Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples: Is $1152.42 Too Much?

THE GEN X WANDERER / Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples: Is $1152.42 Too Much?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Map of Everything We Did

My Logo “X” marks the spot of Bisha Toronto, if you zoom out, you will see everything else we did with gold icons.

A Video Compilation of What We Did

Bisha Toronto

Jacobs & Co.

Windsor Arms High Tea

Akira Back

KŌST

The Well Toronto

Twenty six years into our marriage, my husband surprised me with a Toronto weekend getaway for couples, and I only got the details two days before because I demanded the full schedule. I am not a surprise person. I’m usually the one that does planning (this entire blog captures that! 😂)  and letting go of the reigns seems sooooo foreign. But when he commits, he goes all out. He wrapped it all up in a three day plan anyway, and I’ll admit it was good.

Quick answer: Our Toronto weekend getaway ran Thursday afternoon to Saturday later afternoon from the Entertainment District, to Downtown Toronto, to Yorkville. Check in at a boutique hotel, book one splurge steakhouse dinner, add afternoon tea and a Japanese dinner, and leave room for slow mornings. Use points for the hotel to keep costs down.

This is the roundup of the whole thing, in the order we did it. If you’re looking for a Toronto weekend getaway for couples that covers a fancy dinner, afternoon tea and a hotel with serious personality, steal this plan. I’ll tell you what we loved, what we skipped and how much of it ran on points. I wrote a full post on most of these stops, so I’m keeping the details short here and linking out for the rest.

Why a Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples Works So Well

I’m been a Toronto native of over 47 years, so I’m picky about what I tell people to do in my city. A Toronto weekend getaway for couples works because of geography. Almost everything sat in one tight stretch of downtown, so we spent our time eating and relaxing instead of sitting in traffic.

Ours was a staycation (we actually live a little bit east of the city), which meant no flights, no baggage fees and no airport mood. If you’re coming from out of town, the same Toronto weekend getaway still works, because the Entertainment District puts your hotel, great restaurants and plenty of theatres within a short walk or Uber ride. All you are adding on are the flights (if you aren’t a drive away).

The Itinerary at a Glance

Here’s the plan, with a link to each stop:

• Thurs Afternoon ~ Check in at Bisha Toronto
• Thurs Evening ~ Dinner at Jacob’s & Co. Steakhouse Toronto
• Fri Morning ~ Room service from KŌST
• Fri Afternoon ~ Afternoon Tea at the Windsor Arms Hotel Toronto
• Fri Afternoon ~ Casa Loma (We didn’t make it here, there simply wasn’t enough time)
• Fri Evening ~ Akira Back (Japaneses Restaurant)
• Fri Late Night ~ Valerie at Hotel X (Didn’t make it here either cuz anything past 10:30 for me is a hard NO, but I appreciated his ambitious nature in trying to get me out)
• Sat Morning ~ Breakfast at KŌST (on the 44 floor of Bisha Toronto)
• Sat 12:00PM ~ Check out of Bisha Toronto

Thursday Night

Our amazing Toronto staycation anniversary getaway kicked off by being stuck in prime time traffic from the burbs to downtown Toronto. The actual traffic only happened about 10 min before the hotel and we were parked under the Gardiner Expressway for a good 30 min. If you don’t live in Toronto, there’s nothing to miss here.

We finally arrive at Bisha Toronto, a dark, dramatic, slightly rock and roll hotel in a 44 level tower. It’s part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, so my husband booked our stay with Bonvoy points and the room cost us absolutely nothing (Which was great because all that money went to the dinner we had on our first night 🙄). Lenny Kravitz designed the entire 7th floor, which is a fun fact because his song “Fields of Joy“, was our first dance at our wedding. We stayed on the 5th floor. My full Bisha Toronto review covers the hotel design and the points booking.

Dinner tonight was at Jacob’s & Co. Steakhouse, which has been in the MICHELIN Guide since 2022 and now sits in CIBC Square on Bay Street. The food and service were excellent, right down to an anniversary card signed by the entire kitchen staff. My only complaint is that the room was so dim I could barely see my husband’s face or my food.

The real plot twist came from the couple at the next table, who told us about the Amex Platinum dining credit. Our bill was over $418 and I had been carrying the wrong card for three years. I told the whole painful story in my Amex Platinum dining credit post here, so read it before you swipe anything at a nice restaurant thinking it’s automatically credited.

Friday: Room Service, Afternoon Tea and Sushi

Friday morning began with room service from KŌST, the restaurant on the 44th floor of Bisha hotel. Eggs Benny (which we shared) for the win. I didn’t want to stuff my face seeing we only had 2 more hours before our Afternoon Tea at Windsor Arms Hote.

