You’re Royal at The Grand Hotel & Suites Toronto Meets Big Family Needs!

This March Break I had something a little different up my sleeve. Typically it’s mommy and the kids all week at home, maybe we squeeze in a playdate or two but for the most part we keep it simple. After such a long winter mommy has been itching to get away. Although travel wasn’t an option for our big family of six we decided to plan a staycation instead this March Break.

Staycation – stay·ca·tion

“A vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.”

We had a couple Toronto attractions in mind to take the kids too; such as Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and Casa Loma. Fitting them both in one day seemed like it would be a little hectic so we planned a night away in the big city of Toronto.

After many Google searches I was surprised that most hotels in Toronto didn’t fit our big family comfortably. If you have ever travelled with kids you know the importance of having a hotel room that meets all your needs. For our big family a two room suite is mandatory to keeping mommy and daddy sane during our family adventure. Plus with so many mouths to feed we do enjoy having a kitchen that can allow us to quickly prepare something for many hungry bellies without breaking the bank.

A Grand Palace for a Grand Family.

There is one hotel in Toronto hubby and I have been to numerous times without the kids and I knew it would cross off all my needs and it also has a few bonus features that would be icing on the cake – The Grand Hotel & Suites Toronto.

Big family Travel - The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto.

I don’t know why I didn’t start my search with them the first time? Our previous experience with them was Grand. The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto is perfect for big family travel and has all the room a big family would need to comfortably enjoy their staycation!

We never once told the kids what we were doing. We just told them we needed their overnight bags packed for a surprise. The couple hour drive to Toronto seemed to drag on forever as they patiently waited for the big surprise mommy and daddy had all set. When we pulled up to the The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto the kids were ecstatic. To them it was a grand palace taken from a page in a fairy tale. Before they even set foot inside they were captured by the open door service with a smile from the doormen. The kids kept saying “We are Royal here because they open the doors for us!”

The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto has two bedroom suites that are perfect for big families like ours. Each two bedroom suite comes with two separate bedrooms and two full marble washrooms. The spacious living room is a central location for movie time or a board game with the family. Plus the living room also has a pull out couch for a few children to crash on if sharing seems to cause a problem during the night.

The kids completely felt at home once they arrived. They even filled the drawers and shelves with their belonging. It was actually really cute when I got the full tour of where everything in their room was.

I was also impressed with the full granite kitchen that even included a dishwasher. Each bedroom and the living room come with LCD TV’s, DVD player and CD player. I didn’t pack any DVD’s and I was actually looking forward to renting a new release from my TV once the kids were sleeping. If you don’t pack a DVD no worries the gift shop has a few on hand. Although to be honest I was hoping for the modern idea of selecting a movie from my bed and charging it to my room. Having already been in bed when I realized I needed to rent a DVD from the lobby.

Another Surprise

We kept most of our trip a surprise from the kids, they were going with the flow and playing along with the game. So when we told them to get their bathing suits on they assumed it was the pool we were heading too.

Yes I have a thing with dressing them all alike – I will take it well I can. When we arrived on the rooftop which was the 19th floor, the kids knew the pool wasn’t the surprise. It was the rooftop hot tub and this night view of Toronto!

Unfortunately only one hot tub of the two was in working order and it was full of young people who really didn’t want a family of six squeezing in. So we had to talk the kids down and promise our hot tub soak would happen in the morning. It was late anyways and we already had a busy day. The kids were very easy going and we headed back to the room.

This ain’t no traditional continental breakfast buffet!

Another must on my list when travelling with a big family is a continental breakfast! Since our gluten/ dairy- free journey last October we haven’t been eating the traditional cereal and muffin breakfasts you tend to get at when you see the words “continental breakfast”. Since hubby and I had already been to The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto I was confident that Citrus Restaurant breakfast buffet would meet my high expectations for our diet restrictions and they actually exceeded them.

They had a table big enough for all six of us to comfortably sit at and it was placed to the side, which makes the experience for all much more enjoyable. The bacon was perfectly crisp and the the platters of fruit were fresh and juicy. The juice tasted freshly squeezed and the homefries were so yummy the kids wanted to know if I could make the same ones at home. The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I give them two thumbs up for a continental breakfast buffet that blows everyone elses out of the water.

Beauty on all corners.

There is not a corner of The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto that doesn’t look beautiful! From the fresh flowers in the lobby to the chandeliers down every hall way. The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto also has 10,000 sq.feet of meeting space.

A morning dip in the rooftop hot tub.

Since our nighttime dip didn’t happen we had to squeeze in the rooftop hot tub experience before we left. It actually worked out in our favor because the city cranes were hard at work and the kids got a lesson in building city skyscrapers. Which was fun for us all to watch from the rooftop patio.

Working a Sweat.

Every time we go to a hotel I get this bright idea that I will actually work out in their fully equipped fitness club. I always pack my running shoes and workout clothes and they never leave my bag. On the other hand my husband usually finds time to squeeze in time to sweat. This time around it was the kids who worked a sweat in the 5,000 sq.ft. Fitness Club at The Grand Hotel & Suites in Toronto.

After the kids were done burning some energy they were happy to grab a fresh piece of fruit from the fruit dish as a reward to all their hard work.

Taking a dip back in the olden days.

Another must when travelling with our big family is the hotel must have a pool. So many times you just need them to tire out and what better way to do that then do a few laps in the pool. The Grand Hotel & Suites has a beautiful 2-story pool that has exquisite hand painted murals that surround you. When I allowed my mind to wonder in the pool room I almost feel like I am sitting back in the 50’s picturing the pool surrounded by women and men dancing and having a great time swimming. It is a beautiful room that is one unlike any other I have experienced.

Plus each shower room comes with a sauna that will help detox you after your swim.