Fairmont Royal York

Frommer's Review

Built by the Canadian-Pacific Railroad in 1929, this massive hotel has 1,365 guest rooms and suites, and 35 meeting and banquet rooms. The old-fashioned lobby is magnificent; just sitting on a plush couch and watching the crowd is an event. Still, you have to decide whether you want to stay under the same roof with countless business travelers, shoppers, tour groups, and conventioneers. Service is remarkably efficient but necessarily impersonal; the downtown location, across from Union Station and just steps from the Theater District and the Hummingbird Centre, is excellent. The hotel pays particular attention to accessibility, making adaptations to some guest rooms so that they are specially designed for wheelchair users, the hearing impaired, and the visually impaired. Every public area in the hotel is wheelchair accessible. Other special features include the Elizabeth Milan Day Spa, Epic restaurant, and the Library Bar, which serves the best martinis in the city.

A Find: Hidden Gallery -- Even if you're not a guest at the Fairmont Royal York, take time to stop by the hotel. It's loaded with Art Deco charms, and it's got some tempting watering holes and places to dine. It also has its own gallery of photographs, which is located on the mezzanine level, just above the lobby. The black-and-white prints reveal a great deal of Toronto history, which, of course, is intimately tied to the hotel's history. There are also candid portraits of some of the hotel's more famous guests, including one of a young Queen Elizabeth II.

Facilities:
5 restaurants; 2 bars/lounges; skylit indoor pool; health club; spa (w/special packages for guests); Jacuzzi; sauna; concierge; business center; Wi-Fi; shopping arcade; salon; room service; babysitting; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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