Digital Journal — Over the next week, A-list celebrities and movies will descend on the Toronto International Film Festival. What’s lost in the hype is the frenetic pace buzzing through the unofficial hub for all things film fest, the renowned Sutton Place Hotel. It might not be a glamorous job, hosting every A-lister’s whim and food request, but for a lesson in hospitality, the Sutton Place is the ideal role model.
From Sept. 6 to 15, the Sutton Place Hotel will fill all 294 rooms with film festival stars, directors and executives. Past TIFF guests at the hotel have included Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Gabriel Byrne, Laura Linney and Brian De Palma. The public always sees the Hollywood face during the hotel’s busiest week, but rarely does the Sutton Place reveal the intense preparation that goes into becoming the hub for the film industry. Until now.
“This year, we had to convert storage areas into usable space,” admits Christopher Ashby, director of sales and marketing for the Sutton Place Hotel. The surge of Hollywood execs has escalated to such a level, he explains, that the hotel has to morph any possible space into a VIP arrival area, for example. It’s all part of the flexible management that has made the esteemed film festival Sutton’s steady client since TIFF began 32 years ago.
The hotel’s reputation is also highly regarded for being the official media venue for TIFF press conferences. Journalists from all over the world congregate at the Sutton Place to interview actors, producers and directors about the films that will eventually be released to the public.
“We’ve always been connected to the film and entertainment industry,” Ashby says. “During TIFF, this is where deals happen, where rooms are turned into offices, where people meet throughout the entire week.”
The lobby at Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto has been witness to foot traffic from Hollywood celebs such as Brad Pitt, Laura Linney and Sean Penn
So what does the Sutton Place do behind the scenes to ensure a comfortable stay for Hollywood glitterati and CanCon filmmakers? Hotel workers move furniture day and night to convert suites into offices; special sections of the hotel are turned into areas to handle the 36 press conferences during the week; high-priced equipment, like LCDs and large PCs, are shuttled into rooms; and every desire by guests are serviced by the all-too-willing hotel staff.
Ashby says he’s seen every celebrity request imaginable, from sensible to outlandish to just plain odd. “We’ve changed the colours of drapes and couches, increased the height of beds and accommodated all kinds of animals, even penguins.”
Care to share what celebs requested what? Ashby pauses then replies, “We are careful to maintain the privacy of our guests and their needs.” It’s a typically tactful response from a hotelier known for shrouding the identity of its famous guests.
But Sutton Place is more than happy to reveal a very tasty aspect of its TIFF week: the food. The kitchen at the hotel’s restaurant, Accents, is busier than usual, and executive chef Christopher Duernholz tells Digital Journal that kitchen staff are prepared to handle any last-minute requests.
“Some guests have certain requirements we have to meet,” Duernholz says, citing allergies, kosher diets and non-dairy food as some of the top requests.
This year, Duernholz will be cooking up some creative dishes for the TIFF regulars. He plans on filling a menu with items “popular in the 1960s spiced with a modern twist.” Visitors to Accents can expect venison stroganoff, macaroni and cheese with smoked bacon, and lamb racks marinated with mint, thyme and olive oil.
But there’s one festival favourite that will likely win big applause from diners. “The lobster clubhouse sandwich is a huge winner,” Duernholz says, describing a succulent sandwich with poached lobster sprinkled with tarragon and mayonnaise and topped with avocado.
Executive suites at Sutton Place Hotel will host various high-profile guests coming for the Toronto International Film Fesitval, running from Sept. 6 to 15.
“We have amazingly complex food, but it’s not intimidating,” assures Ashby.
He could be talking about the menu or the preparation that hotel staff must undergo for TIFF: it’s complicated, but not incredibly daunting. As Ashby says, “We are long-standing professionals who have managed many film festivals before, so we’re not nervous.”
As much as the Sutton staff is taking TIFF in stride, Ashby and company still have to anticipate the smallest problems or tweaks to the schedule. “Since there’s a large number of high-profile guests with special needs, we have to be one step ahead and deal with ever-evolving changes,” Ashby says.
No matter the rush-rush hectic life for the Sutton Place Hotel in the coming week, Ashby underscores one word that should be on the minds of everyone involved in handling TIFF. “It’s fun,” he declares. “And we have to keep reminding ourselves that the first word of the festival is fun.”
