Stay & Play

Downtown Toronto Shines at the Delta Chelsea

by Jennifer Merrick

The lights of the big city shine bright in Canada’s biggest metropolis, and a stay at Toronto’s Delta Chelsea Hotel, located smack in the middle of downtown, next to the Eaton Centre and Yonge-Dundas Square, reminded our family what a fun, buzzing city we live in. In fact, one of my favourite features of the hotel was the room’s balcony, perfect for enjoying the views of the neon signs, the streets filled with people from all over the world, show billboards and the city skyline itself (a good portion of the hotel’s 1,590 rooms have balconies).

The 130-ft corkscrew waterslide was the highlight for the kids, and I watched them barrel down again and again, with energy I could only dream of. This colossal slide is reason enough to choose the Chelsea for a vacation with the kids, but the hotel caters to families at every turn. There’s a kid activity centre for younger kids complete with the hotel’s very own rabbits, a teen lounge for older kids to hang out in, and baby-sitting services for parents, who may want to see a show at a nearby theatre or escape for a couple of hours at the adults-only pool.

What we all liked was the proximity to so many of Toronto’s best attractions. The Eaton Centre, CN Tower, Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, Air Canada Centre, Roger’s Centre, Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre and Hockey Hall of Fame are just some of the sites within walking distance or a short subway ride away. On this visit we checked out the Ripley’s Aquarium, where we stood on a ‘moving sidewalk’, in a tunnel surrounded by water, and were mesmerized as sea turtles, sharks and manta rays glided over our heads. Best of all, this is one of the many Toronto attractions that give Chelsea guests discounted admission through their Show Your Key and Save program.

www.chelseatoronto.com
www.seetorontonow.com