The welcome
A doorman wearing a bowler hat, named Guillermo, greets me with a big grin at the entrance and remembers me by name for the rest of my stay. I'm a little underwhelmed by the small lobby, which feels a bit like an office tower's, decorated with Canadian artwork and bronze maple leaves inlaid in the cream marble floors. But I'm only there for a moment before I'm shown up to the Club Level lounge, where I'm easily checked in and briefed by Jordan, one of the concierge team.
The neighbourhood
You can't be more central than the hotel's spot on Wellington Street, between the tram line on Spadina Avenue and the metro line on University Avenue. The glass tower stands tall in the middle of the entertainment district, a walk from CN Tower and the Rogers Centre sports stadium, and close to the Toronto International Film Festival's shiny new headquarters, the Bell Lightbox, which, with the new Ritz-Carlton, made that strip the new place to be for festivalgoers last September.
The room
My lake-view deluxe room is simply decorated in various tones of beige, which is just fine because nothing should take away from the most magnificent view of the CN Tower, which fills the centre of my floor-to-ceiling window, and Lake Ontario beyond it. The bed has the dreamy comfort I've come to expect from the Ritz-Carlton, with Italian Frette sheets. In the spacious marble bathroom, the floors are heated (a bonus to help you through a Canadian winter) and there's a TV embedded behind the mirror. It's stocked with all the usuals, plus a Bose sound system and Nespresso maker.
The service
Smoothly efficient and friendly, everyone from the doorman to the Club lounge staff stops to make conversation in a way that feels caring but not intrusive.
The food
The hotel's signature restaurant, TOCA by Tom Brodi, serves inventive Canadian dishes with local ingredients sourced from coast to coast, such as Nova Scotia lobster and glazed British Columbia black cod. But they had me at the Avocado Frites with Tarragon Remoulade (C$9; Dh32): the avocado was perfectly fresh and firm despite being deep-fried in batter. After polishing off my very tender Wellington County Petit Mignon, aged 36 days (C$32; Dh475), I must find room for the highlight - a visit to the Cheese Cave, where the restaurant's "affineur," a trained cheese sommelier, helps select a tray of cheeses from her selection of more than 200.
The scene
After its opening earlier last year, the Ritz-Carlton became the new nucleus for celebrities at the film festival, including George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. It's understandably less flashy when I visit: the weekend crowd consists of well-dressed couples on vacation, Bay Street financiers and the odd artiste at the bar in the lobby.
Loved
It was the thoughtful extras that made a difference: takeaway cups provided in the room for your coffee; a minibar stocked with handwarmers available for purchase along with gourmet Canadian snacks like Thomas Haas chocolates; and a nightly relaxation tip from Yogagurl, the Ritz-Carlton Spa's in-house yoga studio. Not to mention the affineur.
Hated
There is nothing wrong with the decor, but there isn't anything spectacularly right about it either, although I did like TOCA's wood-planked elegance.
The verdict
A solid bet for those who want to be surrounded with no-nonsense luxury in the heart of the city with a smashing view and one of the city's hotspot restaurants.
The bottom line
A double room costs from C$390 (Dh1,400) per night, including taxes. The Ritz-Carlton, 181 Wellington Street West, Toronto (www.ritzcarlton.com/toronto; 001 416 585 2500).
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
The past Palme d'Or winners
2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda
2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund
2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach
2015 Dheepan, Jacques Audiard
2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux
2012 Amour, Michael Haneke
2011 The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke
2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet
THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
WITHIN%20SAND
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Victims%20of%20the%202018%20Parkland%20school%20shooting
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company%20Profile
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Jawan
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Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Company%20Profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
GROUPS AND FIXTURES
Group A
UAE, Italy, Japan, Spain
Group B
Egypt, Iran, Mexico, Russia
Tuesday
4.15pm: Italy v Japan
5.30pm: Spain v UAE
6.45pm: Egypt v Russia
8pm: Iran v Mexico
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500