Delsuites' Blog

Downtown Toronto, Family Vacations in Toronto, Toronto Entertainment, Toronto Family Travel, toronto toursim

Toronto: Your Summer Vacation Destination

March 15, 2022

Toronto Summer Vacation photo by Scott Webb from Pexels.

If you’re like us, after two years of COVID restrictions, you’re starving for a good summer vacation: sun, socializing, and absolutely nothing to think about but having fun. A hard winter’s making this summer’s travel plans extra sweet—and also making everyone want to make those plans memorable.

If you’re putting together that dream vacation now, here are four reasons to do it in Toronto.

We’re super vaccinated

Let’s get the big question out of the way, because right now, practicalities count: Toronto has one of the highest urban vaccination rates in the world. Over 90% of eligible Torontonians have rolled up their sleeves for at least one shot, and public health measures like mask-wearing generally happen without a fuss.

Whatever COVID safety means to you, knowing you’re around people who take it seriously—and cheerfully—makes having fun much easier. And a Toronto summer vacation is one where that much easier to have a genuinely good time.

A Toronto summer vacation is a simple trip

And now: getting there. No matter where you visit from, Toronto’s one of the easier travel destinations to reach.

Pearson International Airport fields flights from over 180 destinations, and the Union-Pearson Express train makes regular trips directly downtown. For more regional visitors, the smaller, downtown Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport brings in regular flights from over 20 North American cities.

Toronto’s also reachable by train: on VIA Rail inside Canada, and Amtrak from New York State. And for an affordable, scenic trip, Megabus routes go to and from Toronto from Ontario, Quebec, New York City, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia.

While you’re here, it’s even simpler to get around: Toronto is one of the most walkable cities in the world. With regular pedestrians-only areas and the underground PATH network ready to help out when it’s rainy or cold, it’s an easy city to do on your own two feet.

If you’re heading a little farther afield—or just want to put your feet up—a web of streetcars, subways, buses, and LRTs connects every bit of the city, from the core to the suburbs.

And if you’d rather put those feet on pedals, the growing network of separated bike lanes—complete with BikeShare rental program—lets you speed through the city with ease.

An international vacation in one place

In a time when it’s easier to deep-dive in one place than plan multi-city tours, Toronto puts the whole world in walking distance. It’s been called the most diverse city in the world, with 117 languages regularly spoken and people from 230 countries calling the city home.

Wherever you’re from, you’ll be able to feel at home and discover something entirely new—usually in the same afternoon.

The dining scene is the most obvious place Toronto’s diversity shows—a United Nations of amazing restaurants that runs regular Lunar New Year celebrations and Eid-al-Fitr feasts. But those community roots run much deeper, to networks of bookstores, film festivals, classes, and what feels like ten national festivals every weekend.

It’s a city almost custom-built for sampling, befriending, and discovery, and a great way to see a little of the world without hours of travel—and at a fraction of the price.

That deep dive gets even easier with a DelSuites Toronto short-term rental. With year-round discounts on longer-term stays, a stay in a DelSuites furnished apartment makes discovering Toronto even more comfortable and affordable.

It is impossible to get bored

You have to work very hard to get bored in a Toronto summer. High culture, low culture, or subculture—whatever you love, there’s a way to enjoy it here.

For those looking for a touch of class, Toronto is home major galleries and museums, championship sports teams, several symphony orchestras, Canada’s national ballet, and the nation’s biggest opera company. There’s enough fine dining—award-winning or up-and-coming—to keep you full for days.

When you’re feeling cozy and local, there’s LGBTQIA+ theatre, movies outside in the park on a picnic blanket, and tiny neighbourhood zoos. Hundred-year-old diners, dumpling shops, and lunch counters stand ready to feed you for under twenty bucks.

And if it’s time to get away from it all, the parklike, green Toronto Islands are just a ten-minute ferry ride from downtown. You can spend the day on one of the city’s warm, sandy Blue Flag beaches, take a boat ride on the lake, or hike the Don Valley to get close to lush, thick nature.

