Hotel
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…
Shangri-La Toronto
A Forbes Five-Star hotel on University Avenue, in one of the city's tallest towers, with 202 rooms, the restaurants bosk and Mott 32, a Lobby Lounge and a hammam spa.
At a glance
- Type
- Luxury hotel
- Area
- Financial District, Toronto, Canada
- Price
- $$$$ · Luxury
- Official site
- shangri-la.com
Good to know
- Forbes Five-Star
- Hammam spa
- Two restaurants
- Lobby Lounge
Why we recommend it
Shangri-La Toronto opened in October 2012 on University Avenue, occupying the lower floors of a 65-storey, 214-metre tower designed by James K. M. Cheng with Hariri Pontarini Architects. Condominiums fill the upper floors, and the hotel itself has 202 rooms and suites. It is rated Five Stars by the Forbes Travel Guide.
The hotel describes its setting as one of Toronto's tallest buildings, with 393 condominium units on the floors above.
There are two restaurants. Bosk is the hotel's own restaurant, and Mott 32 is the second. The Lobby Lounge is the hotel bar.
The location is central. The hotel is about a six-minute walk from Queen Street West, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, the waterfront and Yonge Street are all within reach.
The Michelin Guide, which gave it one Key in 2024, notes that about a quarter of the rooms are suites and that the interiors take an Asian-inspired approach, with carved wooden screens and waterfalls. Standard features include heated floors, Nespresso machines, televisions in the bathrooms and bath products from L'Occitane and Bulgari. The fifth floor is given over to wellness, with a health club, a 20-metre pool, a yoga studio and the Miraj Hammam Spa. In the Michelin Guide's account, The Bar serves Prohibition-era cocktails and the hotel has an outdoor terrace in warm weather, which adds to the options beyond the two restaurants. Art is part of the welcome. When the hotel opened in 2012, its announcement highlighted Rising, a large stainless steel sculpture by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan that runs from the street into the two-storey lobby, and a Fazioli piano in the Lobby Lounge. The same announcement described the hotel as occupying the lower 17 floors of the tower, with rooms ranging from about 45 to 205 square metres, a salt-water lap pool and nine treatment suites in the spa, including two hammam rooms. The hotel's dining today is described as contemporary, using classic techniques and seasonal Canadian ingredients.
Shangri-La suits luxury travellers, business visitors and anyone looking for a polished hotel between the Financial District and Queen West. Book directly through the hotel's own website to see room categories and packages, and reserve Mott 32 ahead if you plan to dine there.
Shangri-La Toronto FAQs
When did the hotel open?
In October 2012.
How many rooms are there?
202 rooms and suites.
What rating does it have?
It is rated Five Stars by the Forbes Travel Guide.
What restaurants are there?
Bosk and Mott 32, plus the Lobby Lounge bar.
Is there a spa?
Yes. The Miraj Hammam Spa.
Where is it?
At 188 University Avenue, about a six-minute walk from Queen Street West.
How tall is the building?
The tower has 65 storeys and stands 214 metres.
What is nearby?
The Art Gallery of Ontario, Queen Street West and the waterfront.