I can remember it all so clearly although it was decades ago. I was coming to Canada for the very first time. It was winter and I was terrified! (Don’t laugh all you more northerly and Prairie residents … I know we have it relatively easy here in Toronto!) How I now wish I’d had a kindly – and knowledgeable – travel agent to tell me that Toronto in winter isn’t always THAT cold.

I was remembering my long-ago arrival a few weeks ago when I enjoyed a brief stay at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. And I was thinking that, today, that knowledgeable travel agent could assure timid winter visitors that they can travel all the way from Pearson Airport via the UP train service to Union Station and then via a short underground walk straight into the foyer of a luxurious hotel without taking one step outside, without taking one breath of frosty air.

And what a hotel it is. All visitors, whether from elsewhere in Canada or from overseas, step into the impressive foyer and into an important piece of Toronto history. Of course, one has to step outside to see the building’s profile, to see this sturdy edifice framed by glass skyscrapers and to try to imagine – one will have been told – that when the hotel opened in 1929 it was the tallest building in the British Commonwealth.

The exterior would still be recognizable by long-ago visitors, but oh how the interior has changed, and not only over the near-century that the hotel has been in existence, but quite recently, all to mark the property’s 90th anniversary.

Yes, the Fairmont Royal York has, over the past few years, been undergoing major interior renovations. The first change that regular visitors will notice (and that will impress first-timers) is the elegant lobby. Once this large area was full of deep chairs and sofas. Lots of brown leather comes to mind, but perhaps I’m wrong on that score.

Whatever the details, one expected to see Great Uncle Fred snoozing happily away there. But not any more!

A sparkling bar called CLOCKWORK Champagne & Cocktails has transformed the lobby and now attracts both visitors and locals, all of whom enjoy its lively, fashionable vibe. Imagine arriving here, a somewhat weary traveller, and – not in need of a full meal – settling down to choose from the ‘small dish’ menu offerings ranging from homely Scotch eggs to exotic caviar. No need to mention, of course, that there’s an extensive cocktail, champagne and wine list. And the clock that gives the bar its name? Well, you won’t miss it … it’s a stunning piece of art.

In need of more than some ‘small plates’? Close to the lobby is the new REIGN+Bar+Bakery whose Canadian-inspired brasserie offers a modern take on French traditional cuisine.

Here, also, a comprehensive breakfast menu is offered and close by there’s a bakery for either a quiet continental breakfast or a ‘grab-and-go’ coffee and croissant. The cosy bar here features old favourites and both traditional and modern cocktails plus – from Tuesday to Saturday evenings – relaxing live entertainment featuring Canadian singers and instrumentalists. The performers, many of whom change week by week, are listed on the hotel’s website.

And that’s not all. Also on the ground floor are facilities that have long been much loved by Toronto residents: Piper’s Pub, the Benihana Japanese Steakhouse and the famous Library Bar, home to the hotel’s delicious afternoon-tea experience.

But for travellers there’s more on the mind that eating and drinking, important though they are. What about the rooms? All are well-appointed, but for a special treat the 12th through 18th floors have been renovated to create the Fairmont Gold offering, an exclusive, luxurious “hotel within a hotel” experience with a private lounge featuring views of the Toronto skyline. The guest rooms, studio suites and one-bedroom suites feature expanded spaces and new decor that combines classic and modern details that reflect the hotel’s history in a sophisticated, modern way.

The Fairmont Royal York sure knows how to throw a party. Its 90th anniversary gala was attended by 2,500 people, the largest the hotel has ever hosted, and an event reflective of its inaugural gala all those years ago, an event that was without doubt the highlight of Toronto’s social scene at that time. And this year none other than Toronto’s mayor – John Tory – cut the ribbon to unveiling of the new lobby bar with its stunning clock marking both the present and the passage of time.

At that event, Paul Campbell, project lead at KingSett Capital, the Fairmont Royal York ownership group, summed up the sentiments expressed by many by saying, “This is much more than just a hotel – it represents much of the history and soul of our great city.”

But the gala and opening were not the end of the Fairmont Royal York’s accolades this year. In the fall Hotelier magazine named Edwin Fizzell, the hotel’s General Manager, as the “2019 Hotelier of the Year Pinnacle Award Winner.” This award is the “Oscar” of the Canadian hospitality industry and needless today the award-winner and all his loyal staff were delighted to be recognized in this way.

In closing this column, which has had something of a winter theme, I should also mention that as of 28 November the hotel’s seasonal decorations have been completed, the festive windows on front street have been revealed and the hotel’s magical Christmas tree lit. There’s even a Thirsty Elf Christmas Pop-up Bar on the mezzanine level for some seasonal cheer.

The Fairmont Royal York is a treat at any time of the year, but it feels extra special in the winter!