First published 2013/Updated September 2019
I’ve got one word for you: staff.
The staff at Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square in the heart
of downtown Toronto makes a stay there extra special. As soon as you check-in, you feel as if you
are staying with family.
And they are
even known for leaving familiar family photos on the nightstand for regular
guests when they check-in.
Yeah. They are that good at their jobs. But they are genuine in how they do it, and
that is what sticks with you after your stay at Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf
Square, the Germain Hotels’ newest 167-room boutique property.
Now that I’m back in Raleigh, I miss Omar, Susan, and Mike.
It’s simple for me to remember their names a month after my stay because they
made an effort to make me feel welcome in a big city. Everyone I came into contact with did.
I fell in love with this modern yet inviting and cozy
boutique property. I certainly call it a
HinesSight favorite now.
And let’s talk about décor.
Hands down, it is probably the most contemporary-styled hotel I’ve
stayed in thus far in my travels. It’s
the total opposite of my personal space, but yet I liked it.
It’s minimalist chic with a loft-style space.
Sexy athletes over the bed.
Chairs that resemble hockey pucks.
Yes, there is a theme you see here, and it works well
for the hotel. It’s all in the details.
Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square is adjacent to the Air
Canada Center, the sports arena for Toronto’s professional hockey and
basketball sports teams. The sexy photos
over the bed are professional Toronto athletes. The bar is called “Play,” but
let me tell you … this hotel is no gym, but rather it is a GEM. This is a luxury hotel with great beds,
rainfall showers, and luxurious Molton Brown bath products.
My absolute favorite detail is the Ovopur water filtration
system, which is available on every floor.
It keeps water fresh, and at turndown, your carafe is filled and placed
on your bedside table. The first year of
implementation, the hotel saved 15,000 plastic water bottles.
The rooms at Hotel Le Germain are designed really well for
the use of space. A lot of that can be
credited to the owner, Christiane Germain. She makes sure that she doesn’t have things in her
hotels that bug her when she travels. As
a result, all lights can be turned off at one switch. Closets are plentiful, and
there is a great space for luggage. You
can also turn on all the lights in the room with your key card. I loved that amenity.
I, of course, took this trip solo, but Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square welcomes families. Again, it’s all in
the details. If you have a
potty-training child, they’ll put this little guy in the bathroom. Little touches like Angry Bird pillows make the room inviting
for children. They supply children’s
robes, pack and plays, and baby monitors.
European continental breakfast is also included in your
room rate. Nothing says good morning
like a great muffin and a cappuccino.
And if you need a snack during the day, just grab an apple.
These green apples are scattered around the hotel. They imitate art, but it’s
edible art.
The “Play” Lounge serves food starting at 4 p.m. If Mike is working, ask for a margarita. It’s his best drink. He says he loves to make it because it tastes
like the ocean. Mike, your margaritas
are much better than the ocean.
Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square is located in a complex with condominiums, a
few restaurants, and even a grocery store.
One of the nights I stayed, there was a small kitchen fire in the
grocery store in the complex, so the fire alarms in the hotel went off at 5:30
a.m. Safety first. Those things happen, and it was taken care of very quickly,
but I must admit that I had to have looked like a fool as I made my way to the
street. I grabbed my rings, my
passport, and put on pants under my gown, and then put on the comfy hotel robe
on top of it all. I exited quickly and didn’t even brush my teeth.
Half the crowd was fully dressed, and the other half were
like me. Some were even sans pants. Those of us who looked as if we rolled out of
bed in an emergency will be better prepared from this point forward. Hopefully, there will NEVER be a next time,
but it was certainly a learning experience.
My best coffee came at breakfast in the lounge, though, and
it is indeed complimentary, as is the complimentary cappuccino machine in the
second-level lounge.
Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square is an urban, sophisticated, peaceful retreat
in the bustling city. After a long day
at the TBEX conference, I was happy to walk through the doors of my home away
from home.
In HinesSight on my Stay
I would definitely stay at Hotel Le Germain Maple
Leaf Square if traveling to Toronto again.
I loved the idea of fresh carafes by the bedside
table and the Ovopur water system in the common areas.
I loved the modern elements of the hotel. Getting
in bed and hitting one button to turn off the lights was cool.
I like the idea of the Nespresso machine in the
room, but not sure I love the idea of paying to have coffee in my
room. A lot of luxury properties I have visited lately have had a Keurig in
the room to brew tea and coffee, complimentary.
I loved the complimentary wi-fi and the fact that a
continental breakfast is included in your stay. That scored big points.
They also had an umbrella in the room. I should
have used it. I got drenched one night leaving a party.
I had neither with me on this trip, but the staff spoils
your children and your dog. It is a
pet-friendly establishment, but coming from a person who does not have a pet,
there is no evidence whatsoever that a dog has been a guest in your room. This is an immaculate, luxurious hotel. They
deep clean after every visit.
Toronto (Ontario), Canada
Disclosure: Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square helped sponsor
my trip to TBEX by providing both a comp rate and a media rate for my duration
in Toronto. As always, opinions are my
own, and I did have my personal expenses.
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