Toronto’s Hotel X: An Oasis in the Middle of it All

My favorite kind of hotel is one that’s close to everything important in a city but somehow also in its own tranquil bubble—like an urban resort. Hotel X in Toronto has accomplished this by placing itself within ten minutes of downtown but right across from the waterfront. Even this near the hubbub, the hotel manages to maintain nine acres of land, six of which are outdoor spaces, including gardens. The area used to be home to a barracks and was all asphalt when Hotel X broke ground.

My suite had nine-foot floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views of the water that made me almost feel like I wasn’t in a city at all. Talk about the best of both worlds, not to mention the property’s proximity to Toronto’s Exhibition Place.

The other feature I loved most about Hotel X is its modern design. The lobby is a sprawling hall with huge columns, fascinating non-traditional chandeliers, and a mosaic tile floor. I’m a bit of a furniture design geek, so I adored the variety of different shapes and textures, especially the chairs with disproportionately high backs. I also appreciated the bold use of color in the furniture like mixing golden yellow with bright red-purple.

The designers of the building sourced most of the materials locally in Canada and used recycled materials wherever possible. As a result, the property is green, exceeding LEED silver standards. Even the roofs are green.

Opened in 2018, Hotel X is part of the Library Hotel Collection. I’ve experienced all four of their award-winning hotels in New York City (the company also runs the Aria hotels in Budapest and Prague), so I’ve come to expect a certain standard from this group. Hotel X didn’t disappoint on any level, particularly because its location in Toronto allowed for that resort feeling, which would be hard to duplicate in Manhattan.

The amenities send home the resort concept because you really do have everything you need on the premises. There’s a courtesy shuttle to Union Station and Billy Bishop Airport. Guerlain maintains a spa in the building, and there’s an art gallery, movie theatre, ATM, business centre, gift shop, departure lounge with workstations, play centre for kids, meeting rooms, ballrooms, and the gorgeous glass-enclosed New Fort Hall.

Then, there’s the 90,000-square-foot TechnoGym, which is open 24 hours and has personal trainers, a steam room, four indoor tennis courts, nine squash courts, a golf simulator, and studios for yoga, Pilates, and spinning. Of course, no Library Hotel Collection property would be complete without a library, so Hotel X has two.

But wait … Hotel X’s rooftop bar is singular in North America as a three-level, 10,000-foot space with that spectacular waterfront view, as well as a 55-foot swimming pool that’s partially indoors and partially outdoors. It’s the only tri-level rooftop skybar in Toronto. And they restrict how many people enter so that it never gets overly crowded.

When it’s time to eat, you can try the upscale Pétros82, which is a Mediterranean restaurant and raw bar that overlooks a garden. While the majority of the menu is seafood, including lobster, shrimp cocktail, and caviar, you can also order non-seafood items like rack of lamb, steak, or eggplant lasagna. You can have a brunch buffet there, too, from 11a.m.-3p.m.

I opted for the more casual Max’s Kitchen on the second floor, where you can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner while looking out the huge windows at the harbor. Max’s breakfast menu is buffet or a la carte with vegan options. For dinner, I went for a basic burger, but there was really nothing basic about it. It included great greens, and well … Canada always has the best burgers, bar none, as far as I’m concerned.

My 770-square-foot one-bedroom suite was one of the most spacious I’ve ever experienced with a large separate living room and plenty of closet space. Both the living area and bedroom had those waterfront views. Bottled water (replenished daily) was complimentary, which I always appreciate, and I also had a safe large enough for my full-sized laptop, as well as a Nespresso machine.

Even the bathroom was unusually spacious with a separate shower, large rectangular bathtub, and wide sink area with enough room to spread out my makeup and other toiletries. (I hate it when there’s no place to put things by the sink.) Then, of course, there was my comfortable king-sized bed with pillow top mattress and velvet headboard.

Besides the one-bedroom suites, there are junior suites, a presidential suite, a penthouse suite, two-bedroom suites, a variety of non-suite room types, and connecting rooms. And the property is pet-friendly, so you can bring your best buddy along.

I’m a big fan of the Library Hotel Collection in general, but Hotel X is one of those special places that will stay with you. There’s nothing cookie cutter about it. I can’t imagine choosing a different place to stay in Toronto. I know the city has a lot of great hotels, but I’ll take all of these amenities and a room with a waterfront view every day of the week.

By Melanie Votaw