There’s lots of news on Toronto’s hotel scene lately, it would seem, with some major reflags taking place and new hotel openings. And sure to be a hit on the Toronto hotel scene is Bisha Hotel Toronto, opening its doors for a soft-opening in late-August, just in time for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The hotel, which offers 96 rooms, made up mainly of King guest rooms but with 8 double-queen rooms, 10 luxury suites, and one two-story Exclusive Suite, is in the final stages of construction at 80 Blue Jays Way just south of King Street in Toronto’s Entertainment district.

Bisha will offer four different dining venues, including a rooftop restaurant with a patio and pool, with sweeping view of Lake Ontario, the CN Tower and the Toronto skyline. The hotel will also feature a second floor destination restaurant in conjunction with Chef Akira Back, whose portfolio of restaurants includes Kumi Japanese Restaurant + Bar at Mandalay Bay and the famed Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge at Bellagio Resort & Casino, both in Las Vegas.

And for those in the M.I.C.E. business, Bisha Hotel Toronto will also offer just over 2,300 sq. feet of meeting space (sub-dividable into 3 smaller rooms) on the 43rd floor of the hotel, with spectacular sweeping views of the Toronto skyline to the north, east and south. It also offers easy access up one floor to the rooftop restaurant and bar, which can be blocked for private events.

I attended a hardhat tour of the hotel Thursday, joining a tour led by Charles Khabouth, CEO of INK Entertainment, one half of the partnership developing Bisha Hotel & Residences. Khabouth’s passion for the project, as well as the city of Toronto itself, is palpable, often referring to the property as if it were his own home.

Bisha (pronounced Beesha), is Khabouth’s childhood nickname and the hotel is the brainchild of Khabouth and Lifetime Developments Principals, Sam Herzog and Mel Pearl. The the aim is to develop the first global hotel brand to come out of Toronto since Four Seasons Hotels.

I had the opportunity to chat with Khabouth to learn more about Bisha and his passion for the soon-to-be global brand and I asked him to give me three words to describe Bisha Hotel.

His reply was “Comfortable. Sexy. Warm. I want it to be comfortable. I’m thinking of the whole concept of this building selfishly. I travel 100-120 days a year and what’s important to me is that I walk in somewhere and see a smiling face and I want to feel comfortable.  I want the space to physically hug me, I want the staff to be warm and make me feel like I’m glad to get here.”

And the property certainly has a residential feel, not only in the lobby and hallways, but in the guest rooms themselves, with plush bedding, custom-designed furniture and bar carts, and a curated art collection throughout the hotel, including the common areas.

“There’s a big difference between when I enter a home and I go ‘I’m glad I’m here.’ To me, it’s about warmth, comfort, and I want it to be a little sexy. And when I say sexy, I would compare it to a little slit in the back of a woman’s dress where I go ‘that’s really sexy’.” Khabouth continued. “So I wanted the space to have a little bit of that…So when I say sexy, I don’t mean girls or guys running around half naked, it’s more of the feel, the vibe.”

Of particular interest in the property is what’s known as the Exclusive Floor, envisioned by Lenny Kravitz and realized by Kravitz Design, with rooms and suites that “embody the Bisha lifestyle”.

“I was asked earlier in an interview, ‘Who’s your competitor?’, said Jacques LaPierre, GM of Bisha Hotel Toronto. “And there are couple of hotels that we like to compare ourselves to, whether it’s because of location, because of the size of the hotel, or the type of hotel operation they’re running, but Bisha will take it to the next level. We’re not a boutique hotel, we’re a lifestyle hotel. We’re not a party hotel.”

And yes, we had to ask, what is a lifestyle hotel?

“A lifestyle hotel for us is understanding why people are here. Every aspect of the hotel, whether it’s food and beverage outfits or the rooms, is attention to details. It’s not the same piece of art in every single room above the bed or above the desk…The restaurants, we have four different venues, so you’re able to respond to four different needs. A café for grab-and-go. The cozy, lobby with a fireplace. Or up here, up in the sky, in our premier restaurant where we serve breakfast for our guests. So this is what a lifestyle hotel is all about.”

So what about travel agents? Where do they fit in? Well Bisha does have travel agents in mind according to.

“The hotel is managed by Loews Hotels…we manage 24 properties in the United States and we have a sister property in Montreal, so this is our second Canadian property…we work with all of the sales and marketing and PR and distribution channels with Loews, understanding that we have strategies to work with the travel agencies.” said LaPierre. “Travel agents are definitely part of our strategy and there’s only one way that you can be successful [and that] is when you partner up with travel agencies and keep them informed about the product. We’re already live in the GDS, so if you’re a travel agent looking for a date from September 18 oneward, you’ll find us.”, LaPierre continued.

As the evening came to an end, I thought about something that Khabouth had said towards the end of our interview.

“The number one thing I want everyone to say on their way out is ‘I can’t wait to come back.’”, Khabouth said.

If my first impression of Bisha Toronto is any indication, they’ll be hearing that a lot.”

Reservations may now be made for September 18, 2017 or later. For more information, visit their website.

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