Loulou's views

If you're looking for a luxurious hotel with incredible service in the heart of downtown Toronto, look no further than the Ritz-Carlton . Having stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal and the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour , I knew I was in for a treat when I was invited to join Toronto Tourism on a Luxury Press Tour and a stay at the Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton Toronto opened its doors in 2011, and still looks brand-new. The hotel is not only beautiful, but the service is second to none—exactly what you'd expect from a Ritz-Carlton hotel. It's the little things that stay with me once I've checked out that make me come back for more—the attention to detail, the friendly service, and the special care given to children. This five-star luxurious hotel not only caters to adults, but to children, too, and this is important to me. Here's a bonus I loved: the hotel offers complimentary car service (a beautiful Audi) to take guests around town. A cheese cave, exceptio...

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of staying at and reviewing the stunning Ritz-Carlton, Montreal  with my family. Montreal has always been one of my favourite cities because of its history and culture, and also because it is charming and beautiful. Not many hotels are linked to the history of the city in which they are located; the Ritz-Carlton Montreal is one of those hotels. After all, it's not called the "Grand Dame of Sherbrooke Street" for nothing. This hotel is an iconic part of Montreal. The hotel first opened its doors in 1912 and perhaps that is part of its charm. The lobby area (also called the Palm Court) is a great place to people watch and enjoy afternoon tea. The Palm Court makes me feel like I've stepped into the world of Gatsby. There is also a Dom Pérignon Champagne Bar in the Palm Court – exclusive to the Ritz-Carlton Montral and the first of its kind in Canada. (I'll have to come back for that!) I stayed at this hote...

Valentine's Day is a few days away and I've got some thoughtful gift ideas—to give and to receive! I was on CTV Morning Live talking about these great gifts. You can watch the segment here . Here are some great gifts for Valentine's Day: Romantic Trip For Two: Who needs diamonds if you can escape to a warm, sunny destination? The memories of a great vacation are better than diamonds! I just got back from the Ritz-Carlton, Bal Harbour , Miami, and it's the perfect place to escape to if you're looking for a little romance and fun in the sun, if even just for a weekend. Besides, Miami is only a three hour flight from Ottawa. You'll be greeted with a glass of champagne when you arrive, and from there, you'll get lost in a world of luxury and romance, with bedrooms boasting gorgoeus views of the Atlantic Ocean, a heated pool, amazing service and food, and a personal driver to take you to the Bal Harbour Shops. Perfection, no? Swe...

I had a pretty rough weekend. I was in Key Biscayne, Miami, at the Ritz-Carlton , with several hundred other bloggers and movers and shakers in the world of social media, the arts, and publishing for the annual Mom 2.0 Summit . It is pretty inspirational how much we can do when we are passionate about something. The good we can accomplish with our determination and drive to make positive change is well... pretty awesome. This view from the Ritz took my breath away, and so did much of what I was lucky enough to hear, thanks to my amazing sponsors that made it possible for me to attend: Volkswagen Canada , IKEA , Tommee Tippee , and Kellogg's . What did I take from this particular blogging conference ? So much. I am still processing everything, and to be quite honest, listening to people like Brene Brown , Karen Walrond , Lee Rhodes , Liz ,   Liz Lange , Gretchen Rubin , and Pilar Guzman (the editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Living) speak was a bit overwhelming...