By Lisa Marie Brennan

The sweet sound of hooves galloping through valleys and deserts. The sight of equestrian beauty at every turn. The thrill of watching theatrical effects that push the limits in every sense of the word. This and so much more is what you can expect from Odysseo by Cavalia in its debut run in Mississauga on June 21st.

Known as the world’s largest touring production, this $30-million theatrical extravaganza is truly a feast for the eyes. The show, running since 2011, features 65 beautiful horses and a crew that consists of 48 riders, aerialists, dancers, musicians and acrobats, who all come together in one awe-inspiring performance. This is more than a horse show. It is the story of a man and his horse discovering the majestic landscapes of the Earth together, from the African Savanna to Easter Island.

The excitement of a Cavalia performance is often compared to the wonder of Cirque du Soleil, with double the horsepower and special effects. Odysseo is  truly a show that can be appreciated by all age groups.

See the website for more details about showtimes, location and ticket prices.

And if you do stay in Mississauga for Cavalia and need accommodation, consider Platinum Suites with its central location and great rates, with far more to offer than a hotel room. We look forward to seeing you!

By Lisa Marie Brennan

When presented with unlimited dining options,  it can be hard to narrow down a place to choose from  in the large city of Mississauga.  And if you have special dietary needs, or just want to consume healthier foods in general, your options may be even more limited. Luckily, there are lots of dining establishments that will help you stay on track of your health and wellness goals.

We’ve made it easier for you to search for a healthy restaurant in the city. See here for a list of five healthy places to wet your palate.

Staying at Platinum Suites, conveniently located in Mississauga’s downtown core, enables you to be close to where the action is. If you didn’t feel like dining out, you can also shop here at several  local organic grocery stores and make your meal from scratch in the spacious kitchen at Platinum Suites.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

To truly appreciate what a city has to offer in the present, it’s important to delve into its past. Who lived here? What experiences did they go through as the city rose to its status of sixth-most populous municipality? Some of Mississauga’s rich history has been preserved through the city’s museums and historical homes for this reason alone. Here are just two of the places to begin your cultural journey.

The Benares House

This Georgian-Style estate has more than 165 years of history and was home to four generations of the Harris and Sayer families.  It’s truly a unique experience, as more than 95 per cent of the artifacts in the home are originals, donated by the three great-grandchildren of Captain Harris. The Visitor Centre at Benares hosts an interpretive gallery about Benares Historic House and its original residents, and includes an exhibition gallery with rotating exhibitions and displays. The Benares House is considered one of Mississauga’s newest museums, accessible to the public as of 1995. See here for information on tours and location.

Bradley Museum

Rustic is one word that can describe this delightful piece of history, located on the edge of Lake Ontario in the former village of Clarkson. It was home to Lewis and Elizabeth Bradley in 1830. The site has accessible trails and consists of several historical buildings: the Bradley House, a one-and-a-half storey residence, the Anchorage, a one-and-a-half storey building clad in clapboard and built in 1830 and a Log Cabin built in 1850.

Perhaps the most interesting is the Log Cabin itself. Log cabins were the most common building constructed in what is now known as Mississauga. The original Bradley Log Cabin was slated for demolition in 2002 and after much effort from a grassroots committee, was moved and rebuilt on the site you see today. This is the only surviving original farmhouse in area and offers a very realistic look at what life in 1830s Peel Region would have been like.  See here for more information.

And if you do stay in Mississauga, consider Platinum Suites with its central location and great rates, with far more to offer than a hotel room. We look forward to seeing you!

By Lisa Marie Brennan

The city of Mississauga is no stranger to excitement. There are lots of ways to enjoy the warmer weather, spend next to nothing, and have lots of fun in the process. Check out some of the activities slated for spring and early summer.

Carassauga (May 26th to May 28th)

This three-day festival showcases the cultures of more than 70 countries at different pavilions around Mississauga. Each unique pavilion features exotic foods and entertainment from the country described. See here for further information.

Bread and Honey Festival (June 2nd to 4th)

Head into quaint Streetsville for this 45th annual delicious festival. It includes a wide selection of carnival games, rides and educational demonstrations for the entire family. Be sure to bring your appetite and a sweet tooth, as bread and honey will be plentiful. The last day of the festival features the Rotary Pancake Breakfast.

Check out the website for further details.

