Seeking opinions on both the hotels and their neighborhoods. End of September stay, with senior family who can't walk much (not looking for museums), but we like "gallery rows," off-beat areas. The two intersections we've targeted, we know are fairly urban - what will we find at both? Any reliable restaurants in these hotels or close by them?

The Park Hyatt at Avenue Road and Bloor, and the Marriott at Yonge and Bloor are a few blocks from one another. They border an upscale area called Yorkville where you will find lots of shops, good restaurants, and some galleries. Either location is great, but walking is required to explore the area thoroughly. The Hyatt Regency on King Street is further downtown in the entertainment and theatre district.

The Park Hyatt is at the corner of Avenue Road and Bloor. (It used to be called the Park Plaza). Very upscale. Morton's Steak House is there.

Across the road and up a block is the Four Seasons. (It used to be called the Hyatt.) Also very upscale. The dining room is Truffles but there's another nice restaurant called the Studio Cafe. The Lobby Bar serves drinks and Sunday afternoon tea and the bar called Avenue has food and a buffet lunch.

The Windsor Arms Hotel is on St. Thomas a block east of Avenue Road and just a few doors south of Bloor. It has a bar, a fancy tea room, and a big restaurant called the Courtyard Cafe.

The Intercontinental is on Bloor a few doors west of Avenue Road. Pretty Ritzy. I only know the bar called Proof but I'm sure there's a restaurant too. There's another Intercontinental downtown at Front and York.

Also on Yorkville is the posh new Hazelton Hotel with a posh dining room.

There are quite a few restaurants in the Yorkville area but that would be a whole other thread.

The Marriott at Bloor and Avenue Road is probably nice but I don't really know it and it's not as ritzy as the others.

About how much do you want to spend?

There are lots of restaurants within a block or two of the Four Seasons. Just stayed there a couple of weeks ago. Yorkville is a much nicer area to stay in than downtown. Yes, it's still quite urban, but very leafy and nice.

There is no Marriott at Bloor and AVenue Road, as per a message, but there is a Merriott at Bloor and Yonge, which is only a couple of blocks east of the Park Hyatt, at Bloor and Avenue Road.

The Park Hyatt is a block or two closer to commercial galleries, more restaurants, small boutiques. The Marriott is closer to a big department store (The Bay) and Holt Renfrew.

I'd pick the Hyatt, but not by much.

BAK

Right. Sorry -- my mistake. That Marriott is definitely at Bloor and Yonge. And while I'm thinking of it, there's another at the Eaton Centre at Yonge and Dundas.