Best places to stay in Toronto: The Anndore House review

When I decided to get a cosmetic procedure I hadn’t had before (more on that in a few weeks), I wanted a comfortable boutique hotel in Toronto to convalesce. I’d heard from a close friend that one of the best places to stay in Toronto is The Anndore House; because, apparently, what was once a run-down Comfort Inn at 15 Charles Street is now one of the best boutique hotels in Toronto. And thus begins my Anndore House review…

You know you’ve stepped into one of the best boutique hotels in Toronto as soon as the elevator doors open onto your floor. Mosaic tiles, floor-to-ceiling windows and a funky mirror are just the start.

The Anndore House: one of the best places to stay in Toronto

Let’s be honest: hotels in downtown Toronto are a dime a dozen. You can find a room in anything from backpacker-friendly 1-star hostels to luxury penthouse suites fit for royalty — but in the “4-star hotels in Toronto” category, there aren’t actually as many options as you might think.

There are some fantastic chain hotels offering Toronto accommodations in great neighbourhoods around the city — and if big-brand names are the ones you trust the most, I’ll point you to my InterContinental Toronto Centre review or my InterContinental Yorkville review as a couple of fine examples.

But if you’re looking for something more unique, with a little more character, there are few cool hotels in Toronto that fit the bill like The Anndore House.

From its interesting in-room design choices — like wooden window shutters, industrial-style bath fixtures, old-timey telephones and vinyl record players — to Constantine, the bar and restaurant on the main level that offers both room service and a downtown Toronto happy hour that’s hard to beat, The Anndore House checks a lot of boxes:

• Fabulous location (after all, it’s a hotel near the University of Toronto and the famed Bloor-Yorkville district, plus great proximity to shopping, restaurants and many Toronto attractions)
• Easy access to the TTC (just cross the road and follow signs to the subway)
• Cheap overnight parking in Toronto, which can be hard to come by (there’s an inexpensive Green P lot across the street if you don’t want to use the $35/night valet service — which is one of the cheapest valet rates we’ve seen in the GTA, by the way)
• Luxury Toronto hotel design and amenities without the luxury price tag (in September, rooms on a Saturday night start at around $320 for two people in a Loft King room)
• Free WiFi
• Partnerships with nearby Hone Fitness and KX Clinic Yorkville
• The CO Bigelow bath products were also a nice touch!

I also have to give a huge shout out to the front desk staff and management team who all went above and beyond what I would already expect from a nice hotel. The customer service was top-notch during my three-day stay.

Constantine Lounge & Restaurant

The Anndore Hotel’s restaurant is one of my regular haunts when I’m in Toronto. That’s due, in large part, to a happy hour that features $6/glass wine (and I’m talking EXCELLENT wine), $6 cocktails and shareable appetizers ringing in at $10 or less per dish.

But a big part of the reason I wanted to convalesce in a hotel like this was access to breakfast, lunch and dinner — either using room service or just doing takeout — without having to ever leave the premises. Because if you’ve never had a cosmetic procedure before and you don’t know if parts of your face will be swollen or bruised, facing the public to grab your avocado toast in the morning isn’t high on the wish list.

Thankfully, I looked good enough to wander downstairs for most of my meals, and I happily took in happy hour on my second night!

Whether it’s for a happy hour get-together in Toronto, or breakfast in bed upstairs in your Anndore House suite, Constantine’s food is consistently excellent. (And, yeah, I totally ordered avocado toast one morning — but this one was extra-special because of the red pepper flakes and pomegranate seeds atop!)

A closer look at The Anndore House: a boutique hotel in Toronto

My Anndore House review is positive for so many reasons, but it scored major points for being such a cool hotel in Toronto with unique design features.

My Anndore House review wouldn’t be complete without showing you my room! There aren’t a lot of hotel suites in downtown Toronto that wow me when I walk in, because the 4- and 5-star stays we book are almost universally excellent.

The Anndore House is one of the few boutique hotels in Toronto with king-sized bed options! (Plus: owl pillows. HELLO!)

But The Anndore House is, well, different. It uses small spaces efficiently without sacrificing design choices that’ll make you ooooh and ahhhh when you first open the door. One of my favourite parts is the bathroom, thanks to its luxe industrial-loft feel:

A bathroom can make or break a hotel room, in my opinion. This is a bathroom that uses space wisely and design to its fullest.

I mentioned the bathroom fixtures before, and I took a close-up photo of the tap and black grout between the tiles because I may just want to “borrow” these ideas later in my own home:

How cool is this faucet at The Anndore House?

Often times, even in bigger hotel rooms, the storage space for clothes and personal belongings hasn’t been well thought-out. Not here. I had plenty of room — and then some — to hang everything I brought for three days.

I also really appreciated all of the storage space at the 15 Charles Street property.

Since I’m lucky enough to be able to work from anywhere, it was great that I didn’t have to prop up my laptop on the bed. My room at The Anndore House had a huge desk and even a couple of arm chairs at the foot of my bed that allowed me to have a meeting right in my room.

What do the cool hotels in Toronto have? Old phones, record players that can connect to bluetooth devices and a design sensibility that leaves you wanting to see more of the property’s rooms.

A full-length mirror is a major plus for any hotel review, but adding a cute phrase that makes it selfie-worthy is the cherry on top.

Does having a mirror built for Insta-pics make a hotel awesome? Yes. The answer is yes.

THE GEARS

The Anndore House is, without a doubt, one of the best places to stay in Toronto. I give it a strong 4.5/5!

DISCLAIMER: This hotel stay was hosted to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.