- Introduction: An Amazing Week In Israel With My Parents
- Review: The Adelaide Hotel Toronto (Former Trump Hotel, Future St. Regis)
- Review: Porter Airlines Lounge At Toronto Billy Bishop Airport
- Review: Porter Airlines Economy Toronto To Newark
- Review: Marriott Newark Airport
- Review: Art & Lounge Newark Airport
- Review: EL AL Business Class 787 Newark To Tel Aviv
- Review: Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem
- Review: Sheraton Tel Aviv
- My Incredible Week Visiting Israel
- Review: EL AL First Class Lounge Tel Aviv Airport
- Review: EL AL Business Class Lounge Tel Aviv Airport
- Review: EL AL First Class 777 Tel Aviv To London
- Review: Premier Inn London Heathrow Terminal 4
- Review: Aspire Lounge London Heathrow Terminal 5
- Review: Aer Lingus Lounge Dublin Airport
- Review: 51st & Green US Pre-Clearance Lounge Dublin Airport
- Review: Aer Lingus Business Class A330 Dublin To New York
- Review: Delta SkyClub New York JFK Airport
- Review: Delta One 767 New York To Los Angeles
Prior to flying to Israel we had one night in Toronto. This is where my mom and I met up, since the EL AL fare was much cheaper originating in Toronto than originating in New York. Over the past couple of years I’ve reviewed a few hotels in Toronto, including the Hyatt Regency and the Park Hyatt. None of the hotels particularly impressed me, and even the Park Hyatt isn’t up to the usual brand standard (then again, it’s also not as expensive as many other Park Hyatt properties).
Earlier this year we learned that The Trump Hotel Toronto is being rebranded as a St. Regis. I’m sure we can all figure out why a Trump Hotel may not have done especially well in Toronto. However, while the hotel is being renovated, it’s being branded as The Adelaide Toronto, and it’s a Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel. The branding isn’t that way because the hotel isn’t nice enough to be a St. Regis, but rather because the decor is off brand.
Ford booked the hotel for me using Starwood Luxury Privileges, and the rate was 380CAD (~300USD) for our one night stay. For booking through Luxury Privileges we received complimentary breakfast, a $100 property credit, a room upgrade subject to availability, etc. Best of all, these stays are eligible for points accrual, and I could combine those benefits with all of my usual SPG Platinum benefits. If you want to make a Luxury Privileges booking you can contact Ford at [email protected], or other advisors are more than welcome to leave their contact info below).
As a point of comparison, this is a Category 6 SPG property, meaning that a free night redemption would have cost 20,000 Starpoints, so paying cash was definitely the better value.
While I know Toronto has some other great hotels, like the Four Seasons (the brand is actually based in Toronto), I love being able to stay at a great hotel and earn points.
We took the UP Express from Pearson Airport, and from Union Station it was just a short walk to the hotel (though it felt quite long due to how cold it was outside).
The hotel has a covered driveway, given that there’s not much room on the street to otherwise pull up to the hotel.
The Adelaide Toronto driveway
I was amused by the hotel’s signage. While it said “The Adelaide Hotel Toronto,” you could clearly still see “TRUMP” etched beneath it.
The Adelaide Toronto signage
As far as former Trump Hotels go, this was one has fairly subtle tones, which I appreciated. I actually thought the lobby was beautiful as is, and it had several couches along the side of it.
The Adelaide Toronto lobby
The Adelaide Toronto lobby
The Adelaide Toronto lobby seating
Reception was located just inside the entrance and straight ahead. There we were immediately helped, and offered warm towels and water. I felt like my hands were defrosting from having been outside.
The Adelaide Toronto lobby
Check-in was efficient and professional, and within a few minutes we were escorted up to our suite on the 28th floor.
The Adelaide Toronto elevators
Our room, #2810, was located at the end of the hallway.
