The City Has Everything

When visiting any large city there are always lots of activities to see and do. If you have chosen a downtown hotel then you are close to the action, and if you are staying at an airport hotel then the action is a short drive from your hotel.

One of the nice things about staying in a hotel is that every hotel, regardless of if it is a downtown hotel, a boutique hotel, an airport hotel, chain hotel or independent hotel, is that there is usually a hotel concierge who can assist you in planning your stay. Additionally, pretty much every hotel has a hotel information kiosk which has information about events and attractions near the hotel you are staying in. Many hotels also provide an attractions map upon check in and show the distance from the hotel to the hot spots.

For those who want to get an overview of the city, it is best to check with the hotel staff as many of the hotels are on a city tour bus route which will pick up passengers right in front of their hotel. If you are visiting on business, many hotels will offer shuttle service to convention centres, and if a hotel hosts a large convention, often there will be a dedicated conference representative in the hotel lobby.

With museums, theatres, shopping, dining and attractions, the best person to get your information from is the hotel concierge or any hotel staff member. As they are from the area, they know the city best. When it comes to dining, a hotel staff member would be able to guide you to some lesser known restaurants near the hotel which may not necessarily be well known, but offer great experiences. Hotel staff can also tell you where all the best shopping deals are close to the hotel. Never be afraid to ask a hotel staff member for their recommendations as they are the ones who know the area around the hotel the best.

Exploring new cities and destinations are what makes a trip more memorable. Venture outside the hotel’s doors and find a world waiting for you. Why dine in the hotel restaurant, when you can explore the local flavors of the city which can be just around the corner from the hotel. And remember, Guide books can only tell you so much, but a hotel employee who has worked and lived near the hotel can offer more information and reveal hidden secrets to the area the hotel is in, so when you arrive, make sure you introduce yourself to the hotel staff and enjoy your stay.

U2

Website: www.u2.com

Location: Rogers Centre

U2 are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen (drums and percussion).

The band formed at Mount Temple secondary school in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed to Island Records and released their debut album Boy. By the mid-1980s, they had become a top international act. They were more successful as a live act than they were at selling records, until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree,which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars". Their 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour were a musical and thematic reinvention for the band. Reacting to their own sense of musical stagnation and a late-1980s critical backlash, U2 incorporated dance music and alternative rock into their sound and performances, replacing their earnest image with a more ironic tone. Similar experimentation continued for the remainder of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2 have pursued a more conventional sound, while maintaining influences from their previous musical explorations.

U2 have released 12 studio albums and are among the most critically and commercially successful groups in popular music. They have won 22 Grammy Awards,more than any other band,and they have sold more than 145 million records. In 2005, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone magazine listed U2 at #22 in its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE Campaign, Product Red, and Bono's DATA campaign.

CN Tower / La Tour CN