May 2022

The Support You Need to Treat Long COVID in Toronto

May 31, 2022

Long COVID photo by Alexandros Chatzidimos from Pexels.

COVID-19 has brought new challenges everywhere—and post-COVID condition, or Long COVID, is one of the most complex. Treatment and research centres are opening their doors to help people understand Long COVID—and see what can be done to heal. But it means many long-haulers are facing complicated travel arrangements to access care, with little energy and resources to spare.

If you’re coming to Toronto for Long COVID care, DelSuites can be a vital part of your support network—and let you focus on your body, mind, and family.

Stay close to your Long COVID care

The Long COVID energy drain makes staying close to your medical care more important than usual. Luckily, DelSuites has comfortable, fully furnished, private suites close to most major Toronto treatment and research centres.

Our accessible, comfortable suites at The Livmore are literally around the corner from Toronto Rehabilitation Institute—on the same block. James Cooper Mansion is two short city blocks from Toronto Grace Health Centre’s new Respirology Outpatient Clinic. Both are a 10-minute drive from Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Centre.

In Toronto’s west end, our Old Mill suites are an 8-minute drive from Runnymede Healthcare Centre.

We’re close enough that you don’t have to choose between a comfortable, welcoming place to stay and easily getting to your medical appointments—whether you’re traveling there by car or transit.

Flexible enough to use your energy well

DelSuites units were built for everyday living—and organized for busy professionals, who know that every minute counts. All those time-savers can support you in managing a Toronto Long COVID medical stay.

We provide everything you need to handle the basics of living without having to figure out a new neighbourhood—or pay extra charges. We have laundry machines in each suite and full kitchens stocked with pots, pans, dishes, and utensils. There’s no need to find a laundromat, pack heavily, or figure out the best coffeeshops for an early breakfast: our partner grocery delivery services can bring everything to you.

Our fully included cable, long-distance telephone, and internet packages mean you can stay in touch with loved ones, handle medical appointments or remote work, and just sack out with a good movie at the end of the day.

Our regular, professional linens and cleaning service means you don’t have to worry about more than basic tidying. And if you have mobility needs that crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs help with, our partnership with AGTA Home Healthcare delivers any medical aids to you.

We can arrange our spaces to be kid-friendly—whether it’s for visits or to help juggle treatment and remote school.

When it comes to booking and paperwork, we’re flexible: Use our Bookings Portal at any time of day, or call our team to get personalized help. We’re equally happy to work with you on your arrival and departure dates. If your care is extended, or you need to go home early, we can help find a solution that works.

Our Guest Services team is used to handling all kinds of daily lives—from the long hours of movie crews to the sudden needs of people forced out of their homes by fire and flood. We can go the extra mile to provide, source, or advise on anything you need while you’re staying with us. We’re not just a place to stay: we’re a piece of support while you work on getting well.

A space to be human, and not just sick

Most of all, DelSuites furnished rental apartments are homes. They’re spaces designed for everyday living, where you can be part of a community, enjoy dinner on the balcony, stretch out on a comfortable couch, and just enjoy the little things.

Half of dealing with chronic illness can just be finding the space to feel human. We understand that, and we’re set up so those little joys are within reach. Whether it’s listening to your favourite radio station, having your pets nearby, or being able to host friends and family for dinner: there’s space for that at DelSuites.

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Traveling for health care can be difficult, but we’re ready and willing to make Toronto Long COVID stays easy on you. Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how we can help you reach the care you need successfully. We’re here, and we’re ready to help.

Downtown Toronto, Entertainment, Toronto Entertainment, toronto toursim, Vacation Travel

DelSuites Gets You In the Action for Toronto Pride Month

May 24, 2022

Toronto Pride hotel photo by Rosemary Ketchum on Pexels.

Toronto Pride is back! After two years of distanced activities and shifting online, festivals are back on in the City of Toronto, and Pride 2022 is going to be bigger, better, and more glamorous than ever.

Toronto is home to one of the biggest Pride Months in North America—and one of the most diverse. There are events, parties, and celebrations of all things queer from the flag-raising on June 1^st to the full festival weekend on June 24-26.

If you’re gearing up to get the most out of Pride Month, here’s how DelSuites helps you really enjoy the party.

