Best Toronto Hotel to Meet the King of Kensington
August 17, 2016 8:10 PM Subscribe
Seeking advice on some great mid-priced hotel options in Toronto for mid-September. Goals: safety (hotel and surrounding area), nearness/accessibility to rapid transit stations, appealing neighborhood for morning walks/snacking.
Every year or two, a college friend and I meet up in some city for a Girls Getaway. This year's trip, we'll converge on Buffalo (where I'm from), traipse through Niagara Falls, and head up to spend most of our vacation in Toronto. I grew up on Canadian TV (Beachcombers, King of Kensington), radio (CFNY, CHUM-FM), and candy bars (oh, Coffee Crisp, how I love you), but I haven't been to Toronto in more than 30 years, and I haven't a clue anymore about neighborhoods or hotels.
I checked out the advice in the brief staycation thread from June, and this Toronto/Bala one, and this superior one for Toronto First-Timers, but none focused on hotels. .
This one DID focus on hotels, but I was particularly put off by the Chelsea being called "cheap" -- which may literally just mean inexpensive, but I'm a high maintenance ("more towels, please, and can you replace the feather pillows with foam?") almost-50something woman and don't want to risk staying somewhere that feels like a compromise.
No B&Bs, no guest houses, nothing targeting college students. (Yes, I sounded this cranky when I was a 20something.) We haven't a clue as to what neighborhood in which we should stay, but we usually cover almost every area of a city, especially a walkable one. So, if you think Downtown makes the best Vacation HQ, that's cool, but if you have arguments against it, please just say so.
Things we need:
--Clean--I'm not talking fingerprints, but we've changed rooms, and even hotels, when things have been gross
--Safe (the neighborhood, and the hotel, both in terms of the front desk not shouting our room number to the masses, and safety inspections up to code, and all that good stuff)
--Fun, walkable neighborhood where we can get a light snack or meal, or walk around (We've occasionally ended up in industrial neighborhoods, and that's made us feel fairly trapped.)
--Near to a subway station (We'll have a car, but I know we both prefer to ride rather than drive. Neither of us is willing to walk more than a half-mile in pouring rain, getting drenched before a day out.)
Things we'd really, really like:
--WiFi -- It doesn't have to be free, but that would be great.
--At least one restaurant or a snack bar in the hotel. (I'm diabetic, and though I am willing to buy provisions, I'd like to be able to just grab some food in the hotel, if necessary. Room service would be great. In the US, most hotels will provide a free fridge for people with diabetes for insulin, etc., but I am not expecting this as a certainty in Toronto.)
--A gym in the hotel, as my friend likes to workout while I sleep in.
We're not looking for luxury, but we're fine with mid-range. At the lower level, we've stayed in Hampton Inns and been quite satisfied, and last year we stayed in three Marriotts (one a resort, two plain hotels) across three cities, and had one horrible, one great, and one mediocre experience. My friend would prefer something in the Marriot family of hotels because that's her only loyalty program, but it's not a dealbreaker.
(If you want to throw in any Toronto tourist activity and dining advice that you didn't have a chance to in the other threads, we like almost all ethnic food varieties, and though I don't eat meat, I do eat fish. We're going to aim for traditional tourist stuff combined with things like Choir!Choir!Choir! but are open to all suggestions. But mostly, we need a place to lay our heads, our hats, and our tired feet. Thanks SO MUCH in advance!)
Every year or two, a college friend and I meet up in some city for a Girls Getaway. This year's trip, we'll converge on Buffalo (where I'm from), traipse through Niagara Falls, and head up to spend most of our vacation in Toronto. I grew up on Canadian TV (Beachcombers, King of Kensington), radio (CFNY, CHUM-FM), and candy bars (oh, Coffee Crisp, how I love you), but I haven't been to Toronto in more than 30 years, and I haven't a clue anymore about neighborhoods or hotels.
I checked out the advice in the brief staycation thread from June, and this Toronto/Bala one, and this superior one for Toronto First-Timers, but none focused on hotels. .
This one DID focus on hotels, but I was particularly put off by the Chelsea being called "cheap" -- which may literally just mean inexpensive, but I'm a high maintenance ("more towels, please, and can you replace the feather pillows with foam?") almost-50something woman and don't want to risk staying somewhere that feels like a compromise.
No B&Bs, no guest houses, nothing targeting college students. (Yes, I sounded this cranky when I was a 20something.) We haven't a clue as to what neighborhood in which we should stay, but we usually cover almost every area of a city, especially a walkable one. So, if you think Downtown makes the best Vacation HQ, that's cool, but if you have arguments against it, please just say so.
Things we need:
--Clean--I'm not talking fingerprints, but we've changed rooms, and even hotels, when things have been gross
--Safe (the neighborhood, and the hotel, both in terms of the front desk not shouting our room number to the masses, and safety inspections up to code, and all that good stuff)
--Fun, walkable neighborhood where we can get a light snack or meal, or walk around (We've occasionally ended up in industrial neighborhoods, and that's made us feel fairly trapped.)
--Near to a subway station (We'll have a car, but I know we both prefer to ride rather than drive. Neither of us is willing to walk more than a half-mile in pouring rain, getting drenched before a day out.)
Things we'd really, really like:
--WiFi -- It doesn't have to be free, but that would be great.
--At least one restaurant or a snack bar in the hotel. (I'm diabetic, and though I am willing to buy provisions, I'd like to be able to just grab some food in the hotel, if necessary. Room service would be great. In the US, most hotels will provide a free fridge for people with diabetes for insulin, etc., but I am not expecting this as a certainty in Toronto.)
