Staycation Mode On

Good social relationships are the most consistent predictor of a happy life! This has been consistently concluded by many research studies by highly regarded educational institutions such as Harvard and Stanford.

Life lately has been busy. Not even your average sort of busy... but your sometimes I wake up in a different city and forget where I am kind of busy. I have a corporate job that I absolutely love and it allows me wonderful travel opportunities, but it can get quite exhausting. Somehow I have not seen my best girlfriends since December 2021 and so I started to plan a little staycation for the Victoria Day long weekend.

In order to help the travel and tourism sector recover from the Covid-19 pandemic the government has offered a travel tax credit for 2022. Ontario residents can claim 20% of their eligible 2022 accommodation expenses, for example, for a stay at a hotel, cottage or campground, when filing their personal Income Tax and Benefit Return for 2022. To learn more about the tax credit please click here.

The foundation for any staycation is... well where are you staying?! I chose to stay at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North for our trip for the following reasons:

• Location: It is located just 15 minutes north of downtown Toronto so for those who want to partake in nightlife but not be right in the centre this is ideal. In addition, this hotel is surrounded by countless restaurants and cafes. On my agenda would be a day at Go Place spa and the hotel is located less than 10 minutes away.

• Room: I adore the modern decor of the hotel and the quality of the bedding & pillows at Sheratons are consistently good.

• Pools, pools, & more pools: The Sheraton has 2 inside pools and 1 outdoor pool. Who doesn't love lounging by a pool with cocktails? This is absolutely the right vibe for my girls getaway.

• Racquet Club: Connected to the hotel is a full sized gym, squash courts, gymnasium with basketball court, volley-ball nets, and lounge with pool table.

• Coffee: As much as I love visiting boutique cafes the dependability of Starbucks is a no brainer. My girls and I love our coffee. Hot, iced, early morning, anytime! The Sheraton has a Starbucks right in the lobby of the hotel.

From the moment we arrived we were greeted warmly and even presented with a lovely hand-written note. In the digital age of emails and texts there is something just so nice about hand-written notes, don't you think? Check-in was efficient and I was impressed with the penthouse suite 1090 and its large windows and well-appointed furnishings.

First thing we did was put the bottles of wine we had brought into the fridge. The kitchenette was fully equipped with beautiful wine glasses and silver ice bucket. We then decided to hit the pool. Unfortunately due to a storm the outdoor pool was closed however, we took advantage of the indoor pool and jacuzzi. Sitting in the jacuzzi and catching up with friends is one of those simple things in life that bring me so much joy.

After swimming we went up to shower and change for the evening. I'm consistently that girlfriend that is super quick and ends up waiting for everyone else. However, much to my delight I discovered the Bose sound system in the suite and pumped up the dance tunes as I waited for my dining companions. We had decided to go for hot pot for dinner as the weather was a bit chilly and soup is just so comforting. Liuyishou Hot Pot is a two minute walk from the hotel which was wonderful as due to the power outage/storm the street lights were not working. There is also an Indian restaurant called The Host that was also connected to the property. It was a tough decision as I love both cuisines.

Dinner was delicious and absolutely incredible. A group of friends and all you can eat hot pot. Can't go wrong with that right? I've always thought that I was able to handle spice but... this Northern Chinese peppercorn soup base is on another level. The vegetables were super fresh and thinly sliced beef and lamb was melt in your mouth. After dinner we returned to the hotel and opened our bottle of rose. Spending a wonderful evening in pyjamas with my besties and sipping wine I realized that as busy as life gets it's just wonderful to know that you have people that have always got you. I will definitely be better at prioritizing my relationships.

The next morning we started the day with a friendly match of squash. Note to self: squash is definitely not my game and I'm grateful that early in the morning the club was quite empty so I'm certain no one witnessed my skills, or lack thereof I should say. After a quick shower we enjoyed a lovely buffet breakfast at the hotel's onsite restaurant Crave. There was a nice selection of pastries, fruits, french toast, pancakes, eggs, and oatmeal. Guests can also order eggs any style. The restaurant is very spacious and I loved sitting in the booths. It felt private and cozy. And of course my girlfriends teased me endlessly about my squash game seeing as I'm fairly athletic and somehow squash was lost upon me.

After checking out we went to Go Place, a full service spa/wellness centre that is over 68,000 square feet of pure bliss. Go Place is located less than a 10-minute drive from the Sheraton so this was just perfection. Upon check-in guests will marvel at the luxury furnishings and impeccable service. As soon as we were in our spa outfits, phone locked up, we drifted from treatment room to lounge to treatment room endlessly. Lunch was onsite and I can whole-heartedly recommend the unagi rice bowl. It was seasoned perfectly and presented beautifully. While lounging guests can order from their extensive drink menu. I had a dragon fruit smoothie which was as tasty as it was beautiful. Somehow 7 hours later we finally left the spa.

A wonderful weekend of bliss and reconnecting. Life's sweet. When in doubt, take that staycation!