A Toronto vacation is the kind you can spend changing it up, or changing your mind: hiking one day, and luxuriating in the spa tomorrow. All you have to do is start walking. There’s something out there for you: even if it’s only Sunday afternoon at the coffeeshop, petting the dogs.

Make your Toronto summer vacation memorable

After all the last year’s had to hold for us, we all deserve a vacation that’s unique. Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how we can help you discover summer in Toronto—whether you’d like to spend it chowing down everything the town has to offer, or relaxing peacefully in the sunshine.

Downtown Toronto, Lifestyle talk

Setting Your Furnished Rental Up for Spring

March 8, 2022

Furnished rental spring cleaning Photo by Tatiana from Pexels.

Hard to believe, but spring is coming to Toronto. While we’re still mired in cold weather now, the long-range weather forecast calls for sunny days and soft wind on the way. And that means it’s time for another difficult but necessary shift: moving from winter hunkering-down to spring habits.

There’s less need for a full spring cleaning in a temporary furnished rental condo. But there are still ways to get into a brighter mood—and really get to enjoy your space. Here are a few ideas on how you can set up—and enjoy—your long-term furnished rental for spring weather.

Tidy up so your building can do the work

One of the biggest advantages of condo living is that year-to-year maintenance is off your To Do list. Most condominium buildings get busy with the essentials once the warm weather hits: duct cleaning, air filter changes, carbon monoxide alarm tests, common area painting, and more. And our built-in biweekly cleaning service is ready to take care of the rest.

With a pandemic-induced maintenance backlog to work through, it’s expected that buildings are going to be busier than usual. Since you’ll have the luxury of experts coming through, make sure your panels, vents, and alarms are accessible—and your space uncluttered. It’s considerate, and it lets maintenance staff notice any issues or small repairs faster, so they can be tackled with minimum fuss.

If you’ve noticed any small issues in your unit, spring is a great time to let Guest Services know about them. We can dispatch an expert to handle it while the general seasonal maintenance happens—or see what your building can do.

Fill out your closet

Spring’s a great time to switch your closet around—bring lighter clothes and colours to the front, and send the winter wool to the back. Luckily, all our units have more than enough closet space to make the swap easy: just move those heavy sweaters one shelf upward.

If you’re on an extended stay, the winter-ready clothes you brought might not be what you need for warm spring afternoons. It’s a great time to think about switching up your wardrobe—whether that means sending some things home, and shipping some things here, or buying a few new pieces.

But beware: Toronto spring weather can be a little unpredictable, with occasional little snowfalls into early April. It’s worth being careful before you jump into a spring wardrobe with both feet.

Enjoy your outdoor spaces

It’s a little hard to feel the pull of your balcony when it’s -10 C out. But now that we’re headed into nicer days, that little piece of the outside is about to earn its keep. The balcony is one of the biggest underused stars of condominium life—whether you’re living in a condo temporarily or year-round. And it’s perfect for work, dining out, or play.

Most condo balconies have electrical wiring available—there’s at least one weather-protected plug on the wall. If you’re looking for a new remote office, it’s a simple and huge change to grab a deck chair and table and get some sun.

If you’ve got the space, you can move your exercise routine outside by setting up a yoga mat or weights. One phone playlist later, and your balcony can be your own outdoor gym.

It’s also a favourite space for gardeners, whether you’re going long-term and ambitious or just trying out a little container of lettuce and flowers. Last frost in Toronto is traditionally around mid-May, and you can get seeds from big-box stores like Canadian Tire or even delivered from local farmer’s markets.

What’s more, most condominium buildings have common outdoor areas, which are much less likely to have pandemic restrictions attached. If you’ve been itching for a little safer social time all winter long, find out your building’s rules for its green roof, terraces, barbeque area, or courtyard. They’re spaces that are usually underused by residents and just perfect for a distanced or safer outdoor get-together.

