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 Four Seasons Toronto is timeless, modern and sophisticated, warm and welcoming. Expect vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and acres of mahogany, accented with black and gold. The hotel celebrates homegrown design talent and artwork, showcasing 1,700 pieces of Canadian art throughout. The lighting in the entire hotel is so flattering, visitors Instagram about it constantly. Typical, loyal Four Seasons fans include business travellers during the week, with tourists taking over at the weekend. Visiting celebrities and athletes inject a dash of glamour any day of the week.

Rooms: The expansive 259 rooms and suites over 21 floors are beyond comfortable. The design is contemporary, with cozy textures and muted colours, grey rugs and European oak flooring, ample bleached Koto wood veneer cabinetry and windows that actually open. Bedside iPads provide info on restaurants, recreation and special events and a wee Bose speaker pumps out ample sound. Big bathrooms are clad in Canadian marble and feature a soaker tub, a spacious shower, a makeup/shaving mirror and a TV embedded in the main mirror. Rooms are equipped with Nespresso machines, but no sign of George Clooney.

F&B: Globally renown Michelin-star chef Daniel Boulud created the 120-seat French brasserie Café Boulud on the second floor. The classic bistro dishes, including whole rôtisserie duck and chicken, were inspired by the type of family-style meals Boulud remembers from growing up near Lyon. Breakfast is also an event here, with delectable Parisian-, American-, Italian- and Canadian-inspired items. Boulud is also the orchestrator of the bustling dBar on the main floor, its lively social scene and excellent menu a hit with the whole city.

Extras: The 30,000-square-foot, full-service spa is one of the best in town, with 17 treatment rooms and an indoor pool. Change rooms are massive and luxurious, incorporating a full lounge, steam room and sauna. A 3,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art gym with an adjoining yoga studio is open 24 hours.

Off-Site: Right in the heart of the fashionable Yorkville district, the Four Seasons is a two-minute walk from Toronto’s “Mink Mile” of luxury-goods retailers, fine restaurants, galleries and cafés. The Royal Ontario Museum is a 10-minute walk west. Many guests rarely leave the neighbourhood. Those who do, find themselves conveniently equidistant from uptown and downtown.

Rate: $$$$
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Vibe: The look is modern and intimate. A lobby bathed in natural light, a massive living wall behind the front desk, guest room windows that open, multilevel terraces—every effort has been made to bring the outside in at Hotel X Toronto, part of the Library Hotel Collection. The entire hotel is filled with large-format nature photography by Neil Dankoff, with a whole gallery devoted to his work on the main floor. Expect to see everything from tuxedos to shorts and t-shirts at the front desk.

Rooms: The comfortable 365 rooms and 39 suites over 26 floors are pared-down but posh, with ample room for your own things. Expect orange leather club chairs, high-design modern lamps, regal blue and gold carpets and textured, stone-coloured wall coverings. Soft beds sport big wooden padded headboards. Roomy marble-filled bathrooms have glass doors, with most containing both a bathtub and a shower.

F&B: Casual eatery Maxx’s Kitchen is bright and airy, with an open kitchen and views of the lake. Pétros82 Mediterranean restaurant and raw bar overlooking Stanley Gardens has a massive menu incorporating land and sea, plus a raw and cured list that includes three different kinds of caviar. The menu themes carries on into the Lobby Bar with small plates and a short but dangerous cocktail list. The three-level rooftop Falcon SkyBar offers a collection of spaces to get your drink on and enjoy the view.

Extras: The scope of the facilities is staggering, mostly due to Ten X Toronto, a private member fitness club, and the serene Guerlain Spa, the talk of the town. The gym is the biggest hotel gym in Canada with 90,000 square feet of space. It houses four indoor tennis courts, nine glassed-back squash courts, a golf simulator with 90+ courses, and four studios for yoga, spinning, Pilates and group fitness. Guests can also take advantage of two outdoor pools, one attached to Falcon bar. The various configuration of indoor and outdoor meeting space totals 27,000 square feet, including a ballroom that will seat 450. Two cinemas seat 52 and 250 people, which will make Toronto International Film Festival revelers feel right at home. Services also include a VIP and group check in/out lounge, five house BMWs, and free rides to and from Union Station and the Toronto Island Airport. A large daycare facility is divided into three rooms based on age.

Off-Site: Hotel X is a 10-minute drive from the Entertainment and Financial Districts, the Toronto Harbour, the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Queen Street West shopping and nightlife and the King Street West strip. Toronto Island Airport is a five-minute drive away. BMO Field, home of the Toronto Argonauts and Toronto Football Club, is a 10-minute walk away.

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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