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Typically my Toronto visits revolve around day trips for work meetings or a couple of days on a busy conference which does not leave me time to explore. Last month we spent a fun weekend in Toronto with friends and family, exploring local eats and neighborhoods. For the ‘fun weekend,’ I was stoked to return to Park Hyatt Toronto, a property I stayed at and reviewed last year (full review). For this post, instead of doing a full review, I will focus on the highlights of the stay.
Park Hyatt Toronto – Bad redemption, Suite victory
Park Hyatt Toronto is in the luxurious Yorkville neighborhood, surrounded by high-end boutiques, galleries, chic cafes, and fine-dining restaurants. The standard King room costs ~$850 per night on weekends, or 25,000 points. Earning Hyatt points in Canada is arduous, given the lack of co-branded credit cards. With an instinct to save my hard-earned points, I opted for the Points+Cash option of 12500+$397 per night. Essentially, I bought 12500 Hyatt points for $397 (3.1 cents per point) through the cash+ points rate, which was a mistake. I could have purchased the points outright at a much lower rate (1.9 cpp with a 25% bonus promotion right now) and used them to redeem 25,000 points. Oh well, C’est la vie.
I also used a Hyatt Suite Upgrade Award to confirm a suite upgrade before my arrival. A quick email to My Hyatt Concierge and I received a confirmation of a ‘double upgrade’ to the 1-Bedroom Deluxe Corner Suite (850 sqft) on the high floor. Color me impressed!
Invitation to Bi-Level Suite and Presidential Suite
The Park Hyatt hospitality takes over as soon as the car pulls up to the main doors, with a lovely greeting by the doorperson. As we made our way to the check-in area, the agent (Sushant) welcomed us back, offered a bottle of water, and inquired about our weekend plans – I mentioned that we were in town to catch up with friends and family. Sushant quickly confirmed that the 2-Bedroom Bi-Level Suite would be a perfect space for us to host friends and family if we were interested in an upgrade, and he also offered a tour of the suite. Of course, we took him up on the offer.
I did not realize how extensive the 2-bedroom bi-level suite was until we started exploring all the suites. The 1,430-square-foot suite boasts two bedrooms—one with a king bed and one with two queen beds, and two full bathrooms with double vanities in each. It came with an upgrade fee of $750/nt. Although steep for my wallet, I would pay it had it not been just the two of us. That massive penthouse suite would have been overkill for our weekend plans to explore the town. Sushant agreed. Unfortunately, with all our chit-chat I forgot to take pictures. So here is one from the hotel’s website;
During our conversation, I mentioned that this bi-level suite was WAY better than the Andaz Ottawa Presidential Suite, where I had friends for an evening. Sushant, the proud employee of Park Hyatt, was keen to show us the Presidential Suite as well, which offered the best views of the city, so off we went;
The 1,825-square-foot Presidential suite featured one king bed, a dining table for eight, a massive living room capable of hosting an evening gala, and sweeping views over Yorkville, looking into downtown Toronto. I did manage a couple of pictures, especially of the sprawling living room.
Although the presidential suite was impressive, I would prefer the sprawling bi-level suite, especially when visiting with family.
Wow – this was the best check-in experience I have had. As we returned to the check-in area, Sushant impressed us once more as he managed to lock in a reservation at the famed Writer’s Room bar – not an easy task for a Saturday evening.
The humble 1-Bedroom Deluxe Corner Suite
Our suite was on the 14th floor, the same as the Bi-level and Presidential Suites. Although not as outlandish as the other two, the deluxe suite was an impressive space with a large living room, King Bedroom, a separate makeup vanity area, a guest half-bath, a walk-in rain shower, and a soaker tub, as well as double sinks in the main bathroom.
As a Globalist member, we were allowed breakfast in the room, and I was keen to try the room service option, having been to Joni restaurant multiple times before. Unfortunately, the room service breakfast option paled compared to Joni’s menu and elegance. The in-room breakfast menu was different, the plating basic, and the food did not come close to the flavor palette of dishes offered in Joni.
Writer’s Room
The highlight of our stay, expectedly, was the evening at Writer’s room. The drinks and snacks were just as spectacular as the views of the Toronto skyline. We tried a couple of cocktails each and enjoyed the Olives and Popcorn nibbles post-dinner.
Take Away
My personal takeaways from this trip were to try and book the bi-level suite for the next stay, opt-out of the in room breakfast option and enjoy the lavish spread of Joni restaurant instead, and spend more time at the Writer’s Room bar.
It will be hard to enjoy any Toronto property as much as we enjoyed our time at the Park Hyatt Toronto. That the staff goes above and beyond in making the guest experience particular would be an understatement. The location is the true highlight, with several attractions within walking distance, a perfect balance of cityscape, and a warmth of a local neighborhood.
2 comments
Great article Anshil, and I am looking forward to my stay this upcoming long weekend! I will be happy with the Deluxe High Floor Corner Suite again, but wouldn’t dream of upgrading to Bi Level Suite, unless I was a PMB event host. š¤£
Given how many times you have been there, they should really be giving you the bi-level suite. Next time you check in, don’t forget to ask them if there is an upgrade offer. You will love the bi-level suite.