The 15 Best Hotels in Toronto

For a city that draws more visitors than anywhere else in Canada, Toronto’s hotel scene always felt a little staid. That’s changed lately: In the last two years alone, this sprawling city saw the debut of its first Ace, W, and 1 Hotel properties, along with overhauls of stalwarts like the Park Hyatt.

Just as exciting: Travelers now have lodging options in sought-after neighborhoods like the west-side Annex and east-end Riverdale—both beloved by locals for non-chain shopping, eclectic food, and a less frenetic pace than downtown.

More beds are on the way, with Toronto’s first Nobu and Andaz properties set to open in 2023. In the meantime, as part of our 2023 Hotels We Love series, we’ve curated our definitive list of the 15 best hotels in Toronto that convey the diverse flavors, nonstop energy, and restless creativity of Canada’s largest city.

St. Regis Toronto

Courtesy of St. Regis Toronto

• Why we love it: Unstuffy luxury and a buzzing bar and restaurant
• Neighborhood: Financial District
• Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
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Opened in 2018, Toronto’s first St. Regis pulls off swish without stuffiness. The hotel’s 258 bright, airy guest rooms in blue and cream are larger than those of most high-end competitors in the city, and feature smart touches like overhead bedtime reading lights and chaise longues near windows. Louix Louis, the bar and restaurant on the 31st floor, has become a sensation for its art nouveau-in-outer-space decor and backlit bar holding more than 500 spirits. The hotel’s prime Bay Street corner means you’re a block west of downtown’s bustling Yonge Street, a 15-minute walk from the Entertainment District, and a 10-minute stroll to the landmark Union Station transit hub. The 30th-floor Caroline Astor and John Jacob Astor suites—at 1,675 and 2,035 square feet, respectively—are among Toronto’s most opulent hotel rooms. From $857

Park Hyatt Toronto

Courtesy of Park Hyatt Toronto

• Why we love it: Canadiana with a contemporary twist in a posh locale
• Neighborhood: Yorkville
• Loyalty program: World of Hyatt
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Open since 1936, this Yorkville stalwart closed in 2017 for a four-year overhaul. It was worth the wait. Reimagined and reconfigured, the Park Hyatt Toronto blends Canadian art, locally sourced materials, and nature-inspired decor into one of the city’s most storied luxury hotels. The soaring lobby includes celebrated restaurant Joni—named after Joni Mitchell—along with vitrines displaying ceramic art on loan from the neighboring Gardiner Museum. The Park Hyatt’s 219 guest rooms, which include 40 suites, feature art deco-inspired furnishings, ample lighting, and enormous beds worth spending all day in. Don’t miss the 17th-floor Writer’s Room Bar, with its skyline views and portraits of Canadian literati—including Margaret Atwood and Farley Mowat—who are known to have gathered at the hotel.

1 Hotel Toronto

Photo by Brandon Barre Photography

• Why we love it: A plant-filled, eco-centric hotel shaped by local partners
• Neighborhood: King Street West
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Though the 1 Hotel brand launched in Miami and New York, its first Canadian hotel has more local DNA than a maternity ward. Ontario woodworkers transformed fallen Toronto trees into more than 1,000 pieces of furniture. Local landscapers maintain the hotel’s 3,000 plants. Toronto artists Moss & Lam created the feathery hanging lobby sculpture. And the 1 Kitchen restaurant taps nearby purveyors like Cookstown Greens (Thornton), Sheldon Creek Dairy (Loretto), and downtown’s Forno Cultura Breads. A rooftop pool and bar give you more ways to embrace nature, while bright, rustic-chic guest rooms feel restorative after wading into the neighborhood’s raucous nightlife. From $600

Four Seasons Toronto

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel

• Why we love it: Understated Canadian luxury with museum-quality local art
• Neighborhood: Yorkville
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The Four Seasons brand was born in Toronto—it started as a motel in 1961—so the company went big on its 259-room flagship, which opened in 2012. A serene, soaring lobby blends Asian influences with a rotating collection of 1,700 specially commissioned works by Canadian artists, like Alissa Coe’s dandelion sculpture above the front desk. Guest rooms, primarily in white, are understated yet beyond comfortable. New York superchef Daniel Boulud operates the pricey restaurant; newly reopened d|azur patio—with its massive pink mural by Ontario artist Florence Solis-Byun—feels a little more local. The hotel’s ultra-indulgent spa just relaunched its outdoor terrace, with a menu of California cuisine and skyline views. Affluent Yorkville’s at your doorstep, including Canadian luxe retailer Holt Renfrew, a five-minute walk southeast. From $500

The Drake Hotel

Courtesy of the Drake

• Why we love it: a forever-cool westside institution with a gleaming new wing
• Neighborhood: West Queen West
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Opened in 2004 in a 19th-century building, the 19-room Drake Hotel is beloved for sharp design, intelligent art, and non-kitsch Canadiana—check out the gift shop’s Thrasher-inspired Toronto T-shirts. Its new Modern Wing opened in February, unveiling 32 more rooms with midcentury-modern overtones, quirky art like Owen Marshall’s Unremarkable Staircase text installations in stairwells, and custom platform beds.

