforms its rooftop bar, Evangeline, into a cozy indoor-outdoor chalet experience complete with twinkling lights, warming cocktails, blankets and fire pits. The star: a brand-new Lot 40 outdoor curling rink that lets you play a match set against the Toronto skyline. Thirty-minute sessions are free and operate on a first-come, first-served basis – ideal for travellers looking for a fun, spontaneous winter activity between meals and museums.

Those who prefer to spectate (or sip) can linger inside with seasonal drinks, curated snacks and the kind of hygge-leaning ambiance that makes you forget you’re several storeys above the city streets. Evangeline is also debuting a cocktail lineup designed for cold-weather comfort, courtesy of bar manager Aaron Hatchell. Expect aromatic flavours, mulled wine, a classic hot toddy and a “Smooth O-pear-ator,” a non-alcoholic pear-and-winter-spice cocktail. Reservations for the bar are highly recommended.

Fireside Workshops, Design Collabs, and a Festive DJ Series

Within the hotel, Ace has programmed a full slate of festive events:

Wreath-Making With Philia Flora

December 16, 6–8 p.m.
Create your own wreath using seasonal botanicals at this hands-on workshop led by Toronto floral designer Philia Flora. Tickets will be available via the Ace website.

Jingle Bell Hop Holiday Takeover

December 20, 10 p.m.
A one-night holiday bash with festive cocktails, cosy beats and a playful, over-the-top holiday aesthetic — think DJs, dancing and winter-themed indulgence. Tickets ($10) are now on sale.

Cool Intentions: A New Year’s Eve Party at The Lobby

December 31, 10 p.m.–2 a.m.
Ace Hotel’s NYE celebration takes over the Lobby bar for a night of music, cocktails and a low-key-cool atmosphere. Early bird tickets ($25, then $40) are now available.

Alpine Noir: NYE at Evangeline

December 31, 10 p.m.–3 a.m.
For a more elevated option, Evangeline hosts Alpine Noir, a high-altitude celebration with DJ sets, photobooths, dance-party energy and a fashionable dress code. Tickets include bubbles at midnight plus access to the new DJ booth overlooking Toronto’s skyline. Early bird tickets start at $120.

Checking In: Union Hotel Toronto

November 4, 2025

A stylish boutique stay steps from Union Station brings art, design and a touch of literary flair to the city’s core.

Tucked inside a restored heritage building on York Street, Union Hotel Toronto feels like the kind of downtown stay Toronto’s been missing—creative, comfortable and just the right amount of cool. With 189 rooms, a café-lounge that hums from morning to night, and design rooted in local makers, it’s a modern nod to the city’s artsy side.

The vibe is easy-going yet polished with warm lighting, mid-century oak furniture, soft neutrals and pops of colour from Canadian artwork. The lobby has plenty of seating, and a suspended fireplace adds a sleek and cozy touch. Every room features original pieces that tell a bit of the city’s story: Emily May Rose’s cheeky raccoons, Victoria Day’s train-station homage and Hello Kirsten’s vibrant nod to the neighbourhood’s textile roots. Together, they make the place feel less like a hotel and more like a cool friend’s apartment.

Rooms come in four styles—Chic, Groovy, Swanky and the Posh Suite—each with small but thoughtful touches: Routine amenities, Fellow kettles for your tea ritual, and Loftie sound machines that help you drift off after a night in the city. Local studio Whence co-designed many of the in-room details, while circular-design pieces by Cyrc (soap dishes, trays and tissue boxes) keep sustainability in the mix.

Downstairs, Humble Donkey anchors the lobby and doubles as a great coworking space. By day, it’s fuelled by Sam James Coffee Bar espresso and Circles and Squares Bakery; by night, when the lights dim, flatbreads and martinis appear on the menu. Upstairs, there’s The 6ix, a flexible social space with a courtyard for events.

A literary twist gives the stay extra heart: every room includes a Giller Prize–listed or winning book, with a mini CanLit library waiting by the front desk. And don’t check out without browsing the lobby’s UH Marketplace, where you can grab locally made souvenirs like an upcycled denim tote by designer Gino Marocco.

Union Hotel Toronto manages to be central but not basic. It’s a stylish, quietly playful stay that celebrates the city’s art, design and character in all the right ways.

