TORONTO — The Kimpton Saint George, the boutique hotel company’s first property in Toronto, celebrated its grand opening this week with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

With a soft opening on June 19, the hotel is now fully open for business in partnership with InnVest Hotels, a company that says it believes that travelling should be fun and specializes in small, intimate hotels.

The hotel, located along Toronto’s ‘Culture Corridor’ on Bloor Street West, is meant to be artful and personal so that guests will have a unique boutique hotel experience.

Sophisticated, yet playful at the same time, it’s “luxury without the attitude,” as Kimpton Saint George General Manager Bertrand Mangeot puts it. For example, the front lobby area is known as the ‘Living Room,’ a place where guests can unwind and chat with other guests and staff.

The hotel is also a “living and breathing art gallery,” explained Mangeot, with original artwork from Canadian artists throughout. The hotel exterior has a hand-painted owl mural by Toronto street artist birdO. The Saint George not only has a commitment to arts, but to culture and philanthropy as well.

One interesting aspect of this hotel is that each of its suites has a TEAC turntable system and vinyl records from a variety of Canadian artists. Each room also has a yoga mat.

The 14-storey Kimpton Saint George has 188 rooms, including 20 suites and a Presidential Suite. There’s also approximately 1,500 square feet of meeting space on the ground level, with a pre-function lounge and the Peregrine Room. There’s valet parking, a 24-hour fitness centre, a hosted wine hour from 5 to 6 p.m. and complimentary bikes. Pets are permitted, but there are also pet-free floors for those with allergies.

The hotel has a hip gastropub on-site called The Fortunate Fox, which features a full menu of classic pub items made from scratch. It has a patio outside, a local craft beer menu and many creative cocktails to choose from.