When people think of “Courtyard”, they think of the below meme. Indeed, Marriott, the owner of the Courtyard brand, has indeed as a “classic select brand”, AKA cheap basic business brand.

That being said, there are still ways for hotels in this area to stand out: nice staff, modern furnishings, great facilities and amenities. And indeed, this Courtyard did clear those expectations.

Location and Entrance

A few minutes away from College Park Station, the Courtyard Toronto Downtown is a tad out of the way. Or more precisely, the entrance was a tad confusing - it actually is located on Courtyard lane, accessible by Wood street. Entering the hotel, I was greeted by a very bright, spacious, modern lobby.

Check in was also efficient, although I must say I met one of the most lively front desk agents ever at the Courtyard Toronto Downtown. After cracking a few jokes about my relative youth and hotel status (#consultant), we chatted about how the hospitality industry had somewhat weathered the storm. He gave me the choice between a smaller room on a high floor, or a suite on the lower floor. As I was travelling alone, I took the latter choice, which lead me to the South Tower (meaning there was also a North Tower with other rooms).

The Room

In contrast to the Chelsea Hotel, I found the colors quite calming - this is probably because the owners wanted to distract it’s business occupants who were frantically thinking about work lol.

The room I booked was a King Bed, and was 375 sq ft. However, I will commend the planners of this room for their excellent use of space, as it certainly felt more spacious than that. I immediately noticed the TV, and to the left of it a coffee maker.

I did find it hilarious how the TV was so far away from the bed or even sofa.

The bed was more comfortable than I expected to be, although it was probably because I was pretty tired after a party earlier. To the left of the bed was a sofa with a desk.

In front of that was a full, proper desk, which was more than adequate to do a few hours work. Unfortunately, given the Courtyard’s location, the window overlooked…a COURTYARD.

I (wrongly) thought that the Courtyard Toronto Downtown had left a welcome amenity on the desk, and was kind of excited until I realized that it was just cleaning equipment. There was breakfast for purchase, although given the surrounding area had a Mcdonald’s literally across the street I wouldn’t partake. For those more sophisticated, there are plenty of restaurants on nearby Yonge Street.

The Facilities

Things I would partake though are the hotel’s thankfully still opened amenities (although the pool was closed). For one, the lobby was quite extensive, with its own business center, restaurant and to go store.

There is always one thing I look for at a hotel: a gym. And bless the Courtyard Toronto for going above and beyond, at least for a moderately priced city hotel.

The only small complaint, which I have with a lot of gyms, is that the max weight is 50lb. Please go a bit higher.

Interestingly, this gym was actually on the same floor as many conference rooms. The hotel claims it has 19 conference rooms covering over 13,000 sqft, spread across 2 floors and 2 towers.

I did witness several smaller gathering, including training sessions, that were held in the hotel.

The Point

I quite enjoyed my stay at the Courtyard Toronto Downtown: as mentioned in the title, it can be viewed as a solid place to stay in Toronto for a couple days. While a bit further from central downtown and other tourist attractions, Toronto’s vast subway system means they are less than 15 minutes away. The hotel’s recent refurbishment shows in both the tasteful, modern decor and well set up use of space. As probably the lowest priced Marriott option in Downtown Toronto, it is a worthwhile, if not fantastic, stay.