My Design Hotel Guide: Our Favourite Montreal & Toronto Boutique Stays

Here’s the truth they don’t tell you in parenting books: you don’t have to trade in your lifestyle after you become a mom.

My passion for beautiful spaces has been in me since I was a design student, back in Venezuela, and trust me, this even included “family-friendly” boutique hotel stay compromises. In fact, bringing my very own, mini-me, nine-year-old into my world—the one filled with many colours, Art Deco accents, and mocktails on rooftop terraces (biensur)—teaches her something essential since little:

Beauty matters. Details matter. Joy matters.

This isn’t optional, it’s our essence as mama and daughter.

If you’ve been a reader around here for a while, you know I’m all about curating and enjoying a beautiful lifestyle—from the dopamine (and very happy) closet to the home reno to every single joyful moment in between. And you can bet that my hotel stays (whether I’m exploring far away or doing a staycation down the street) are absolutely no exception.

So let’s pack together and begin our new Design Hotel Guide with an incredible space… menu and staff? Very hard, indeed. So I’m starting a new series—My Design Hotel Guide—where I share my absolute favourite boutique stays, starting in my hometown, Montréal, and heading by train to one of my favourite cities, Toronto.

Stop One: Honeyrose Montréal

In the heart of downtown Montreal, HONEYROSE is that boutique stay that feels like stepping into a Wes Anderson film. Terrazzo floors, curved lines, and the coziest textures, this design hotel is everything a maximalist heart could wish for (for real).

Our joyful finds:

Order room service for dinner on your first night (because nothing beats a room-service menu in bed). Grab your swimsuits and take a dip in the indoor pool (and hot tub) – something your little one will adore. The next morning, we tried Commodore restaurant and its wonderful French bistro-style menu (eggs beni, you won!). Don’t forget to peek at every corner — the wallpapers, light design game and every detail here deserves an award.

A perfect little ritual:

Something I loved about bringing my mini me this time around was to create perfect little rituals together. A few ideas, you may ask? Of course, here we go:

Ordering dessert *just because*
Grabbing the hotel notes block and writing postcards to remember the moment
Taking the cutest mini-photo shoot

Stop Two: Ace Hotel Toronto

A quick VIA Rail ride later, we landed into the best girls trip to the one and only — Toronto. As a fellow Ace Hotel fan, staying at their newest one in Toronto was in my pending list for a while now, because Toronto’s Ace is where cool parents meet even cooler interiors.

The suspended Lobby bar, brutalist and concrete accents, natural wood and many incredible design picks made our stay a memorable one.

Our joyful finds:

The Ace knows how to make things fun, as we stumbled into a DJ set at the Lobby bar while checking-in and suddenly our casual appetizer situation turned into the coolest mom-daughter moment ever. The best part besides the bed and extra-fluffy pillows? Book a late breakfast at Alder (the in-house restaurant and Michelin-recommended ) for their french toast and brunch menu, treating young foodies (as Oli) with the most deserved respect while listening to a live band play.

A perfect little ritual:

Always, capture all the little moments, especially if you’re doing something for the first time together.

Catching a train, bringing snacks and watching a movie on the way.
Dance in the hallway even if people are looking at you
Bring a film camera
Collect details as key cards, matchboxes and little memories that will bring you back, instantly.

Choosing beauty—in spaces, in experiences, in the everyday— is about letting your kids (or yourself) see the world through joyful lens — and finding beauty in every corner. So whether you’re planning a weekend in Montréal or an escape to Toronto, I can’t wait to see you around here, in between where beauty lives.

Thank you for reading – What city should I do, next?

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