LEGENDS’ Row (June 3rd)

This prestigious ceremony honours the accomplishments of well-known people who live in or are from the city of Mississauga. Although the concept is still relatively new, past honourees include Ontario Women’s Hockey founder Fran Rider and internationally-recognized Streetsville band Billy Talent.

Inductees have their stories presented on a display called a Totem. These displays are featured in conjunction with historical panels, outlining the small villages and hamlets from those communities who made up the city of Mississauga at amalgamation in 1974. The new structure that will house the totems will be at Celebration Square and will be unveiled on June 3rd.

Celebration Square Activities

Located right in the heart of downtown Mississauga, across from Square One Shopping Centre, Celebration Square offers a dynamic and diverse mix of concerts and festivals. Here’s a list of some of the upcoming events in store.

Mississauga Marathon (May 5th-7th, 2017)

Mississauga Marathon race weekend is one of the most popular running events in the GTA. The weekend features two days of racing over a variety of distances (2k – 42.2k) and can draw up to 10,000 runners over the weekend. The start line for the marathon is moving to Celebration Square. See here for a map of the marathon.

Movie Nights (May 25th to August 31st, 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.)

All you have to do is grab some friends and a blanket and prepare to watch movies under the night sky at the city’s biggest outdoor theatre. The movies are a mix of older and newer titles to appeal to all tastes.

Spring lineup includes:

Thursday May 25 – The Secret Life of Pets

Thursday June 1 – The Karate Kid

Thursday June 8 – Ghostbusters

Thursday June 15 – Sing

Check here for a more extensive movie list.

Thursday June 22 – The Jungle Book

Canada Day Celebration (July 1st, 2017)

The rich history of Canada is told through live performances and an energetic concert. There will be more than 25 food trucks to keep your hunger at bay, along with activities to pique the kids’ interest and a powerful fireworks finale. See here for further information and for upcoming summer events.

If you stay at Platinum Suites, you will be steps from the action as our furnished apartments are across the street from Celebration Square!

By Lisa Marie Brennan

You can live in the same city for 50 years and still discover new and wonderful things at every turn if you just look. This is not always easy because stepping outside of our comfort zones can be difficult. We have our usual coffee stops, shopping, and parks we like to frequent.  They’re safe and familiar. The ‘burbs are practically designed that way.

After 36 years in Mississauga, my own family recently changed things up and discovered the wonder of Riverwood Conservancy. It’s truly a hidden gem, located on land in Central Mississauga that was once used by First Nations as original trading grounds. Riverwood is a volunteer-run organization that provides programs and services to the community about nature. It is 150 acres of beauty and can offer a true appreciation of what nature has to offer.

As a bird lover, my son was delighted by the Riverwood Bird Trek, which enabled him to get up close and personal with many beautiful birds of the forest. Having chickadees feed from his tiny hand was a wonder – I’d never seen him hold still for that long!

It’s a trail of beauty, with changing topography: The journey begins at McEwan Field Station, continues past a deep ravine and down to the Credit River. Interpretive signs along the way will let you know which birds to be on the lookout for, including cardinals, tree sparrows and downy and hairy woodpeckers. There are dips and peaks to keep things interesting.

It’s more than wilderness though: the Chappell House Gardens will delight you. This heritage building was constructed in 1919, as well as the MacEwan Terrace Garden. Click here to find out more information about Riverwood and how you can get involved.  Even if admission wasn’t free, the rich experience here is priceless.

If you are in town, staying at Platinum Suites, Riverwood is a great destination to check out – you could get there by bus – it’s a single street route along Burnhamthorpe Rd. Hope to see you there!

Image: Flickr

By Lisa Marie Brennan

At quick glance, Mississauga appears to be like any big city — congested and bustling. Simply put, a concrete jungle. But this city of more than 700,000 people has a lot of tranquil nature escapes if you know where to look. Here’s just a glimpse of how much greenery one can find.  

Lakeshore Promenade Park/Harbourfont

This scenic harbourfront is nestled in quaint Port Credit – one of Mississauga’s oldest pockets. It’s here that I’m most reminded of lazy summers in Cape Cod. Enjoy long walks along the pretty harbourfront while taking in the sounds of the rushing water, children laughing and birds flying above. When you’re hungry, grab a bite to eat at Snug Harbour restaurant, with its breathtaking view of the lake. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to visit the city’s working lighthouse. See the website for details.

