Looking for a place near the Beach

April 13, 2012 5:20 PM

Looking for a nice, not horribly expensive hotel in Toronto within easy walking distance of Sony Centre.

We're making a pilgrimage to Toronto to see Einstein On The Beach in mid-June. We would love to have a hotel which is very close to the venue, Sony Centre. We've found the Novotel Toronto Centre, which Orbitz says has rooms for about $150/night.

Are there other hotels in that area of the city which are in the same general price range that I might be overlooking for not even seeing because they don't participate in sites such as Orbitz? I'd love to hear about them!

posted by hippybear to Travel & Transportation around Toronto, ON (11 answers total)

Novotel is really nice, and often cheaper.
posted by PinkMoose at 5:34 PM on April 13, 2012

The Strathcona Hotel might be an option. Not fancy, but convenient & clean. We have public servant colleagues who stayed there for a conference rather than commute back to their suburbs.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 6:57 PM on April 13, 2012

I would suggest the Hotel Victoria on Yonge St. It was OK before the renovations but looks great now and it's definitely cheaper than other hotels in the area.
posted by Snazzy67 at 7:35 PM on April 13, 2012

I stayed at the Hotel Victoria in 2005 and it was really nice and in a great location. Looking at the rooms since it's been renovated, it looks even better, as Snazzy67 says.
posted by essexjan at 7:44 PM on April 13, 2012

Try the Best Western on Bloor W near the U of T.

Hotels are pricey in the T-Dot.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 8:02 PM on April 13, 2012

I got 3 nights at the Delta Chelsea, which is an easy 15-20 minute walk down Yonge from the Sony centre, for $69 a night on Priceline. I didn't love the hotel, but we were there during March break and there were eleventy thousand kids, but the location was great. I have a friend who stays there all the time and swears by it.

Research I did said that something like 2/3 of the time if you place a bid for a 3 star or better in whichever zone the Delta is in (Downtown North, I think), it's the hotel you get.
posted by looli at 8:25 PM on April 13, 2012

The Strathcona has bedbugs, the Victoria is more than sutiable, the Delta Chelsea is passable, and has the advantage of having the best cocktails and among the best meals in a pub across the street.
posted by PinkMoose at 9:43 PM on April 13, 2012

Have you checked out those secret hotel thingys? Travelocity's Secret Hotel thingy is how I ended up staying in downtown suites in Toronto for under $100 a couple of times.
posted by pick_the_flowers at 11:00 PM on April 13, 2012

The Beaches Days Inn is nice enough, pretty inexpensive and in the Beach. However, it doesn't fit your criteria of walking distance to the Sony Centre; you could easily take the Queen St. streetcar to Yonge St. then walk south (less than 10 minutes).

I've lived in The Beach and stayed at this hotel once since moving to Montreal (before renovation): if you like the idea of the beach and walking distance to the Sony Centre is negotiable, I'd stay here... it's a great neighbourhood to walk around.
posted by Laura in Canada at 6:38 AM on April 14, 2012

Response by poster: if you like the idea of the beach and walking distance to the Sony Centre is negotiable...

Lesson one: don't make bad jokes in your post titles. The "beach" to which I was referring is Einstein On The Beach, the opera we are coming into town to see, which will be performed at Sony Centre.
posted by hippybear at 8:10 AM on April 14, 2012

The HI hostel in Toronto is three or four blocks from the Sony Centre and a private room (double bed, TV, ensuite bathroom, desk, and all those other hotel things) will set you back $109, or $89 for hostelling members.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:25 AM on April 14, 2012