Last week, Urban Toronto had occasion to get an update on construction progress inside the Ritz-Carlton courtesy of Garnet Watchorn, president of Graywood Developments Ltd., and facilitated by David Eisenstadt of The Communications Group. Slowly but surely, the true opulence of the building is being uncovered, revealing what promises to be among the most luxurious hotel-residences in the Ritz-Carlton family.

A view across the granite-surfaced porte-cochère toward the hotel lobby entrance.

Spanish anigre wood panelling in the hotel lobby.

Other finishes in the hotel lobby include cherry wood, anodized steel, and Alicante marble.

The future TOCA restaurant with double-vaulted ceilings on the second floor of the hotel lobby.

Looking toward the private dining room (left) and wine-tasting room (right) inside the restaurant.

The restaurant also contains a cheese-aging room.

The restaurant kitchen, which includes a chef's table for invited guests.

The second level of the podium just outside the grand ballroom.

A view inside the immense grand ballroom, here divided into three sections by sliding partitions.

The specially-commissioned carpet in the grand ballroom was created, delivered, and installed in one piece. It depicts the riverbed of the Don.

The mechanical room on the third level of the podium, one of two in the building, with the other located below grade and powered by Deep Lake Water Cooling.

Laundry facilities on the third floor of the podium.

The fourth level of the podium just outside the junior ballroom.

The junior ballroom.

Boardroom on the fourth level of the podium.

Inside the 23,000 sq ft spa encompassing the entire fifth level of the podium. The spa features a retail boutique, beauty salon, fitness centre, swimming area, co-ed relaxation room, men's and women's relaxation lounges, sixteen treatment rooms, grooming stations, vitality pools, saunas, and steam rooms.

The swimming area inside the spa.

The outdoor lounge terrace for residents with rough-granite decking and under-floor heating on the 21st floor, which also houses the residents-only Sky Lobby, lounge, bar, fitness studio, screening room, games room, meeting room, and private guest suite.

A peek inside the 10,800 sq ft private penthouse on the 52nd floor, which can be accessed by two reserved residential elevators and one service elevator.

The 2,000 sq ft penthouse terrace under scaffolding due a construction accident a few weeks ago.

And that marks the end of our tour of The Ritz-Carlton, which is sure to set a new standard for luxurious living in this country. Urban Toronto will continue to visit and report on the building as construction advances toward its official opening early next year.