The Moongate of the Shangri La Suite
The Shangri La Suite living room
The Suite bathroom
The Bosk Bar
University Avenue is the closest thing YTO has to a boulevard – a “grand” street, bracketed with key institutions, insurance companies, banks and hospitals. And now, it has a touch of the Far East.
The lobby of the Shangri-La is a quiet oasis featuring massive windows looking out onto the busy street, a double-sided fireplace and calming beige and burgundy décor. The company is proud of its Asian roots and you can see Asian influences in the large artwork, reflecting pool and charming uniforms. I had only been seated for a moment when a server approached with a charming embroidered linen square, in lieu of a coaster or cocktail napkin, and asked how she could be of service.
While guests sit at a discrete desk in the corner to check-in, a grand piano provides relaxing ambient music. Though the lobby was peopled with Asian businessmen and well-dressed tourists, out of the 4 new luxury hotels I visited, it was the one with the most serene atmosphere and the one that was the least pretentious.
Opening date: September 2012
Number of rooms: 202, including 49 suites
Largest suite & rack rate for it: Shangri-La Suite (2,100 sq. ft.) – $10,000/night
Smallest room & rack rate for it: (485 sq. ft.) from $460
Brand of bathroom amenities: L'Occitane
Thread count of sheets: 450
Number of restaurants: 1 – Bosk is the signature restaurant of the hotel, but immediately adjacent to the property is Momofuku by David Chang
Number of bars: 2 - The Bar and the Lobby Lounge
Signature cocktail: Bespoke James Bond Martinis. Their in-house Scotch and all other selections of spirits and cocktails are listed in their "Gospel According To Drinks" menu.
Have any celebrities stayed with them? It is the policy of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts to never discuss any individual guest stay. But, if you saw the People magazine issue immediately following TIFF, you would have seen a photo of Tom Hanks and Halle Berry on a patio at Shangri-La, and one with Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston in the hotel's 42-seat Screening Room.
What’s the oddest request their concierge has dealt with to date? "We are not at liberty to comment," said a rep from the Shangri-La.