While each building has its own expectations for using common areas, booking the space with your property manager or concierge desk is a good start. Find out about damage deposits, decorating, capacity limits, and any alcohol or noise rules involved, and put together a get-together.

Get back to the patio

The City of Toronto’s restaurant patios are—we say this with love!—notorious for opening at the slightest hint of spring weather. And that’s going to be even sooner this year, as pandemic dining capacity improves.

Once it’s actually warm enough—or you just want to believe it is!—check out the patio options in your neighbourhood. Whether you’re dining out or bringing new treats back home, it’s a great way to meet up with friends, try new flavours, and be a real part of the neighbourhood.

Anything that’ll make your spring in Toronto memorable? Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how you can warm up to Toronto furnished rental living this spring.

Announcements, Business Travel

Bringing Work and Life Together with DelSuites and Regus Office Space Rentals

March 1, 2022

DelSuites and Regus Office Space Rentals Partnership

You’ve booked your fully furnished Toronto condo suite with DelSuites. Now, you can pair it with a 10% discount on a fully mobility-accessible, 24-hour serviced office space rental from Regus—and step directly into your complete Toronto lifestyle.

DelSuites has partnered with workspace provider Regus International to complete your Toronto business travel experience. With 30 years’ experience finding you the right space to put the best face on your business, Regus opens a world of high-quality, ready-to-use offices that can be customized to your professional needs. Whether you’re a freelancer looking to travel light or confidently representing your multinational firm to clients at a satellite office, DelSuites and Regus let you live and work in convenience and style—at an all-inclusive, affordable price.

A flexible working solution to go with your flexible home

Regus offers office space with the same emphasis on quality, flexibility, and value that we at DelSuites bring to short-term, fully furnished housing. Whether it’s for a few hours on one particular day or a full-time, months-long stay, Regus provides spaces and plans that scale to your working needs.

From coworking and hotdesking memberships tailor-made for consultants to collaboration-friendly startup spaces or private offices, tailored for professionals whose confidentiality is a must, Regus has a solution that’s built to fit your working life.

Customizable co-working plans let you add or subtract services like printing and scanning facilities, full call handling, mail forwarding, bean-to-cup coffee, customized furniture and equipment, and additional meeting room use as you need them—and only when you need them.

Flexible booking terms allow you to grow—or shrink—your workspace as your needs change, or relocate to another Toronto Regus location for the day, week, or month. And our partnered Regus locations are fully mobility-accessible, in order to properly welcome all our guests.

With central, accessible locations in multiple Toronto business hubs—Downtown, Liberty Village, Midtown, North York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough—no matter what neighbourhood you’re in, you’ll never be far from your DelSuites home and a chance to feel truly part of the neighbourhood.

Finally, Regus offices are accessible to you 24 hours a day to accommodate the demands of business travel. You can take an international meeting at any hour, catch up on work as you ease through jet lag, or keep your own comfortable working hours, knowing you’ll have a comfortable home waiting when you’re off the clock.

A fully modern office space rental created with comfort in mind

Regus’s working environments include the vital touches that make DelSuites furnished condos comfortable, welcoming, and a place to call home. Comfortable, high-quality furniture and décor ensure that both you and your colleagues feel welcome, and that your space always sets the right professional tone.

You can enjoy all the perks that make a permanent office a comfortable home for your working life when you step from your DelSuites luxury condo into your Regus office. Host a meeting in a fully equipped boardroom or breakout area, use the built-in videoconferencing studio to make an afternoon Zoom meeting, have a professional reception team greet your guests or collect your overnight deliveries, and rely on a veteran answering service for important calls.

Regus offers services to help you keep your work-life balance, too. On-site coffee bars, sandwich service, and restaurants take care of lunch or midday snacks, and as well as secure parking, bike storage at select locations means you can stay lean—and green—and bike to work.

Work and travel within your budget

With DelSuites, the everyday costs of living are always included in our rates—WiFi, phone plans, cable TV, and the use of our buildings’ recreational and fitness amenities—so you can budget your Toronto trip without the stress of extra fees.

