I was speaking with someone on Marriott’s Loyalty team, and they mentioned that a common complaint among both hotel owners and guests was that Elite Benefits and standards were “different” between hotels, even within the same brand. I think that they need to stay at the Delta Hotels Toronto to better understand how to best serve guests consistently and wonderfully.
Overview
Marriott classifies Delta Hotels as a “Premium” hotel, which means it competes against Sheratons, Marriott’s, Hiltons, Hyatt’s. This brand is actually Canadian, and was started in good old Toronto in 1962, and so will be 60 this year! I am a bit biased, but I do feel like the two Deltas I have stayed in (Toronto and Calgary) are a bit more upscale than a generic Marriott. This mainly takes the form of being newer / remodeled, better décor, friendlier staff and better elite treatment (although this might be a Canada thing).
Location
The Delta Toronto is located near the waterfront, and in the summertime would be absolutely stunning. I really need to stop staying in Waterfront hotels during the winter. The good news about the Delta Toronto is that is PATH connected (ablet in a convoluted way). That means that you don’t need to go outside in the wintertime: just walk from Union station through to the PwC building, then up a staircase to the hotel.
Path Entrance
Note that the hotel is south of the train tracks, and not actually in Downtown Toronto proper. This might be a bit of an issue if you’re feeling hungry later at night, when a lot of things are closed.
Ground Floor Check In
Check In
The lobby of the Delta Toronto is fantastic, and I would say it would be one of the best 4 star hotels I have stayed in. It’s very airy, and filled with chic furniture and cute decorations.
I arrived at the hotel at 1PM, and funnily enough my room was ready. However, I was in a rush to meet a friend, and so just dropped my bags off at the front desk until 5PM. When I checked in, the hotel kindly obliged with my request for water / toothbrush and toothpaste.
I had used a Suite Night Award to upgrade my room from Guest room, 1 King all the way too…a Luxury, Larger Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed, CN Tower view, Skyline view, Corner room. WOW! This is the hotel’s top tier suite, although I will explain later on this might not be the choice for everyone.
It was then off to the elevators to see my new room on the 7th floor. Note the Delta Toronto does split it’s elevators: I believe one set serves floors 4-20, while the other one serves the higher floors.
Elevator
The outside of the hotel was a bit disappointing, with minimal décor and a bit of a weird carpet - much like myself, I do wish there was a bit more “personality”.
Hallway
Room
Entrance
I find it interesting that the Delta Toronto’s top tier suite, the Luxury, Larger Suite, 1 King, Sofa bed, CN Tower view, Skyline view, Corner room, was actually a connecting suite. There’s probably quite a few people who have thrown some rad parties (although I think they should do it at the W Toronto).
The suite runs between 700 - 800 sqft, and thus is massive: for context, most 2 bedroom condos in Toronto would be around that size. The next few pictures try to give a sense of scale.
Overall Room
Bed
And this is just half of it! There’s also a kitchenette (yes) and a bathroom. I would say this suite actually runs a bit big, with a bit too much empty space in the middle.
The “hearth” of the hotel is a large TV with several chairs / sofas dotted around it, perfect for hosting (and listening to a group of 20 somethings ponder the meaning of life).
TV
Funnily enough, there is also ANOTHER TV in front of the bed if you’re too lazy. This is another distinguishing, but kind of useless feature of a suite.
Desk and TV
Beside that TV is a functional desk with a variety of different chargers, along with the ever ubiquitous cleaning wipes.
Desk with Many Charging Ports
And finally, the King Bed. I didn’t think bed was anything special, but it was solid nevertheless.
King Bed
I find it hilarious that the art is basically someone (or an AI) painting different shades on a background. Beside the bed was a piece of furniture that I assume is for storing luggage.
Furniture and Bed
Making our way to the other side of the room, we can once again see how much space there is, and how many pieces of furniture attempted to fill up this void.
Furniture and Room
There was an admittedly normal coffee maker, but after a week in Vegas with no in-room coffee maker, I will take this any way of the week.
