On Location: Paws up, Toronto – Nobu’s luxe new hotel treats dogs like royalty

STORY BY SHINAN GOVANI

Pawsome.

The opening, this past June, of the all-new Nobu Hotel Toronto.

Canada's first, it offers staggering new room views – and not just for humans. Turns out it's also the country's hottest bolthole, too, for pooches. The last word in luxury – and bragging rights – for pets who might also just relish a stay, 45 storeys up, in the heart of Toronto's Entertainment District. Maxed at two pets per room, and a charge of $150 (CAD) per stay.

"Chewy lamb stick," perchance? What we discovered is part of the Nobu spread. Premium pet treats – available upon request!

“At Nobu Hotel Toronto, we’re proud to welcome every member of the family, including our four-legged guests," the Guest Services Team confirmed in a message when we checked in to find out more about the woof woof program.

"Our team is always happy to provide personalized, pet-friendly recommendations throughout the city, and we take great care in ensuring each stay is just as comfortable and memorable for pets as it is for their owners.”  

If it’s good enough for Drake…

Situated above the historic Pilkington Glass Factory, amidst two towers, the hotel – the highest in Toronto – sits in the west edifice. Floors 41 to 45, to be exact, complete with drone-worthy views of Lake Ontario, CN Tower, and the city panorama at large.

Downstairs, of course: the Nobu restaurant, a soaring temple to all things Japanese-Peruvian that opened last summer, and immediately became a hit with both miso-cod sophisticates and Sabrina Carpenter doppelgangers.

The Canadian flagship of a world-spinning brand that happens to come with its own Hollywood origin story, going back to when Robert De Niro teamed with Chef Nobu Matsuhisa to open the first Nobu way back in 1994 in the then-rundown warehouse district of Tribeca.

If it's good enough for Drake, it's good enough for Fido, or Nobu, no? The fave hometown rapper has been in – as has Selena Gomez, incidentally. (She celebrated her film, Emilia Perez, at a party held there during last year's Toronto International Film Fest).

Luxury that whispers

Dubbed "an urban sanctuary in the sky," the one word that swam to me when I took a tour not long ago was this: discreet.

Everything from its hushed hideaway entrance, to its tranquil palette of neutral tones, to its compact size of just 36 rooms! It all whispers; never shouts.

Japanese spa-inspired bathrooms give way to offer heated floors, double stone vanities, Japanese Toto toilets and maximal rainfall showers.

Taking particular pride of place, too: Nobu's iconic deep-soaking wood tubs, tucked up against windows, allowing guests to indulge in supreme relaxation (and maybe a high-up sponge-bath for your canine!)

Exercise-wise, humans have access to the hotel's wellness centre with state-of-the-art equipment. Think: Peloton bikes, Frame Pilates reformer. Stylish cruiser bikes are also available to those who might want to get out in the city!

Unleash the luxe life

For dogs, meanwhile, there are also plenty of concierge-recommended spots to get some of their own "steps" in.

St. Andrew's Playground Dog Park, for instance – an off-leash abyss, just a quick stroll from the hotel. Likewise: Draper Park, near Front Street.

"Houndhouse Toronto" is another in-the-know suggestion from Guest Services. A place that offers "dog-and-human cafe opportunities, doggy daycare, and a self-serve grooming station."

And while there are no "dog robes" available at this time – akin to the sort that the Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch, London offers, as part of a specific "Paws & Relax" package – the hotel in Toronto does offer bowls and leashes.

Concierge is also able to help provide information on local providers for "in-room pet sitting and dog walking services." (Possibly even "doggy play-date" options?!)

Certainly, there are now an increasing rash of haute hotels in Canada that are considered "dog-friendly" - among them, the Auberge Saint Antoine in Quebec City, for instance, in the historic Old Port centre of the city and the Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel in Whistler, which, in fact, even offers "Nordic cross-country skiing." For dogs!

Arguably, though, the new Nobu in Toronto takes things up a whole other bougie notch.

"It's one thing to take your lover to Nobu," as one friend put it when he heard about the hotel's pet accommodations. "But it's a whole other thing to take your dog."

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