Vibe: A grand style pervades at the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, but never gets too showy. The hotel’s definitive global feel is evident via the traditional look of high-level luxury, but classic Canadiana—via the hotel’s permanent 450-piece art collection by Canadian artists or those living in Canada—makes it unique. Refreshed and streamlined public spaces on the higher floors feature carpets with swirling patterns that mimic the movement of Lake Ontario, colours occurring in nature and old-style heritage elegance.

Rooms: Find soft beds, Italian linens, traditional furniture, rich textures and a muted colour palette throughout 200 of the 263 rooms. They have lots of cabinets and closet space, plus minibars and espresso machines. Marble bathrooms have double sinks, a private toilet, a shower and a big bathtub. But splurge for one of the suites: Modern Hollywood Regency touches pervade in the form of a grey and silver colour palette punched up with gold finishings, geometric-print wallpaper, and low-slung, mustard-yellow furniture. Deco-style mirror treatments and sconces shine up an already-bright bathroom. During the night, motion-sensored lighting will lead you safely to the Kohler Intelligent toilet’s blue glow.

F&B: More than half of the hotel’s restaurant business is local, which speaks volumes, as competition in the Entertainment District is more than stiff. TOCA Restaurant (standing for Toronto, Canada) is full-on Italian fine dining with a refined-rustic feel—all wood floors and ceilings, tufted banquettes and hand-painted chargers. Its famous cheese cave stores a curated cache of English, French, Italian, Quebec and Ontario cheeses. The main-floor DEQ Terrace & Lounge is always busy inside and out (weather permitting), serving comfort food in the form of mini burgers, meatballs and truffle fries. The Ritz Bar at the hotel’s front door is a swirl of liquid nitrogen-laden cocktails most nights. By day, it’s a local coffee hangout. Have the exclusive Black Ivory Coffee ritual.

Extras: With 16 treatment rooms, the impressive fifth-floor spa is a glam retreat, the only Spa My Blend by Clarins in North America, with skin treatments that can be custom-tailored to your skin type. An enclosed Champagne Nail Bar sits adjacent to reception. The 24-hour fitness centre is run by Innovative Fitness, offering personal training and a running club. A salt-water pool sports spa jets along one side, with a small whirlpool in the corner.

Off-Site: In the thick of the Entertainment District and within walking distance of the Financial District, the Ritz-Carlton is a three-minute walk to Roy Thomson Hall (home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra), the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and the Royal Alexandra and Princess of Wales Theatres. The CN Tower, Scotiabank Arena (home of the Maple Leafs hockey team and the Toronto Raptors basketball team) and Rogers Centre (home of Blue Jays baseball) are 10 minutes away.

Rate: $$$$
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Vibe: The independent Hazelton Hotel has the type of full-on luxury favoured by lifestyle-conscious high-achievers from the worlds of art, fashion and entertainment, including the occasional pop star. The style speaks of a well-appointed old-style private club—all dark and plush, with plenty of texture and cozy seating nooks. Retro colours—rusts, greens and oranges—are given a contemporary twist, with amber lighting, metal accents, soft fabrics and ostrich leather warming things up.

Rooms: All three tiers of accommodation sport rooms that are spacious, uncluttered and subdued, with huge wardrobes, swivel TVs, a mini bar, a pillow menu, drapes you can manipulate from a bedside switch, and a through-the-roof thread count. A Nespresso machine will help kick-start your day. A sexy, dark green granite bathroom doesn’t feel overdone and comes replete with heated floors, TVs embedded in the mirrors, L’Occitane amenities, a big bathtub with Epsom salts and a separate shower. Nineteen of the 77 rooms have walk-out balconies, with the rest featuring Juliet balconies.

F&B: ONE Restaurant is a destination in itself, helmed by one of Canada’s leading chefs, Mark McEwan, who, in addition to having his own TV show, The Heat, was one of the judges on Top Chef Canada. Classic French and Italian flavours are matched with the best ingredients Ontario has to offer. A classic P.E.I. grass-fed beef selection of steaks is supported by hearty seafood items and a selection of decadent pasta dishes, plus a huge starter list that includes things like salmon tartare, fresh oysters and grilled octopus.

