Windsor Arms

  • Add to Trip Check Rates
  • 18 St. Thomas Street
    Toronto, Ontario M5S3E7
    (416) 971-9666Website
  • Not quite right? Change PhotoUpdate Address
JoelA-K
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
3
Photos

Windsor Arms Hotel

  • December 14, 2006
  • Rated 1 of 5 by DutyPaid from London, United Kingdom
For the price and how they sell themselves this is an incredibly bad hotel. Our requests to the concierge were not acted upon, despite two emails weeks before our arrival. There are no glasses for the mini-bar, we were told to use the water glasses in the toilet! The noise from the functions downstairs was clearly audible in our top floor corner suite and went on well past midnight. Functions every night meant the bar was closed and the restaurant was closed. Room service was patchy at best, delivering cold food, no teapot, no condiments, and not delivering a continental breakfast after 40 minutes! The doormen are surly and rarely actually open the door. We were not shown how to use the stereo or where the heating controls were located. The hotel info booklet was missing pages and had been used as a scribbling pad. Toiletries were changed ONCE during a 5 day stay. We knew when our neighbours went to the toilet, when they showered and we even got to share their cigar smoke with them. And for all this "luxury" we paid $1,000 a night for a suite!

Guests are incidental to this hotel, not their core business and it really shows. We couldn't wait to leave

From journal 4 Nights in Toronto

Editor Pick

The Windsor Arms Hotel

  • August 22, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by JoelA-K from Williamsville, New York
The Windsor Arms Hotel

My wife is a huge fan of the show "24", or rather, she is a huge fan of Kiefer Sutherland. She would be Mrs. Sutherland if possible, but she has me instead, and happily so!

We had tickets to see the band Stereolab at The Phoenix, so rather than stay at one of our usual haunts, I took a page from Mr. Sutherland's book and booked a room at The Windsor Arms Hotel . Located on a quiet street off Bloor, you are near the heart of the chichi shopping district, but in a quiet "I want to be alone" oasis.

Built in 1927 as a paragon of luxury and service, it closed in 1991 was restored and reopened with a old-world feel but with all mod cons. With a Neo-Gothic original exterior featuring original stained glass windows, this boutique hotel has 28 rooms ranging from 500 to 1,500 square feet.

The service is understated and European - you feel important here - and indeed, many of the movie world's best and brightest make this their home during the Toronto Film Festival. The dark carved wood of the lobby bespeaks money. But what about the rooms you ask?

Our room was spacious - a large living room with blond wood furniture led to an intimate bedroom with a king size bed and plush, crisp white 400 count sheets and a bathroom featuring a bath with jacuzzi, glass enclosed shower and double vanity sinks. The flow was magnificent and was worthy of a home-from-home for a homesick movie star. The terry robes, the premium bath products, the high-end magazines – this is a place for a couple to come and leave the kids (and cares) at home.

OK - that's all well and good, but what is the coolest thing in the room? Yes - the sound system. Check out the built-in cabinets flanking the bed and you will find extra storage and a full stereo rack system that channels sound throughout the rooms, bathroom included. It - like a movie - provides a soundtrack for your stay.

You go in feeling hip, and you come out feeling Hollywood! Need more? Check out Bar 22 off the lobby, or the Courtyard Cafe for an unforgettable evening.

One suggestion - when making a reservation ask for a room not above the bar. When you try to go to sleep the band may keep you awake while the hipsters continue to party long after we pretenders try to drift off.

If you have a few extra pennies, this place is deserving of a splurge. Toronto awaits…

From journal Americans who LOVE Toronto!

Compare Toronto Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Toronto Travel Deals