It’s in the Details

Locally made Routine bath products, custom furniture by Whence, and upcycled denim totes from Gino Marocco keep every corner grounded in Toronto craftsmanship.

On the Menu

At Humble Donkey, start with a latte and a Breadhead croissant, then circle back for truffle fries, the Donkey Burger and an espresso martini.

What to Do Nearby

Stroll ten minutes south to The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery on the waterfront for rotating exhibits and installations. In the evening, catch an indie screening at TIFF Lightbox, about a 15-minute walk west on King Street.

Room to Book

The Posh Suite offers extra space, a sitting area and curated local art.

Toronto’s Water/Fall Festival is Ready to Make a Splash

September 9, 2025

This September, Toronto will welcome a new festival that puts water centre stage. From September 20 to 28, the inaugural Water/Fall Festival will spill across the city with large-scale art installations, live performances, and thought-provoking talks exploring the beauty and urgency of our relationship with water.

Anchored at Harbourfront Centre and Ontario Place, the programming will ripple into public squares, waterfront parks and even unexpected downtown nooks. One highlight is the Urban Waterfall Project, a towering installation designed to surprise visitors with a dramatic rush of sound and spray in the heart of the city. Another is Reflections, an outdoor projection series that transforms building façades into moving canvases of glimmering water imagery after dark. Families can join hands-on workshops at Harbourfront, while Ontario Place will host multimedia experiences and concerts with water-inspired soundscapes.

The festival isn’t just about spectacle. Curators have invited scientists, Indigenous water protectors, artists and urbanists to share ideas through panels and dialogues, including sessions on clean-water equity and the future of sustainable cities. For the playful at heart, there are interactive elements such as misting walkways and a “river soundscape” where visitors can stroll through shifting audio streams.

“Water is life, water is story, and water is play,” says artistic director Ravi Jain. “The Water/Fall Festival is a way of reminding Torontonians that water shapes our city and our future.” The nine-day celebration will culminate in a closing night performance at Ontario Place featuring a full symphonic score set to projected visuals of waterfalls from around the world.

Free to attend and spread across multiple venues, Water/Fall promises to be both a spectacle and a conversation starter — a reminder that the most ordinary element of our lives can make for some pretty extraordinary moments.

The sky’s the limit

July 7, 2021

Not even a global pandemic can prevent Toronto’s FlyGTA Airlines from spreading its wings.

The aviation company, which operates out of Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, is indeed preparing to broaden its operation at a time when many travel companies have been virtually idle. FlyGTA first made its mark carrying people to points near to Toronto, such as Muskoka, Niagara and Waterloo, enabling them to avoid the notoriously bad traffic out of the city.

FlyGTA CEO, Chris Nowrouzi, concedes this year has created obstacles for his company but adds that it isn’t preventing FlyGTA from branching out. “Challenge has been the word of the year,” he states. “After the initial shock and lockdown, we slowly started bouncing back, then got very busy! We moved from some plans that were in the works for the leisure travel market, toward utilizing the advantages we have while airlines went into standstill. Needless to say, using private jets for both essential service and leisure travel became more popular.

“So this put us into a position to utilize our tour operator arm, and create available packages. We’ll be opening bookings in December, working on distribution to the travel agents, and giving the new program a jumpstart.”

So just what is in store in FlyGTA’s immediate future? Well, Nowrouzi says his company will be able to cater those who are intrigued by the tales of a super-spy. “We are combining our private jet service, safe travel protocols, and major time savings with low-risk, luxury destinations in the Caribbean. For example, our 007 package will have your bubble flying down to Jamaica in our private jets and staying at the GoldenEye luxury villa, where some of the greatest James Bond stories were created! It’s celebrity status at a price that’s reasonable.”GoldenEye was the oceanside retreat of Bond creator Ian Fleming and is now an upscale resort.

FlyGTA has been offering private aircraft charters for approximately 5 years, and the new vacation program is launching in December for the holiday season. All FlyGTA aircrafts can carry 8 passengers, and the company has over 10 planes in its fleet.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to taking clients to desired destinations. “Our optimal range is North America, and our most attractive options are to the Caribbean Islands,” concludes Nowrouzi. “But we are able to fly to anywhere in the world.”

Story by Ian Stalker