Hotel X Toronto

For Torontonians looking for all the trappings of a luxury retreat within the borders of the Six, Hotel X Toronto is a staycation revelation.

Located on the city’s lakefront on the grounds of Toronto’s Exhibition Place, the 30-storey hotel is steps from all manner of weekend action, including Budweiser Stage, BMO Field, and the CNE. A 10-minute drive from Union Station, the self-contained urban resort has everything one needs for a glamorously good time, including a rooftop pool and bar, a stadium-style cinema, art gallery, and three eateries (its fourth, Pétros 82, is due to open fall 2018).

In its efforts to ensure entertainment for all, the hotel also offers guests an unrivaled athletic and wellness facility, with a staggering 90,000 square feet of yoga and Pilates studios, squash, and tennis courts, Netflix-equipped fitness equipment, and even a golf simulator.

In the evening, take in the twinkling lights of the city while soaking in a spacious tub, and fall asleep to the kind of silence only a 24th-floor suite could provide.

From lobby to guestroom, Hotel X Toronto’s aesthetic is clean, fresh, and, a little splashy, with bold lighting, cool colours, crushed velvet accents, and sleek, gold-finished furnishings throughout. Vibrant scenes from around the globe, courtesy of Canadian photographer Neil Dankoff, inject a sense of wanderlust into otherwise low-key spaces throughout the hotel. Despite a soaring ceiling and massive marble check-in desk, the boutique-style lobby feels distinctly intimate, thanks to well-placed plant life and playful patterns. Wherever you go, the service is warm and obliging.

Activities and adornments aside, Hotel X Toronto is also ideal for a summertime slowdown. Request a Library Club room for floor-to-ceiling windows that provide stunning wrap-around views of the lake and cityscape. Across the water, watch planes land and lift off from Billy Bishop Airport while you sip a cocktail at the three-storey FalconSky Bar, where the indoor/outdoor rooftop pool overlooks Lake Ontario. In the evening, take in the twinkling lights of the city while soaking in a spacious tub, and fall asleep to the kind of silence only a 24th-floor suite could provide. In the morning, descend to earth once again to the cozy Library Club Lounge for a breakfast of croissants, fruits, and cheeses.

It’s a strange feeling, to drive away, bags packed, from downtown, then find yourself enjoying the skyline with a glass of wine minutes later. There’s a sense of disconnect, and of rediscovery that’s both effortless and refreshing, to have left behind the city bustle without any airport hustle. Even if you’ve lived in Toronto your entire life, Hotel X delivers the city anew, from a fresh perspective, and sometimes, that’s all the escape you need.

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