Kariya Park

This beautiful park is situated right in the heart of downtown Mississauga, within walking distance of the Square One Shopping Centre. The park was officially opened in July 1992, honouring the eleventh anniversary of our twin-city relationship with Kariya , Japan. Take in the array of sweet-smelling pine, gingko, sweetgum trees and rhododendrons as you roam the tranquil pond, stroll garden, and hill garden. Kariya Park is certainly a mix of various forms of Japanese gardens all rolled into one. Click here for more information. Kariya Park is walking distance from your rental apartment at Platinum Suites! Here is more about what is in the area.

Erindale Park

This is the largest park in the city and features five picnic areas, five barbecues, six comfort stations, a playground and opportunities for fishing, hiking and canoeing. Active outdoor activities can be enjoyed year-round here. Take your time walking through the David J. Culham Trail. Sometimes one can spot deer and other wildlife and catch breathtaking views of the Credit River. Bird watchers will truly be in Heaven as they look for their favourite feathered friends.  See here for more information about location and parking.

While you stay with us, ask your Platinum Suites customer service expert how to get around, and how to enjoy the beauty of the city.

image: Wikimedia Commons

I have never been a fan of hotel settings. They’re noisy, bustling, and if you’re unlucky enough to have a family with children in the room next to you, you’re in for a sleepless night.

Given the nature of my work, I frequent hotels more than I’d like. I’m an entrepreneur and am back and forth to the Greater Toronto Area a few times a year. After the last incident in a hotel, where I listened to screaming children running up and down the halls all night, I decided to look for a quieter alternative for my next business venture.

Airbnb for business travel looked promising. Instead of a hotel, I could rent the quiet room of somebody’s home, and have some peace for the duration of my stay. I was really excited about my trip to Mississauga because of this. The house I settled on was at the end of a quiet, tree-lined street, tucked away from a busy intersection.   I had good vibes about this peer-on-peer rental service I decided to take a chance on.

It wasn’t long before things began to unfold, and not for the noisy reasons I thought.

As a business traveller, a reliable Wi-Fi connection is crucial to the success of my business and communication with clients. When I had settled in for the evening on the first night of my stay, I noticed the password for Wi-Fi was not working. The owner of the house was not around and I was forced to do my work in a local restaurant that had free Wi-fi available. It was a huge inconvenience. When I finally did get the password sorted out the next day, the Internet connection would fail intermittently throughout my stay. If that wasn’t bad enough, every time I made a call on my cell phone, the connection was so terrible that the calls kept dropping. I soon realized that a reliable Internet connection cannot be guaranteed in someone’s home, unlike an establishment.

When I returned home a few days later, I mentioned my experience to a friend. He told me about Platinum Suites – fully-furnished, extended-stay apartment rental suites in the heart of downtown Mississauga. He reassured me that Platinum Suites have spacious units with multiple rooms. Because of this, I’d have less chance of hearing noise than if I was in a one-bedroom hotel room.  

The best part is they are designed for extended stays, so business needs such as Wi-Fi, privacy and conference rooms are available at Platinum Suites. Business trips can contribute to a company’s growth, but only if the traveller benefits from the visit. The next time I venture to Mississauga, I will look into staying at Platinum Suites.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

As a small business owner, I had set my sights on Mississauga as the city to increase my chances of entrepreneurial success. This jewel of the Greater Toronto Area is a diverse hub of business opportunities and getting to know what the city had to offer before planting roots was essential.

When planning a stay in Mississauga to get a better feel for the area, I stayed at Platinum Suites.  These fully furnished apartment rental suites caught my eye, above other extended-stay establishments, for one key reason: location. Platinum Suites is located right in the heart of downtown Mississauga. It is just minutes from Square One, the second largest shopping centre in Canada, City Hall, Celebration Square, and the tons of local businesses and restaurants. In a nutshell, this is where the action is.

When I’m travelling to a new location and meeting clients, convenience is everything. I don’t want to worry about commuting all over a bustling, unfamiliar city – especially in inclement weather. Mississauga is large and traffic is inevitable, so any opportunity to walk a short distance to a business meeting is preferable over getting in my car.  

The other defining factor was the spacious units.  If the weather is bad, I have the option of entertaining a client in my own suite at the kitchen table. I can order takeout, or prepare a freshly cooked homemade meal through the convenience of a full kitchen. A private boardroom is also available if I need to accommodate more than a few guests.

