Hotel Insider: Swanky downtown living at the Thompson Toronto

The Thompson will make you feel as if you're living in a stylish downtown condo that you never have to leave.

The chic black lobby at the upmarket and centrally located Thompson Toronto hotel.
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The welcome

With its unassuming front entrance - a glass facade opening onto a quiet residential sidewalk, the Thompson looks like one of Toronto's new condominium buildings (and it does, in fact, double up as one). The giveaway is the doorman, a fetching young man with long hair (think stylish Tarzan) in a black parka, who noticed my car pulling up behind a courier van and came to help me with my luggage. He escorted me up to my suite after an easy check-in, hung up my coat and showed me how to work the bells and whistles. Casual - like my brother's friends would be - but efficient.

The neighbourhood

Having lived away from Toronto for a few years, I couldn't picture a boutique hotel at Wellington and Bathurst, which was once home to some of the city's homeless people. But along with the recent arrival of the Thompson, part of an American boutique chain, the new condos and restaurants have made what's been dubbed "Welly West" a neighbourhood worth exploring. The streetcar line is nearby, although you can walk to most places in the downtown core and are near to a range of places to eat. Try Marben, for locally sourced "farmhouse" food, at 488 Wellington Street West (www.marbenrestaurant.com).

The service

Like the neighbourhood, the hotel's service seemed in transition: well-meaning and pleasant enough, but spotty. I had a problem setting up my wireless internet connection that was solved right away, but other ticks that I reported - like my hairdryer not working in the main bathroom - were never followed up. Room service, which comes from the hotel's Counter diner, was usually prompt but was held up for almost an hour one night. The man delivering it, wearing a checked shirt and bow tie, explained that they had a rush of orders from the hotel's residences and that they'd had to replace my drinks order with something else because it was sold out. (They could have called and asked.)

The room

The rooms and suites look like designer lofts, with dark wood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, built-in storage and heated bathroom floors (a cosy touch in Toronto's chilly winter). My Thompson suite was big on the wow factor, with a sweeping corner view, a kitchen, a dining table plus three stools at a white granite bar, a home-cinema-size television in the living room, two bathrooms and a balcony. Too bad it fell short on some small but important details, such as a coffee machine and spare blanket.

The food

There is more choice than you'll find in most local hotels. Room service comes from the Counter (my Western sandwich [C$12; Dh44]) was somewhat soggy and bland, but my friend's children were mightily impressed by the milkshake delivery for C$8 (Dh29). Its showcase "night out" restaurant is Scarpetta, a branch of the New York restaurant. Its signature dish, listed simply as spaghetti, has a tomato and basil sauce and is perfect in its simplicity (C$23; Dh85). And, if that fails to impress, there's the Japanese restaurant Wabora, which serves trendy takes on sushi such as the Sundae Roll (C$13; Dh48), with cream cheese and crab wrapped in spaghetti-like strings around the rice.

The scene

King Street marketing types trump Queen Street bohemians. Cocktail dresses and well-cut suits populate the lobby bar after work and, if they're VIP enough, ride the lift up to the private bar/lounge for guests and residents on the top floor, which has a skyline view of the city and an infinity pool.

Loved

Feeling like home in my old hometown (only a far more luxe home than I could ever hope to have), with views of the city through the massive windows in my room and from the rooftop lounge.

Hated

The technology. For some reason, the higher end the hotel these days, the more impossible their lighting systems are to figure out. I couldn't get the "all on/off" and "mood light" buttons to work as advertised. Call me old-fashioned, but one should not have to read an instruction booklet or call the front desk to find out how to make a room dark. That said, the "turn up the vibe" knob near the door was the most unique hotel feature I've encountered recently: it plays the music in the lobby (showcasing Canada's indie scene, for the most part) through the speakers in the room's ceiling.

The verdict

If you're looking for a boutique hotel that's smart and central - the Gladstone and the Drake are quirkier but less shiny and farther west - the Thompson will make you feel as if you're living in a swanky downtown condo that you never have to leave.

The bottom line

A double deluxe room costs from C$236 (Dh874) per night, including taxes. Thompson Toronto, 550 Wellington Street West, near Bathurst Street (www.thompsonhotels.com; 001 416 640 7778).