Hotel
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
A Forbes Five-Star hotel in Yorkville at Bay Street, opened in 2012, with 259 rooms, Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud, a cocktail bar and a two-storey spa.
Fairmont Royal York
A grand railway hotel opened in 1929 opposite Union Station, with more than 1,300 rooms, the Library Bar, a pool and spa and a rooftop garden with beehives.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic luxury hotel
- Area
- Financial District, Toronto, Canada
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- fairmont.com
Good to know
- Pool
- Health spa
- Library Bar
- Afternoon tea
- Rooftop garden with beehives
- Underground link to Union Station
Why we recommend it
The Fairmont Royal York opened on 11 June 1929, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway opposite Union Station to designs by Ross and Macdonald with Sproatt and Rolph. At 28 floors and 124 metres it was the tallest building in the British Empire from 1929 until 1931, when the Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower overtook it. Today it is operated by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.
It is a very large hotel, with around 1,363 rooms and suites as of 2014, and it has been restored and updated several times, including a major restoration from 1988 to 1993 and a further renovation programme announced after its sale in 2014. Recent updates have included a renovated pool and health spa.
The hotel has a long royal history. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited during their 1939 tour, Queen Elizabeth II used it as her Toronto residence, and other members of the royal family have stayed since. The Library Bar, which also serves afternoon tea, is a good place to experience the building even if you are not staying.
One unusual feature is the 14th-floor roof garden, which opened with the hotel in 1929. Beehives were added in 2008, and the apiary now has six hives and a bee hotel, with around 350,000 bees in summer producing roughly 205 kilograms of honey a year.
The location is the hotel's great practical strength. A tunnel under Front Street, built in 1929, links it to Union Station and the PATH underground network, and the UP Express rail link to Pearson Airport stops directly across the street. The CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, the Rogers Centre and the Eaton Centre are all within a few minutes. The hotel opened with 1,048 rooms and has been enlarged and renovated several times since, including the 1972 to 1973 work known as the Royal York Revelation. Besides the Library Bar, it houses a Benihana Japanese steakhouse, and an underground walkway also links it with Royal Bank Plaza.
The Royal York suits first-time visitors, business travellers and anyone arriving by train or the airport rail link. Its size and history set it apart from the city's newer hotels. Book through Fairmont's own site to see current room types and offers.
Fairmont Royal York FAQs
When did the hotel open?
On 11 June 1929.
How many rooms are there?
Around 1,363 rooms and suites, as of 2014.
Is it near Union Station?
Yes. A tunnel under Front Street links the hotel with Union Station and the PATH network.
How do you get there from the airport?
The UP Express stops directly across the street at Union Station.
Is there a pool?
Yes, along with a renovated health spa.
Can non-guests visit the bar?
Yes. The Library Bar also serves afternoon tea.
What is on the roof?
A 14th-floor garden with six beehives that produce honey.
Who has stayed there?
Members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, who used it as her Toronto residence.