Welcome to #CheckedIn, a travel series where we take you along to some of the trendiest and most unique hotel experiences around. Join us as we give you the 411 on all the ins and outs of these locations, what to expect and where you should ‘check-in’ next! The STYLE Canada team checked into W Toronto Hotel a luxury urban oasis in downtown Toronto. Read all about our stay below.
The Vibe
W Toronto recently unveiled Volume II, a multi-level renovation the hotel describes as a second album from a breakout artist: remixed, refined, and ready to be re-experienced. The metaphor is apt, because this hotel is absolutely obsessed with music. Canada’s first W Sound Suite recording studio lives here, alongside live performances and what the brand calls “always-on programming.” A DJ spins in the lobby, and thew alls feature a curated collection of local Toronto art reflecting the city’s diversity, from the rooftop down to the guestrooms. The vibe is modern luxury, and we are obsessed with it.
Photo provided by W Toronto
The Neighbourhood
The hotel sits steps from the iconic fashion and culture district of Yorkville, which, if you know Toronto, means you are essentially in the city’s most well-dressed postal code. The Royal Ontario Museum is a ten-minute stroll away and is literally on top of Bloor-Yonge station. It’s that rare thing: glamorous and practical. The neighbourhood has a counterculture past that the hotel wears as a badge of honour, this was Yorkville when it was bohemian and bold, and the W channels that same defiant energy in a much more expensive jacket.
The Rooms
Photo provided by W Toronto
The rooms are open-concept and sexy with city and courtyard views, jewel-toned and theatre-inspired, complete with a Mix Bar. The W’s legendary Whatever/Whenever® service means there’s a 24-hour concierge ready to sort you out at any hour, no questions asked. Bathrooms feature MOMO by Davines products that makes you feel good about using the fancy, sustainable face wash. For those looking to level up, the Penthouse I Suites are bi-level, dripping in jewel tones, and deeply committed to the bit. Fair warning: standard rooms are cozy, but when the hotel look like as extravagant as it does, who’s spending time in your room anyway?
The Extras
Photo provided by W Toronto
The crown jewel is TONO by Akira Back, a rooftop restaurant where the views compete with the food for your attention, and somehow both win. Under Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back, TONO introduces Yorkville to Nikkei cuisine, a bold blend of Japanese precision and Peruvian passion that feels exactly right for a neighbourhood that has always taken its dinner reservations seriously. Think expertly composed raw dishes, unexpected flavour pairings, and a skyline backdrop that makes everything taste better. This meal was seriously next level and we will be back!
Down on the ground floor, the newly reimagined Living Room sets the daily rhythm. By day, enjoy seasonal coffees from local roaster Barocco (we were a big fan of the breakfast to start our day). Social afternoons build into Warm-Up Sessions during happy hour and Lunch in Fort-Five, a new mid-day offering designed fro the city’s busy professionals or those who want an elevated dining experience without sacrificing their afternoon or brunch offerings. As the sky turns to an evening glow, the hotel ignites with live performances by local and global artists during Live in Living Room. The cocktail menu draws inspiration from the hotel’s own artwork and the bar bites are the kind of thing you tell yourself you’re ordering “just to snack” before eating three rounds.
The FIT® gym is well-equipped, their 24-hour room service and the in-room Mix Bar delivery mean you never have to go far for a late-night pour.
The Verdict
W Toronto is for the ones who book the trip as much for the hotel as for the city. It’s dressed up, turned up, and fully committed to a good time. Yorkville has always known how to show off — it finally has a hotel that can keep up.