Then for lunch, we took an uber to Windsor Arms Hotel Toronto for Afternoon Tea. It was $85 per person before tax and gratuity, so if you plan this for your better half, it’s quite the splurge! They seated us side by side in a corner facing the whole room, which my extrovert husband loved and my introvert self survived by hiding behind the teapot. I also confess to the stealing some really pretty napkins in my Windsor Arms afternoon tea review. Menus and prices change with the season, so check before you go. Make sure to check out that blog post.

On paper, the afternoon also included Casa Loma. In real life, we didn’t make it because there simply wasn’t enough time. If the castle is on your list, give it a full afternoon instead of squeezing it between tea and dinner. You can browse tickets and tours on my Viator page. I’ve been to Casa Loma several times in my life from a young child to bringing my own children there and I plan on making another trip to review soon here on my blog.

Friday dinner was at Akira Back, the Japanese restaurant right next door to the Bisha Hotel. You climb a copper themed stairwell to a dim, moody dining room with a huge wooden plank light installation over the centre. Check out my post to see the video featuring wagyu tacos, a sushi platter, wagyu fried rice and a binchotan charcoal grilled ribeye. I also loved the white peach mocktail so much that the bartender wrote the recipe out by hand for me. Dinner came to just under $300.

Ok. the tallies are getting up there, but I can’t argue with the husband at this point but usually when we get home and I’m going through the credit cards, I will start feeling the pain. When he goes all out, he goes all out. I’m usually the stingy person penny pinching at every corner trying to find a good deal.

Anyway… the night was supposed to end with Valerie at Hotel X. We never went. Anything after 10:30 PM is a hard pass for me, but I did appreciate my husband’s ambition. If you’re a night owl, add it to your own Toronto weekend getaway and report back.

Saturday: Breakfast on the 44th Floor

Saturday morning we went back up to KŌST, this time for a proper sit down breakfast on the 44th floor instead of eating in the room, although I do love a good room service. And because we have Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, we were able to check out at 2:00 PM, but I had to be back home for the kids, so we ended up leaving at 12:00 PM. We walked from Bisha Toronto all the way to Union Station. But we did stop by The Fairmont Royal York on our way 👻 (check our my ghost story post here).

What This Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples Cost

Here’s the money math with some ballpark:

• Jacob’s & Co. ~ $418.19
• KŌST Room Service Breakfast ~ $37.34
• Windsor Arms Afternoon Tea ~  $226.68
• Akira Back ~ $291.54
• KŌST Breakfast ~ $78.67
• Ubers ~ $100
• Bisha Toronto hotel was free thanks to Bonvoy points.
• That’s approx $1152.42 😳 Yikes.

Was it expensive? Hell Yes. Was it cheaper than a weekend getaway to the Caribbean? Also, Yes.

You don’t have to do the stuff here and stack it and be crazy town like my husband, but you can start off by getting free stays even for 1 night at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel, and then going to a restaurant that is on the approved list for $200 dining credit with the American Express Platinum. A night like this will cost you almost nothing.

Start with my guide on how to travel for free using credit card points. You can also compare Canadian credit cards in one place. I’m not a financial advisor, and some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Tips for Planning Your Own Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples

• Book restaurants early. Akira Back and KŌST both get busy, and the Entertainment District fills up on game and concert nights.
• Mention your special occasion. We got a free desert at Jacobs & Co. and also prosecco and sweets at Akira Back just for saying it was our anniversary, not to mention the treats that Bisha Toronto surprised us in our room.
• Don’t overbook your activites. We skipped two things and had a better weekend for it.
• Check Bonvoy award availability early if you are a rewards member. Points rooms vanish on busy weekends.
• Dress up a little! I’m usually in sweats and Pj’s. Tea and steakhouse dinners feel better when you make an effort.
• Leave the car and Uber it. The parking alone in downtown Toronto would have doubled the cost of our trip and given us unnecessary migraines.

FAQ: Toronto Weekend Getaway for Couples

How many days do you need for a Toronto weekend getaway for couples?
1 – 2 nights, Thursday afternoon to Saturday noon to avoid the rush. We still skipped two stops, so don’t cram more in.

Where should couples stay in Toronto?
The Entertainment District is a great base for a Toronto weekend getaway because restaurants, theatres and bars sit within walking distance. For more neighbourhoods, see my Toronto Travel Guide.

Is a Toronto weekend getaway expensive?
It can be. Ours landed at roughtly $1152.42, but the hotel was free with points. But you don’t need to do everything we did.

Can you book a Toronto weekend getaway with points?
Yes. We booked our hotel with Marriott Bonvoy points, read my guide.

Final Thoughts

Twenty six years in, a well planned Toronto weekend getaway for couples still beats almost any other anniversary gift. No kids, we ate well, slept in a hotel that looks like a rock star’s living room, and I only had to be social until 10:30 PM. If you want more help with the city, check out my Toronto Travel Guide!

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