The Best Luxury Hotels in Toronto

Located in the well-heeled Yorkville neighborhood, enjoy many hours navigating some of the city’s most expensive shopping and restaurant options. This luxurious property offers elegant rooms with muted tones and stunning views, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. The expansive, fully-equipped fitness center features a yoga studio, as well as a pool and a spa. The hotel’s restaurant, Café Boulud, serves up some of the best French cuisine in the country.

The centrally-located St Regis Toronto is a quick stroll from some of the city’s most popular landmarks, such as the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium and Saks Fifth Avenue. Luxurious rooms come with all the amenities, including Nespresso machines, iHome sound systems, soaker tubs and walk-in showers. There’s a heated indoor saltwater pool with a deck area, with lovely city views. The modern fitness center offers private personal trainers and the full-service spa features a sauna and whirlpool.

This elegant, historic hotel offers easy access to the city’s downtown attractions. When it opened in 1929, the hotel was considered the tallest building in the country. Despite now being dwarfed by surrounding skyscrapers, this landmark hotel still stands out with its castle-like appearance. Indulge in numerous treatments at the onsite spa and take a dip in the indoor lap pool. There’s also a large fitness room, whirlpool, children’s wading pool, sauna and steam rooms. The restaurant Reign highlights regional fare and has an interesting selection of cocktails.

A huge rooftop swimming pool, a 250-seat cinema, Neil Dankoff’s photo gallery, four indoor tennis courts, dedicated studios for Pilates and yoga – it’s exhausting just talking about Hotel X’s uber-long list of amenities, let alone using them all. This 30-story tower houses more than 400 rooms, all of them gazing across the Lake Ontario waterfront. But the vistas are nothing compared to the triple-decker SkyBar, the only three-level penthouse watering hole in the city. Pet lovers, check out the VIP (Very Important Pet) program where your furry friend will be welcomed with a bed, food bowl, special treats, plus you can even book a pet photo shoot.

The Kimpton Saint George is another artistic addition to Toronto’s bohemian Annex neighborhood. You can’t miss the giant owl painted on the west-facing wall of this 14-story tower, a masterpiece by local street artist Jerry Rugg. The colorful streak runs into the lobby, with alpine murals by local painter Tisha Myles. Bespoke decor from Mason Studio provides a more homey feel than most luxury hotels, and the price is a bargain, too.

Once a hat factory, this Mercer Street property became a Le Germain hotel in 2002, exuding a sense of calm from the double-height lobby to the rooftop putting green. The Zen vibe also pervades every one of the 123 rooms, with rich wooden fittings on the walls, textured carpets on the floor and a Bose stereo to complete the mood of low-key luxury in the heart of downtown.

Timeless elegance never dates, as Toronto’s first luxury hotel can attest. Built in 1903 on a whole block of King Street East in the middle of downtown, The Omni King Edward Hotel has hosted all kinds of VIP over the past century or so – everyone from The Beatles and Britney Spears to Mark Twain and Margaret Thatcher have stayed here. It’s not hard to see why. The 301 rooms feature regal decor and spa-like marble bathrooms. Treat yourself to afternoon tea – you can even choose the special cheese option, with a selection from around the world.

This hulking glass-facade skyscraper pierces the Toronto skyline, soaring 688ft (210m) above Wellington Street West. Facing David Pecaut Square between the core of downtown and the lively Entertainment District, the Ritz-Carlton has 263 rooms and suites. If you’re looking to splurge, kick back with a treatment at the full-service Clarins spa or book the jaw-dropping Ritz-Carlton Suite, located on the 19th floor.

This glam boutique hotel is all about over-the-top opulence, with etched gold, crushed velvet and black marble everywhere you turn. Also, more than 3,000 pieces of art, including dozens of original Andy Warhol prints, adorn every spare wall. With 96 rooms a couple of blocks north of the Rogers Centre, Bisha has Iron Chef contestant Akira Back as a chef in its Asian fusion restaurant. There is also 44th-floor cafe KŌST, which serves nibbles and drinks and has its own infinity pool.

Toronto’s Shangri-La enjoys all the elegance of the Singapore original, with Asian accents sprinkled throughout its 202 rooms. Surrounded by the eateries and nightspots of the upscale Entertainment District – including Momofuku Noodle Bar next door – the Shangri-La shimmers with dark polished wood, Japanese ink prints and crystal chandeliers. Indulge in a luxury hammam spa treatment or finish the day with laps of the 20 metre indoor heated pool.

With gold framing in the lobby, green granite in the bathrooms and priceless masterpieces by artists Bruno Billio and Sorel Etrog in the common spaces, The Hazelton oozes old-school Hollywood cool. With 77 rooms, this Yorkville landmark sits on the doorstep of Toronto’s high-end shopping strip, the Mink Mile. But you might not be able to drag yourself away from the hotel, if you’re feasting at ONE Restaurant, the brainchild of acclaimed local chef Mark McEwan, or indulging in a facial with products from Swiss skincare line Valmont in The Hazelton’s intimate spa.

If you spot a celebrity or two at the SoHo Met, it might not be because they’re staying there. This luxury boutique hotel contains the sports bar Wahlburgers, owned by the Wahlberg brothers – chef Paul and actors Mark and Donnie. Besides the burgers, this lavish downtown property dishes up 89 relaxing rooms, offering custom-made maple woodwork, artisanal Molton Brown skincare products and a striking Dale Chihuly glass sculpture hovering over the entrance.