Accomodation in Toronto for this summer's Rendezvous

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
1

Hi y’all -

Many of you know that I live in Toronto (though I was raised in Montreal). Truth is, I’ve been here for 50+ years and love the city. More than one of you has already emailed me, asking for suggestions on accomodations for the few days during the Rendezvous.

Sorry, gang, I am not suggesting that, in any way, I become the official hotel booker/group booker, etc. I just want to give you, especially my American buddies (as they may have less familiarity with the city or Canada), my thoughts on where to stay. Annoyingly, we have a country-wide VAT-type tax (virtually all services, meals, accomodation, attractions, shopping etc.) that is RARELY displayed added to the price. This nasty tax is called the HST. $10.99 CAD actually means 13% more - $12.42.

Toronto city hotels are, sadly, fiercely expensive. Three downtown area hotels that I would recommend (as they are the only ones that I have ANY knowledge of) are:

Fairmont Royal York

https://www.fairmont.com/royal-york-toronto/?goto=fiche_hotel&code_hotel=A551&merchantid=seo-maps-CA-A551&sourceid=aw-cen&utm_medium=seo+maps&utm_source=google+Maps&utm_campaign=seo+maps&y_source=1_MTIzNjE0MTEtNzE1LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D

Delta by Marriott

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/yyzdl-delta-hotels-toronto/overview/

Toronto Hilton

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/torhihh-hilton-toronto/?SEO_id=GMB-AMER-HH-TORHIHH&y_source=1_MjIwNTY3My03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24ud2Vic2l0ZQ%3D%3D

These three hotels run from about $475. - $650 CAD + parking ($40.) + the 13% HST on all of it per day (ouch). The only offset for Americans is that your dollar is worth around $1.35 CAD.

Important: Do not bring US cash with you to “spend” in Canada, ever. Almost everyone will gladly accept it for a much lower conversion rate. Use your credit card and if you need cash, just use an ATM and get Canadian cash from your US account. Don’t buy much Canadian cash (in the US) before coming up here - you’ll pay somewhat too much.

So … where to stay ?? I’d book an AirBnB. I’d look for one in the Beaches or Upper Beaches area or, possibly, Cabbagetown. All of these spots are lovely but the Beaches are loaded with restaurants, etc. These rentals seem to average around $250. - $350 CAD per night but you can cook, eat there, likely, park for free, etc. Also, don’t book a condo AirBnB unit - it could be illegally operated as many condos don’t allow that sort of thing. I’ve already checked VRBO and the pickings are slim. Stay with AirbnB. If you are going to RCYC, you’ll need to get their launch from Cherry street as the club is on an island in Toronto harbour. Check it out on a map:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Royal+Canadian+Yacht+Club/@43.640163,-79.3520731,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89d4cb1cc22b9ed7:0x4133339de35371cc!8m2!3d43.6401591!4d-79.3494982!16s%2Fg%2F1tgf45wf?authuser=0&entry=ttu

To get to Mimico Cruising Club (MCC) from the downtown area or further east, you’ll take the Gardiner Expressway.

Hope these tips help. The food in Toronto is EXCELLENT and the cuisine is drawn from many, many cuisines. It’s the most cosmopolitan city on earth. Folks from EVERYWHERE.

Enjoy.

Ernie A. in Toronto

2

Hi All,

The Rendezvous 2024 Organizing Committee is finalizing a Rendezvous hotel close to the water which will be available at a discount which will be sent out to all INA members as soon as possible. The committee and I in particular are happy to receive queries about hotels. We have prepared a list of cheaper options but they may not provide either the facilities or the proximity to the Rendezvous hotel nor considerably cheaper. The Rendezvous will be arranging transport for hotel guests. It should not be necessary for most hotel guests to travel to Mimico other than in boats in which they will be invited to sail. We will be asking after we get the first wave of registration completed whether local boats will be available for visitors to stay overnight. Registration will be out this week. HST is an upfront, transparent sales tax which includes both provincial and federal charges and is no different though it may be higher than similar sales taxes in other jurisdictions. We are planing strenuously to make the 2024 Rendezvous a spectacular event with participants from around the world. I have written a story about it in this month’s update. For more information I will respond to queries. If I cannot answer I can refer to staff at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club and the MImico Cruising Club.

Nick Hirst
co-chair International Rendezvous 2024

Director Lake Ontario Nonsuch Association

Mirthin Nonsuch 30U #513
RCYC Toronto.

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Thank you and the whole team putting this together, Nick. Really looking forward to seeing you all on the water this summer.