The Adelaide Toronto hallway
The Adelaide Toronto room exterior
The Adelaide Toronto floorplan
We were upgraded to what I believe is the hotel’s standard suite, and it was gorgeous. It featured a long entryway with a half bathroom on the left and a closet on the right.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite entryway
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite second bathroom
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite closet
The living room had a couch and two chairs around a coffee table.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite living room
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite living room
Then on the wall was a flat screen TV and a fake fireplace, which was still cozy given how cold it was outside.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite living room
Then at the far end of the room was a desk with a rolling chair, and conveniently placed outlets.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite desk
Along the wall was a wet bar, a Nespresso machine, and the minibar.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite wet bar
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite minibar
There was a generous welcome amenity consisting of a split of Veuve, macarons, chocolate covered strawberries, and cheese. My mom and I gobbled that up pretty quickly.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto welcome amenity
Then the bedroom featured a king size bed with plush bedding and a soft mattress.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite bedroom
There was a chair in the corner, and then a flat screen TV on a dresser across from the bed.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite bedroom
Turndown service was already completed for the night, and there was a bottle of Fiji water and a Lindt chocolate on each side of the bed. I know I get excited about the simplest things, but I love Fiji water, and as far as I’m concerned it’s not a proper turndown service without chocolate.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite turndown chocolate & water
Then the bathroom featured double sinks, a soaking tub, and a walk-in shower.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite bathroom
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite bathroom
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite shower
Toiletries were provided by Remede, which is the brand standard for St. Regis properties, so it seems they’re already St. Regis “compliant” there.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto Remede toiletries
Then there was a separate room with a toilet.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite toilet
The only thing I didn’t love about the room was the lack of views. The views weren’t actively bad, but rather the room mostly just faced nearby buildings. I guess given how dense the Toronto skyline is, you can’t have views from everywhere.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto suite view
In the evening we went to the hotel’s bar, located just behind the lobby, and had some drinks and appetizers to redeem our hotel credit. The bar was cute, and made some great cocktails.
For what it’s worth (for anyone looking to redeem their hotel credit), here’s the room service menu, which I thought was quite reasonably priced for a luxury hotel (at least when converting back into USD):
My mom and I went to bed at around 10PM, and I was shocked — shocked — when we both woke up at 11AM. I don’t remember the last time I slept in until it was light outside, let alone until 11AM.
The hotel’s main restaurant is located on the 31st floor, so we immediately went up hoping that they were still serving breakfast. The restaurant itself is cute, and to my surprise there were no other guests there.
The Restaurant at the Adelaide Hotel
The Restaurant at the Adelaide Hotel
The Restaurant at the Adelaide Hotel
I loved the lighting on the ceiling.
The Restaurant at the Adelaide Hotel
Fortunately they were serving brunch (we signed for breakfast, and then they took off the cost of it at check-out). The menu read as follows:
I ordered the avocado toast and toasted granola, both of which were excellent.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto breakfast — avocado toast
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto breakfast — toasted granola
My mom had an omelet.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto breakfast — omelet
By the time we had breakfast it was almost time to head to the airport, so I just checked out the rest of the hotel’s facility. On the 32nd floor is the hotel’s gym, pool, and spa. It’s always a treat when a city hotel has a pool, and this hotel had a nice lap pool.
The Adelaide Toronto pool
There was also a hot tub.
The Adelaide Toronto hot tub
The gym was on the small side, though featured pretty good equipment.
The Adelaide Toronto gym
The Adelaide Toronto gym
The Adelaide Toronto gym
By the time we showered and packed up it was time to head to Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport for our flight to Newark.
The Adelaide Hotel Toronto bottom line
I’m so thrilled to see this hotel join the SPG portfolio. This has to be one of my new favorite city hotels in North America. I was surprised by how much I liked the design (though apparently it will be toned down a bit before it reopens as a St. Regis in late 2018), and the service and other public facilities were excellent as well.
If you’re in Toronto I highly recommend this hotel, and you can get even more value by booking through Starwood Luxury Privileges. This is definitely my new “go to” hotel in Toronto.
I prefer the Shangri-La over Adelaide, but both are great (and so much better than old Park Hyatt, cheaper than Four Seasons, and with better access to airport).
