Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

Ritz-Carlton, Toronto Review

Opened in 2010, this Ritz has a great location—across from Roy Thompson Hall and smack-dab in the center of the Financial District—and a solid elegance, embellished with a Canadian motif of brass maple leaves and local woods. The building itself is a cubelike glass podium topped off with a 53-story sparkling tower, and the rooms inside are just as stunning and spacious as the exterior would suggest. Decorated in a creamy off-white and brown palate, they display spectacular views overlooking the CN Tower and Lake Ontario through floor-to-ceiling windows (uninhibited vistas start on the 11th floor). Bathrooms are equally luxurious with in-mirror TVs, Portuguese Estremoz marble, and heated floors. For C$100, any hotel guest (plus one) can gain access to the Club Lounge and its free open bar, sprawling buffets, business center, and comfy TV room—the hotel's secret hideaway. Guest have access to a full-service gym, yoga classes, an indoor, salt-water pool, a salon, and spa in the massive on-site Urban Sanctuary. In TOCA, chef Tom Brodi stuns foodies with his complex dishes that utilize local and sustainable produce, naturally-raised meats, and fresh-caught fish. A glass enclosed cheese cave is placed front and center in the clubby dining room. For more casual antipasti and flatbreads, head for the outdoor terrace, DEQ, or the in-lobby bar, which fills up daily with guests eager to try a cutting-edge cocktail like the Ritz Sidecar with earl-gray-infused Cointreau.