Stay as close to the action as you want

Some people like to be right in the centre of things. And some—don’t. Staying with DelSuites gives you the choice to get as much quiet—or as much excitement—as you want. With locations scattered through downtown Toronto, you can stay a heartbeat from the party—or a dozen walkable blocks away, for quieter nights.

While the main festival’s one weekend, our theatre district buildings put you in a prime location for major Pride Month events, like Cabana Pool Bar’s massive drag pool party and a full-day party on the Toronto Islands.

And since a DelSuites furnished rental has a minimum of 30 nights, it’s the ideal home base to take in both Pride events and enjoy Toronto’s lakefront neighbourhoods, great food, good vibes, and summer fun.

Go big for Toronto Pride

One thing a DelSuites Pride Month rental gives you is room to spread your wings. Our private, fully-furnished rental suites include everything—and we mean everything—you need to set up for Pride Month.

Your space comes with a full ensuite laundry, multiple bathrooms, and a fully stocked kitchen with pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, and more. Our regular housekeeping service and our linens and towels service keep your space smelling flower fresh. Wide, sunny balconies let you soak up some sun—or have romantic evening drinks.

Your suite lets you access all of our buildings’ common amenities: you can keep up your workout routine, have a swim, or host a big rooftop brunch for all your friends.

If you’re driving to Pride, our units have secure, assigned indoor parking spaces so you can park stress-free—and explore beyond Toronto city limits.

And if you’re putting in remote hours at work, we’ve got reliable wifi internet and North American long-distance calling included. Luxurious living rooms and full cable packages let you get comfortable with a movie when it’s time for a night in.

Stay together and save

Pride’s better when we do it together—and more people can make it to the party when your stay costs less.

Our two- and three-bedroom suites open Pride Month up for everyone who wants to be there. Multiple spacious bedrooms and bathrooms help you split space with friends—and keep enough privacy to stay friends afterwards.

If you are on a budget, our full kitchens give you the option of eating in, not just in restaurants—or treating each other to a home-cooked breakfast.

And with many of our units featuring pullout couches, you’ve got a safe space for someone to spend the night if it’s too late to get home.

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However your Pride looks, we want to make it a month to remember. Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how we can host you for Toronto Pride.

Business Travel, Toronto Condos

The New Era in Business Travel: 2022 Trends

May 17, 2022

2022 business travel photo by mentatdgt from Pexels.

Business travel is dead. Or—not?

Since the world pulled inward to combat COVID-19, the business travel industry has been declared dead and resurrected with every pandemic wave. What’s certain, however, is that the growing corporate housing industry, after weathering quick and unpredictable pivots, is starting to see broader change emerge.

The global COVID pandemic hasn’t killed or revived business travel, but it’s definitely changed what business travellers value—and how to approach making guests feel at home.

We’d like to share what we’ve learned about 2022 business travel: how it’s evolving, what’s changed, and what we’re seeing grow into the future.

Trend: 2022 business travel budgets are all about supply chain

The COVID-19 pandemic saw business travel all but shut down as borders closed, offices went remote, and conferences wheeled to a stop. We saw the majority of our 2020 and 2021 bookings come through B2C channels: health care workers staying closer to work, insurance housing, and medical stays for patients travelling to access treatment.

But as 2022 has opened, vaccines have rolled out, and restrictions have loosened in Ontario, we’ve seen employer-assisted travel make a comeback.

Companies are navigating an uncertain landscape as businesses update travel policies to reflect our new reality. Travel managers are reporting new challenges around fuel costs, environmental concerns, continuing supply chain backlogs, and how an evolving employment market has changed per diem expectations.

They’re also facing a changed continent-wide demand for furnished apartments, according to a Corporate Housing Providers’ Association report. Rising urban rents and disruptions in the furniture and housewares supply chains have made furnished housing more expensive.

As industries find the tempo of 2022 business travel, we’ve found they value providers that meet them halfway with stability, flexibility, and transparent options.

Trend: How business travellers use our space

COVID-era living has demanded a new flexibility from our everyday spaces—and that need has carried over to furnished rentals and corporate housing. When more time is spent inside the suite, our guests want to eat, sleep, work, and live comfortably, without feeling constrained.

