A fully redesigned Park Hyatt is opening today, but I’m not sure I’m that impressed?
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Park Hyatt Toronto reopens after four years
In late 2017 the Park Hyatt Toronto closed in order to undergo a significant renovation. The renovation was initially only supposed to take two years, but ended up taking longer than that. I guess that’s for the best anyway, since I can’t imagine early 2020 would have been a great time to reopen a hotel. 😉
The renovated Park Hyatt Toronto has opened its doors as of today (September 15, 2021). Here’s how the concept behind the redesign is described:
The re-imagined Park Hyatt Toronto hotel combines luxury, sophistication, and glamour with a distinctive nod to Canadian heritage, art deco, and literature. The hotel collaborated with world-renowned designer Alessandro Munge of Studio Munge, who drew inspiration from Canada’s striking seasons and natural landscapes to bring this experience to life. The luxurious property offers an elevated home-away-from-home experience with purpose and style through modern materials and soothing color schemes.
The Park Hyatt features a total of 219 accommodations (including 40 suites), a rooftop cocktail bar (now known as Writers Room), a new all-day dining restaurant (named Joni), as well as a gym. A spa and “wellness destination” will be unveiled at a later date.
Even though the hotel is once again open, only three photos have been shared of the redesign, which you can find below.
Looking at the pictures, am I the only one who is rather underwhelmed? To me the room design looks like a modern Grand Hyatt, rather than something uber-luxurious that I’d expect from a newly renovated Park Hyatt. The bathroom looks particularly unimpressive.
I reviewed the Park Hyatt Toronto in 2016 — I thought it was a solid city hotel, but hardly competitive to some of the better Park Hyatts out there.
Park Hyatt Toronto rates & points requirements
The Park Hyatt Toronto is a Category 6 World of Hyatt property, which is the second highest award category for Hyatt properties. This means a free night redemption will cost you the following number of points:
- 25,000 points per night for a standard room; a standard room is a “1 King Bed” or “2 Queen Beds” room
- 40,000 points per night for a standard suite; a standard suite is a “1 Bedroom Suite High Floor” or “1 Bedroom Corner Suite”
- 50,000 points per night for a premium suite; a premium suite is a “1 Bedroom Deluxe Corner Suite High Floor”
As far as paid rates go, they seem to start at somewhere around 550-700CAD (~435-550USD) per night, depending on the time of year and days of the week. That’s steep pricing for Toronto, especially in light of the current business travel climate. I’m curious if the hotel can sustain those rates.
If you do book a paid stay at the Park Hyatt Toronto, I’d highly recommend booking through the Hyatt Privé program, which offers extra perks like room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and a hotel credit.
Bottom line
The Park Hyatt Toronto is reopening as of today, after being closed for nearly four years. The hotel has undergone a major (and much needed) renovation, which should no doubt elevate the property.
That being said, based on the pictures that have been released so far, I can’t say that I’m all that impressed. Based on what I’ve seen, this looks to me a lot more like a nice Grand Hyatt than a cutting edge Park Hyatt. But maybe that’s just me, or maybe it’s just the few pictures that have been released so far. I’ll probably check this hotel out the next time I visit Toronto.
What do you make of the refreshed Park Hyatt Toronto?
The most uninspiring renovation *ever*.
Those rooms have been dark since day one. No change. They have low ceilings so putting plush carpeting in the room makes them even more claustrophobic than they already are.
I've stayed there many, many times but never found it to be PH quality. I was hoping the renovation would change that but apparently doesn't look to be the case!
I stayed just before it closed, the rooms were dated but still very luxurious and service was mostly good. This new renovation is underwhelming and you’re absolutely right, it looks like a Grand Hyatt or an international Regency. Doesn’t give me the impression of elegance and luxury at all. Maybe suites are nicer…
Yes, you’re the only one who’s underwhelmed. Stunning revitalization.
As a resident Torontonian....snore....
I agree with you about the rooms, very underwhelming. However, it will still do very well as it has the best location of any hotel in Toronto.
I have spent many evening at that hotel over the years. The most memorable was hanging out with KG, Antawn Jamison, and they’re gigantic entourage in the lobby and ordering bottle after bottle of champagne.
The second most memorable was eating caviar with two gorgeous young...
I agree with you about the rooms, very underwhelming. However, it will still do very well as it has the best location of any hotel in Toronto.
I have spent many evening at that hotel over the years. The most memorable was hanging out with KG, Antawn Jamison, and they’re gigantic entourage in the lobby and ordering bottle after bottle of champagne.
The second most memorable was eating caviar with two gorgeous young ladies I met at the rooftop bar.
Can’t wait to go back!
Wow very steep pricing. I'll save my 25k points for the Ziva.
Looks the same and that's fine it was a great hotel before. Location matters and the rooftop bar is an institution they smartly didn't try to overmodernize.
They should have just started afresh like the Four Seasons did around the corner. You can only put so much lipstick on a pig.
Sigh, this was a very nice use of the cat 1-4 award. I hope the cat 6 doesn't stick.
Amazing time here back in 2017: Did a one-nighter there and they upgraded me to a bi-level suite :) Wonder if that one is still around (think it was the Maple Suite)
@Stuart nails it. The PH minimalist aesthetic that was so popular and seemed so special in the 90s and early 2000s seems so mundane and less glamorous nowadays. The PH brand offered little to no sense of place with that minimal and copied style, and that makes it even less appealing as a luxury brand nowadays — where all the best luxury brands have awakened to the reality that luxury travelers want modern but still...
