Do you want to live, eat and breathe art while you’re on your vacation? Do you want to be surrounded by art work from up-and-coming creators and soak in the experience?
All of that is possible when you go to Toronto and stay at The Drake on trendy Queen Street West.
The Drake Hotel
The first thing you should do for your exciting vacation is book a small boutique hotel room at this cultural hub. There is visual art all over the building. After you drop your bags off, you can explore it to find permanent and rotating installations from local and international creators. You will find something interesting in every nook and cranny of this hip Toronto hotel.
The suites are designed to be their own masterpieces. Every room is filled with custom furniture and millwork. The walls are decorated with fascinating paintings, pictures and multimedia pieces. And even your bed will have a hand-made doll resting on the pillows. It’s like you’re sleeping in the middle of a gallery.
Any true art-lover wouldn’t pass up the hotel’s fantastic Art Passport package, which covers a one-night stay for two and a late checkout. Guests enjoy complimentary mini bottles of sparkling wine and $50 credit to eat at one of The Drake Hotel’s three on-site dining locations (The Lounge, the Drake Café, and the Sky Yard). And best of all, guests who reserve an Art Passport stay get to take home an original artwork keepsake from Art for You. Now that’s a souvenir.
Drake One Fifty
You can take in more work selected by The Drake Hotel’s personal curator by heading to this restaurant, located in the middle of Toronto’s downtown core. The location hosts the “On Repeat” exhibit, which explores graphic design and the concept of nostalgia. You can see pieces from artists like Dan Perkins, Leah Guadagnoli and Ludovica Gioscia while splitting a bottle of wine over dinner or snacks.
And, if you have some time, you can walk right across the hall to the Drake Mini Bar for a late-night cocktail. The Mini Bar manages to pack a lot of art into its small frame. It’s a compelling solo exhibition space. Right now, you’ll find a mural by the visual artist Thomas Trum, who focuses on vibrant minimalist marker drawings.
The Drake Devonshire + Drake Motor Inn
You can always take a quick road trip out of the city to Prince Edward County’s Drake Devonshire or the Drake Motor Inn. The Devonshire is a boutique hotel with stunning outdoor installations that you can appreciate at any time of year. At the moment, you can walk through the “Growing Here” exhibit to see iconic installations like Ascension from An Te Liu and Piano Listening to Itself by Gordon Monahan.
And if you feel like heading inside the Devonshire, you can still find pieces to savour. Take a look at the exhibit Artificial Cave by Alison Postma, which presents organic forms through inorganic materials. Or retreat back to your room. Much like Toronto’s Drake Hotel, every suite is meticulously decorated with original artwork.
Booking a room at this cultural hotspot means that you can absorb art before touring a museum or gallery. You can take in artwork inside the Drake’s hotel lobbies, restaurants, bars and outdoor venues. This way, you can literally eat, sleep and breathe art on your vacation.
