Review: Park Hyatt Toronto is posh without being stuffy

Thanks to PMB meetup, I was in Toronto over a weekend in March earlier this year. It was a perfect oppurtunity for me to experience the restored Park Hyatt Toronto, which had opended its doors again only in September 2021 after a 4 year rennovation. This posh Toronto property is located in the fashionable Yorkville shopping district and hosts 219 guestrooms, including 40 suites. And perhaps most importantly, it offers stunning skyline views of Toronto from its 18th floor rooftop bar – Writer’s Room.

A category-6 property in the Hyatt portfolio, members can redeem 25,000 Hyatt points per night (standard award rate), or pay cash rates that range between $500-$900 CAD per night for a standard King Bed room.

Park Hyatt Toronto Review – First impressions

The property exudes elegance – the dark tones of the marble/stone facade compliment the warmer wood panel interiror. The lighting on the driveway overhang made for a perfect ‘under the stars’ setup for arriving guests, while the artwork in the lobby was stunning and evoked experience of being in an art gallery than a hotel lobby.

Main entrance and driveway

Main door to the lobby

Park Hyatt Toronto – Foyer and Lobby area

Park Hyatt Toronto Review – Checkin

Upon arrival, I made my way to the check-in area, which was gorgeous and inviting. With plenty of openspace seating by the fireplace, I settled in, while a hotel associate greeted me at the seating area. I was pleasantly surpirsed that the staff was expecting me, and upon introduction addressed me with “Welcome Mr. Singh, we have a lovely Suite ready for you“. What can I say, they had done enough to impress me 😉

Check-in area, and seating

The staff was curtious, and keen to personalize my experience once they learnt that this was my first time at Park Hyatt Toronto. Upon their recommendation, I was happy to book a cocktail evening at the famed Writer’s Room bar, for a group of 12. An after-after party to #PMBmeetup was in the works! I was only staying for one evening, and had checked in at noon, to maximize my time at the hotel, with a 4pm checkout the next day.

I was upgraded from a standard King Room to a One-Bedroom Suite on the 9th floor. As i walked towards the elevators, I couldnt help but marvel at the asthetics of the property, the colour pallette was soothing and decor was stylish.

Lobby elevators

9th Floor

Park Hyatt Toronto – Suite 941

Room 941, a 585-square-foot one-bedroom suite (standard) was located away from the elevators and reminded me of an upscale condo than a hotel room. The layout and decor of the room made it feel more ‘homely’ than a quintisential hotel room. The living room was adequate to host a few friends over – with the guest washroom an excellent add-on to any suite. The bedroom was large, with plenty of natural light from the wall-to-wall windows, and also offered sufficient privacy from the living room when needed.  The star attraction (for me anyways) was the master washroom, adorned in white marble, spacious double vanity, and a standing rainshower with the best water pressure and temperatue control I had experiened in hotels, in a long while.

Room 941 – One Bedroom Suite

Room 941 – Foyer and living room

Living Room

Coffee station and mini-bar

Guest washroom

Bedroom – Suite 941

View from bedroom

Master washroom

Double sink vanity

Stand-in rain shower

Amenities: Bergamote 22 by Le Labo

Park Hyatt Toronto – Writer’s Room bar

Writer’s Room bar was located on the 18th floor of Park Hyatt Toronto, and as I learnt, is one of the most revered bars in town – with stunning leather and suede decor, serving signature coktails against breathtaking views of Toronto skyline. I had the pleasure of hosting some good friends, over drinks that were well worth their pricetag (~$35-$45 each)

Writer’s Room Bar – Park Hyatt Toronto

Writer’s Room Bar

Writers Room Bar

View from Writers Room Bar

Park Hyatt Toronto – Joni restaurant

Joni is Chef Antonio Soriano’s upscale, and renknowned establishment in Toronto’s diverse food scene. The restaurant offers an elevated fare through its breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. My breakfast experience at Joni was just as I had expected, a luxurious meal worthy of the iconic Park Hyatt brand name. The restaurant is an open concept kitchen and seating is sprawled across the main floor, beautifully seperated from the main lobby by art installations that could well double as an art gallery.

Breakfast service was scheduled for 7am-11am, and to my delight, offers a full brunch menu over weekends. Another one in the win coloumn for the Park Hyatt experience 🙂

Joni Restaurant – Park Hyatt Toronto

Joni Restaurant

Joni Restaurant – Fireplace

Joni Restaurant

Joni Restaurant – Brunch menu

Joni Restaurant – Beverage menu

For my only breakfast the restaurant, I chose the Devilled Crab toast, while my friend who joined me for breakfast, chose the Koji Aged Striploin steak. Accompanied by a beautiful side of fruit plate, fresh pressed juice, and coffee! The food was even more awesome than it looks in the picture, and perfectly portioned as well. My breakfast set a standard where I have been wanting to return to the hotel, just so I can eat at Joni.

Devilled Crab Toast

Koji Aged Striploin Steak

Park Hyatt Toronto Review – Take Away

My one-night stay was nothing short of superlative. Park Hyatt Toronto oozed understated elegance, and was opulent without being stuffy. The upgrade to the suite was welcome, and my experience at the Writer’s Room, and Joni, further elevated my stay. And as is the case in many superlative hotel experiences, it came down to the small details, where staff at check-in was prepared for me, offered to co-ordinate my evening event, and addressed me by name at each establishment. These are service levels I have not seen in North America, colour me impressed.