The 12-foot high ceilings in Suite 2402 gave interior designer Ernst Hupel of Ottawa-based 2H Design a lot to work with when planning the space. The only other floor in the building that provides such a ceiling height is the penthouse floor.
50 YORKVILLE AVE., SUITE 2402, TORONTO
Asking price: $12.995-million
Taxes: n/a
Monthly maintenance fee: $4,908.96
Agents: Jimmy Molloy (Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.), Elise Kalles (Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.), Janice Fox (Hazelton Real Estate Inc.)
The building
The Four Seasons Private Residences is set at the corner of Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue.
"This is centre ice," says real estate agent Jimmy Molloy of the 55-storey west tower, which combines the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and 101 private residences. A second 30-story tower to the east is connected by an elevated pedestrian bridge.
"Yorkville is the anchor to the city," says Mr. Molloy. Downtown is too business-oriented, he says, and King West is "too club."
"Yorkville brings everything together."
On a recent sunny spring day, wealthy couples in their 70s were mingling with tattoo-covered 20-somethings.
"The streets were packed. It was phenomenal. That happens only in Yorkville."
Completed in 2012, the project was designed by Peter Clewes of Architects Alliance. It offers residents the amenities of the Four Seasons brand, which was founded in Canada by Isadore Sharp in 1961.
The five-star hotel chain built by Mr. Sharp now circles the globe.
"The Four Seasons is the only internationally recognized super-luxury brand," Mr. Molloy said.
For that reason, lots of the owners are from overseas.
"They understand Four Seasons," Mr. Molloy said. "For them it's almost like the property has been vetted. It is the right place to be."
Condo residents have access to the spa, pool and gym in the hotel, as well as room service.
An unmarked door leads from the residences to the hotel lobby and Café Boulud, established by marquee chef Daniel Boulud.
In suite 2402, Mr. Molloy picks up a black telephone in a corner of the kitchen which provides a direct line to the concierges' desk.
"When you pick up that phone, you can do anything."
The person often at the other end of the phone is Liloo Alim, chef de concierges.
"She looks after her clients like a mother lion," Mr. Molloy said.
Ms. Alim says her staff is often called upon to book a restaurant table or find tickets to a concert. On one occasion a French-born concierge planned a vacation for a resident foodie that included some of the finest dining in that country.
On a tour of the hotel, Ms. Alim points out the luxuriousness of the indoor pool and spa. Guests and residents can book a massage or arrange a private yoga class.
In the gym, runners can program the screens on their treadmills so that they can experience the a virtual run through far-flung locations – from the streets of Chicago to the Amazon rain forest.
Ms. Alim says the concierges get to know all of the guests and their housekeepers. They know the names of all the dogs and the schedules of their walkers.
"There is an amazing number of pets," she says.
The suite
The 12-foot high ceilings in Suite 2402 gave interior designer Ernst Hupel of Ottawa-based 2H Design a lot to work with when planning the space.
The only other floor in the building that provides such a ceiling height is the penthouse floor.
The high ceilings, east and west terraces, and approximately 5,000 square feet of living space make this suite one of the more unusual in the city, says real estate agent Jimmy Molloy of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd.
"People don't downsize to this," Mr. Molloy said.
The terrace is one-of-a-kind for the building in that it runs along the perimeter of the entire suite, he adds, while the only other floor in the building that provides such a ceiling height is the penthouse level.
Mr. Hupel designed the interior to take advantage of the views, which are visible right from the front door. Once inside, there is a foyer with a marble floor and a coffered ceiling with a centre dome.
Beyond that, the great room provides a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with a view down Bay Street to the Financial District.
Beside the great room, the dining room sits in the southwest corner of the suite, where French doors lead to a large terrace with vistas stretching to Lake Ontario.
"You can dine out here," Mr. Molloy said.
Next to the dining room, the kitchen is traditional in style, with floor-to-ceiling cabinets, a marble-topped island and built-in stainless steel appliances.
On the east side, a library shares a double-sided fireplace with the great room. The library also has doors leading to the east terrace. The ensuite bathroom means it could also be used as a bedroom, points out Mr. Hupel.
The master suite has an adjoining sitting room, large his-and-hers dressing rooms and his-and-hers marble-clad bathrooms.
A guest room provides complete privacy, with French doors opening to the west terrace.
At the rear of the suite, a separate entrance lets caterers, trades people and delivery people come and go without entering the main living space. It's an arrangement that's often seen in New York.
"Everything is behind the scenes. Everything is dealt with off-suite," Mr. Molloy said. "When you're home, you're home."
The best feature
When visitors take the private elevator to the 24th floor, the doors slide back to reveal the front door to the suite. Visitors step from the elevator right into the foyer, where the view of downtown Toronto expands before them.
"When you open the elevator door and see that wall of windows and the amazing view, that's an experience that some people have never had," Mr. Hupel said.
Carolyn Ireland