Visiting Toronto: Sheraton Centre Toronto

This summer was a heavy emphasis on Canada travel.  If you haven’t been following along, we had a family trip to Halifax a few weeks ago.  You can read my hotel review and suggestions for things to do.

Just a few weeks later found us in Toronto, all visiting for the first time. We had a crystal clear day flying in which yielded a great view (other than the glare of the sun off the window) of downtown, including CN Tower and the waterfront.

We had two separate stays there, the first of which was at the Sheraton Centre Toronto.

The hotel is centrally located, an easy walk to CN Tower as well as the hockey and baseball stadiums (Maple Leafs and Blue Jays, respectively).  It’s a big property and it was very evident that it was full when we arrived.  The lobby is mostly modern with a mix of eclectic accents.  While it seems large, it was under-sized for a full property.  We were arriving very early (11 am-ish), but the front desk said they were able to accommodate our request for early check-in for one of our rooms.  That worked out nicely so we could stow our bags and change clothes before heading out to a Toronto Blue Jays game.  They were also very quick to offer the Platinum 4pm guaranteed late check-out for all 3 rooms.  I don’t use this benefit often, but when I do need to take advantage it’s one of the most valuable benefits.

The rooms themselves were big, though fairly standard for a Sheraton.  One plus was a small balcony that overlooked an enclosed garden and waterfall area inside the hotel (an outdoor atrium of sorts).

It was very evident this was an older property but they had done an excellent job keeping it updated.  The rooms themselves were in decent shape.  All of our rooms had a small refrigerator which is a big plus when traveling with kids.  This property also had one of the largest club lounges I’ve ever seen.  It was located at the top of the hotel with seating easily for 100 and panoramic views of Toronto.  It was very busy when we arrived, but two buffet lines made things run very smoothly.  The property was plenty generous with the club benefit, allowing access for my parents who were staying in one of the rooms I booked.  Some properties are fine with access of this nature, others not (as would pop up later in our trip).

We didn’t eat in the restaurant due to the great club lounge, though it looked like a reasonable place to have breakfast.  The hotel also has a decent indoor-outdoor pool and new fitness center.  We were too busy exploring Toronto to use either.

All in all, a reasonable property for vacation travel to the Toronto area.  The property seems to be well-located for business travel as well.  This property also did a great job recognizing my SPG Platinum status and delivering benefits.  The only negative is that two weeks later the stays haven’t posted to my SPG account, though I suspect that will be quickly resolved by an agent on the Plat desk.