Regus also makes sure you can count on stable rates, with the cost of everything from business-grade WiFi, utilities, cleaning services, CCTV monitoring and security included clearly in your rental rate.

As official partners, DelSuites guests receive a 10% discount on their first office space rental with Regus, and the option of fully virtual office plans that give you a permanent presence in Toronto year-round.

With everything inclusive—and a competitive rate—you’ll be ready to be your best when you arrive: both at home and in the office.

Contact us at DelSuites by phone at (647) 370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to start off your complete Toronto business travel solution: a fully-serviced home and office ready when you arrive.

Downtown Toronto, Relocation, Toronto Condos

Pandemic Immigration: Tips for Moving to Toronto in 2022

February 22, 2022

Pandemic immigration picture by Javon Swaby on Pexels

Immigrating to a new city—or country—is a big step. It’s even bigger in a year already shaped by COVID-19 and short supplies of everything from refrigerators to sanitizer.

But building your life in a new city isn’t impossible. It just takes a little planning, a little creativity—and some support from your new Toronto neighbours.

Here are a few steps to make your move to Toronto easier—even in a pandemic.

Plan for each step to take a little longer

Every part of life has been slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic—and immigration is no exception. 2021 saw Canadian borders closed and on-and-off travel restrictions, and left Canada with 1.8 million backlogged immigration applications by the end of the year.

What’s more, Toronto’s housing market is one of the most competitive in the country—and experts predict it’ll stay that way in 2022. Even with huge construction booms in the downtown, finding a permanent home is taking everybody longer.

COVID’s slowed down some of the essential paperwork you need for Toronto living as well. The City of Toronto has a great checklist available for how to get your life here started. But important services, like applying for your first Ontario health card, still need in-person appointments. That can mean longer waits due to COVID-19 capacity limits and pandemic backlogs.

So: the short version? It’s worthwhile to plan ahead, set up each step of your immigration process early, and assume there will be delays. Knowing how the whole process fits together will let you work on one part of the process when another’s held up and keep your immigration journey moving.

Go digital

The upside of all that COVID disruption? More and more of the immigration process can be done online.

Over the next few years, the Canadian federal government is modernizing the immigration system to fully digital. And if you’re new to Canada, you can already apply for your Social Insurance Number online.

When it comes to housing, more real estate open houses are going to virtual and video because of pandemic restrictions, which makes it easier to see potential new homes and get a feel for neighbourhoods. And with job interviews increasingly going online through video calling, it’s easier to line up work before you arrive.

Immigrating to Toronto this year might make your wifi connection your new best friend—and the more you can do online, the smoother your landing will be.

Consider supply backlogs

We’re short of a lot of life’s everyday conveniences right now: not just time with friends and family, but household appliances.

With global supply chains feeling pandemic stress, some of the basics for a new home are harder to get: dishwashers, refrigerators, and other everyday necessities are backordered by six weeks to two months. It’s one more reason setting up a new home—especially in a new city—can be more of a challenge this year.

If you’re making a list of what you’ll need in your everyday Toronto life, it’s worth a quick check to see whether there are shortages. You’ll save yourself stress and trouble in the long run.

DelSuites can be a simple start to your Toronto life

While no solution in these times is perfect, a short-term furnished rental condo can take some of the work of pandemic immigration off your hands.

Our comfortable, professionally-cleaned condo suites come fully equipped with everything you need on your first day in Toronto: beautiful modern furniture, a full collection of kitchen supplies, soft sheets and pillowcases, towels, toiletries, and more. If you’re shipping your personal belongings after arriving, we’ll help you live in a comfortable home until they’re here to meet you.

Our fully equipped kitchens let you cook the food you love and remove the stress of finding vegetarian, halal, kosher, or allergy-friendly meals in a new city. And our recommended grocery delivery services can help you place a first order before you arrive, so you can start your first night in Toronto with a full fridge and no worries.

We equip every unit with high-speed wireless Internet and North American long-distance phone service, so you can set up your life from the comfort of home. Find local information, call or write family, set up real estate viewings, enroll your children in school, and connect with local employers from your steady, stable home base.