Cheers
Neil Raynor
NS26C, #149
Collins Bay, Kingston

4

Good morning to all.
I would like to suggest using Hotwire. Until last year, I was organizing small group travel across Canada and to Europe for our school, and because a majority of our students are of low-income level, I had to go as inexpensively as possible. Using brokers like Hotwire, I have been able to occasionally book four and five star hotels with excellent customer reviews for the price of hostels. Even with the popularity of Toronto, I just just spent a moment searching for the dates of the Rendezvous and I find that hotels such at the Park Hyatt for US$289. If you do not need five star accommodations, you could book the Royal Sonesta for $219 or the Anndore House for US$175. If you do not know the trick, which is pretty obvious, compare the description of a hot rate hotel with the actual description, housing on a certain area and comparing amenities and especially the number of reviews.
As someone who has lived in a tourist trap for almost four decades (the San Juan Islands), I try to refrain from using short term rentals. I won’t start a polemic here, this is not the point of this post.

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Nick Hurst,
I am less than one year with my Nonsuch and the pull of this upcoming assembly called Rendezvous is almost overwhelming . Keep up the good work and I will try to see if this goes anywhere.

Brian Cayer
Spirit~Wind
N30U 419
Deep River, CT

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Brian -

I’ll bet that you’d have a BLAST because it is the Rendezvous (and also, you’d dig Toronto).

Ernie A. in Toronto

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Ernie,
Are you going?
Brian

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I have am dealing with a health issue, Brian. I have to very, very careful not to pick up COVID. Hopefully, I’ll make an appearance dressed as Krusty Simpsons GIF - Krusty Simpsons Shocked - Discover & Share GIFs.

Just to confuse people …

I’d like to come down just for a short while to say HI during some outdoors event. I’d love to go so we will see !!!

Thanks for asking.

Ernie A. in Toronto

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Ernie,
You should go.
Brian

10

Guess that means I have to go as Homer.
Mark Powers

11

That’s correct, Mark.

Brian - I will do my damndest to go !!

Ernie A. in Toronto

12

Seeing as how I have close ties to one of the INA Co-Presidents, I couldn’t help noticing that INA just posted that registration for the International Rendezvous is now open.

If you click through to the registration website, it says the following about accomodations:

Joining us from out of town and looking for a place to stay?
Check back soon as we announce further details regarding our partnership with the Westin Harbour Castle.
Information and booking link coming soon!

I’m now registered to go, and looking forward to seeing Ernie and others there.

– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch e26U #233

13

Hi all,
Is there an update on a possible group discount for hotel accomodations?

Becky Raymond
Mariposa
NS30U, hull 272
Dutch Harbor, R.I.

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Becky,

I’m very sorry that you have to ask. There will be a rate, and I have been told that it will be good.

However, the Lake Ontario Nonsuch Association and the INA have to go through the Royal Canadian Yacht Club for these arrangements. RCYC has been, shall we say, “less than prompt.”

Nick Hirst, the local arrangements chair, and I, have been tag-teaming them on this literally twice a week for quite some time. I think I can speak for him in saying that neither of us are happy about this information not yet being out.

I’ve added yours to the list of 43 INA members who’ve contacted INA-intl-2024@Nonsuch.org to express interest, and will email all of you folks as soon as RCYC stops sitting on their hands and gives us the information.

– Bob
Robert Neches
Co-President, International Nonsuch Association
Me Gusta, Nonsuch e26U #233
Looking forward to seeing folks in Toronto:
https://nonsuch.org/2024-INA-International-Rendezvous-Status

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Thank you so much, Bob, for keeping us informed.
My husband, Mike Stangl, and I are really looking forward to it.
Becky

16

We’re pleased to announce that the RCYC has finally gotten the arrangements made for hotel accomodations at the Toronto INA International Rendezvous.

Rooms are available at the The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, 1 Harbour Square Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6, under the “Nonsuch Rendezvous Regatta Room Block”

This is the hotel nearest the RCYC facility on Toronto Island. The RCYC has secured an extremely good rate – $309/day in Canadian dollars plus tax. At today’s exchange rate, this is approximately $225 per night in US dollars. This is a really nice rate for Toronto in summer.

The link for booking is posted at https://www.nonsuch.org/2024-INA-International-Rendezvous-Status/ (NOTE: you may not be able to see this page unless you are logged in at the www.Nonsuch.org website using your INA membership information. If you have trouble using the direct link, go the the main www.Nonsuch.org page, log in, click the MEMBERS tab and select 2024 INA INTERNATIONAL RENDEZVOUS STATUS. Registration and hotel booking links will show up there.)

We’re excited, and looking forward to seeing you there.

– Bob
Writing for Robert Neches and Phil LeVine
Co-Presidents
International Nonsuch Association
Looking forward to the July 2024 INA International Rendezvous in Toronto:
https://nonsuch.org/2024-INA-International-Rendezvous-Status