A sneak peek at the new Delta Toronto hotel

TORONTO – The new Delta Toronto hotel is slated to open Nov. 27. I can’t say for sure, but it looks to me like it’ll be a smashing success.
It’s got a lot of style; with plenty of natural wood (mostly Canadian white oak, I was told) and nice, local art work and large rooms; the smallest being about 370 square feet and the largest suite a whopping 1,295 square feet.
The 567-room property is on the north side of Bremner Blvd., west of the Air Canada Centre and the Telus building and just east of the Convention Centre and the new Ripley’s Aquarium.
It’s a short walk to the central business district, as well as a short walk to the Rogers Centre and the lake. Many rooms have fantastic views of the Roundhouse and the Toronto Islands and the Island Airport, so you’ll be able to see if your business associates land on time. Well, sort of. Others have great views of the downtown office buildings and Union Station.
I was told it’s the first hotel-only building to be constructed in Toronto (others are mixed use, with hotels and condos combined) in 22 years.
They have a variety of room styles, but the ones I saw had lovely bathrooms with large sinks big enough to hold the kind of massive toiletry bag some of us carry about (at the risk of hernias and overweight bag claims from the airlines).

The showers were good sized, and some units have nice tubs, including a few corner units with standalone tubs with killer views (like the one above).
Want to try the tub yourself? The hotel folks will have a mock bathroom set up at Commerce Court in Toronto from Nov. 17-20, going from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
There’s a ton of natural light in the rooms and lots of electrical plugs and doo-dads and free Wi-Fi and lots more.
The restaurant, SOCO Kitchen and Bar (named for the South Core area of town where the hotel is located) was under construction when I checked out the hotel this week. But I’m told they’ll have a variety of fresh, local foods at a reasonable price point, kind of a Mediterranean feel. They’ll have a pizza oven and a rotisserie, and the idea is to serve both guests and the neighborhood. The hotel is supposed to open Nov. 27 but they’re aiming to have the restaurant ready Nov. 20.
“We won’t be serving $25 grilled cheese sandwiches,” one senior worker told me with a smile.

There also will be a Canadian whisky bar in the lobby; the only one of its kind at a Canadian hotel as far as I know. It’ll carry the name Char No. 5.
The original plan was for a Starbucks in the lobby but Delta officials insisted on something more interesting, and good for them.
Rooms on the top three floors have access to the club lounge, with breakfast and drinks and such and nicer rooms. If you have a choice, ask for room 4606; awesome downtown views.

A few rooms will be suites, with extended stay capabilities such as full kitchens. Because there’s only a handful (12-14) of rooms on each floor, you won’t be faced with long, soulless corridors but will get more of a residential tower feel.
There’s also an outdoor space, weather permitting, and a series of state of the art meeting rooms (see photo above).
When I checked this week, I found rooms on offer for $179 a night; quite competitive. I was told by the p.r. staff that they have an introductory offer of $169; even better.
The proof is in the proverbial pudding, but it looks like a terrific addition to not only the Delta brand in Canada but to Toronto’s hotel stock.