I took a quick trip to Toronto a while back and took the opportunity to try out a couple of hotels. The Westin I reviewed gave me a pretty interesting upgrade, so I was hoping for something similar at the Sheraton. Unfortunately there were no suite upgrades available, but I did get upgraded to the Club floor.
I got a pretty decent rate of $85 per night, so it was a no-brainer to just pay cash for the stay. The alternative would have been 7K SPG points, or a dismal 1.2 cents per point before taxes.
The outside of the hotel isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing, but thankfully the interior was much better. Still, the lobby was nothing to be excited about. At check-in, I was immediately upgraded to the club floor, but no suite this time.
I decided to check out the Club Lounge a little after getting to my room. My key didn’t work for some reason, so I just knocked and the lounge attendant let me in and apologized for the key. No biggie. Once inside, I saw the lounge was pretty empty…just one other person.
The food options were kind of interesting. There was a hot chicken and rice dish that was completely untouched and didn’t look all that appetizing. It seemed like it had been sitting there for quite a while, but there was no way to tell.
There were also some other snacks set up in the middle of the lounge. My favorite was the elegant bowl of Cheetos. Again, these things didn’t look very fresh but I’m sure the pretzels and Cheetos were still good (or at least as good as they could be). Some veggies, crackers, and cheese were also available.
There was also tea and coffee, plus a mini fridge with soft drinks (but no water bottles).
The lounge was quiet and relaxing, but nothing to go out of your way to see. The coolest part of the lounge was probably the view, which looked out towards the airport. For travelers, it could be fun to see the planes taking off from the runway.
This hotel was perfectly serviceable if you’re in Toronto for a few days. They have a free airport shuttle (which I didn’t use), and the rooms were clean and worth the $85 rate I paid. The rooms were also much more updated than the room I stayed in at the Westin, and even though my room at the Sheraton was much smaller, I think I’d still prefer it over the Westin. The biggest issue I had with the hotel is that you have to pay for parking (which was also true at the Westin). The daily rate was about $15, so if you’re renting a car make sure to factor this in to your travel budget!