The S-La has an amazing lobby bar (live music from 4pm-12am ... or so, every day) plus a much better gym and overall experience.
Both Adelaide and Sh-La are loud... as they are right downtown with sirens at all hours.
The Adelaide was nice......
I prefer the Shangri-La over Adelaide, but both are great (and so much better than old Park Hyatt, cheaper than Four Seasons, and with better access to airport).
The S-La has an amazing lobby bar (live music from 4pm-12am ... or so, every day) plus a much better gym and overall experience.
Both Adelaide and Sh-La are loud... as they are right downtown with sirens at all hours.
The Adelaide was nice... and empty... and easy to redeem on points... even during the Toronto Film Festival in September (because when companies were making bookings it was still a Trump).
Great addition to the Toronto Hotel scene.
I would not be able to stay in anything that had his (Trump’s) grubby hands anywhere near it.
Filthy place. MRGA!
William...bruh...
@sott I know what you mean. I hope the burnt the sage sticks in every room!
I'm planning to stay at the Trump DC hotel soon because it's in the old post office and from all accounts I've read it's a wonderful restoration and very luxurious. Plus you can get 4th night free and other deals sometimes. Has anyone at OMAAT ever stayed there?
The whole "Saint" theme in the St. Regis branding suggests a certain intolerance of non-Catholics - surely there are some among us who are uncomfortable with that. Furthermore, is the St Regis brand an homage to St. John Francis Regis? Though known now for his supposed hospitality to travelers, I understand he was quite the crusader against "vice," particularly among women and girls (i.e. "s!*t-shaming") - but one can hardly think a man of such...
The whole "Saint" theme in the St. Regis branding suggests a certain intolerance of non-Catholics - surely there are some among us who are uncomfortable with that. Furthermore, is the St Regis brand an homage to St. John Francis Regis? Though known now for his supposed hospitality to travelers, I understand he was quite the crusader against "vice," particularly among women and girls (i.e. "s!*t-shaming") - but one can hardly think a man of such zealotry would be accepting of LGBTQ causes, for example, and he would likely be one of those people who protests outside of Planned Parenthood offices. Frankly, I don't see how an enlightened individual could possibly stay at a St. Regis property - I suppose we must all enjoy this hotel before it once again turns to a dark side.
@ Anastasia: if you want interesting, try the Drake hotel.
Just ONE hanger in the closet?!?
This building has quite a nasty financial history that made news here in Toronto over the years. And no, Trump never had any money in the place.
If you want a taste of just what a dumpster fire of an operation it was - and so out of keeping with what "works" in Toronto, read this review of the on-site restaurant when it opened. Possibly my fave review of anything ever...
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/restaurant-reviews/america-at-the-trump-hotel-the-food-is-amazing-but-you-shouldnt-eat-here-ever/article21833277/
This building has quite a nasty financial history that made news here in Toronto over the years. And no, Trump never had any money in the place.
If you want a taste of just what a dumpster fire of an operation it was - and so out of keeping with what "works" in Toronto, read this review of the on-site restaurant when it opened. Possibly my fave review of anything ever...
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/restaurant-reviews/america-at-the-trump-hotel-the-food-is-amazing-but-you-shouldnt-eat-here-ever/article21833277/
>I just could never bring myself to stay somewhere owned by Trump
I we had said things like this about Obama, we would never hear the end of blue-haired fatsos yelling 'muh raysism' at us. Liberals are such hypocrites.
@grrizzly, Trump Chicago is pretty awesome. Fantastic views to the lake. Went in April this year. Michelin starred restaurant in building as well.
For next time, you can walk almost the whole way from UP express to Trump tower underground in the path.
Anastasia vs grrizzly, with Anastasia FTW.
@ Anastasia - it looks like the King Eddie has undergone a bit of renovations, per Trip Advisor traveler photos. When I worked for Starwood I used to work with that hotel when it was a Le Meridien, and we were always being told "renovations are coming" but they ultimately left the system. Hopefully you have a good stay!
