Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at Yorkville

Rooms and decor

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at Yorkville opened in 2012 on a new site in the heart of Yorkville, Canada's most upscale luxury-brand district, where Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Holt Renfrew and Cartier all sit within a 5-minute walk. The building is a 55-storey tower designed by Architects Alliance, split between 259 hotel rooms and private condominiums. Rooms start at the Premier Room at 400 sq ft, clearly larger than any other 5-star in Toronto, and run up to the Royal Suite at more than 1,200 sq ft with a Steinway piano and full CN Tower views. Bathrooms are Calacatta marble with heated floors, a separate tub, a rain shower and Toto fixtures, and some rooms look straight out at the CN Tower and Lake Ontario. Real reviews on Trip.com (9.4/10) and Booking (9.2) agree the rooms are bigger than expected, with Frette linens, L'Occitane amenities and housekeeping that keeps every corner spotless.

Food and amenities

The heart of the hotel is Cafe Boulud, the contemporary French restaurant from Michelin-level New York chef Daniel Boulud, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The weekend brunch is the city's best-known, so book a week ahead, and signature plates like Coq Au Vin and Tarte Tatin draw reviews calling them worth the CAD 45-95 (about $33-69) a plate. d|bar in the lobby pours classic cocktails and small plates. The 30,000-sq-ft spa is the largest hotel spa in Canada, with a vichy shower, a hammam, couples treatment rooms and an 18-metre indoor pool lit by natural light through the high windows, plus a Pilates studio and a 24-hour fitness centre. Overall score 9.4/10.

Location and getting there

Four Seasons stands at 60 Yorkville Avenue in the heart of Yorkville, a 30-second walk from Bloor Street, Canada's most upscale shopping strip. TTC Bay station is a 1-minute walk, putting the whole city within reach by subway. Pearson Airport (YYZ) is 25 km out, about 30 minutes by car; the easiest route is the UP Express from Union Station (25 minutes, CAD 12.35 / about $9 one way), then 10 minutes on the subway to Bay station, or an Uber for CAD 60-80 (about $44-58). The CN Tower and Eaton Centre are 5-10 minutes away by subway, and the Royal Ontario Museum is a 15-minute walk.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. First, this has the highest rates in the city, normally starting at CAD 700-950 (about $510-695) a night, and during peak season or a big event or concert they can climb to CAD 1,200-1,800 (about $875-1,315), so book a few months ahead; on a tighter budget, look at Bisha or Ace Hotel, which start at less than half. Second, valet parking is CAD 80/night (about $58), which is steep; if you drive, use the nearby Green P lot at CAD 25-35 (about $18-26), or lean on Uber plus subway. Third, Yorkville is not a sightseeing district, so if you plan to hit the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and Rogers Centre every day, you're looking at a 10-15 minute subway ride each way; InterContinental Toronto Centre or Bisha sit within walking distance of the sights.

Our take

Four Seasons Hotel Toronto at Yorkville is the city's number one for ultra-luxury, and it's hard to match: flagship Four Seasons privacy, service that knows every guest by name, rooms wider than the competition, the 30,000-sq-ft spa that's the largest in Canada, and a location in the middle of the country's most upscale shopping. If the trip in your head is shopping Hermes and Chanel in the morning, then coming back for afternoon tea in a room facing the CN Tower, this is the cleanest answer. But if you're focused on the CN Tower and Rogers Centre every day, or coming for a Blue Jays game or a concert, others on the list fit better. Overall we give it 9.4/10, best for honeymoons, couples marking a big occasion, and luxury shoppers.