While you’re busy setting up the basics of a new life, our bi-weekly professional house cleaning service keeps things tidy.

If something in your unit breaks or is confusing, you don’t have to navigate whose responsibility it is or find a contractor for repairs. Our guest services line will make sure a repair is done swiftly and well, with all COVID safety requirements taken care of.

Between the work of immigration, our buildings’ fitness amenities—beautifully maintained exercise rooms, pools, and outdoor gardens—will let you keep up your health routine, and there’s a full cable TV package to sit back and relax in the evening.

Immigration during a pandemic isn’t simple, but a good plan and a good space to call home for a while can make it easier. Call us at 647-370-3504 or email info@delsuites.com to find out how we can welcome you home to Toronto.

Customer Service Experience, toronto toursim, Vacation Travel

Accessible Travel is Yours at DelSuites

February 15, 2022

Accessible travel photo by Kampus Production from Pexels

Travel is for everybody: no matter the body you live in.

As awareness of accessible travel rises, more travel agents, carriers, and housing providers are creating spaces that meet accessibility needs for everyone. And there’s more effort being made to reduce the extra work that can go into booking business or family travel when you’re living a differently abled life.

Whether you’re traveling with a severe allergy, are mobility-impaired, Deaf, or just need a little more help now and then, here’s how DelSuites is here to meet your accessible travel needs.

Our buildings surpass accessibility standards

Every single one of our suites is located in a modern building already designed for access. Because we place our suites in Tridel buildings, every DelSuites common area is designed to surpass Ontario’s standard design requirements.

That means easy elevator access to suites, parking, and common areas. It also means our recreational amenities—swimming pools, workout rooms, cinema-style viewing rooms, and more—are barrier-free.

Our buildings’ dedicated concierge staff are always able to assist you with packages and information. And our online neighbourhood guides help you find restaurants, transit, and entertainment—whether it’s planning ahead or a last-minute night out.

Open-concept layouts help you stay comfortably

Our large, open-concept suites are perfect for travellers who use moderate mobility aids.

All our units have standard door sizes and one short step to the shower. But our wide layouts and large bathrooms make our suites easy to navigate, and give you plenty of room to turn a walker, brace a cane, or walk alongside a service animal.

Our easy-to-reach, open-concept kitchen spaces are fully equipped with all the dishes and utensils you need to cook and serve a full meal. Each unit also has a full fridge with adjustable temperature, in case you need to store important medications.

If you’re planning ahead, virtual online tours let you explore the space before you book, so you know immediately if the space is right for you—and our Guest Services team is available by phone, email, or chat to answer any questions.

Service animal-friendly

DelSuites is a service animal-friendly provider. We proudly accommodate service animals with no additional charge at any of our buildings.

Our pet-friendly accommodations are already equipped for your service animal’s comfort. Our recommended pre-arrival grocery delivery service lets you order both your groceries and your service animal’s food ahead of time.

While each building’s policies around animals vary, we’re happy to match you with the space that fits your needs and make sure your arrival goes smoothly.

Accessible booking processes

Our booking options are accessible for a broad range of guests. If you’re Deaf or hard of hearing, dynamic online rates and fully paperless transactions can make booking happen on your schedule. If you live with vision loss, our Guest Services team can book with you over the phone and set up your suite to your needs.

Our booking processes let you ask questions as you go with our live chat option, tour spaces ahead of time, and pre-book specialized needs like cribs, highchairs, and more.

An easy space to maintain

Our bi-weekly cleaning service makes it simple to get comfortable. Cleaning, linen service, and fresh towels are included in your booking, and our professional, friendly cleaning staff are ready to tailor to your needs.

Accessible travel that lets you explore Toronto

We’re always improving our ability to welcome guests from all walks of life. Contact us by phone at (416) 370-3504, email at info@delsuites.com, or use our live chat to find out how we can make your next trip to Toronto stress-free.

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