We’ve noticed an understandable desire for larger spaces, as guests rethink their accommodations as multi-functional space. 2022 business travel is prioritizing spaces that adapt: where guests can move between functional “zones” throughout their day.

But we’ve also supported our guests in making their business travel accommodations do more. We’ve provided more permanent office furniture to enable remote work, helping set up temporary office nooks in spaces that, pre-pandemic, were geared toward off-work hours.

That desire for a fully-stocked temporary office space is a trend we see continuing, as remote work—full-time or sometimes—keeps its place in our lives.

Trend: A COVID plan that works

COVID-aware business travellers are prioritizing safety when they choose their accommodations—and a clear, transparent protocol is more important than ever.

DelSuites implemented a layered response to protect our guests and staff from COVID. We added new cleaning and safety protocols at all levels of interaction, shifted to lighter and no-touch operating models, and incorporated quality PPE into our procedures. All guests are issued standard COVID-19 questionnaires and informed of our protocols on booking.

We’ve seen travellers respond to not just the presence of our COVID plan, but its clear standards and layered components. Each business traveller’s experience of COVID-19 has been different, and a multifaceted plan lets us provide a good welcome to guests from all over the world.

Trend: A stay based on flexibility

After two years of uncertainty, good planning has shifted to mean flexibility. More than ever, business travelers are privileging the ability to flex, adjust, and accommodate their travel plans. At DelSuites, we’ve seen positive responses to all the flexibility we can build into our service offering.

More client-friendly terms and conditions, which allow guests to cancel on shorter notice, extend their stays, or modify their travel dates, have been met with enthusiasm as travel requirements change. Our ability to accommodate guests has been deeply appreciated when they’ve faced delayed or cancelled travel due to flight rescheduling or government COVID mandates.

Our guests have also appreciated flexibility in how we welcome them. The age-appropriate kids’ activities in our family welcome kit have made family travel easier in an era of changing travel requirements. Our pre-arrival grocery request service has also seen more use, as guests shift to using our fully equipped kitchens over local restaurants.

We’ve also found ways to “door drop” guest requests and service, such as grocery orders, cleaning supplies, linens service, and more. While the services we’ve traditionally offered—linens service, suite cleaning—are appreciated, our business travel guests have also reacted positively when we can modify them to keep everyone safe.

While the state of the COVID pandemic constantly evolves, and we won’t be living with extreme levels of COVID forever, we’ve learned important things from that desire for flexibility. Whatever conditions we’re facing, business travelers appreciate being heard and accommodated—and when their provider works with them to make a stay good.

Trend: Balancing technology and the human touch

The social distancing COVID-19 brought us has turbocharged the use of technology for established corporate housing providers. From sales to service delivery, we’ve taken many of the ways we do business digital: live bookings, 24/7 Guest Services availability.

With digital bookings soaring, we’ve upgraded our suite photos and virtual tours to help guests understand our suites from a distance.

We’ve also introduced digital solutions for guest support, with how-to videos for some of our suites’ unique features, such as wall beds and AEG microwaves.

While we can sometimes think tech solutions and personal connections rarely mix, industry experts are actively exploring how to connect with our guests in different ways. We believe the personal touch that real hospitality brings isn’t going away, but ubiquitous digital solutions will change how it’s delivered. Establishing the right balance for our guests—making the digital feel personal, with the right amount of human touch—is going to be a growing trend for successful corporate housing providers.

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Our knowledge of corporate housing is always growing—and we’re always eager to share!

For more DelSuites insights into how business travel is evolving, join us at our blog or get in touch at 647-370-3504 or info@delsuites.com.

Corporate Housing, Toronto Condos, Uncategorized

Make Investment Condo Management Simple with DelSuites

May 10, 2022

Investment condo management image by Mizianitka from Pixabay

Renting out a condominium is an investment—in more ways than one.

Being successful as a condominium landlord requires many skills: knowing Toronto’s rental laws, procuring reliable tenants, securing a roster of reliable and responsive trades, and putting in the time to manage your tenancy. Keeping your suite full and in good repair can be a second career—especially if you’re hosting guests as a long-term rental.

