Remember my post about faking a vacation in your own city? Well, I took it up a notch for my Toronto anniversary with a one-night stay at The Anndore House hotel. It was a fiercely welcome time away from my regular routine—especially since I’ve been longing for another trip abroad. (We just went to New York, I know.) However, this time, it was all about my love for Toronto. And what better way to celebrate five years of living here than with a staycation at one of the city’s finest boutique hotels?

I still remember the feeling I had when I first moved to Toronto. I was so in love with the city. It took me about three months to fully settle in, but I knew almost right away that this was the place I wanted to call my new home. Five years later, I’m still exploring and loving it. So, of course, my Toronto anniversary deserved fierce recognition. It’s not too often that we get to escape from our daily lives and experience a different part of home. So, that’s exactly what I did at The Anndore House.

Celebrating My Toronto Anniversary
at The Anndore House

“A unique downtown Toronto hotel.”

After a strong cup of coffee, a yoga class and a successful attempt at curling my hair, I checked into The Anndore House. It was a gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon and I decided to wear my favourite leopard print faux fur coat—I arrived at the hotel sweating, but I looked good. The front desk team were chatty, welcoming and checked me in straight away. Even though I was a bit early! Meanwhile, I was distracted by the striking interiors and bursting with excitement to begin my stay. Once everything was complete, off I went up to the 9th floor.

The first thing I noticed about my room was the abundance of natural light. And then the gorgeous bathroom. And then the huge bed, the old fashioned phone, iPod compatible record player and spacious closet. It was all so dreamy. Oh, and did I mention the bottle of chilled champagne that was waiting? Everything from the wooden décor to the exposed brick walls gave me a delicious taste of what the hotel calls their “distinctively creative soul.”

“Eating, sleeping, working & playing in a one of a kind destination.”

Of course, I took full advantage of the space and sublime lighting to snap a few photos before André arrived. Then we got right to poppin’ bottles (just kidding, it was a single bottle) and ordering room service from Anndore’s own in-house restaurant, Constantine. Although the food was delicious, their unique cuisine is definitely not for picky eaters. There are mushrooms in most of the dishes and even the “fries” that came with my lamb burger were not your typical pommes frites. (In fact, I’ve never had anything quite like them!) But if you’re into trying something diverse, fresh and stimulating, it’s fab.

Did you know that before The Anndore House became one of Toronto’s most stylish hotels, it was a 10-storey apartment building that opened in the 1950s? Which is why it’s now such a beautiful blend of modern details & retro-glam accents. And also why I chose to channel vintage beauties like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn with my Toronto anniversary staycation look. Speaking of modern details—The Anndore House also has their own in-hotel app that allows you to control your room temperature, lighting & more right from your mobile. How cool is that?

“Seize the day. Spend the night.”

We had the best sleep ever and woke up feeling like literal angels. Well, I did anyway. And then I needed coffee as soon as humanly possible. André popped down to Scarlet Door Café to grab me the strongest dose of caffeine available. You can’t miss the Scarlett Door Café—both literally and figuratively. It’s marked on the outside of the hotel by the most eye-catching neon statement, plus there are signs inside pointing you in the right direction. They offer fabulous lattes and quick, delectable breakfast goodies. However, I’d still love to pop into Constantine for brunch sometime too! Anyone up for wearing your fiercest animal prints and joining me? (I’m serious.)

We spent the rest of the morning exploring the hotel, lounging in bed and enjoying the fact that we were experiencing one of the fiercest boutique hotels in Toronto. Thank you to the team at The Anndore House! We had the most fabulous time and can’t wait to return to your house again soon.

𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝓃𝒹𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝓉𝓈 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝒹𝓎-𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑜𝓅𝒶𝓇𝒹’𝓈 𝒫𝒶𝓌 𝑜𝒻 𝒜𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓋𝒶𝓁.

All “Toronto Anniversary @ The Anndore House” photos of me by Evangeline Davis.