Vibe: Tucked away on quiet and unassuming Mercer Street, Le Germain is more hideaway than hotel. Comfortable and unstuffy, it plays host to business travellers from the creative industries, local staycationers and brand-loyal French Canadians. Nature-inspired colours, patterns and textures bring a little bit of the outdoors inside, creating a Zen, walk-in-the-woods atmosphere.

Rooms: With dark furnishings, plenty of rich wood, grey concrete ceilings, thick wooden Venetian blinds and forest floor-patterned carpet, the 123 rooms exude style. Recycled felt wall covering dampens the sound. Even sexier is a white moulded-Corian bathroom sink and vanity, and a mirror backlit with flattering, brilliant-white light. Accoutrements include a baby Bose stereo, espresso machine, kettle and minibar.

F&B: Sporting an American bistro vibe, Victor Restaurant Bar is open all day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a soothing room filled with soft grays, blue leather banquettes and dramatic dark grey drapery. A swirling gold metal light fixture doubles as an art installation. A classic menu is kept simple, leaning on comfort: things like root vegetable cassoulet, butter roasted scallops and braised lamb shoulder.

Extras: Early adopters of the no-checkout-time policy (when you book direct), Le Germain is ahead of the curve in terms of fitting themselves into the rhythms of the guests, rather than the other way around. A sumptuous lounge-library a few steps up from the lobby has sofas so deep they almost swallow you whole. A mezzanine boardroom holds up to 100 people and a 24-hour fitness centre with a great view is located on the 11^th floor. Repeat guests can arrange to leave items like workout wear behind for their next visit.

Off-Site: With so much within walking distance, including the subway, the location couldn’t be better. Rogers Centre, the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada are a five-minute walk away, as are two of Toronto’s top live-theatre stages and the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox. A few blocks east sits Roy Thompson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the famous Second City comedy club is just at the end of the street.

Rate: $$$
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Vibe: With 1,329 rooms and suites over 18 floors, the Royal York is a busy, busy place, yet still maintains an air of relative calm. The hotel was originally one of the Canadian Pacific Railway hotels, built across Canada around the same time as the railway, which linked the country from coast to coast. The original hand-painted wood coffered ceilings and lavish ballrooms have witnessed thousands of milestone events and business conventions, and the famous Imperial Room has played host to countless entertainers, from jazz legend Duke Ellington to Jim Carrey. And the clock tower has been an iconic meeting spot since the hotel opened.

Rooms: Traditional yet not overly so, the room design incorporates the old with the new, sporting modern colours, maple furnishings, lots of pattern and texture, plus striped floor-length curtains. Small but sensible bathrooms feature marble floors, spacious showers, makeup/shaving mirrors and luxurious Le Labo amenities. Spacious Fairmont Gold rooms feel like sumptuous little apartments, with cool tones, rich textures and Art Deco accents. Gold guests get access to the 18^th-floor reception and lounge.

F&B: REIGN Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner—classic Canadian fare with a slight French perspective. A meat-forward dinner menu features beef, bison, boar, duck and lamb, while also offering oysters, poached shrimp and butter-roasted sablefish. At breakfast, try the smoked steelhead trout and wood-fired bagel. The adjacent bar is inviting and comfortable, with low seating, nooks for intimate or business chats, and space for live music. A pop-up bakery appears in the morning in one corner, offering fresh-baked pastries and specialty coffees. The lobby is taken over almost entirely by CLOCKWORK lounge, its swish bar anchored to a stunning clock tower. The classic Library Bar in the hotel’s west corner has been shaking Martinis and mixing Manhattans for decades. Canada’s only Benihana Japanese Steakhouse offers Teppanyaki, sushi and sake on the lower level, where guests will also find Piper’s Pub, which serves casual pub fare.

Extras: A fitness centre, complete with sauna and steam room, sits opposite a sizeable swimming pool and whirlpool. The lower level of the hotel is a little high street in itself, home to a variety of small shops. Mezzanine and 19th-floor meeting and event space can handle almost 3,000 people across 32 function rooms.

Off-Site: The Hockey Hall of Fame, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Meridian Hall are two short blocks away. Scotiabank Arena (home of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey and Toronto Raptors basketball) and Rogers Centre (home of Blue Jays baseball) are a 10-minute walk away, as are the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. The hotel is part of PATH, the underground pedestrian network, which is linked to Union Station across the street, connecting guests to the subway and to all above-ground trains, including the UP Express train to the airport.

Rate: $$$

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