InterContinental Toronto Centre

Rooms and decor

The InterContinental Toronto Centre opened in 1992 at 225 Front Street West, right beside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre — a spot that works for families and business travelers alike. The hotel is a 26-storey building split into 4 wings, with 584 rooms that start at a 350-sq-ft Standard and climb to a Premier Suite of more than 1,000 sq ft. The look is contemporary in brown, beige and gold, renovated in 2019, with soft beds, fast Wi-Fi, a 49-inch Smart TV, Aromatherapy Associates products, a marble bathroom and a rain shower, plus a separate tub from the Junior Suite up. The Club InterContinental rooms on the 14th floor add a Club Lounge that serves food five times a day. Real Trip.com reviews (8.8/10) mostly praise rooms that run wider than other 4-star hotels and the city views, with some rooms looking straight at the CN Tower and Rogers Centre.

Food and amenities

The hotel's highlight is the indoor saltwater pool, a 70-footer with natural light through a glass roof that makes it feel like an outdoor pool even in winter; it's open 06:00-22:00 with a hot tub. The 8,000-sq-ft Spa InterContinental is bigger than the spas at nearby 4-stars, with a couples' room, a steam room, a vichy shower and Aromatherapy Associates treatments from about $120 to $255 — and Spa Sundays knock off 20%. The 24-hour fitness room is well-stocked with treadmills and weights. Azure Restaurant, the main dining room, serves contemporary Canadian food built on local ingredients, with a breakfast buffet around $33 and a kids' menu. The Lobby Bar pours cocktails and light bites, and Strata Restaurant at the Convention Centre, a 1-minute walk away, does steak and seafood. Overall it scores 8.9/10.

Location and getting there

The InterContinental Toronto Centre is set up for travelers who want to walk to every sight. The CN Tower, Toronto's landmark, is a 5-minute walk; Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, a hit with kids, is 5 minutes; Rogers Centre, home of the Blue Jays and a major concert venue, is 7 minutes; Scotiabank Arena and the Hockey Hall of Fame are each 10 minutes; and Union Station is a 10-minute walk, where the UP Express reaches Pearson Airport in 25 minutes for about $9. Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) sits 27 km away, a 30-minute drive. The hotel links to the PATH, the underground walkway tying it to the Convention Centre and Union Station — which matters in winter.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, a few honest points. First, the corridors from the lobby to the rooms are fairly long because the hotel is split into 4 wings; a far room can be a 3-to-5-minute walk, so ask for one near the central lifts when you book. Second, some reviews flag housekeeping — with 584 rooms the service can be uneven, and a few guests have mentioned dust in the room and towels that weren't fresh; raise it at the front desk and they fix it right away. Third, the Standard rooms are older than the Premier ones — units not touched in the 2019 renovation still wear the older palette, so request a Premier Room or Club InterContinental when you book. Fourth, parking runs about $44 a night, which is steep; the nearby Green P costs roughly $18-26 a night instead.

Our take

The InterContinental Toronto Centre is the most balanced family choice in the CN Tower area — pairing a 5-minute walk to the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and Rogers Centre with rooms that run wider than other 4-star hotels, a natural-light saltwater pool, an 8,000-sq-ft spa that doesn't cost a fortune, and a direct link to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. If the trip in your head is taking the family to the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and the Hockey Hall of Fame every day, or attending a meeting at the Convention Centre, this is the most fitting answer. If you want luxury or boutique chic instead, look at Bisha or the Ritz-Carlton. Overall we give it 8.9/10 — best for families with young kids, business travelers at the Convention Centre, and anyone heading to Rogers Centre every day.