Delta Chelsea, meet Eaton Chelsea: Changes at Canada’s largest hotel

Lucia “checking in”

Once it was decided that Lucia and The Working Dad would join me in Toronto for TBEX, the next order of business was to book a hotel for the weekend. Our only criteria were: downtown location (close to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for me); a pool (for Lucia); and affordable. A quick online search showed the hotels that met our needs and our budget and at the top of that list was Delta Chelsea. I didn’t hesitate to book it because I was already familiar with the property; I had stayed at Delta Chelsea years before.

We arrived at Delta Chelsea to find the hotel lobby under renovation – not a big deal. We approached the front desk to check in and noticed a short staircase with colorful, brightly-painted spindles, up against the end of the desk to our right. Hanging above the staircase is a sign that reads “Kids’ Check-In”. Lucia didn’t need much encouragement to get up there and “check in”. A hotel staff member greeted Lucia, asked her name and age, and presented her with a check-in gift: a package wrapped in ribbon, consisting of a rubber duckie and an ABC book. Adorable.

The Kids’ Check-In is just one of the hotel’s features that caters to families, specifically to children. There is an entire “Family Fun Zone” that includes the Club 33 Teen Lounge (arcade -style hangout with iPod docking stations), the Kid Centre (parent-supervised arts and crafts, stroller rental, and babysitting services), and the family pool which is home to Toronto’s only indoor waterslide, “The Corkscrew” (open only when a lifeguard is on duty). Lucia didn’t have a chance to check out the Kid Centre but did visit the family pool a few times and loved it. The Working Dad and I were surprised – and impressed – to find life vests available for children to use while in the pool. The added emphasis on safety puts parents at ease and allows everyone in the family to really have an enjoyable time.

Family pool

All that being said, this most recent stay at Delta Chelsea will be my last. “Why?” you ask, since it seems we were more than satisfied with our stay. The answer is that, as of July 1, 2013, the property will be officially re-branded as Eaton Chelsea, Toronto. See, it’s not bad news! (And it explains the renovations currently taking place.) The even better news is that with the re-branding, the property is going to maintain its focus on family-friendly amenities, including the ones mentioned above, while exhibiting clever simplicity and high design at affordable prices. All of that plus this urban resort’s prime downtown location and four on-site restaurants makes Eaton Chelsea quite appealing to the traveling family visiting Toronto.

The Eaton Chelsea is part of the Langham Hospitality Group. Comprised of a family of distinctive properties located on four continents, Langham Hospitality Group’s focus in 2013 is development in North America, where The Group plans to add more than 2,000 rooms to its portfolio.