Hotels

The Park Hyatt’s history is a storied one. Built in the 1920s and located near some of Toronto’s major museums, it was among the first luxury hotels in the city to incorporate upscale residential apartments into the same complex as its guest rooms. In late 2021 the hotel unveiled the largest renovation of its 219 rooms and 40 suites in its near-90 year history. The project was undertaken by Canada’s KPMB architects and Toronto’s Studio Munge, which designed the interiors. A highlight is the restoration of its famous rooftop bar, the Writers Room, where novelist Margaret Atwood and her contemporaries would gather in the 1980s to discuss all things literary.
hyatt.com

The Windsor Arms is a gem. Tucked away in a side alley off bustling Bloor Street, it opened in its current form in 1995 but the historic four-storey red-brick townhouse itself dates back to 1927. The building was designed by Toronto-born architect Brian Plexton to have a central courtyard that maximises the movement of natural light; the space has hosted intimate performances by musicians from around the world (Andrea Bocelli was here in 2004). The musical theme continues in the comfortable bedrooms; one of the suites even features its own baby grand piano. 

The 2004 renovation of the Drake Hotel, a Victorian edifice once known as a flophouse and later a punk bar, is credited with having spurred the transformation of Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood into one of the city’s hospitality hotspots. The area, which was historically a hub for the city’s artists, increased in popularity thanks to the lively array of restaurants, bars and independent retail that followed suit. In late 2021, The Drake opened its Modern Wing, a major expansion that includes 32 additional guest rooms designed by Toronto-based studio DesignAgency. The inviting new lobby bar is adorned with work from the hotel’s well-regarded in-house collection of art by emerging creatives from Canada and abroad.
thedrake.ca

It can be easy to miss this tiny hotel tucked away on the lively Queen Street West shopping strip. Inside, the whitewashed walls and clean lines of the furniture keep things simple but the space still exudes an air of glamour (architect Steven Fong described the building as a work of “Rat Pack modernism”, evoking Sinatra-era jet-setting elegance). There’s also a popular rooftop patio. Given the hotel’s small physical footprint, it possesses a surprising sense of spaciousness. Every room has a historic photograph of the neighbourhood on the wall, a nod to how much it has changed.