Toronto
- The Sheraton Centre Toronto (416.361.1000; www.starwoodhotels.com) recently added wireless Internet to all 1,377 guest rooms, making it the largest hotel in Canada with Wi-Fi in guest rooms, public spaces and meeting facilities.
- Housed in the historic former headquarters of The Dominion Bank, the mixed-use One King West Hotel & Residence (416.548.8100; www.onekingwest.com) recently opened three new meeting spaces named Commerce 1, 2 and 3. The rooms, which can be joined together through a common space, complement the $2 million revitalization of the hotel’s common areas and event spaces. The project was launched in 2011 with a special focus on energy-efficient upgrades.
- ALT Hotel Pearson (418.687.1123; www.groupegermain.com) is a new property opening at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Currently in the final stages of construction and scheduled to debut by the end of spring, the 150-room hotel, featuring 8,000 square feet of meeting space, is adjacent to terminals 1 and 3, and near the Viscount long-term parking lot at the end of the LINK train line.
- Nestled in Toronto’s forested ravines, Evergreen Brick Works (416.596.7670; www.ebw.evergreen.ca) is a recently opened community environmental center housed in a restored former brick factory. The venue offers a variety of spaces and programs for groups, including the 225-seat year-round BMO Atrium, the Pavilions or Holcim Gallery, accommodating 2,000 people for standing receptions. Indoor and outdoor seasonal activities include planting, skating and team building.
Ottawa
- Ottawa’s famed Fairmont Chateau Laurier (800.257.7544; www.fairmont.com/laurier) celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2012. The centennial events include a 100-day countdown package, weekly culinary journeys through the decades at the hotel’s elegant Wilfrid’s restaurant and other activities.
- Toronto-based Mill Street Brew Pub (416.681.0338; www.millstreetbrewpub.ca) opened a new Ottawa outpost in January. The pub, housed in a fully restored historic grist mill on the banks of the Ottawa River, serves seasonal cuisine and handcrafted beers on tap, including special cask brews.