When you are travelling anywhere in the world, choosing a hotel that is central to what you want to see and experience is extremely important.
If you are into visiting museums and art in Paris you might find a hotel that is central to both the Musee Dorsay and the Louvre. Or if you plan to spend your time eating gelato while shopping in Rome, you might want to stay close to the Spanish Steps.
But where do you choose to stay if you are a shopoholic on holiday in Toronto?
Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods and each has its own downtown strip. Depending on where you choose to stay you could walk out with shopping at your doorstep or end up having to travel quite some distance.
The following are 5 neighbourhoods with excellent shopping and hotel choices for the most discerning traveller.
1. Bloor Yorkville
This neighbourhood is Toronto’s premiere shopping neighbourhood. Designers like Chanel and Prada have their Canadian flagship locations along Bloor and swanky boutiques are found throughout Yorkville. This is a shopping lover’s paradise. Also in this area are a number of luxury hotel chains and boutique hotels. This is where you find the Four Seasons, the Park Hyatt and the Windsor Arms. This neighbourhood also houses the Royal Ontario and the Bata Shoe Museums.
2. Yonge Dundas Square
Home to Toronto’s Eaton Center, plus plenty of shopping on the street this is another shopping mecca. Hotels that are close by include the Delta Chelsea and the Marriott Eaton Center. Plus you are in walking distance to the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
3. West Queen West
This neighbourhood is full of downtown hipsters and this stretch of Queen Street is lined with boutiques. Two boutique hotels are perfect options for this neighbourhood; The Drake Hotel and The Gladstone. Plus you can easily shop the vintage shops on Ossington and check out Parkdale Village. This area is known as the Art and Design district and is home to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art.
4. Queen West
Queen West isn’t as hip as its western neighbour but offers some serious shopping and it is home to Much Music, Canada’s music video station. Plus this area offers some of the cities more affordable hotels and hostels like a Super 8 and the Canadian Backpackers Hostel. Plus you are close to one of Toronto’s Chinatowns and Kensington Market.
5. Riverside, Leslieville, the Danforth & the Beach
Toronto’s east end has some great boutique shopping but since this area is more residential it isn’t exactly littered with hotels. But because these neighbourhoods are easily accessible via street car or subway they are still easy to visit and explore. This means you can stay downtown at any of the above neighbourhoods or a hotel that is slightly east of Yonge like Le Royal Meridian King Edward or the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Just remember to invest in a TTC day pass!
If you are looking for detailed information on all the Toronto shopping listed above just check out torontoshopoholic.com. It’s one shopoholic’s guide to shopping in Toronto, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Check out the neighbourhood shopping maps and store reviews to help you plan your trip.
About the Author
Picking a hotel in Toronto is a guest post, written by Jane at Torontoshopoholic.com, the online guide to shopping in Toronto.
