I am attending a convention in Toronto at the end of August. The best rate quoted at the convention hotels (Royal York Hotel, Crowne Plaza Toronto Centre, Renaissance Toronto Hotel at SkyDome, Holiday Inn on King) is $199 can, or about $160 US including taxes. Any suggestions of less expensive alternatives within walking distance?<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR> Keith

Try the Colony on Chestnut. It's a nice hotel. We paid $119 CDN for a room last March. The eaton Centre is right out the back door. Also a large parking lot the was $9 per night. http://www.colonyhoteltoronto.com/home.htm

Check out the Bond Place Hotel. The rates were SO low, I booked a backup place just in case, but Bond Place was just fine (and we usually restrict ourselves to 4*'s). It's not within walking distance to the hotels you've mentioned, but very convenient to the buses and metro. For that matter, the difference in rates would more than cover lots of taxi fares.

Thank you both for the suggestions. I visited the Colony's web site. It looks do-able, but a little farther than I would like to walk.<BR><BR>While checking on it, I discovered the Strathcona Hotel, which I now see was getting good comments on this board last summer. If no one here has heard that they have suddenly become worse, I will probably try them.<BR><BR>Looks like about $90-$100 canadian a night.<BR><BR> Keith

Toronto's a city of urban walkers. Assuming from your list of convention hotels that the convention is at the Toronto Convention Centre, Bond Place is within easy walking distance, in Toronto terms. Close to the Bond Place are some otehr hotels. The Eaton Center Marriott, The Colony (already mentioned) and the Metropolitan are all close together.<BR><BR>The Courtyard Marriott is not a bad walk away, and the same applies to the Delta Chelsea Inn, about 5-10 minutes further away, by foot.<BR><BR>The Metropolitan, Eaton Center Marriott and Chelsea are probably close in price to the hotels you've mentioned, but you never know what specials are offered.<BR><BR>Courtyard is less.<BR><BR>Closer to the convention center are the Novatel on The Esplanade, which should be lower priced. The Hoitel Victoria on Yonge Street is a small, old, hotel wiht a good dining room and clean, compact rooms.<BR><BR>The Strathcona is even closer to the convention center; it's on the convention center side of the Royal York.<BR><BR>You may notice the Executive Motor Inn. It used to be a dump, but there's been major renovations going on, so it may turn out to be a good deal.<BR><BR>South of the convnetion ceter, along the waaterfront, is the Radisson Plaza Hotel Admiral. It's fairly small, very nice, and overlooks the lake. It's a five minute walk tot eh south doors of the convention center.<BR><BR>Remember that Toronto's a major tourist town, and your visit is scheduled at the height of the tourist season, so it will be hard to find bargains.<BR>The subway, bus and streetcar system is a pretty good way to get to the convention center, and this opens up options. Subway tickets are $2.25, so if you can save $20 on a room and spend $5 on transit, it might be worth the effort. This opens up more choices, which you can track down via CHOICE HOTELS. this chain runs several brands, including Comfort Inn and Journey's End.<BR><BR>The Charles Street East hotel, the Lombard Street hotel and the Bloor Street West hotel are convenient, and in interesting neighborhoods.<BR><BR>BAK<BR><BR>

Give Hotwire a try for your dates.

May the force be with you!<BR><BR>The Holiday Inn on King street used to be reasonable, and not too far to walk or beam.<BR><BR>PS. The exchange is 1.55 or so (65 cents to the US$) So 199 is more like $133. (God knows what the total taxes are...) Check the tourist web sites. Y'all foreigners can get the GST refunded (7%) on hotel bills and large purchases under certain conditions. I bet there is a tourist site somewhere that explains it. It was put in place specifically to lure conventions to Canada.

The Strathcona is a good choice as a reasonable downtown/financial centre hotel. It is surprisingly inexpensive given its prime location. It's a smaller boutique hotel that is not as well known because it isn't part of a large chain. I would stay there before I would stay at some of the other suggestions you had received.