On my last business trip, I forgot my printer at home. I was in a panic. The same thing happened again at Platinum Suites, and I was able to borrow one for the duration of my stay, as well as a copier. The convenience, comfort and professionalism made my business trip to Mississauga a stress-free one and I’m looking forward to future visits to the Greater Toronto Area to set some roots down.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

Accommodation Isn’t Always “Business Travel Ready”.

As an entrepreneur, I take several business trips a year around Ontario. Recently, my travels brought me to Mississauga – the city just West of Toronto, and using Airbnb for my accommodations seemed to be a smart option. For those who aren’t familiar with it, Airbnb is an online community marketplace that connects people looking to rent their homes with people who are looking for accommodations.

In planning my seven-day business trip to the Greater Toronto Area, I decided to take up lodging in a quiet subdivision. What better way to experience the bustling city of Mississauga than by staying right in the community, and not in the middle of nowhere, by the airport. The condo unit listing on Airbnb indicated the accommodations were “Business Travel Ready,” so I assumed I’d have no problems.  I was wrong.  

I’ve heard it said that first impressions are everything, and it’s absolutely true. The damp smell in the condo unit hit me the moment I walked in. I couldn’t put my finger on it and couldn’t even begin to describe the smell. The space also appeared much smaller than the pictures online, which was a problem because I intended on having a few colleagues over for dinner during one of my stays and didn’t want us to feel cramped.

If that wasn’t enough, the closets were missing hangers and there was a real shortage on some of the essentials, like toilet paper and fresh linens. I was really in no mood to argue with the host about the state of the place, and didn’t even discover about the shortage of toilet paper until it became an obvious problem.  These are essential items that are supposed to be well stocked up when a renter agrees to stay in the host’s domain.

After returning from my disappointing experience, I talked with a friend about where he has stayed in the past. He plans all his business trips in the GTA with Platinum Suites – fully-furnished, extended-stay apartment rental suites, located in the heart of Mississauga. They are comfortable, spacious, and most of all, clean. He claims that Platinum Suites states what is offered and sticks with it – a good thing, in my book. I am going to look into what Platinum Suites has to offer for my next business trip, as cleanliness is now at the top of my list when it comes to accommodations.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

When disaster in the home strikes – whether it’s a manmade or natural catastrophe — the first place to turn to should be your insurance adjudicator. Chances are, you’re devastated, and maybe even hysterical.  Rightly so. This is the time you need to be heard and guided in the right direction. You’re relying on your insurance adjudicator to make this happen.

Insurance adjudicators are used to dealing with people at their lowest points and are often faced with bumps in trying to ensure policyholders are well taken care of.  Each situation is unique in its own right. For starters, some policyholders may be organized from the get-go during an emergency, and can easily provide the necessary documentation, such as an inventory of damaged and undamaged items in the house. They have a good understanding of what their policy includes.

Others are completely overwhelmed and have little to no idea of what their policy covers. They may expect things they aren’t technically entitled to under their particular policy. It’s up to the insurance company to calmly and patiently walk the policyholder through and assess what needs to be done as soon as possible.

This is where impeccable customer service comes into play. The insurance adjudicator is challenged to be one step ahead of the game and think of things the policyholder may not.  Does this person need temporary housing? Is transportation an issue that impacts where you temporarily place this family? Without a valid driver’s licence, for example, temporary housing has to be conveniently located so the policyholder can get to and from work.

At the end of the day, policyholders want to feel that their unique life situation is important to their insurance company. They don’t want to be “just another number.”  Dragging one’s feet in opening up a claim or being impatient with policyholders will only encourage them to shop around for a company where they do feel respected and listened to.  How to provide the best information in a timely and calm way is crucial for insurance adjudicators in developing a long-lasting relationship with policyholders.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

A few days ago, your family’s lives changed forever when falling trees from a bad storm caused extensive damage to the interior and exterior of your Greater Toronto Area home. With massive renovations needed, you and your husband decided the best thing was to stay elsewhere while your home was repaired. It certainly was not a suitable living environment for two children.

Long discussions with your insurance company landed your family in an extended-stay suite for an undetermined amount of time. In the moment, you were so panicked that you really didn’t understand what your family’s needs would be during your time away from home. Sure, this place was comfortable enough, but comfort was about the only thing you and your husband thought of as important at the time. Food should have been an equally important goal, considering you and your husband spent all of last year trying very hard to lose weight.