--A gym in the hotel, as my friend likes to workout while I sleep in.
We're not looking for luxury, but we're fine with mid-range. At the lower level, we've stayed in Hampton Inns and been quite satisfied, and last year we stayed in three Marriotts (one a resort, two plain hotels) across three cities, and had one horrible, one great, and one mediocre experience. My friend would prefer something in the Marriot family of hotels because that's her only loyalty program, but it's not a dealbreaker.
(If you want to throw in any Toronto tourist activity and dining advice that you didn't have a chance to in the other threads, we like almost all ethnic food varieties, and though I don't eat meat, I do eat fish. We're going to aim for traditional tourist stuff combined with things like Choir!Choir!Choir! but are open to all suggestions. But mostly, we need a place to lay our heads, our hats, and our tired feet. Thanks SO MUCH in advance!)
Might I recommend one of the Marriotts?
posted by grouse at 9:17 PM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 9:17 PM on August 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
in terms of neighbourhood safety, no Toronto neighbourhood with good walkability will be that unsafe. Just about everywhere downtown is perfectly safe to walk around, even late at night. East of Yonge maybe a bit sketchier, but I may be projecting my west-end bias.
posted by jb at 9:25 PM on August 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by jb at 9:25 PM on August 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
on the food side: eat roti when here. it's brilliant, and not that common outside of Toronto (and Trinidad, of course). I like the stuff from the T&T stall at Market 707 (Dundas & Bathurst).
Also: Sheba at College & Bathurst is excellent for Ethiopian food (not much fish, but good vegetarian options).
Madras Masala near Christie & Bloor also offers wonderful South Indian food, including my favourite (Chilli cheese dosa - chillis, cheese, onions and potatoes in a crispy rice-lentil crepe).
posted by jb at 9:30 PM on August 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Also: Sheba at College & Bathurst is excellent for Ethiopian food (not much fish, but good vegetarian options).
Madras Masala near Christie & Bloor also offers wonderful South Indian food, including my favourite (Chilli cheese dosa - chillis, cheese, onions and potatoes in a crispy rice-lentil crepe).
posted by jb at 9:30 PM on August 17, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: A day ago I stayed one night at the Courtyard Marriott (College & Yonge). It might catch your eye for its proximity to the College TTC station, and being a couple of blocks from the Church & Wellesley Village, and the Eaton Centre, etc. Diabetically speaking (Type 1 here): they no longer have a restaurant, they have a bar at which they serve a limited menu, including breakfast, and a closet beside the front desk where you can buy junk food and soft drinks. Fast food abounds just outside the hotel, and there is a grocery store on College St. (one block south), so you could stock your room's mini-fridge. I should add that there was some trouble getting warm water for a shower.
posted by seabound_coast at 4:59 AM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by seabound_coast at 4:59 AM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Marriott Yorkville is right at Yonge and Bloor (it's right above the two major subway lines -- you don't even need to go outside!). There's a restaurant on site, I believe, although I can't vouch for quality or price, and a grocery store very close that's open early and late.
It's very walkable -- head half a block north and block west and you're in Yorkville proper, keep going west and you're in the Annex/UofT neighbouhood. Right across from the ROM, if that sort of thing appeals. A little south, maybe 5 minutes, of the amazing Toronto Reference Library. It's probably 45 minutes on foot to Chinatown and Kensington Market. But the subway connections are the real gems. It's also going to be very safe. It's at a well-lit major intersection near one of the swankier parts of town.
I've never stayed there, but it seems like a perfect mid-range hotel option for exploring.
posted by AmandaA at 7:58 AM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's very walkable -- head half a block north and block west and you're in Yorkville proper, keep going west and you're in the Annex/UofT neighbouhood. Right across from the ROM, if that sort of thing appeals. A little south, maybe 5 minutes, of the amazing Toronto Reference Library. It's probably 45 minutes on foot to Chinatown and Kensington Market. But the subway connections are the real gems. It's also going to be very safe. It's at a well-lit major intersection near one of the swankier parts of town.
I've never stayed there, but it seems like a perfect mid-range hotel option for exploring.
posted by AmandaA at 7:58 AM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
The sheraton across from the city hall is genuinely beautiful and good service.
posted by PinkMoose at 3:08 PM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by PinkMoose at 3:08 PM on August 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for everyone's help. The Marriott Yorkville was fully booked (probably, as BicycleFace alluded, due to the TIFF), so we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott (at College & Yonge). It was an EASY and short walk to the College metro station, and worked perfect as a base for our trip.
And I HAVE to put in a word for The Elm Tree Restaurant, within a short walk of the hotel. The food was stellar, and the service was incomparable.
Thanks to various MeFites in this thread and others, we experienced Choir!Choir!Choir!, had a clean, safe stay, ate well, and saw some fun sites. (And OMG, don't try to see the ROM in one day. After six hours, we were exhausted and gave up halfway through the dinosaurs.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 8:15 PM on September 21, 2016
And I HAVE to put in a word for The Elm Tree Restaurant, within a short walk of the hotel. The food was stellar, and the service was incomparable.
Thanks to various MeFites in this thread and others, we experienced Choir!Choir!Choir!, had a clean, safe stay, ate well, and saw some fun sites. (And OMG, don't try to see the ROM in one day. After six hours, we were exhausted and gave up halfway through the dinosaurs.)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 8:15 PM on September 21, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by BicycleFace at 8:45 PM on August 17, 2016 [8 favorites]