Four Seasons Hotel Toronto celebrates TIFF's 50th in style

Published on Aug 26, 2025, 10:04 am CDT

5 min read

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, the brand's flagship, returns as an official hospitality partner for the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers. From September 2 to 14, the Yorkville property will stage high-profile programming, from chef-driven dinners to industry gatherings, positioning Four Seasons Hotel Toronto as a central hub for festivalgoers seeking luxury experiences close to screenings.

Key Points

Why it matters: Four Seasons Hotel Toronto anchors TIFF's milestone year with marquee events.
Travel impact: Expect sold-out rooms, packed dining, and tight spa availability in Yorkville.
What's next: Programming runs September 2 to 14, aligned to TIFF dates and premieres.
BAFTA tea, Vanity Fair event, and Golden Globes party headline the calendar.
Chef Daniel Boulud teams up with Rob Feenie for a coast-to-coast Canadian menu.

Snapshot

The festival warm-up begins September 2 with a Rogers and TIFF kick-off at d|bar by Chef Daniel Boulud and a lobby photo installation curated with the TIFF Film Reference Library. On September 3, Daniel Boulud returns to host a celebratory dinner at Café Boulud with Vancouver chef Rob Feenie, paired with Okanagan Valley wines from CheckMate and Martin's Lane. Starting September 4, d|bar pours a special cocktail menu saluting five decades of TIFF, while Café Boulud offers an exclusive Golden Cherry Champagne cocktail through September 14. BAFTA's afternoon tea lands September 5, the Road to the Golden Globes Party returns September 6, and Vanity Fair convenes an invitation-only event September 7. Limited-time spa treatments and a "50 for 50 Power Lunch" round out the offering.

Background

Four Seasons and TIFF share deep roots in Yorkville, where the festival began as the Festival of Festivals in 1976. Over the last decade, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has evolved into a consistent hospitality base for premieres, press junkets, and partner events. The property's proximity to screening venues, combined with its culinary and bar program, has made it a reliable rendezvous for talent, executives, and press. The hotel's festival-themed lobby exhibits and outdoor murals have also become a visual cue that TIFF season has arrived. With the 50th edition set for September 4 to 14, 2025, the partnership underscores Toronto's status as a world-class film city and Four Seasons' positioning at the intersection of culture and luxury.

Latest Developments

Chef-driven dinners and decade-spanning cocktails

On September 3, Café Boulud hosts a celebratory dinner led by Daniel Boulud with Rob Feenie, Executive Chef and Partner at Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie. The four-course prix fixe highlights ingredients from across Canada, paired with wines from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. Beginning September 4, d|bar introduces a limited cocktail list that nods to signature moments in TIFF history. Café Boulud features The Golden Cherry, a Champagne cocktail accented with cherry-infused vodka, Grand Marnier, saffron syrup, and a 23-karat gold cherry, available through September 14.

Industry spotlights, teas, and parties

BAFTA teams with the hotel for an afternoon tea on September 5, featuring Champagne and elevated English treats from Pastry Chef Kevin Levionnois. The Road to the Golden Globes Party at TIFF, presented by RBC, returns September 6 to kick off the countdown to the 83rd Golden Globes on January 11, 2026. On September 7, Vanity Fair honors TIFF's 50th with an invitation-only evening at d|bar hosted by Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, Baz Luhrmann, and Alice Winocour. These events concentrate A-list talent and executives in Yorkville, reinforcing Four Seasons Hotel Toronto as a festival epicenter.

Spa exclusives and power lunches between screenings

From September 4 to 14, the Spa at Four Seasons Toronto offers limited-time A-list services, including the Red-Carpet Glam Facial and the Golden Glow Manicure. Café Boulud's 50 for 50 Power Lunch, a two-course prix fixe, gives industry guests a swift, refined option between screenings and meetings. Travelers should book early, as reservations and treatment slots are expected to be scarce during peak festival days. If flying in, monitor operations at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and consider our recent coverage for recovery timelines and planning tips, including Air Canada strike ends, gradual restart begins and Air Canada strike settlement: rolling restart and refunds.

Analysis

This year's program shows how Four Seasons leverages culinary prestige, media partnerships, and curated wellness to create a full-spectrum festival experience. Pairing Daniel Boulud with Rob Feenie brings an east-meets-west narrative that fits TIFF's global identity while celebrating Canadian terroir. Alignments with BAFTA, Vanity Fair, and the Golden Globes extend the hotel's reach across influential media and awards ecosystems, concentrating decision-makers in one venue. For travelers, the Yorkville location blends glamour with convenience, avoiding the most intense downtown congestion while remaining minutes from premieres. The cocktail series and lobby exhibit deepen the sense of place, using TIFF's archives to tell a five-decade story within the hotel's public spaces. Finally, limited-time spa treatments and the power lunch acknowledge real festival needs, quick turnarounds, and late nights, showing how luxury hospitality adapts to the tempo of the industry calendar. The result is a compelling case study in event-driven hospitality, where a flagship property becomes a cultural anchor for TIFF's 50th year.

Final Thoughts

With exclusive dinners, marquee media events, and smart service offerings, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto sets the tone for TIFF's golden anniversary. Expect heavy demand across rooms, restaurants, bars, and spa, especially September 4 to 8. For a polished festival rhythm, secure reservations early, build buffer time for transfers, and use Yorkville as a strategic base for meetings between screenings. As TIFF marks 50 years, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto remains a refined stage for cinema, networking, and celebration. The story of TIFF is inseparable from this address, and this year underscores why Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is the place to be.