@grrizzly, if you want to put your money in Trump's pockets before the new tax bill does, be my guest. He'll have it one way or another. Gotta pay for all that golfing somehow.
@Erik - thanks! The photos do indeed make it look pretty new, and I looked at a *lot* of them before booking, as this is one of those special romantic getaways.
Are there any good Trump hotels left? I'd love to stay in one, especially if there are good deals to counteract the hysteria of anti-Trump bigots. I checked Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, but the rates were not that low.
@Anastasia:
1. The King Edward is underwhelming. There's a reason it's a permanent fixture on Hotwire and Priceline. It's a heritage building, and there's only so much renovating you can do with that. Expect a good size bedrooms with high ceilings but tiiiiny bathrooms. The public spaces are nice though, and they do a good afternoon tea and Sunday brunch.
2. The Fairmont Royal York is one of the most disappointing properties in the chain....
@Anastasia:
1. The King Edward is underwhelming. There's a reason it's a permanent fixture on Hotwire and Priceline. It's a heritage building, and there's only so much renovating you can do with that. Expect a good size bedrooms with high ceilings but tiiiiny bathrooms. The public spaces are nice though, and they do a good afternoon tea and Sunday brunch.
2. The Fairmont Royal York is one of the most disappointing properties in the chain. Again, it's a grand old railway hotel in a heritage building where only so much can be done given the underlying structure. The rooms tend to be quite small. Definitely 4 stars, not 5.
3. Don't punish the current owners and employees of the Adelaide for Trump's mistakes. They're trying to do their best under the circumstances, and the hotel is legitimately nice (and also usually a good price compared to the other 5-star places in town).
4. If you want a nice place, try the Ritz. It's my go-to hotel in Toronto now. You can collect points if that's your thing, and the location is convenient for transit, the convention centre, and the theatre district. The décor is more refined/less gaudy than the Adelaide, and you get a view of the waterfront from some rooms.
@Arcanum -
Thanks for the feedback. I do realize it's an old building, but I actually love hotels in "historical" bulidings (if they're legitimately historical and well kept up, like the IC Le Grand in Paris). I read quite a few reviews of the hotel, and it seems to have overwhelmingly excellent ones on tripadvisor compared to the other hotels in the city. That's the other reason I avoided the Fairmont - it looks...
@Arcanum -
Thanks for the feedback. I do realize it's an old building, but I actually love hotels in "historical" bulidings (if they're legitimately historical and well kept up, like the IC Le Grand in Paris). I read quite a few reviews of the hotel, and it seems to have overwhelmingly excellent ones on tripadvisor compared to the other hotels in the city. That's the other reason I avoided the Fairmont - it looks nice on the pictures, but the reviews were very disappointing. I don't particularly mind a small bathroom, and look forward to checking out their bar and other public spaces.
I totally understand not punishing an entirely different company and its employees for Trump's mistakes, and that's not my intention, but somehow I just...can't bring myself to stay there. The idea just kind of leaves a sour idea in my mouth. That's a personal choice, and I certainly don't begrudge other people staying there - it sounds like Lucky had a good time, and I'm happy for him! It's just that for me personally, I don't think it's an experience I'd enjoy.
Thanks for the Ritz recommendation. I'm sure it's lovely, but I do tend to prefer hotels with a little more "character" or "history" (that's why I love the Autograph collection, Intercontinental hotels, etc..) My impression of Ritzes - correct me if I'm wrong! - is that they're upscale, but also very cookie cutter.
I'll actually be in Toronto in a couple weeks and spent a lot of time trying to pick a hotel - the hotel market there really doesn't look too exciting! I wanted something special, so was considering the Fairmont and the Adelaide before settling on the Omni King Edward, where I can't wait to stay! (seriously, not enough travel bloggers write about Omni hotels). One of the things that put me off the Adelaide is...
