Where to stay · Toronto · Canada
Where to stay in Toronto
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Geo Swan stitched by Marku1988 This image was created with Hugin ., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Entertainment District. CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core. Best alternatives — budget: Kensington Market and Chinatown.
Key facts
- First visit
- Entertainment District
- Families
- Entertainment District
- Budget
- Kensington Market and Chinatown
- Nightlife
- Entertainment District
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Entertainment District | CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core |
| Families | Entertainment District | CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core |
| Couples | Old Town and St. Lawrence | Victorian streets, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District |
| Budget | Kensington Market and Chinatown | Vintage shops, global cheap eats and Spadina's dim sum halls |
| Luxury | Yorkville | Designer shops, galleries and luxury hotels beside the ROM |
| Nightlife | Entertainment District | CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core |
| Food lovers | Old Town and St. Lawrence | Victorian streets, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District |
| Solo travellers | Queen West and Ossington | Independent shops, galleries and bars along Queen Street West |
| Shopping | Yorkville | Designer shops, galleries and luxury hotels beside the ROM |
| Quiet stays | The Annex | Victorian houses, the university and Bloor Street cafés and bars |
| Beach | The Beaches | Lakefront boardwalk, sand and small-town shops at the east end of Queen |
Toronto neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and nightlife
Entertainment District
The blocks between Union Station and Queen Street hold the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Ripley's Aquarium, the Royal Alexandra and Princess of Wales theatres and the TIFF Lightbox cinema on King Street West. It has the city's biggest concentration of hotels and restaurants, the underground PATH network for winter, and the UP Express to Pearson from Union.
- Good
- Walk to the main sights and the waterfront; Direct UP Express link to Pearson; Plenty of restaurants and theatres
- Watch out
- High-rise and busy, with little character; Expensive hotels on event nights
- Nearby
- CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Rogers Centre, Union Station
$$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, couples and culture
Old Town and St. Lawrence
Toronto's original town site around King and Front streets east of Yonge holds St. Lawrence Market, the wedge-shaped Gooderham Building, St. James Cathedral and the Front Street theatres, with the pedestrian Distillery District a short walk east. It is central but calmer than the Entertainment District, and streetcars run along King Street.
- Good
- Historic buildings and food markets; Walkable to downtown and the island ferry; Quieter at night
- Watch out
- Fewer hotels than downtown; The Distillery District is a walk from the subway
- Nearby
- St. Lawrence Market, Distillery District, Gooderham Building, Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
$$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping, couples and culture
Yorkville
Once a 1960s folk-music and hippie enclave, Yorkville is now Toronto's luxury quarter, with designer flagships along the stretch of Bloor Street nicknamed the Mink Mile, galleries and restaurants on Yorkville Avenue and many of the city's top hotels. The Royal Ontario Museum, the Gardiner Museum and the Bata Shoe Museum are within a few blocks, and Bloor–Yonge is a subway interchange.
- Good
- Major museums on the doorstep; Excellent subway access; Polished and calm
- Watch out
- The most expensive area to stay; Limited nightlife beyond hotel bars
- Nearby
- Royal Ontario Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum, Queen's Park
$$$ · Best for nightlife, shopping, food lovers and solo travellers
Queen West and Ossington
Queen Street West runs from the Graffiti Alley murals near Spadina past independent fashion, record and design shops to Trinity Bellwoods Park and the art-filled boutique hotels and galleries of West Queen West. Ossington Avenue and Dundas Street West are lined with cocktail bars and small restaurants that fill up late.
- Good
- Strong bar and restaurant scene; Independent shopping; 501 streetcar along Queen
- Watch out
- Noisy on weekend nights; Few large hotels
- Nearby
- Graffiti Alley, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Kensington Market, Art Gallery of Ontario
$ · Best for budget, food lovers, solo travellers and culture
Kensington Market and Chinatown
Kensington's narrow streets of Victorian houses hold vintage shops, cheese and spice stores, Latin American and Caribbean food counters and bars, and on some summer Sundays the cars disappear for Pedestrian Sundays. Next door, Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street form one of Toronto's Chinatowns, with dim sum restaurants, bakeries and herbal shops close to the Art Gallery of Ontario.