With massive picture windows overlooking busy Queen West, the Drake’s restaurant provides the street’s best people-watching perch. Basement bar Drake Underground hosts some of Toronto’s best live indie rock. And the Modern Wing’s tiny lobby lounge makes an inviting spot for a shot or an evening, with its cherry-red bar and low-key lighting. The Drake claims its entire creative team lives in the neighborhood, so the hotel feels real without trying. From $265

Le Germain Maple Leaf Square

Courtesy of Le Germain Maple Leaf Square

• Why we love it: Serene decor infused with Montreal cool; sports and culture venues at your doorstep
• Neighborhood: Entertainment District/Maple Leaf Square
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The second Toronto property from Québec’s Le Germain Hôtels brings a sleek new lodging option in an unbeatable downtown location. Scotiabank Arena, home to hockey’s Maple Leafs and basketball’s Raptors, sits behind the 167-room hotel; the CN Tower, Rogers Centre baseball stadium, and the Hockey Hall of Fame are less than 15 minutes on foot. Soaring ceilings, gleaming wood, and understated furniture in muted tones convey serenity in the guest rooms. Blackout curtains and excellent soundproofing make the hotel feel like a retreat, even with occasional fan madness outside. Bonus: Exceptional bedding comes from upscale Québec retailer Maison Simons. From $700

The Anndore House

• Why we love it: Former flophouse reborn as smart boutique hotel
• Neighborhood: Yonge/Bloor
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A former apartment building and onetime flophouse, the Anndore House is an elegant yet minimalist property whose largest suite, at 550 square feet, feels like a downtown condo, with exposed brick walls, wood floors, and a plush king bed. All rooms come with turntables; guests can spin from the front desk’s well-edited vinyl collection. Lobby restaurant Constantine has earned raves from hard-to-please local foodies for its Mediterranean fare; don’t miss the lamb burger with whipped feta. On the ground floor, local Crow’s Nest barbershop lures a devoted citywide following, and tiny Hot Black Coffee offers window seats on the passing downtown parade. From $265

The Broadview Hotel

Eugen Sakhnenko

• Why we love it: Onetime strip club transformed into boisterous indie hotel
• Neighborhood: Riverdale
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A few locals may miss longtime tenant Jilly’s strip club, but most Torontonians were elated at the Broadview’s 2016 transformation into a buzzy boutique hotel with 58 rooms, outfitted in leather, with high ceilings and oversized windows. In mostly residential, east-end Riverdale, the Broadview has become a scene. Drop your bags and zip up to the art deco–inspired rooftop lounge, whose indoor/outdoor seating offers killer 360-degree views of Toronto’s downtown skyline and low-slung neighborhoods. Eclectic lobby restaurant the Civic has become a neighborhood hangout, with standouts from gnocchi with spring vegetables to Nashville hot-chicken baos. Bonus: The Leslieville district, with its indie shops and chef-owned restaurants, is a short walk east. From $330

Shangri-La Toronto

Courtesy of Shangri-La Toronto

• Why we love it: Indulgent service, unbeatable views, exceptional gym and spa
• Neighborhood: University Avenue/Financial District
• Book now

In the Financial District, behind the Shangri-La Toronto’s shiny glass-and-steel exterior is an oasis of serenity. Here, a long, black-marble fireplace dominates the lobby lounge, with its leather banquettes and huge abstract prints. The hotel’s 202 guest rooms and suites were designed with inviting wood accents and beige tones; all offer panoramic city views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel’s glass-enclosed gym and pool stay open around the clock, and its Miraj Hammam Spa is a destination itself (try the Turkish Bath Ritual, which comes with a high-intensity steam and a clay masque). Splurge on a suite for extra pampering from one of Shangri-La’s dedicated butlers. From $350

