Loulou's views

I love to travel, and I especially love opportunities to review luxurious hotels  in cities I love. This past weekend, my family and I were invited to spend the weekend in Toronto so I could review the beautiful SoHo Metropolitan Hotel —a 92 room, ultra-luxury hotel in the city's Entertainment District. The SoHo Met is a close walk to Ripley's Aquarium , the ACC, CN Tower, and Rogers Centre—the perfect location for anyone wanting to be in the centre of all the action. (I'll be back for part two of my review next week—an adults only stay!) Our second floor room had floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views of downtown Toronto, a separate dressing area with oversized closet, (heaven!) and smart technology, including remote controlled lighting, and motorized draperies. The 10,000 square-foot fitness centre with lap pool was also on the second floor—and the large swimming pool was put to good use. My boys loved it! The beautiful marble bathroom had Frett...

I'm home after a four week vacation in Greece. We spent last summer in Greece and had such a great time , we had to go back. The tales of traveling to our destination (a ten hour airplane ride with 11 people including a three month old baby) is an adventure in itself, but I want to talk about the beauty of Greece—the history, the culture, and the food. These are the reasons tourists flock to Greece every summer, and always come back—the lifestyle and beauty of this European country can't be beat, despite the economic uncertainly and questions of what's next for Greece and the European Union. For the record, I didn't notice a single thing out of sorts in Greece—no line-ups at the bank machines, and no shortage of food or hospitality by the local people. Just one look at this country will take your breath away. There are sunsets and then there are the sunsets of Greece, which are mesmerizing no matter where you are.  The sea, the mountains, the culture—travel perfe...

As much as I love to travel and explore new countries and cities, there is something very comforting about travelling back to my favourite vacation destination. For me and my family, that special place of familiarity that keeps us coming back for more, year after year, is the Diplomat Resort and Spa in South Florida. Aside from spending some serious quality time with my family on the beach and by the pools while on vacation at the Diplomat, I also love to sneak away for some pampering at the Diplomat Spa. During my stay at the Diplomat Resort and Spa this winter, I was treated to the New Year, New You Spa Package, and it was incredible. This special package consisted of a one hour personal training session, an 80 minute massage, a 50 minute firming facial, and a shellac manicure and pedicure. I was blown away, and very grateful for my spa experience. (I didn't do the personal training session, though—I left my running shoes a...

I had the chance to stay at the Brookstreet Hotel  a couple of years ago with my best friends for a girls weekend getaway . It was summer, and we lounged around the pool all afternoon, and enjoyed the yummy food at Perspectives Restaurant. Although we were just in Kanata, a few minutes from downtown Ottawa, I felt like we were on vacation somewhere far away. The rooms were gorgeous with beautiful views and floor to ceiling windows—modern, clean, spacious. And the beds? So incredibly comfortable. It was a wonderful stay, and I couldn't wait to go back again. I'm very thankful to say that I was given the opportunity to stay at and review the Brookstreet Hotel during March break with my family. This time, my husband and two boys came with me for a very memorable stay. We even kept the stay a surprise and didn't tell our boys until the day we left for the hotel. They were so excited—they love adventures, hotels, and vacations. Although we didn't have to trave...