You have a little kitchenette with a microwave, and although that’s okay for heating up some TV dinners, you’re growing weary of eating less than subpar. Your kids are delighted by all the convenience food, but inside you’re cringing at how depleted your diets have become. It’s also getting expensive eating most meals out, or ordering in.

A little research leads you to a website for Platinum Suites – fully furnished extended-stay apartment rental suites. They look clean and comfortable, but what catches your eye is that they include a fully functioning kitchen. A perk like this would not only help you save money during your stay, but would allow your family to get back on track with dietary needs – much to the kids’ dismay!
By Lisa Marie Brennan

Your entire career rides on the fact that you have access to a fully functional kitchen. After all, you’re a freelance recipe tester and your “office” is your kitchen. Last week, an electrical fire caused your entire Mississauga bungalow to be destroyed. You not only lost a lot of your precious belongings, but your beautiful workspace went up in flames.

Although it’s devastating on many levels, what worried you most was how to maintain productivity during a disaster. As a freelancer, if you don’t work, you don’t get paid, and setting up a makeshift office in a coffee shop as you have seen others do every morning wasn’t going to cut it for you. What if your insurance company placed you in an extended-stay establishment that merely had a little kitchenette with a microwave? Testing recipes requires a lot of room and access to a complete kitchen. A microwave and a hot plate are useless for testing gourmet international recipes.

Thankfully, your insurance company recommends Platinum Suites – fully furnished and spacious rental apartment suites that include a fully functioning kitchen. There, you could move seamlessly from your home to Platinum Suites and have little to no interruption to your work schedule. With deadlines looming, this was a huge relief and one less headache you had to worry about during one of the most stressful times in your life.
By Lisa Marie Brennan

You chew the end of your pen in frustration and look around you. The kids have cabin fever and are tearing the place apart in boredom. Your creativity as a writer has been completely stifled working in these cramped conditions. With deadlines looming over your head, all you need is a little bit of peace to be alone and write.

When you agreed to your last writing project, you didn’t think your life was going to be like this.

Hindsight really is 20/20. Things changed drastically a few days ago when a tree fell during a freak storm, destroying your Mississauga home. A quick call to your insurance company found your distressed family in a cramped extended-stay suite for an undetermined amount of time. The place is clean enough, but the lack of space is a real problem. It’s small, with a bed for your husband and yourself and a sofa bed for the kids. What you needed was multiple rooms, so you could have a quiet place to do your work.

Watching your kids jump from bed to couch is far from a suitable work environment.

After spending some more time researching your options, you come across an ad for Platinum Suites – fully furnished apartment rental suites that are comfortable and spacious. They offer multiple rooms, so you can achieve the privacy you so desperately need while on deadline. And with location right in the heart of downtown Mississauga, you’d be right near an amazing library to get some extra worktime in.

It’s time to give your insurance company a call back and see if you can look into this promising option.
By Lisa Marie Brennan

Divorce. Death. Moving. These are all major stressors in one’s life. But there’s one missing: renovations. Yes, renovations are considered by some experts to be among the top 5 stressful events in life.

Life during a reno is plain awful. Sure, you could tough it out and stay in your home while it’s been fixed up, but you can appreciate the challenges in doing so. Depending on the extent of the reno, construction workers will be coming in and out of your home all day. You’ll have to deal with the noise, and inhale the fumes and dust caused by the work. Sometimes it may be too dangerous to stay because the machinery and materials that are being used could cause physical injury, especially to young children or those with health issues.

Instead of exposing your family to such an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situation, it may be best to temporarily vacate your home. If you don’t have friends or family nearby, or cringe at the thought of spending a few days with your mother-in-law, it’s time to look for a hotel, right? You can talk to your insurance company about hotel suites for reno stays, but there is a better and more affordable alternative for when you need a place to stay: Platinum Suites.

These fully furnished executive suites offer way more perks! You’ll get a full-sized kitchen, which allows you to save money and eat in for the duration of your stay. If any of your family members have specific dietary restrictions, you won’t have the challenge of finding safe meals in a restaurant.

You’ll get a washer and dryer in your suite, eliminating bothersome trips to the laundromat. Best of all, you’ll be right in the heart of downtown Mississauga —a bustling city in the Greater Toronto Area, with access to shopping centres, entertainment and diversity.