I'll actually be in Toronto in a couple weeks and spent a lot of time trying to pick a hotel - the hotel market there really doesn't look too exciting! I wanted something special, so was considering the Fairmont and the Adelaide before settling on the Omni King Edward, where I can't wait to stay! (seriously, not enough travel bloggers write about Omni hotels). One of the things that put me off the Adelaide is that it used to be a Trump hotel - his name is still in some of the publicity photos for the meeting rooms! I know it's no longer a Trump property, but even anything associated with him disgusts me and was one of the reasons I decided to stay elsewhere. Trump is bad for business.
Oh for heavens sake, she's his mother. Its a king bed, its one night. Sounds reasonable to me.
I’m an SPG plat and I live in Toronto. I love hotels and I also like to do staycations with my family every few weeks.
We alternate between the Ritz, Four Seasons, and Shangrila. I wouldn’t be caught dead staying at the Trump.
Now that Trump has been dumped from the project, we’re gonna stay here once a month. So glad Toronto has finally got a decent SPG hotel!
@Scott—Trump didn’t own the Trump Toronto and he doesn’t own the Adelaide (soon to become the St Regis Toronto). So we’re all home free to stay here and enjoy it without concern that we’re in any way supporting Trump.
As with most hotels bearing his name, Trump doesn’t own the hotels. Those hotels pay him a licensing fee for use of his name and management fees for managing those hotels. Trump no longer has any...
@Scott—Trump didn’t own the Trump Toronto and he doesn’t own the Adelaide (soon to become the St Regis Toronto). So we’re all home free to stay here and enjoy it without concern that we’re in any way supporting Trump.
As with most hotels bearing his name, Trump doesn’t own the hotels. Those hotels pay him a licensing fee for use of his name and management fees for managing those hotels. Trump no longer has any association with this hotel, as the hotel owner wisely bought out the licensing and management contract to allow them to stop using the Trump name and management.
The same is true for the Trump SoHo Hotel, whose owners just bought out the Tru,p contract which thereby frees them from the Trump name and association. Wouldn’t it be grand to have that become the St Regis Soho hotel and have a second StR in NYC?
@Ben, I was going to ask the same question! lol The sofa looks like it *might* be a small pullout bed.
@chancer, it's a perfectly valid question. As I've gotten older, I've been more and more reluctant to share a room, much less a bed, with family and/or friends. I recently traveled with my mom, and made it a point to book suites. Given the choice between 2 proper beds in the same room...
@Ben, I was going to ask the same question! lol The sofa looks like it *might* be a small pullout bed.
@chancer, it's a perfectly valid question. As I've gotten older, I've been more and more reluctant to share a room, much less a bed, with family and/or friends. I recently traveled with my mom, and made it a point to book suites. Given the choice between 2 proper beds in the same room and an inferior sofa bed in a living room, I'd choose the latter. But that's just me.
@Sott , I don't know the situation in this hotel, but Trump rarely own things with his name on it. Sometimes he develop it, sometimes he manage it, but much more often he just lend his name for branding, even for free. So you might see a lot of his name and have the felling that he holds tremendous wealth. In reality , he is rich but not that rich.
@N N
Lucky said in the introduction post that EWR-TLV was ~$4,500 while YTZ-EWR-TLV ~$1,840. That's a huge price difference. For us travel geeks positioning is fairly easy and cheap.
For Lucky, his work is to review hotels and airlines so adding reviews for each is actually useful and a business expense. Personally, I would prefer to not overnight when positioning like this, but if it was the only option I would certainly do it for the overall cost savings.
Does Trump still own the hotel? And if so will he no longer own it when it becomes a St. Regis? I just could never bring myself to stay somewhere owned by Trump
@ Ben - So what if he did? It's just mom!
Whenever you say "it was much cheaper to fly out of Toronto" etc, do you factor in the cost of:
- Positioning flights for you and your mom
- Hotels
- Cabs/ubers to get to those positioning flights
- Restaurant food costs vs otherwise eating at home without the need to position
- Personal value of the time spent in positioning.
Was it cheaper after all that?
Did you and your Mother sleep in the same bed?!?
Nice... thanks to Starwood, I can put it on the list of contenders when I visit Toronto because I wasn't crazy about the Park Hyatt either.
that welcome amenity kinda says it all
THAT looks stunning !