Staycation: Markham Is Southern Ontario’s New Hotspot

We the North! Markham and Woodbridge are having their 15 minutes of fame. Both just north of Toronto, these typically residential and industrial ’hoods have been known to be worth travelling to for Asian and Italian cuisine, respectively.

Recently, the Marriott hotel brand, as well as the multi-experience event planners of Après Noir private members club – where the likes of Jennifer Hudson and Drake take the stage, while top chefs Lidia Bastianich and Giada de Laurentiis do the cooking – have moved in.

“The new Toronto Marriott Markham has accomplished a forward-thinking guest experience coupled with aesthetically pleasing spaces….” says Paul Cahill, Area Vice President of Eastern Canada for Marriott International.

To his point, the hotel is all modern touches, open spaces filled with a serious Canadian art and photography collection, roomy guest rooms, and a killer infinity swimming pool, also surrounded in commissioned art, combined with a destination hotel hub – the lobby restaurant and bar, Draco, (try the smoked old fashioned, below), in a community that’s had a $3-billion dollar makeover, within walking distance of shopping and a movie theatre.

It’s part of Marriott’s mission, says Cahill, to “push the boundaries to create experiences that inspire and drive our guests’ creativity.”

I’d say mission accomplished. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yyzmr-toronto-marriott-markham/