Toronto hotels

One of the best luxury hotels in the city, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is the place to go for next-level pampering. The sleek and sophisticated 259-room property overlooks the upscale neighborhood of Yorkville, where guests can enjoy Michelin-starred restaurants and designer boutiques.
The hotel’s restaurant, Café Boulud, excels in French cuisine, while the more casual bar offers a see-and-be-seen atmosphere for cocktails and shareable plates. The pièce de résistance, however, is the Forbes Five Star-rated 30,000-square-foot spa.
I recommend booking a massage or manicure and pedicure here after enjoying the indoor pool, hot tub, and robe time. After a night in one of the signature cloud-like beds, you’ll check out feeling more relaxed than ever.

Steps away from the restaurants and bars of King Street West, 1 Hotel Toronto offers a prime position for those looking to wine and dine during their stay. But the hotel offers more than just a convenient address.
Nature-inspired interiors accented with local driftwood, plants, and reclaimed timber deliver a refreshing contrast from the concrete jungle outside. And a rooftop pool allows guests to cool off with skyline views in the summertime. The pet-friendly hotel’s 91 guest rooms and 21 suites feature thoughtful details like filtered water taps, yoga mats, in-room greenery, and soft cotton robes.
And with a calendar of “happenings” ranging from concerts to fitness classes, you’ll want to explore beyond the room. During my stay, I had a delicious brunch at the hotel’s zero-waste restaurant, 1 Kitchen, and dropped by a pop-up farmer’s market to pick up some Ontario produce.

You can’t talk about the best boutique hotels in Toronto without mentioning The Drake Hotel. The property has been an arts and culture hub on Queen Street West for nearly two decades and boasts a live music venue, multiple atmospheric bars, and a long-standing restaurant.
With rotating art exhibits and events, it’s as popular with travelers as it is with locals. I’ll often pop in for a cocktail at the Sky Yard rooftop bar, and I always recommend friends stay in the Modern Wing. The contemporary extension to the original 19th-century building has 32 design-forward rooms and an expertly curated collection of original art from Canadian and international artists.
Inside, you’ll find artist-designed wallpaper, terrazzo-clad showers, Malin + Goetz bath products, and locally sourced mini-bar snacks. While there’s usually a fun event happening, the neighborhood is dotted with top-rated restaurants, bars, and galleries to explore.

Located in the Entertainment District, Shangri-La Toronto is close to the shops on Queen Street West, the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the Financial District. Most of the 202 guestrooms offer impressive city views, ample space, and amenities for business travelers, and some suites have private terraces and bathtubs with panoramic vistas.
The health club features a 65-foot lap pool, which is rare for a Toronto hotel. I’m a big fan of the hotel’s Miraj Hammam Spa, which offers an array of Turkish-style bath rituals and body treatments. The lobby bar is a chic spot year-round, with vintage fashion installations, but it especially comes alive during the festive season.
The Four Seasons Centre, home to the National Ballet of Canada, is across the street, so Shangri-La is an excellent place to start the night with a Nutcracker-themed high tea or cocktails before the show.