By Kylie MacKenzie
You can be famous for 15 minutes,” suggests an Andy Warhol- inspired wall-print when the elevator door opens. A gaggle of black-suited millennials tumble out.
The paint is barely dry on all of its 44 floors here in the heart of the city, but the Bisha Hotel is already buzzing. I’ve stayed in town for a decadent mid-week pajama party with all the frills and breakfast in bed. It doesn’t get much more wanton than this in Toronto’s swanky Entertainment district.
Guests can enjoy drinks in the high-octane, moody and mysterious lobby bar, or beef brisket tacos, indulgent skewers and crispy calamari in the hip new rooftop café. Conceived by lifestyle impresario Charles Khabouth of INK Entertainment, the new Bisha
is blessed with 96 hotel rooms and 355 residential condominiums, designed by Alessandro Munge.
Its vibe, straying onto the edgy side, is a little bit naughty and a whole lot nice—similar to the Vegas Cosmopolitan. There’s an entire floor designed by musician Lenny Kravitz, and each corridor showcases whimsical Andy Warhol wiseologies and his shockingly bold pop art.
Food and beverages take the lead with other highly curated culinary concepts that cater to the local crowd. There’s late-night 24-hour café, a resto by celebrity chef Akira Back and KOST, a sky-high rooftop resto with infinity pool.
Staying at the Bisha Hotel brings to mind Warhol’s enduring puzzler: Is it possible to have an affair that lasts forever? Let’s hope Toronto stays in love with Bisha, for a little while at least.
