Review: W Toronto

The W Toronto is an ultra-trendy hotel that may have one of the most underrated locations among the plethora of Marriott hotel choices in Toronto’s downtown core, including the Westin Harbour Castle and the Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. We chose the W Toronto because we were flying into Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport and had lots of running around to do on a quick weekend trip to Toronto.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at my stay at the W Toronto and what you can expect on your next stay.

Booking

I was lucky to book this hotel at a favorable industry rate, but using Marriott Bonvoy points can result in a much higher-than-average value for your points. 

In particular, there are a number of nights for under 50,000 points, and staying on these nights would be a great opportunity to redeem a Marriott free night certificate worth 35,000 Bonvoy points with a slight points top-up. In fact, the W Toronto Hotel made my list of the best Marriott hotels to redeem free night certificates at!

As always, the easiest way for Canadians to earn Marriott free night certificates is through either of the co-branded Marriott credit cards: the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card and the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business card. These cards offer an annual free night certificate worth 35,000 Bonvoy points with a completely reasonable annual fee, making them worth keeping for the long term.

Check-in

We arrived at the W Toronto via subway. It’s a quick ride up the Yellow line to Bloor-Yonge, and there’s an exit right next to the hotel’s front door.

The hotel’s main entrance is on the other side of the patio and clearly marked with the trademark “W.”

The hotel lobby is on the 6th floor, so you’ll make your way past the elevator for the rooftop restaurant Skylight and through the main restaurant, Public School. We arrived at the hotel before 10 a.m. to drop off our bags and were impressed that the hotel had changed out the elevator rugs twice daily.

The lobby is on-brand for a W property and hosts a bar and outdoor terrace aptly named The Living Room and The Yard.

A W standard-issue Moet and Chandon vending machine is directly across from the reception.

Our assigned room wasn’t ready, but the staff was happy to move us to another prepared room. Even with our early arrival, we were still upgraded to a “Fabulous” guest room as a Titanium Elite member from our original booking of “Wonderful.” I was upgraded to a Studio Suite during a previous stay, so the property seems to have solid elite recognition. 

The welcome gift is a choice of 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or $40 per person in breakfast credit. We chose the latter as the Marriott breakfast benefit is a much more valuable choice than a small sum of points.

Location

The W Toronto may have the best location of all the Toronto City Marriott hotels. Its location right next to the Bloor-Yonge station means you can get anywhere you need to be within 15 minutes, and if you time it right, you can arrive at Pearson Airport in under 35 minutes.

It’s also in a highly walkable location, with the vibrant Yorkville neighborhood steps away.

Parking

Parking is available as a self-park hourly for a daily maximum of $75 or as a valet for a daily rate of $75.

Room – Fabulous 1 King, City View

The floor plan of this hotel is a bit dated as this used to be a flagship Marriott location. Given that, it’s a long walk to get to some rooms with a city view rather than a courtyard view.

When we stepped into our room, all the blinds had been drawn, but it was significantly brighter once we opened the curtains.

Even though these rooms are a long walk away, they’re more likable than the courtyard view rooms, which can get very dark even with the blinds open.

Immediately to your right is the wardrobe with a full-length mirror. It was nice and oversized—Danny Approved! Other small touches here include the steamer wrapped in a bag labeled “Smooth Operator” and most surfaces finished with soft-touch leather.

Also in the closet was a branded W Tote that looked like it was coming home with me until I saw the $7 price tag…

The bathroom is integrated into the room in a unique fashion, as it’s in your line of sight from the moment you step in. The shower has Marriott standard rainfall and handheld shower heads, and the bathmat has some personalization.

MOMO provided the toiletries in the suite, and a nice write-up was included.

A comfort mat and excessive towels were provided, but when the toilet door was opened, the comfort mat became a casualty.

This room was the standard issue but came with a “Backup Plan” in case things went awry…

Handsoap and facial cream are above the sink.

Robes are just across the way, hanging next to the wardrobe.

The bathroom sink also doubles as a backdrop for the sitting area. The room is well-designed and efficiently uses space.

The mini bar is extravagant, packing many amenities into a confined area.

Moving from top to bottom, you’ll find glassware, an ice bucket, and expensive water. This is followed by free water, booze, and coffee. Then, coffee cups, snacks, chilled items, a bartending kit, and games.

The pricing for the minibar is right in line with what to expect from a luxury city property.

The mattress was sublime and was even prepared to be extra welcoming with mints and an organized fold to make it easier to jump in.

The bedside tables have a funky design and, like the St. Regis Toronto, the room is equipped with ultra-cool motorized blinds.

The lights are controlled with pre-set routines, which take some getting used to but are fun to play with.

Views out of the window are nothing spectacular, but it’s better than courtyard views.

Finally, the TV was also standard issue for Marriott, recognizing my Elite status and welcoming me to the hotel.

In the evening, turndown service was offered, and a welcome gift arrived with a card thanking me for my loyalty. There was more to the gift than a single chocolate-covered strawberry, but I may have gotten excited… The rest of the pastries delivered were especially delicious.

Restaurants & Bars

Skylight

Skylight is located on the 9th floor, which isn’t the hotel’s top floor, but it has a small patio area overlooking Bloor St.

In the evening, you’ll find small bites and drinks here. The bar’s design is a “Boho Oasis” – their wording- and it was a fun place to hang out for an hour. We went around 8:00 PM and were hoping to catch the sunset, but there were so many tall buildings around that you couldn’t see much.

The bar snacks were house-roasted chickpeas, which were delicious, but the cocktails were expensive.

My consolation for expensive cocktails is that at least I was earning 17.5 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar by writing it to the room!

Skylight – Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Free Breakfast

During my stay, breakfast was served at Skylight since Public School, where breakfast is normally served, was under renovation. The breakfast menu at Skylight is pretty small. I ordered the Miracle Breakfast and was more than happy with the amount of food I received. 

My wife didn’t join me for breakfast, but the staff was happy to provide her waffles in a takeout bag and still count it towards the $40 per person. All in all, we used the full $80 of credit, which was generous and satisfying!

Public School

Usually, this would be the host for Marriott Bonvoy Elite breakfast. However, it’s located on the ground floor and doesn’t have much natural light, so I was happy about the change. You can also choose to have the breakfast credit applied to room service (but you must pay the delivery fee), which is what we did during our stay here last year.

There’s a small coffee shop attached to the restaurant that was open and had lots of natural light. We enjoyed delightful pastries from here. I highly recommend the morning bun!

Living Room & The Yard

Just behind and beside the reception desk are The Living Room and The Yard, which didn’t seem as busy as Skylight. When Skylight is closed on Sunday and Monday, it’s a wonderful place to spend time.

Facilities

Fitness Center

The fitness center was one of the best equipped I’ve seen recently, but the lack of windows is a bummer. The fitness center at the St Regis Toronto is a smaller facility, but its corner position is significantly more welcoming than being in a windowless dungeon.

Free earbuds were available for pickup, which is an increasing trend I’m noticing. I tend to grab a pair for an in-flight entertainment system whenever I need them.

Conclusion

The W Toronto embodies what it means to be a W property: fun and distinctive design and friendly staff who go above and beyond. Its location is underrated, and it consistently provides great value for Bonvoy Points and Free Night Certificates.

I look forward to staying at this property again!