The intimate Neil Young private dining room is sequestered at the back of the restaurant. Guests can enjoy 24-hour in-room dining. The lively bar is perfect for people-watching and a boxwood-lined patio is always busy.

Extras: Find attentive, luxury-calibre service from a team of staff that is quick off the draw to call you by name. A full-service spa touts Swiss product line Valmont. The spa and fitness centre changing areas have large steam rooms, with a lift that takes you down to a tranquil salt-water pool. A 25-seat screening room can play host to everything from business presentations to sports events to Oscar parties. The Yorkville Room seats 70 people for intimate private suppers or business luncheons.

Off-Site: Tucked away in the tree-lined heart of Toronto’s up-market Yorkville district, the Hazelton overlooks a cluster of fashionable boutiques, bars and restaurants, all just a two-minute walk from Toronto’s Mink Mile, the city’s designer shopping strip.

Rate: $$$$
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Vibe: The interesting mix of guests—from blue suits to baseball caps—makes for a lively mix. The movie industry is also attracted to the Delta, happy to have the luxury of space, with productions often blocking off big swaths of guest rooms, of which there are 567 over 40 floors. A clean and modern Canadiana look and feel runs throughout, with hits of bright colour and bold murals punctuating white oak and copper finishes.

Rooms: The views are picture-perfect. Corner-room views are absolutely stunning, while rooms with bathtubs that overlook the cityscape are beyond popular. The simplicity of the design—clean lines, neutral colours, efficient desk space, white oak headboard and cupboards—boosts the comfort factor. Non-essentials such as robes and a minibar have been nixed in favour of the “more-essentials” like an iron and ironing board. Indirect lighting makes for a cozier atmosphere. Smart TVs let you browse hotel services, check in with the concierge, check out the room service menu or check out of the hotel altogether.

F&B: The SOCO Kitchen + Bar does triple duty, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. A side counter sells coffees and lighter snacks. Neither feature fancy hotel prices: they are both very much places for the neighbourhood, busy on concert and game nights, and a hit with nearby office workers. The dining room is expansive and comfortable, with high ceilings, more blond wood, a long bar and a sexy side lounge. A small whisky bar tucked just off the lobby tempts local downtowners to perhaps catch a later train. The Roof at SOCO on the fourth floor is an outdoor retreat with a view for cocktails and light snacks.

Extras: Prime conference facilities reel in the business crowd and convention groups daily, utilizing more than 17,000 square feet of space. A roomy fitness centre and salt water pool, complete with a hot tub and steam room, take up the fourth floor. A Club Lounge on the 46th floor is open to guests in Club level rooms on floors 43 to 46, offering simple breakfasts, a comfy “living room,” a small meeting room and work space.

Off-Site: Scotiabank Arena (home of the Maple Leafs hockey team and the Raptors basketball team) and Rogers Centre (home of Blue Jays baseball) are both a four-minute walk away. The Delta is directly connected with the downtown underground pedestrian network, PATH, which is linked to Union Station around the corner, connecting guests to the subway, the VIA passenger rail system, the GO commuter transit system and the UP Express train to the airport. This is particularly good for winter visitors. Tourists can be enjoying the waterfront within a five-minute walk south.

Rate: $$

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Vibe: It doesn’t get much cooler than this. Informal, quirky and fun, The Drake is a pioneer of the small boutique experience in the city—artsy and original, with a high- and low-brow look and feel. The building’s façade, original granite floors and front lobby design details hark back to the building’s rambling past. Art springs out of almost every corner, as you would expect from a hotel with a full-time art curator. The Drake was the first North American hotel to offer a “pleasure menu,” featuring items from sex shop Come As You Are.

Rooms: The rooms sport bold colours and patterns, retro-style furniture and lighting, simple wood shelving and a stand-out original piece of art above a wooden headboard. A functional luggage rack along the top of one side frees up floor space and doubles as a clothes rack. Rooms also come loaded with tempting snacks and a ton of alcohol, a Bose SoundLink Mini, and a safe cleverly stashed inside a drawer. Bathrooms feature a private toilet and a large shower, with Malin & Goetz amenities adding a dash of luxury.

