SoHo Met turns up the heat at The Field’s 9th annual pre-MMVA party

Celebs and party-goers dish their HOT Hotel Secrets

There’s always something happening in Toronto, but there are very few events that draw celebs and fans quite like the MMVA. The buzz, the glam and the parties were the talk of town, and SoHo Metropolitan Hotel (SoHo Met) was on the scene at The Field’s 9th Annual Music Video Party.

The party, held at Tryst, was just blocks away from the main event and was crawling with Canadian music talent mixing and mingling before they hit the red carpet. Karl Wolfe, Director Aaron A with his boys from Down with Webster (Pop Video of the Year MMVA Winner) and the very sweet

Nirvana Savoury (who was just signed to Universal Records – Go Girl!) were enjoying the electric pre-awards vibe at the bar and taking in the stacked gift lounge.

SoHo Met, along with some other great sponsors, set up shop in the gift lounge where our lovely Director of Sales and Marketing, Nancy Tudorache, rubbed shoulders…and got the scoop on HOT Hotel Secrets from celebs and party-goers daring enough to divulge!

On paper and on camera, some secrets revealed were to hot to handle, some were PG14 and definitely notable and others, well some people just aren’t meant to walk on the wild side – regardless of your industry.

Here are some pics from the event with a couple fun HOT Hotel Secrets thrown into the mix. Stay tuned for interviews and the secrets people were actually willing to give up on tape!

ThePatio – Even with three floors of party space, the crowd headed to the patio to enjoy a few cocktails in the fading sun.

Interview – The fabulous Nancy T. played host and turned on the charm getting dozens to reveal their HOT Hotel Secrets.

Save big this SKI season with Multi Stay Passes at the Grande Rockies Resort

Enjoy substantial savings on overnight stays this ski season in Canmore by purchasing our bundled multi stay (and ski!) passes. Seven nights of après ski comforts and resort style amenities are yours to enjoy after a day on the slopes. Find out more on our website, or read the full press release.

Lai Wah Heen livened Rick Mercer's Toronto staycation

Rick Mercer - Canadian comedian, television personality, and political satirist - told the Globe and Mail that he had the "best dim sum of my life again at Lai Wah Heen in the Metropolitan Hotel" during his recent Toronto staycation. That's high praise, so thank you Mr. Mercer! Original article.

Eight Days of Christmas at the Grande Rockies Resort

A luxurious holiday season experience is in the works at Canmore’s newest luxury hotel: The Grande Rockies Resort, operated by Metropolitan Hotels. From December 24 to 31, guests will enjoy a variety of festive activities, world-class dining and luxurious relaxation at the upscale resort, infused with the best the season has to offer. From caroling, to fireside story telling, to yummy s'mores, and of course, gourmet dining - you name it, we have it.

Read all about it, and print the schedule of events.

PRESS RELEASE
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Fall for Apples at Diva at the Met

Fall for Chef Quang Dang's autumn apples dishes - cider braised pork cheeks, apple & belgian endive salad, maple glazed Vancouver Island scallops - at Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver's Diva at the Met! You can learn more about the promotion, or watch a movie of Chef Dang's food on YouTube.

New Twitter Feed from MetHotels

In the last year, our Director of Public Relations @sarahetherden has been our Twitter guru, updating the world about all things Metropolitan Hotels. Sarah has decided to leave us and take her talents to the broadcast industry, so from now on news about us will come from a new Twitter feed: @methotels. So follow us at twitter.com/methotels!

Habitat mentioned in Calgary Herald

Habitat was mentioned in John Gilchrist's review in the Calgary Herald.

Habitat almost GTG

Yesterday we had an opportunity to try the first dishes from the Habitat kitchen. The atmosphere was understandably tense on the line, but you wouldn't know it just by sampling the food: Chef Vincent Leung's creations were as brilliant as you would expect from someone with his pedigree.

One of our favourites on the new menu is going to be the wild salmon. The maple syrup glaze worked magic with the green-tea flavours, the wasabi mash and of course the natural sweetness and texture of the cooked-just-right salmon filet.

Many of chef's recipes are smart reworks of classical resort fare, with studied applications of modern and international cooking techniques and seasoning. The resulting menu is as approachable as it is exciting and stimulating.

Habitat's Chef Vincent Leung

The very busy Chef Vincent Leung now has one week to get everything ready for the grand opening of Habitat Restaurant and Bar at the Grande Rockies Resort! Here is his bio.

Habitat to open June 18, 2010

We are pleased to announce that construction at Habitat Restaurant & Bar at the Grande Rockies Resort is complete and has passed all regulatory inspections. The restaurant, headed by ex-Senses sou chef Vincent Leung, is slated to open to the public on June 18, 2010! Here is a draft of the innovative menu that combines Canadian classics with international influences.

Hemispheres is Toronto Life's Pick

Hemispheres Restaurant and Bistro at the Metropolitan Hotel Toronto is the pick for Toronto Life's "Where to Eat Lunch this Week"!

G8/G20 Summit in Toronto

The Globe and Mail published a primer, complete with an audio quote from our own Sarah Etherden, on what to expect during the G8/G20 summit. The SoHo Metropolitan Hotel will be within the security zone but not the "fenced" zone, and the Metropolitan Hotel Toronto is outside the zones.

Aside from Lai Wah Heen Restaurant closing from June 25-June 27, there are currently no plans for other hotel services to be affected.

Fans of Lai Wah Heen are encouraged to try its sister restaurant, Lai Toh Heen, conveniently located on Mt. Pleasant one block south of Eglinton and away from the hassle downtown during the summit.

Chef Patrick Lin for ZED at Senses

Catch Chef Patrick Lin dishing on the Zero Energy Dinner at Senses tomorrow morning from 6.50-8.40am with Matte Babel!! @cp24news

Zero Energy Dinner at Senses

Senses Restaurant will be teaming up with the Clean Air Champions to present the second in a series of “Zero Energy” dinners across the nation on National Clean Air Day, Wednesday, June 2. This is the press release detailing the event:

Press Release

Habitat Restaurant at the Grande Rockies Resort in Canmore is opening soon! We just learned that the kitchen equipment has arrived in Canmore this morning, and a few of us are heading over to Alberta next week to join Chef Vincent Leung (formerly Patrick Lin's assistant at Senses) to get the restaurant, which is destined to be a culinary landmark in Canmore, ready for the public. We are now anticipating a June 11 opening. It will be a great addition to the Canmore resort.

We will be blogging about the menu once we have a chance to sample Chef Leung's creations live in Canmore. So stay tuned!

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Metropolitan Hotels' First Blog Posting

METROPOLITAN HOTELS - independent luxury hotels located in the financial, shopping and entertainment districts of downtown Toronto & Vancouver, as well as the popular boutique hotel SoHo Metropolitan in Toronto. Our newest venture is the first luxury hotel in Canmore, Alberta - the Grande Rockies Resort.

Each hotel is an exquisite refuge aptly defined by our modern notions of luxury, an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, and the unique backing of culinary excellence.

This is our first blog. Here you will find news of our hotels in addition to exclusive announcements of special rates and offers we make available to our followers from time to time. We will also use this space to keep you informed of special menu additions and daily offerings at our restaurants, including Lai Wah Heen, Lai Toh Heen, Diva at the Met and Senses.

Stay tuned!