The solution? Working with an expert property management company can bridge the gap between the rental you want and the effort it takes to keep both your investment and your free time safe.

Here’s how DelSuites makes managing your investment condo stress-free—and prevents problems before they start.

Expert investment condo management you can trust

DelSuites brings you a unique expertise in condo management. We are backed by the Tridel name—and more importantly, Tridel know-how. With Tridel’s more than 85 years of experience at our fingertips, we have the depth of knowledge and experience to collaborate with your condo board, understand your building, and keep your suite maintained.

As an independent landlord, making repairs to your suite can be a race against the clock and knowing which contractors are available and trustworthy can be a challenge. Working with DelSuites lets you take a proactive approach to maintenance: happier guests, lower repair bills and a better-looking suite that keeps its value—without stress, lost hours, or inconvenience to you.

Our professional property management team regularly assesses what your suite needs are and has a directory of trustworthy, affordable contractors on hand—especially for emergency repairs. If there’s an urgent problem in your unit, we’ll fix it—and you’ll still get a full night’s sleep.

It’s hard for one person to be a rental agent, cleaner, market researcher, tenant-screener, housing lawyer, advertiser, accountant, and problem-solver. But DelSuites is all that and more, and our expertise is ready to work for you.

Round-the-clock coverage that won’t miss a thing

While most independent landlords aren’t running their units full-time, property management firms are—which means a full-time and fully staffed commitment to knowing what’s current in your neighbourhood. Our dedicated hospitality professionals keep their finger on the pulse of corporate and long-term furnished rentals. We know what’s reasonable to ask for our units, which communities guests prefer, and how to keep suites looking their best.

But we also know what’s needed to keep on the right side of your condominium board, your neighbours, and the law.

The legal landscape around investment condo management has changed due to COVID-19. Short-term rentals have been banned for everything but primary residences in Toronto, and city enforcement is increasing. Outside legal channels, many condominium boards are developing or changing their policies on rentals in their buildings. And Ontario’s Condo Authority has been established to help regulate disputes in buildings, adding another important factor to how you run your rental business.

An experienced property management company is an essential asset as Toronto condominium laws evolve. DelSuites can make sure you stay up to date on what’s allowed, and what’s off-side—and keep the business of running your suite friendly, positive, and simple.

The reliable guests you want

Independent landlords agree: the biggest stress in renting is choosing tenants.

There are as many ideas about what makes a good guest as there are guests, and DelSuites has the experience to understand which of them truly matters. DelSuites guests love us for our top-notch service—and we appreciate them for their top-notch care for the spaces they share.

Our guests go onstage in Toronto’s biggest theatre productions, delivering front-line healthcare, and make multi-million-dollar business deals. They are everyone from Toronto’s thriving film industry to grandparents visiting from across the world to meet their grandchildren for the first time.

DelSuites and our diverse community of guests keep your suite rented, tidy, and productive—and keep your neighbours happy that you’re around.

Be part of life-changing stories

The DelSuites program isn’t just a simpler, more affordable way to run your rental business well: it’s a way to take part in the inspiring stories that make Toronto beautiful.

DelSuites furnished rentals in Toronto have provided a home away from home for families who’ve lost their house to fire or flooding. We’ve been the safe place to stay at the end of the day for medical travellers fighting cancer on Hospital Row. And we’ve been the first place new Torontonians call home, whether they’re here for work, school, or to start a whole new life.

Being a part of the DelSuites means being part of everything that’s vibrant in Toronto communities. It’s a way to know that the investment that improves your life also starts amazing Toronto stories—or catches people when they’re in need.

After our decades-long partnership with DelSuites, we appreciate our professional relationship with the team (management, maintenance, and accounting) where we have constant communication and feedback about the property. We know that the property is visited frequently by the housekeeping team and the maintenance team, and any issues are resolved with multiple quotes from trusted trades or with the in-house maintenance crew without the owner having to step in. The team goes above and beyond to also liaise with building property management when necessary, and assist with insurance and warranty claims if required on your behalf. This peace of mind continues to be tremendously helpful, knowing that our property and investment is efficiently cared for by a professional company 24/7.