@Stuart nails it. The PH minimalist aesthetic that was so popular and seemed so special in the 90s and early 2000s seems so mundane and less glamorous nowadays. The PH brand offered little to no sense of place with that minimal and copied style, and that makes it even less appealing as a luxury brand nowadays — where all the best luxury brands have awakened to the reality that luxury travelers want modern but still a sense of location. Park Hyatt didn’t change with the times at all.
The peak of Park Hyatt was in the late 90's when properties like Tokyo, Paris, and Milan were cutting edge and revolutionary in room design. However, they did not age well. Look at the Chicago PH, which could be argued as their flagship hometown property, the rooms are dismal and dated, though 15-20 years ago were thought of as the best in Chicago.
The mistake is that they try to maintain even today (through refreshes...
The peak of Park Hyatt was in the late 90's when properties like Tokyo, Paris, and Milan were cutting edge and revolutionary in room design. However, they did not age well. Look at the Chicago PH, which could be argued as their flagship hometown property, the rooms are dismal and dated, though 15-20 years ago were thought of as the best in Chicago.
The mistake is that they try to maintain even today (through refreshes and remodels) that similar feel to the minimal Asian aesthetic that was so popular back then - and became a trademark of PH. But people expect more now. The Peninsula in Chicago is a prime example of how to do a perfect luxury room these days. It's modern but still has the luxurious comfort of classic touches and design.
As much as I love Park Hyatt and the Hyatt program, you are hard pressed to be wowed at any of their properties anymore outside a few of the resorts.
Have you stayed at all those properties? Pictures don't do them justice, as when you're in those rooms the use of rich, natural, and raw materials have a profoundly luxurious effect. Perhaps Toronto is the same, but it could also just be poor vision/execution on the designer's part. I don't really see the brand standard open-pore wood, for example.
Also - not sure if you were insinuating this but the Park Hyatt Paris is the...
Have you stayed at all those properties? Pictures don't do them justice, as when you're in those rooms the use of rich, natural, and raw materials have a profoundly luxurious effect. Perhaps Toronto is the same, but it could also just be poor vision/execution on the designer's part. I don't really see the brand standard open-pore wood, for example.
Also - not sure if you were insinuating this but the Park Hyatt Paris is the farthest thing from "minimal Asian aesthetic" and Milan is a symphony of beige marble. It shouldn't need to be said, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and obviously enough people think those hotel's design is good that they don't have to change.
I have stayed at probably 70% of the PH's around the world. I agree that Milan and Paris properties are not "minimal" in a classic Asian sense. Nor is Vienna. But it still embraces the original design premise of PH in being very understated, taking from the idea of Asia, and often, in my opinion. making the rooms uncomfortable. Vienna is a great example, and while I love the property (it may be my favorite...
I have stayed at probably 70% of the PH's around the world. I agree that Milan and Paris properties are not "minimal" in a classic Asian sense. Nor is Vienna. But it still embraces the original design premise of PH in being very understated, taking from the idea of Asia, and often, in my opinion. making the rooms uncomfortable. Vienna is a great example, and while I love the property (it may be my favorite PH) it gathers small inspiration from Viennese design but then ads an uncomfortable streamlined flavor to it that tries to make it edgy. Sure, it's one's own eyes and taste, but to go bak to my original example, if you talk to people who have stayed at both Peninsula and PH in Chicago, I would venture a vast majority will tell you The Pen rooms are brilliant in comparison.
Keep in mind that the hiring of Ed Tuttle (of Aman fame and who designed the Milan property you love) contributed to a lot of this DNA that has developed in PH design. Even the Aman hotels he designed are in many cases not aging well. Thus, Park Hyatt could absolutely learn a lot from the refurbishments and newer Four Seasons and Peninsula hotels in that the novelty of this Tuttle DNA is starting to wear off. Besides, they have Alila now for that.
"the use of rich, natural, and raw materials have a profoundly luxurious effect."
Only if it's made from shiny gold. The faux material these days can fool anyone. And when will hotels get rid of carpet and use laminated or hard surface floors. Carpets are filthy.
That being said, it does feel like other Park Hyatt room design. But if anyone who doesn't like it, go stay somewhere else.
Those rates are ridiculously high especially considering the current market conditions. I believe its due to The Toronto International Film Festival running through the 18 of September.
Ben might be right, but...
The Park Hyatt is at the most prestigious location in the city (possibly excepting The Windsor Arms) and it is an important, storied hotel. My parents courted in the rooftop bar in the 1950s and when I reached drinking age I visited and dropped my Dad's name to the bartender. "Dry Rob Roy!" he retorted, naming my Dad's drink from memory. The Park Plaza, as it was always known,...
Ben might be right, but...
The Park Hyatt is at the most prestigious location in the city (possibly excepting The Windsor Arms) and it is an important, storied hotel. My parents courted in the rooftop bar in the 1950s and when I reached drinking age I visited and dropped my Dad's name to the bartender. "Dry Rob Roy!" he retorted, naming my Dad's drink from memory. The Park Plaza, as it was always known, was the favourite Toronto hangout, especially for those with a connection to the University of Toronto, whose grounds it overlooks. All this lore is local, probably of little interest to someone from a foreign country, but it's just possible that Hyatt has made competent calculations about the affinity "everyone who's anyone" has for this place. Keep in mind that people who really know and love this beautiful city will always, always, stay in Bloor-Yorkville, regardless of where the St Regis or The Ritz are.
It just seems odd, given they were spending the money anyways, that they did such a bland and "lower-class" hotel room. History is littered with "storied" hotels that are lost to time because the hotel relied on its cache rather than adapt with the times.