Coffee Marker
Next up, separated from the main area were a kitchenette and bathroom. The kitchenette was rather impressive, and had a wide range of dishes and cooking utensils.
However, I think the bathroom was even more impressive! The only thing it lacked was a tub, although that could be easily remedied by taking a dip in the pool / hot tub in the common area.
The best part of the suite, like many rooms at the Delta, was of course the view overlooking the CN Tower - they don’t call it the CN Tower view, Skyline view, Corner room for nothing!
View
Amenities - Lounge
Some say the best part of this hotel is the lounge, and I would agree. Located on the 46th floor, the lounge serves both breakfast and light dinner, as well as snacks during the rest of the day. The breakfast buffet is from 6:30-10:00 on weekdays, and 7:30-11:00 on weekends (thank goodness they recognize people want to sleep in!).
Entry into the lounge is granted by tapping your card key on a scanner, and is included for Marriott Platinum or above members, or whose who have booked a room with Club Lounge Access.
Breakfast
I really liked the buffet, but is was mainly on account of one thing: smoked salmon: I can eat endless amounts of this stuff. The rest of the buffet was still decent, although I felt dinner was comparatively better than the breakfast pictured below.
There were scrambled eggs, sausages (a bit dry), hashbrowns, fresh fruit, cold cuts, smoked salmon, cheeses, boxed yogurt, pastries (including lovely chocolate ones), cereal, juices, and coffee and tea. And a variety of condiments.
Dinner was a comparatively more grand affair, and while advertised as light bites, my friends didn’t have any problem. They for some reason loved the San Pellegrino (I completely believe that is a scam lol).
Table
There were mini Charcuterie boards, hot and cold vegetables, mini roast beef sandwiches, meatballs, biscuits and sauces. And if that wasn’t enough, there were also different small treats, enough to keep you partying into the night.
There was also plenty of seating in the lounge, and while dinner wasn’t crowded, breakfast was. However, the fantastic attendants made sure that the place was spotless, and that there was always enough food.
There was also a business center tucked away in the corner, although I can only imagine work was done when there was no food in the lounge.
Amenities - Gym and Pool
To be honest, I felt this was one area which could use improvement (although I had just come from Vegas gyms). There was a plethora of cardio machines, but it was lacking in free weights and physical space to work out.
The pool was a bit better, and it was carried by its fantastic floor to ceiling views of the Toronto skyline.
There was also a small but relatively mighty hot tub.
Hot Tub
Amenities - Other
The hotel was also designed as a conference center, and boasts many different places to conduct business, including restaurants and bars.
I do find the carpet a bit…much, but overall enjoy the décor and ambiance of the “business chic” of the hotel.
And while my friends and I were content with the lounge, do note that there were several proper dining establishments for non-kids. The SOCO Kitchen + Bar (along with the Roof) is a splendid place to pass the time…in the summertime. In the wintertime it was closed, presumably because no one wants to sit outside in the freezing rain.
Closed
There is also the Char No.5 Whisky & Cocktail Lounge, which I believe has over 100 whiskeys on hand. Alas, until I come back with an expense account, I will not be able to experience this.
The Service
For a 4 star hotel, it was really really good! The team stuck a good balance between overwhelming the guest with offers of service, and being there when you needed it. The hotel’s generous elite treatment extended towards giving me a fantastic suite for my last day in Toronto in 2022. My friend who didn’t use his suite night award was likewise given an amazing Deluxe Room, complete with a bathtub overlooking the Toronto Waterfront.
The Point
The Delta Toronto acts as the Flagship of the Delta brand, and it shows. Modern yet sophisticated, 10 years old but looking brand new, this hotel would be my top choice for staying in Toronto for people who have already been here. Tourists might be more attracted to the more centrally located Sheraton Toronto, or the cheaper Courtyard Toronto. However, I would highly suggest travelers, especially Elite members, to give this hotel a 2nd look. It has everything you would ever need in a hotel, along with staff members who epitomize 4 star luxury service.