So whenever the unfortunate need to leave your home for a short time arises, talk to your insurance company about putting your family up at Platinum Suites. There you’ll feel as comfortable as you would at home.  

For the first time in your life, not having your driver’s license is a real concern. Up to now, you’ve always managed to live in a convenient, accessible and walkable neighbourhood in Mississauga. You rarely have to ask family or friends for rides because grocery shopping and plazas are close by. If you ever needed to get around to somewhere further in the Greater Toronto Area, a bus stop is just steps away.

Yesterday, your basement apartment was flooded and you suddenly need to seek refuge outside of your home. Finding a place that’s accessible for someone without a licence can be tricky. You need to be able to easily access public transit so you can get to your job in Toronto. With the weather getting colder, convenience practically trumps comfort in terms of where you will stay until your apartment is dry and safe to return.

After spending some time on the phone with your insurance company, to see what you’re covered for during emergency situations, they recommend Platinum Suites – fully furnished and spacious apartment rental suites that are designed for extended stays. The greatest thing about Platinum Suites for you, is location. They are conveniently located in downtown Mississauga, so you won’t have to look for alternative ways to get to and from work. Another perk is en-suite laundry, so you can avoid making the trek to a coin laundromat carrying loads of dirty clothes – in winter, to boot. These are all bonuses in your book and you feel relieved that during an extremely stressful time in your life, some things don’t have to change.

By Lisa Marie Brennan

2016 will be memorable for a lot of not-so-great reasons, but if you lived in Mississauga, Ontario, there was an event that locals will always remember: The day a whole city block shook to its foundations.

One house exploded on Hickory Drive, a quiet suburban street, in a blast that sent debris flying high into the sky and shattering windows several blocks away. Luckily very few people were hurt.

Many families were left wondering when they would be allowed back in their homes (dozens were deemed unfit to live in due to structural damage). Even now, months later, dozens of people are living with friends or family, or they have been put up in hotels. Some stayed with rental apartment companies such as Platinum Suites.

Platinum Suites is the solution to the problem of affordable extended stays in Mississauga because a family can carry on normal life as much as possible. Many insurance adjusters and adjudicators are unaware that rental apartments (known as Furnished Suites) are an option as opposed to hotel suites, so policyholders are advised to ask specifically about this option, which provides these advantages over hotels:

• Families can cook their own meals and shop locally, saving money for both the client and the insurance company.
• Controlling meals means better health for the family
• The areas around the rental suites are walkable and close to everything a family needs
• The monthly rates for rental apartment suites are lower than hotels.
• Families have privacy and separate rooms, and can access many different amenities to make life as comfortable as possible for everyone.
• Storage is available in the building, and residents can get help with moving it.

For more information on Platinum Suites for Insurance Stays, please go to this link. https://platinumsuites.ca/insurance-housing/

I found out about Platinum Suites too late. When I first came to Canada, I decided to stay in Mississauga for a while, as many newcomers to Canada do. So for the first 6 months, I rented the basement of a house that I found online. It made sense at the time I booked it, but there was no way I could’ve anticipated just how difficult this would make my life!

So why didn’t I just stay with someone I knew? Well, I only knew of 2 people living in Canada at the time and I did not have a close enough relationship with either to ask. Anyway, as soon as I reached my basement rental, I knew I would regret what I signed up for.

First of all, the house was in the middle of nowhere. In fact, the neighbourhood was so isolated that I could go for days without seeing anyone! So it was nearly impossible for me to meet new people. Second, it took me forever just to walk to the nearest bus stop. Since I didn’t have a car, I had no choice but to rely on public transportation to run errands. Back home I was used to being able to walk to the grocers. Try doing that during Canadian winters when it’s freezing cold outside, the sidewalks are covered in icy snow and the nearest store takes at least half an hour to walk to!

Had I known about Platinum Suites beforehand, I would’ve definitely booked my stay with them. After all, they are right in the centre of the city, making it easier to meet other people around my age. Everything I could possibly want or need is near Platinum Suites, such as entertainment, a huge shopping centre and public transportation. Instead of wasting my time in some isolated basement in a random neighbourhood, I could’ve been in a lively and fun community, and actually enjoy my first few months in Canada. That’s a lesson I had to learn the hard way.