F&B: Culinary offerings in three main spaces—café, lounge and rooftop Sky Yard—are inventive, with the kitchen producing as much as possible themselves, including all the bread, charcuterie, pasta, and preserves. A raw bar churns out made-to-order sushi. The burger is one of the best in town, with “fancy fries” covered in grated pecorino cheese and truffle butter. The café does a serious breakfast, serving specialties such as house-smoked salmon, house-made sausage and a killer breakfast sandwich. A cocktail list is chock-full of booze-forward drinks created by the resident bartenders, and the wine list is longer than you’d expect, with varied price points.

Extras: A host is stationed at the front door to direct human traffic at busy times, adjacent to the small 24-hour reception desk. Guests get a discount at The Drake General Store across the street, a lifestyle emporium and apothecary with locations across Canada. The Underground space in the basement is busy with meetings, events, live bands and poetry slams. The hotel maintains partnerships with a nearby yoga studio and a gym.

Off-Site: The Drake is right in the thick of the Queen Street West shopping strip. Downtown is an easy 15-minute streetcar ride eastward and trendy Trinity Bellwoods Park is a 10-minute walk. The Ossington Avenue strip of fashionable bars and restaurants is two blocks away.

Rate: $$

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Vibe: Formerly a Holiday Inn, the Kimpton looks more like a residence than a hotel, full of fun quirks, clever details, and arched doorways, hallways and mirrors uniting the design of the public spaces. A cool shade of blue-green replaces the regular hotel beige. Expect lots of wood, patterned rugs and many other earthy colours and textures, including loads of natural light. A fireplace warms up a cozy and comfortable living room-like lounge off the lobby, a fine spot to settle in with the newspaper.

Rooms: The design of the 188 rooms, including 21 suites, is meant to capture the essence of the Annex neighbourhood’s heritage homes, with sculptural furnishings like moulded walnut desks and rounded mirrors, plus gold light fixtures and locally sourced art. The colour palette mimics Canadian nature with a mixture of blues, greens, grays, browns and rusts—practically every shade of a Group of Seven painting. A record player comes with a new selection of Canadian vinyl. White oak armoires feature natural caning at the door faces and a white resin squirrel sculpture inside, a nod to Toronto’s famous west end albino squirrel. Frette sheets, robes and towels add a distinct touch of luxury. Grey-tiled bathrooms feature a marble vanity and natural Atelier Bloem amenities. A yoga mat can be found in every closet. The standard room size is 300 square feet.

F&B: The sole restaurant is The Fortunate Fox, a lively, third party-owned gastropub doing breakfast through dinner and on to late-night snacks. An elevated pub menu features all the basics, including fried chicken, a curry, fish and chips, burgers, pizzettes, sandwiches and salads. Everything is made from scratch.

Extras: The Peregrine Room is the main event room on the ground floor with 1,500 square feet of space in total, including a break-out area. Natural materials, natural light, warm tones of peach and gray, locally sourced furniture and cheeky artwork make for a very non-businesslike atmosphere. An airy, state-of-the-art fitness room also sports an adjacent exercise/yoga room. Bicycles are available for those who want to hop on the Bloor Street bike lane right at the front door.

Off-Site: The Kimpton Saint George is right in the middle of town, between the west and east ends, and equidistant from uptown and downtown. Hotel guests can walk to The Royal Ontario Museum and The Gardiner Museum (Canada’s national ceramics museum) in under 10 minutes. The famed Bata Shoe Museum is directly across the street.

Rate: $$$

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Vibe: Despite being very elegant, the St. Regis Toronto’s high-style public spaces have a homey feel, a relaxed element of sophisticated comfort. Interiors are modern-traditional with an icing of early 20^th-century glamour. Expect sumptuous low seating, marble tabletops, gold accents, patterned tile flooring and almost futuristic mood lighting, with a colour palate of taupe and tan, grey and silver. There’s a good mix of business travellers who appreciate being a short dash from their head offices, and leisure guests lapping up the luxury amenities.

Rooms: The 261 rooms at the St. Regis are sumptuous and comfortable, all white leather and dark marble with signature purple and lavender accents. Expect patterned carpets, glass tabletops, high-gloss lamps, oodles of crown moulding and sconces dripping with crystal. Bathrooms feature double sinks, shower and tub, heated marble floors, a television embedded in the mirror, a shaving/makeup mirror and fluffy robes.

