Requesting low fat diets or gluten free breakfast

Belgium Waffles

Monitoring issues with diabetics, hyperglycemia, gluten intolerance and other medical concerns are vitally important in the maintenance of good health. People are usually very good about communicating those concerns when staying at our B & B.  It has happened on occasion that people have told us about the medical condition only after the meal. As a bed & breakfast owner we pride ourselves on being able to adapt recipes or a menu for personal preference or medical conditions but the responsibility lies with the guest to disclose the information.  For those who don’t speak up- I can simply offer that it really is no imposition, but rather a service that we gladly offer.

As well, for many of us keeping watch on weight gain is a monumental ongoing battle. Diets of every flavour have been around for years including low fat, no fat, Atkins, Grapefruit Diet, South Beach, and the list goes on. By making long term lifestyle changes many have been able to lose weight and maintain an ideal weight for years through programs such as Weight Watchers or Fit-For-Life.

Going on vacation or traveling for business often causes a disruption to that balance that has been achieved or a setback in the goals that we are trying to achieve. Much like a medical condition requesting a low fat or low carbohydrate breakfast is the responsibility that need not be ignored while on holidays.

For years the Boatel has delighted visitors with its mouth-watering culinary delights including Old Fashioned Belgium Waffles and Apple Pecan Breakfast Lasagna. Guests enjoy eating something new or different that that don’t eat at home.  We have also recognized the need to offer a menu that addresses a variety of dietary restrictions such as calorie-reduce meal plans for low fat and no-fat or sodium-reduced diets. So, please don’t be shy, all you need to do is ask. Perhaps you’ll even discover a new favorite recipe.

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Eco-friendly travel credentials becoming more important to travellers

Green travel On November 8, 2011 TRIPADVISOR announced the results of its annual travel trends survey for 2012 of more than 2,700 U.S. travelers. Despite the current economic climate, 31 percent anticipate they will spend more on leisure travel next year, while 49 percent expect to spend the same amount as they did in 2011.

Green Travel – 20 years ago we would not even have considered deciding on a hotel or bed and breakfast based on it’s environmentally-conscious or green initiatives however today 12% of respondents from the Tripadvisor survey stated that “eco’friendly” hotels were an important criteria.

Tripadvisor includes questions about Eco-friendly Travel Actions.
1.Participating in a hotel’s linen or towel re-use program – 71%
2.Switching off the air-conditioning or heat when leaving the hotel room – 51%
3.Select a hotel specifically for its “green” or environmentally-conscious credentials – 12%

Being an Eco-friendly accommodation is more that just saving water on towels. It’s all part of a stratey that encompasses trash removal and recycling; using environmentally-conscious products for cleaning; and of-course conserving energy and water. It’s a whole way of thinking and operating to ensure that all of our actions are friendly to the environment.

At the Boatel, our commitment is to sustainable environmental practices for ourselves, our guests and community. We applaud TRIPADVISOR for including this classification in their annual survey and for people who support Eco-friendly travel options. For more about see our blog post under Green Living.

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Toronto named Top Tourist Destination for American travellers

Hotel Price Index announced that Toronto wToronto B & B loves Torontoas named the  fourth most popular international tourist destination for American travellers! The others on the list ahead of Toronto were London, Paris and Rome in order. Vancouver and Barcelona and Montreal followed in fifth, six and seventh position.

There are lots of reasons why US travellers love Toronto but here are the top 4. Here’s what our guests had to say about Toronto.

CLEAN: “Now I know why Toronto is so clean. I walked down the street and watched as someone picked up a coffee lid that someone else dropped and put it in the garbage. No wonder this city is so clean!”.

SAFE: “We walked back from the theatre at 10:30 at night because it was such a nice night and at no time did I not feel safe walking in Toronto, you can’t say that about alot of US cities”

A WALKING CITY: “Toronto is definitely a walking city. Next time I come I am going to wear my walking shoes. I stayed at the Boatel for 5 days and parked the car and walked everywhere I wanted to go. I love it and Toronto Bed and Breakfast on a Boat is a vacationer’s dream!”

FOOD AND DRINK: “I love the multicultural feel of Toronto and the fact that you can go to Chinatown, Little Italy and Greektown for authentic food. From vegetarian burgers to upscale cuisine – Toronto has it all.”

What is your favorite things about Toronto?

 

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ECO-friendly green Bed and Breakfast

Swimming with dolphins Living on the water (and swimming with dolphins) makes us aware of our environment and the importance of protecting our water and our planet. When we first started the Boatel operation in 2004 it was difficult to find alot of bio-degradable dish and laundry soaps. In fact, in 2004 I found a bio-degradable laundry detergent at a local store and bought 8 bottles of it. Today we only buy bio-degradable laundry soaps and we are pleased that they are readily available and more affordable. I always read labels of all cleaning products and look for products that are made using natural plant and mineral based ingredients that contains no phosphorus or bleach. I also check for a “Designed for the Environment” EPA seal.

A few years ago I discovered research that shows that the main ingredient in antibacterial hand and dish-washing soaps is triclosan, and that it is now showing up in not only our water supply but has also been detected in human breast milk  and also in our oceans. Alarmingly scientists have not found a way to get rid of triclosan contamination in our water sources. Because of this research we have  made a decision to remove all antibacterial soaps from the Boatel.

One of my big pet peeves is marina’s and munilipaliites that do not recycle.  I personally  refuse to put plastics, glass and cardboard in the garbage bins, put rather hold on to it only it can be properly recycyled even if it means going  out of my way to make sure it does not end up in a garbage bin. We must all lobby to ensure that our marinas support green initatives.

A few years ago we installed dispensers in the showers for shampoo and body wash (both of which dispense bio-degradable products), thereby eliminating hundreds on miniature unused soap and body location containers that end up in our landfills. I would like to see all inns and bed & breakfasts move to eliminating small bottles in favour of a friendly alternative that uses less plastic. We explain to our guests that the products we use are bio-degradable and we prefer that they use our products while they are with us, thereby educating people one guest at a time.  We continue to make every effort  to be environmentally responsible and set a  example for others to follow.

Do you have any suggestions for green living?

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