Let's face it, leaving your home in 2020 is a big freakin' deal, so why not make it worth your while with a staycation at one of these top Toronto hotels. From boutique boudoirs to towers that kiss the sky, there's something special about staying in a home-away-from-home, even if you live just down the street.
Also, working remotely feels way better when you're doing it in a plushy hotel robe and snacking on tiny pillow chocolates. Fact. These Toronto hotspots know a thing or two about style and superlative stays that will make you want to move in for good and fall in love with the city all over again.
If you're looking for more relaxing places to rest your head, trade crisp white linen for a cozy sleeping bag at one of these cool, cute and 'gram-worthy Ontario cabins. For short day trips outside the city, head to Ontario's wine country and experience the best wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake or set out on a culinary cruise and fill up on the best road-trip-worthy restaurants near Toronto.
There's always a place in the city to rest your head when the day is done, good luck choosing which Toronto hotel will make the cut. Better yet, why not try them all... You'll have tiny shampoo bottles for life.
Toronto's coolest, most luxurious hotels: 11 to book for a city staycation
Kimpton Saint George Hotel
Sandwiched between posh Yorkville and the spunky Annex, the Kimpton Saint George is a stylish hotel that strikes a fine balance between homey and eclectic. From the moment you walk through the rounded doorway, you’ll feel as though you were transported to a retreat somewhere far, far away.
The small but perfectly formed space was designed by Mason Studio and has a laid-back aesthetic, with wood and marble accents, sultry dark blues and greys paired with rich pops of colour and local art. In the lobby enjoy complimentary tea and coffee to kick-start your morning and a wine hour in the evenings. There's also custom designed PUBLIC bikes available for guests.
The Anndore House
Do you ever walk into a place and just want to change your life’s entire design aesthetic? Well, The Anndore House has that kind of effect. The 10-story boutique hotel near Yonge and Bloor is inspired by the building’s storied (and once kind of shady) past. It first opened in the 1950s as a residence and hotel where some of the city’s most famous and infamous slept… Or didn’t, if you catch our drift.
The rooms are designed to look like an industrial loft with a retro style that stays true to its creative and quirky history, while exposed brick walls and brass-accented bathrooms add a modern element for a hipster home-away-from-home feel.
The Drake Hotel
View on Instagram
The Drake Hotel on Queen West has its own unique approach to hospitality, with casual cool vibes and an emphasis on art and design. This 19-room boutique hotel is more like a hub that celebrates the surrounding community and fun creativity.
A former apartment building, the vibrant rooms look like they are home to a local art collector who loves high ceilings, custom furniture and decorated the place with quirky touches and vintage items. There's always something happening at The Drake – the hotel also serves as a residency for local artists and musicians. Who knows, you might even discover your inner artist, or at least have some fun.
Bisha Hotel
This King West tower, complete with three restaurants, is all about in-your-face extravagance. Throughout the hotel, you'll find design choices bolder than someone sliding into your DMs. Decked out in flashy prints of pop culture icons and photos of models, each room at the Bisha Hotel is slightly different than the last – but just as glitzy.
A swirling geometric carpet, custom-made furniture, crushed velvet and other textiles can be found throughout while floor to ceiling windows and white walls brighten up the busy space. The dazzling marble bathrooms in every room come equipped with heated floors and outfitted with snazzy Byredo amenities – see what we mean about tiny toiletries?
The Shangri-la Hotel
View on Instagram
A two-minute walk from Osgoode subway station, this upscale hotel in the middle of downtown Toronto boasts sleek and contemporary design, while maintaining a warm and welcoming feel. The lobby lounge looks like it could be a set of the latest Bond movie and with a rotating selection of vintage Hollywood costumes and gowns on display, it's definitely got slinky A list vibes.
Looks aside, the service and attention to detail is impeccable here. What's more, the rooms are some of the biggest in the city and combine modern luxury with traditional Asian décor. If you can bear to prise your eyes away the views of the city, you'll notice elegant earth-tones, calming bamboo and heated marble floors. Oh, and don't skip on the afternoon tea service or the 9,000-square-foot wellness facility on the fifth floor with a 64-foot pool and a spa. Nice.
The Broadview Hotel
At this iconic east end hotel you’ll find the combination of modern luxury and eclectic charm that Torontonians are all about. Built in the 1890’s, the historic Broadview Hotel has been a local haunt for decades, evolving and changing with the neighbourhood.
Home to unobstructed views of the city’s skyline and Don River, the Rooftop bar is the main attraction. In warmer months, the glass façade opens up onto a sprawling terrace for an abundance of outdoor seating and in the winter time it's decked out in après ski chalet vibes.
Hotel X
This may be a large resort-style hotel with 406 rooms, but the service and attention to detail at Hotel X make you feel like you’re the only guest. First things first: get yourself to the rooftop, pronto, where a year-round heated pool and a sky bar welcome you with panoramic views of Lake Ontario.
You’d have to stay a week to fully experience all of Hotel X’s amenities. From two indoor tennis courts overlooking the Toronto skyline to a movie theatre (sans sticky floors) and a Top Golf simulator, there’s so much room for activities without actually leaving the fully licensed premises. Yup, you can even drink in the gym. The Guerlain Spa is a special treat-du-jour. The only Canadian location of the French beauty house opened late last year and it is fancy as f -rench.
The Annex Hotel
The Annex Hotel aims to tap into the ever-thriving homestay market with its design-hotel-meets-AirBnB concept. With their minimalist yet cozy vibe, rooms look like they’ve been plucked out of an aspirational Instagram feed. It takes its name from its surrounding neighbourhood, reflecting the property’s emphasis on local experiences rather than typical hotel frills.
Set in a 100-year-old building down a quiet side street off Bloor, the Annex has a stylish, urban aesthetic. The hotel takes an “everything-you-need-nothing-you-don’t” approach to amenities, which means no phones, TVs, room service or fitness centre: Just 24 bright, loft-style rooms spread across three storeys.
Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer
Tucked down a side street, slap bang in the middle of the Entertainment District, you might have walked past Le Germain Hotel Toronto on Mercer and never noticed it – but a trip inside is much harder to forget.
High ceilings and Zen design strokes give the lobby a modern Japanese feel, with its light wooden beams and cubic-storage wall in the uber-comfy library lounge. With rooms ranging from the classic with modern wood panelling and cozy nest vibes to the two storey apartment suite with a fully equipped kitchen, there's something for everyone at this urban oasis.
The St. Regis
The former Trump International Hotel and Tower got a glamorous makeover, transforming it into the St. Regis Toronto. Luxe decor and exceptional service are the brand’s signature elements and their Toronto hotel certainly delivers. St. Regis Toronto exudes timeless, understated elegance from head to toe.
Around half of the St. Regis’ 258 rooms are suites with separate living areas, but even if you stick to one of the basic room categories, you definitely won’t be slumming it. There's also a massive spa and fitness centre with a saltwater pool on the 31st floor.
The Ivy Hotel
View on Instagram
Inspired by the luxury boutique hotels of Europe, the Ivy will make you feel like you've taken a trip across the Ocean, instead of just down the block. Located on Queen East in a restored 1850s chocolate factory, The Ivy looks like a 19th-century mansion filled with historic details and opulent modern design and lots of Great Gatsby vibes.
Each room has a working fireplace ideal for curling up with a book from the common room's personal library collection. Rooms are adorned with four-post beds, animal print, velvet chairs and pained armoires that have a hidden mini bar inside. The large bathrooms have heated limestone floors and deep soaking tubs to take the edge off 2020.