- Good
- Some of the best cheap eating in the city; Characterful streets; Close to the AGO and downtown
- Watch out
- Few hotels — mostly hostels and rentals; Gritty and crowded in places
- Nearby
- Kensington Market, Chinatown, Art Gallery of Ontario, University of Toronto
$$ · Best for budget, quiet stays and culture
The Annex
Large Victorian and Romanesque Revival houses line the leafy streets north of the University of Toronto, while Bloor Street West has student bars, cafés and bookshops, with Koreatown's restaurants further west around Christie. The Annex is a short Line 2 subway ride from Yorkville and downtown and has good-value guesthouses and B&Bs.
- Good
- Leafy, residential and calm; Subway along Bloor; Close to Casa Loma and museums
- Watch out
- Limited hotel choice; A ride from the waterfront
- Nearby
- Casa Loma, Bata Shoe Museum, Koreatown, University of Toronto
$$ · Best for food lovers, quiet stays and families
Leslieville
East of the Don River, Leslieville is a residential neighbourhood of Victorian row houses whose stretch of Queen Street East is known for brunch cafés, bakeries, vintage furniture shops and casual restaurants. It suits repeat visitors and families who want a local base, with the 501 streetcar reaching downtown in about 20–25 minutes.
- Good
- Neighbourhood feel; Excellent brunch spots and bakeries; Streetcar to downtown
- Watch out
- Few hotels — mostly rentals; No subway
- Nearby
- Distillery District, Riverdale Park, The Beaches
$$ · Best for families, beach and quiet stays
The Beaches
The Beaches, also called The Beach, is a lakeside neighbourhood where Queen Street East's shops and cafés lead down to a boardwalk of about 3 km along Woodbine and Kew–Balmy beaches on Lake Ontario. It feels like a resort town in summer and is very quiet in winter, about 30–40 minutes from downtown by streetcar.
- Good
- Lakefront walks and summer beach life; Relaxed, family-friendly streets; Direct streetcar to downtown
- Watch out
- Far from the main sights; Little to do on winter evenings
- Nearby
- Woodbine Beach, Kew Gardens, Ashbridges Bay
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment District | $$$ | CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Rogers Centre, Union Station |
| Old Town and St. Lawrence | $$$ | St. Lawrence Market, Distillery District, Gooderham Building, Jack Layton Ferry Terminal |
| Yorkville | $$$$ | Royal Ontario Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum, Queen's Park |
| Queen West and Ossington | $$$ | Graffiti Alley, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Kensington Market, Art Gallery of Ontario |
| Kensington Market and Chinatown | $ | Kensington Market, Chinatown, Art Gallery of Ontario, University of Toronto |
| The Annex | $$ | Casa Loma, Bata Shoe Museum, Koreatown, University of Toronto |
| Leslieville | $$ | Distillery District, Riverdale Park, The Beaches |
| The Beaches | $$ | Woodbine Beach, Kew Gardens, Ashbridges Bay |
Getting to your hotel
Toronto Pearson (YYZ), about 25 km northwest of downtown, is linked to Union Station by the UP Express train in about 25 minutes; taxis and ride-hailing take 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), on the Toronto Islands, handles short-haul flights and is reached through a pedestrian tunnel minutes from downtown.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Toronto for first-time visitors?
Entertainment District. The blocks between Union Station and Queen Street hold the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Ripley's Aquarium, the Royal Alexandra and Princess of Wales theatres and the TIFF Lightbox cinema on King Street West.
+Where should families stay in Toronto?
Entertainment District: Walk to the main sights and the waterfront.
+Which area of Toronto is best for a budget stay?
Kensington Market and Chinatown ($): Vintage shops, global cheap eats and Spadina's dim sum halls.