I don't want to say it, but the summer has come and it's halfway gone, so you better savour every warm and sunshine-filled moment you have left — and that doesn't just mean hitting the patio!
What's your ideal summer day? Is it spending a few hours by a pool, dipping in to cool down and hopping out to enjoy delicious food and thirst-quenching drinks? If that sounds like you, then we've got some tips to make the most out of the rest of your summer.
The city of Toronto is filled with skyscrapers in its downtown core, and a few of them feature outdoor pools where you can get that cottage feeling without heading north or dealing with the sometimes questionable colour and smell of a lake. (If you know you know).
So why not stay clear of the nastiness and enjoy a day filled with luxury this summer?
Here are five Toronto outdoor rooftop pools where you can spend a day cooling off in the water or chilling poolside with a drink in hand and delicious food nearby.
Harriett's Toronto
Price: Depends on what you order.
Address: 550 Wellington St W Suite C, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: This venue is only accessible to people over the age of 21, so if you've been looking for somewhere you belong, this might be the place for you.
On Monday through Friday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., guests can enjoy cheaper-priced beverages from their happy hour menu, which includes a $14 margarita, daiquiri, sangria, spritz and more.
Harriett's food menu also caters to people who enjoy Asian cuisine, from bao to tempura, sashimi, tataki, rolls and much more.
But it's not cheap, so make sure you and your group are willing to splurge in exchange for a luxurious experience on a rooftop pool — but then again, anything fancy in Toronto is expensive.
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
Price: $125 per person
Address: 123 Queen St W, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: For $125, you can access the pool at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, and it's the perfect place to escape from the city.
Towels and wifi are provided, so you can even take your meetings by the pool and make working from home a lot snazzier. However, at this cost, pool chairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so you'll have to make it there before your morning check-in to score poolside seats.
If you were hoping for even more luxury, you could pay $200 for two people to get two lounge chairs with an umbrella and side table, two environmentally friendly bottles of water, a poolside snack pack and wifi.
Either way, you can order food and drinks by the poolside while taking in fantastic summer vibes and it'll feel like the perfect staycation.
Lavelle
Price: $25 to $50
Address: 627 King St W, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: Lavelle has three pools you can swim at while enjoying delicious bites and crave-worthy drinks.
For $25, you can access the pool and towel service and for $50 you can take the family, which includes up to two adults and two children.
The food caters to a whole bunch of dietary restrictions, which include vegans and vegetarians.
Guests can get sushi, guacamole and chips, refreshing salads, oysters, bowls, sandwiches and burgers!
Not only does Lavelle serve cocktails like a pear-yuzu spritz and a pineapple tamarind margarita, but they serve mocktails too.
You can enjoy a virgin kiwi Thai basil mojito or flavoured sodas. So whether you were looking to hang with friends or spend a day with family at a pool, Lavelle has got you covered.
Hotel X
Price: starting at $131
Address: 111 Princes' Blvd, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: Located at Toronto's waterfront, Hotel X has a pool that overlooks the water and it's so blissful. Luckily, you can get a day pass to enjoy a day by the pool and dip your toes in a heated pool.
In fact, the pool is open all year round, so you can even take a dip when it's snowing outside. How cool?
But we want to spread the summer vibes here, so let's forget about the winter for just a moment.
At Hotel X, you can choose between two types of passes. One is a "Midday Pass" where guests can go from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the other is an "Afternoon Pass" from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Both include towel services, complimentary wifi, and food and drinks from Roses Cocina, a delicious Mexican restaurant in the hotel.
Roses Cocina offers brunch all week from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., which is perfect for people going to the pool in the morning.
Brunch food includes a French omelette, southern benny, fruit plate, cheeseburger, lobster and shrimp roll and more.
If you plan on going to the rooftop pool in the afternoon, your options are sandwiches, burgers, salads, tacos, steak and more filling meals.
Of course, Roses Cosina has many cocktails to choose from, including pina coladas, tequila-based drinks and mocktails.
Radisson Blu Downtown Toronto
Price: $65 per person
Address: 249 Queens Quay W, Toronto
Why You Need To Go: The Radisson Blu Downtown Toronto hotel has a pool I've visited multiple times and it's a great place to chill, chat and enjoy direct sunlight. You'll get perfect photo opportunities with the CN Tower and a view of the waterfront too.
Bookings are to be made on OpenTable under Lakeview Pool Lounge, and it costs $65 that must be prepaid. Weekends are only available to hotel guests, so this is the perfect place to spend your mental health day off work.
You can enjoy food and drinks from the hotel's Watermark Restaurant and Lounge, which includes light bites such as a yogurt parfait and oats. They also offer more filling meals like fish and chips, burgers, and lasagna.
If you really want to, you can make this your Toronto pool bucket list and spend the remainder of summer enjoying great food, drinks and plenty of sunshine while working on your tan lines, because isn't that what summer is all about?
Enjoy tanning, Toronto!