F&B: At LOUIX LOUIS, the St. Regis 31st-floor hotspot, an Art Deco-tinged design is highlighted by a soaring vaulted ceiling with opulent and dramatic lighting, almost floor-to-ceiling backlit bottles behind a long bar, soothing wooden wall paneling and herringbone-patterned wood flooring. The menu highlights a seafood-forward selection of appetizers—caviar, oysters, seafood platters, smoked scallops and trout—plus a small but satisfying selection of à la carte mains such as Dover sole, striped bass, pastas, ribs and steaks. A gratifying breakfast is anchored by a classic Canadian Breakfast and augmented with signature dishes such as a Pastrami Hash Skilled and Trout Avocado Toast. Astor Lounge on the main floor is modern and elegant, elevated by jazz music and the signature, daily champagne sabering ritual at 6 p.m.

Extras: A tranquil infinity salt-water lap pool and whirlpool overlook the city on the 32nd floor. The fitness centre sports great views of the city and Lake Ontario, with prime equipment and a movement studio for yoga and Pilates. The hotel’s The Spa at The St. Regis Toronto offers a full-service experience with signature massages, facials, body treatments and aesthetics.

Off-Site: ‘The best address in town’ is the well-used catchphrase of the hotel. The St. Regis is literally five to seven minutes walking distance from everything: the business district, Union Station, City Hall, Scotiabank Arena, the Four Seasons Centre, the Sony Centre, the Eaton Centre, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Hudson’s Bay, the King Subway Station, the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Design Exchange, several live theatres and more.

Rate: $$$$

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Vibe: Chic public areas of the Anndore are dark and sexy with a whiff of retro—a nod to the past with a modern touch. A kitchen island-style front desk expresses a casual character. Earthy greens, eggplant and garnet are matched with dark wood and subdued lighting. Gold accents on flooring, skylights and furniture add a glam touch. Gold-framed art hung salon-style carries on into the paneled and velvet-forward lobby bar and the gorgeous restaurant beyond, which are linked by dazzlingly lit open shelving filled with white crockery.

Rooms: Anndore rooms sport a retro, industrial loft style, spartan but not sterile, relatively frill-free yet cozy. Brick walls, exposed electrical and wall coverings that mimic the look of concrete are warmed up by white wooden window shutters, a leather club chair and a patterned rug. A banker’s desk lamp and a Crosley record player punctuate the blond wood cabinetry, along with a small selection of vinyl records. (Neil Diamond! Glenn Campbell!) A bright, white-tiled bathroom carries through the industrial theme with stand-out gold faucets, black cage lights and hexagonal floor tiling. Labelled light panels are a godsend.

F&B: The 145-seat Constantine Toronto restaurant draws a crowd from all over town, lured by admired chef Craig Hardy’s clever mix of Italian and Middle Eastern fare. The huge open kitchen is on full display, practically in the middle of the room, anchored by a wood-fire grill and pizza oven. Expect things like pumpkin kibbeh stuffed with feta, grilled halloumi on Italian fritters, lamb sausage pizza and duck kofte, along with gorgeous hand-made pastas and sumptuous meats. The 50-seat bar mixes smart cocktails and serves shareable menu items. Out on the street, the Scarlet Door Café does the hotel’s grab-and-go duty.

Extras: Guests can use the hotel app to check in, open their door, control the lights and temperature, order room service and watch TV. The app also acts as a concierge service, offering tips on living like a local, listing weekly events, restaurant recommendations and guidebook must-dos. Gym-goers are given a complementary pass to Hone Fitness behind the hotel. Crows Nest Barbershop opened its fifth Canadian location in the Anndore’s storefront to keep the gentlemen tidy.

Off-Site: Conveniently located on a quiet street one block away from the crossroads of the city’s subway system at Yonge and Bloor, The Anndore House is a five-minute walk from Bloor Street’s luxury shopping, the upscale Yorkville area and the LGBTQ neighbourhood. The Royal Ontario Museum is a 10-minute walk east. Downtown shopping is 10 minutes away by subway and the Financial District is a 15-minute taxi ride.

Rate: $$

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