The Ivy at Verity

• Why we love it: Ultra-discreet hideaway in a former chocolate factory
• Neighborhood: Queen Street East
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You might walk by this restored 1850s chocolate factory without realizing it’s your hotel. That’s how regulars like it. Ivy is the ultra-discreet four-room hotel now inside Verity, a 65,000-square-foot private women’s social and networking club on a central Queen Street East block. Suites feature king-size Hastens beds and plush upholstered furniture. Guest rooms, a little old-school, are larger than typical Toronto hotel rooms and all have expansive terraces. Chef Lorenzo Loseto’s highly regarded George restaurant occupies the ground floor; its tasting menus are spectacular and pricey. Note that while the Ivy welcomes everyone, its spa is women only. From $296

Fairmont Royal York

• Why we love it: Completely updated classic facing Toronto’s main train station
• Neighborhood: Union Station
• Book now

The Fairmont Royal York breathes Toronto history. Nearly a century after opening as a grand railway hotel, this 1,363-room Gothic revival masterpiece still feels magical. Public areas underwent a total overhaul in 2019—it’s now back-to-the-future cool—and guest rooms have been refreshed with a lighter palette and clean-lined furnishings. Its location across from Union Station is ideal if you’re taking the UPExpress train to or from Toronto Pearson International Airport; smaller Billy Bishop airport, which Porter serves, is 10 minutes by cab. Attractions like the Hockey Hall of Fame, Ripley’s Aquarium, and the CN Tower are all within walking distance. The Fairmont Royal York also employs some of Toronto’s most capable concierges. From $736

Hotel Ocho

• Why we love it: Industrial-chic retreat near bustling Chinatown and Kensington Market
• Neighborhood: Fashion District
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A 120-year-old former warehouse that once stored everything from cigars to rags, Hotel Ocho is the only boutique hotel on this bustling strip just south of Chinatown and boho Kensington Market. Like the industrial-chic public spaces, guest rooms also have exposed brick, rough-hewn wood, and steel surfaces. All beds are queen size; bathrooms gleam in marble and granite. The second-floor Ocho restaurant has become a destination for earthy French Italian fare. Bonus: Buzzed-about new Vietnamese spot Ca Phe Rang is one block south. The hotel also situates you a few doors from local landmark Sonic Boom, a trove of vinyl, CDs, books, and ephemera. From $240

Ace Hotel Toronto

Courtesy of the Ace Hotel Toronto

• Why we love it: Crackling social scene and mod design at Ace’s first Canadian property
• Neighborhood: Fashion District
• Book Now

Opened in July 2023, Canada’s first Ace hotel is working hard to embrace its new home. It’s partnering with Toronto indie label Arts & Crafts and queer collective Yohomo on DJ nights; the 123-room hotel even has a community and marketing manager, who plans to showcase homegrown arts and culture. Meanwhile, the Ace is impressing neighbors and guests with a towering concrete lobby, groovy guest rooms, and a just-opened restaurant from local star chef Patrick Kriss. The Ace is sandwiched between popular Queen and King streets on Camden Street; a huge food hall is slated to debut across the street this winter. From $514

W Toronto

Courtesy of W Hotel

• Why we love it: Brutalist facade, riotously colorful interiors, and downtown’s biggest rooftop terrace
• Neighborhood: Yonge/Bloor
• Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
• Book Now

Toronto’s first W replaced a dowdy Marriott in a striking brutalist building. Opened in July, the hotel is packed with original art, from Alan Ganev’s graffiti-inspired Toronto Gush mural in the street-level Public School coffeehouse to Sage Barnes’s floral painting Self Care near the sixth-floor “welcome desk” (don’t say “lobby” here).

Its huge rooftop is the neighborhood’s biggest terrace, a plant-bedecked, Marrakech-inspired fantasia serving Middle Eastern tapas. Guest rooms strive for sexiness, with velvet curtains, curved banquettes, and mushroom-shaped lamps. The hotel also boasts the first W Sound Suite in Canada, a kitted-out recording studio that takes karaoke to new levels. A terrific location puts you in the symbolic heart of downtown, the intersection of Yonge and Bloor streets. From $368

The Annex Hotel

Courtesy of the Annex Hotel

• Why we love it: Urban hideaway in the middle of one of Toronto’s most desirable neighborhoods
• Neighborhood: Annex
• Book Now

Painted black, the Annex Hotel is nearly concealed in an alley, but gets you close to Bloor Street West’s coffee shops, restaurants, bookstores, and bars. The Annex is the only hotel in this highly desirable neighborhood of stately houses and University of Toronto buildings. There are enough eateries nearby that the hotel forgos a full-service restaurant. Two Twos, the Annex’s bar/burger joint, can get raucous; an adjacent wine bar feels more like a speakeasy, albeit one with biodynamic wines. Guest rooms are functional and bright, with beds on wooden platforms. They’re designed for people who spend most of their time exploring, not indoors. From $209

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