For rental income, there is no disruption in the income stream regardless if the property is rented to guests or not. Rent is always paid on time. — Emily P., Property Owner

Announcements, Customer Service Experience, Fitness and Health, Medical Stays

DelSuites Partners with AGTA Home Health Care to Take Accessible Travel Farther

May 4, 2022

DelSuites has always been proud to offer a comfortable, private space to call home while recovering from important medical procedures. Because our properties are located near the specialized care units at major Toronto hospitals, we know how medical stays impact every aspect of a family’s life—and we work hard to make that challenge a little warmer, more comfortable, and more livable.

Now you can unlock a 7% discount on the medical supplies you need to make a post-hospital stay easier—and bring a new level of support to the hard work of healing.

DelSuites has partnered with AGTA Home Health Care to add peace of mind, dignity, and professional support for the people who come through our doors to recover. With 22 years’ experience supporting aging, injured, and physically challenged clients—or anyone who just needs a little extra support around the house—AGTA brings proven care and accessibility to the privacy and comfort of a DelSuites furnished rental in Toronto.

Whether you’re coming to Toronto for an important medical stay or planning everyday travel while living with a few extra needs, DelSuites and AGTA let you enjoy Toronto worry-free, in a warm, luxurious space you can happily call home.

Bringing health care to you on your medical stays

AGTA Home Health Care brings the DelSuites ethic of hospitality to health care: letting people stay—or heal—at home, whether home is permanent or temporary.

AGTA’s founder, Vince Agovino, has been caring for people since 1995. His experience of the formidable challenges friends and families face when organizing home care for their loved ones spurred him to found AGTA Home Health Care.

AGTA understands how all the puzzle pieces—personal support, medical expertise, and the right supplies—come together to make the difference between navigating your space and enjoying it. They bring together everything you need to make a positive recovery or live in a truly accessible space.

AGTA’s one-stop, accessible website lets you buy or affordably rent medical supplies and assistive devices for as long as you need the support. With everything from cast protectors for easy showering, easy-grip kitchen knives, wheelchairs, crutches, and ramps, they will ensure you have everything needed, prior to your arrival.

AGTA also works seamlessly with funders like WSIB, ODSP, and the Ontario Assistive Devices Program to help conveniently improve your quality of life.

On the human side, AGTA offers full, 24-hour home health care visits. AGTA’s compassionate, professional staff of personal support workers and in-home nurses are pre-qualified with Toronto’s Home and Community Care Support Services—so you know your care is top-notch. AGTA seamlessly coordinates care with your medical team so you can recover in comfort and privacy—and family members can focus on being there.

A seamless way to plan an accessible stay

Our partnership with AGTA doesn’t just open doors for those recovering from medical procedures. Travelers living with disabilities or chronic health issues frequently work a little harder to get the comfortable, luxurious travel experience everyone expects. AGTA and DelSuites let you consider that work handled.

The open, accessible layouts of DelSuites units are built for everyday living. With full kitchen and laundry facilities, accessible indoor parking, and wide, spacious doors and bathtubs, we’ve got the basics of an accessible stay. But with AGTA, travelers can affordably rent the small modifications that take those basics to a full-fledged accessible solution: bath steps, tub rails, back support, and more.

It’s a way to focus on what you’re in Toronto to do, see, taste, and enjoy, instead of working hard to source the tools you’ll need to overcome barriers. And if you need personal support workers—some days or every day—it’s a way to open Toronto up to you as a warm, welcoming, fun travel destination.

With DelSuites, the everyday costs of living are always included in our rates: WiFi, phone plans, cable TV, linens service, and the use of our buildings’ recreational and fitness amenities. AGTA’s affordable equipment rental rates make Toronto travel not just physically, but financially accessible.

All you have to do is pick up the key to your DelSuites rental. With a pre-trip order to AGTA, all the supplies you need can be waiting for you.

All you need to do is arrive

Both DelSuites and AGTA understand that hospitality is everything. It’s core to a warm travel experience; it catches us after a hard health scare; it’s what lets us age at home. We’re proud to come together to make everything about Toronto travel and medical stays easier—and make much more possible.

To set up an accessible, supported Toronto stay, visit our Medical Stays information page. Our Bookings team and AGTA Home Health Care will help you settle into your home away from home—and make sure it’s a place to feel well and supported.