108 Chestnut Street, Toronto, Canada | (618) 248-8274
Located in downtown Toronto, walking
distance to a metro station
Modern rooms with flat-screen TVs and coffee/tea facilities; optional kitchenette
Indoor heated pool, sauna, and 24-hour fitness center
Two on-site restaurants, buffet breakfast (for a fee),
and room service
Fully equipped meeting spaces and 24-hour business
center
Coin-operated laundry room
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Self-parking (for a fee)
Rooms aren’t very spacious
Complaints about heated pool not being warm
Room decor is generic
The upper-middle-range Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Downtown
is well located within walking distance to popular Toronto attractions and the
financial and business districts. The hotel has a contemporary, artistic look, and
features include an elegant Chinese restaurant, an upscale bistro, a
heated indoor pool, and a fitness center. Business travelers appreciate the fully equipped meeting spaces, 24-hour business center, and free Wi-Fi. The 486
guest rooms are modern, though modest, with flat-screen TVs and coffee/tea facilities; some Suites have kitchenettes. There's a breakfast buffet for a fee. Guests could also consider the Residence Inn by Marriott Toronto
Downtown/Entertainment District, which has similar amenities plus free breakfast
and a hot tub.
Scene
Artistic and posh public spaces drawing couples and business travelers
The hotel has artistic, snazzy public spaces exemplified in
the lobby and restaurants. A huge black staircase with golden railings anchors the vast lobby, which is also adorned with a large globe pendant light, glossy marble floors, and
chic upholstered furniture on a patterned rug near the front desk. There are two
large abstract art pieces hanging by the long wooden front desk -- both triptych canvases -- one in black-and-white, the other color. The hotel’s restaurant, Hemisphere's, is
similar in that it has high ceilings, glossy wooden tables with cream padded
chairs, a large artistic display of wine bottles, and a kitchen buffet topped with etched-glass dividers. In comparison, Lai Wah
Heen, the Chinese restaurant, has crisp white linens on tables, high-backed black chairs, artistic
napkin displays, and large white art pieces with black Asian characters. The
clientele is a mix of couples and business travelers utilizing the hotel’s
convenient location in downtown Toronto.
Location
Located in downtown Toronto, within walking distance to popular attractions
Doubletree by Hilton Toronto, located in downtown’s business district, is
within walking distance to popular attractions. Toronto Eaton Centre, a large
shopping mall, is a four-minute walk away. It takes 18 minutes on foot to reach
the Hockey Hall of Fame. The University of Toronto St. George Campus is a
15-minute walk. Though the CN Tower, Air Canada Centre, and Ripley’s Aquarium
Canada are 20- to 25-minute walks away, it may be easier to reach these
destinations by the metro system. The closest metro station, St. Patrick Station
Southbound Platform, is only a three-minute walk from the hotel. There’s a
large variety of dining options on surrounding streets. Toronto Pearson
International Airport is a 20-minute drive (without traffic) or a 45-minute subway ride.
Rooms
Small modern rooms with flat-screen TVs and kitchenette option
Rooms at the Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Downtown
hotel are on the small side. The decor is pleasantly modern, though simplistic
and generic compared to the elegant, artistic nature of the lobby and
restaurants. The look includes white linens and maroon bed runners, gray headboards,
dark wooden streamlined furniture, gray couches or chairs (in some rooms), and gray carpet. Each room has a flat-screen TV, coffee/tea facilities, safe, ironing facilities, and
views of downtown. Executive One-Bedroom Suites have separate living rooms with couches and chairs, and
some have dining areas and kitchenettes. Each Junior One-Bedroom Suite has a kitchenette that includes a large refrigerator, microwave, some pots and pans,
a sink, and a dishwasher. The sleek bathrooms have black counter tops, dark gray
floor tiles, and cream-colored wallpaper with geometric designs. Executive
Suites differ in that the bathrooms have cream tiles and porcelain double sinks on cream countertops. Some rooms have showers while others have
shower/tub combos. They all include Aroma Active toiletries and hairdryers.
Features
Two restaurants, pool, fitness center, and meeting spaces
Guests at this hotel can begin their day with a
breakfast buffet in the on-site Hemisphere’s Restaurant, for a fee. Lunch and
dinner are served at Hemisphere's Restaurant most days of the week, though a
light menu and drinks are offered every day at Hemisphere’s Bistro. The hotel
also has Lai Wah Heen, a Chinese restaurant that serves lunch and dinner every
day of the week. Room service has limited hours. There’s an indoor heated pool
and a sauna, though guests have complained that the temperature of the pool isn’t
warm. The 24-hour fitness center has multiple cardio machines with TVs, one
weight machine, and a large set of free weights. Business travelers can make
use of 13,000 square feet of fully equipped meeting and event spaces, a 24-hour
business center with two computers and a printer, and free Wi-Fi throughout the
hotel. A coin-operated laundry room and self-parking are available, though the
fee to self-park is expensive.