Four Best Places to Stay in Toronto (Canada) for Tourists

In this article, I have listed down four best places to stay in Toronto for tourists visiting the first time. The most popular area is the Entertainment District, which is home to the main tourist attractions. Below are detailed descriptions of the four respective areas, along with a table for easy reference. You can also check out the below map to get a sense of the areas’ locations.

Table of Contents

• Summary of Best Places To Stay In Toronto
• Map of Toronto
• 1. Entertainment District
• 2. Downtown Yonge
• 3. Chinatown
• 4. Yorkville
• Conclusion

Summary of Best Places To Stay In Toronto

I have created a summary table above for your easy reference.

Map of Toronto

Above is a map of the 4 best neighbourhoods to stay in Toronto. Click to enlarge!

1. Entertainment District

Our favourite part of Toronto was the vibrant Entertainment District, a large area with many world famous attractions, major sports venues, theatres and prestigious performance halls.

We were in awe of the huge CN tower, a communications tower that towers over Downtown Toronto at 553m tall.

Families can have fun at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, where they will see sharks, stingrays, and turtles swimming in a underwater glass tunnel.

Every year in September, celebrities descend upon TIFF Bell Lightbox to attend The Toronto International Film Festival.

We saw the elegant Roy Thomson Hall, which is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Unfortunately our schedule didn’t permit us to attend a concert here.

The Entertainment District is also home to three major-league sports teams. I am an NBA fan so it was pretty cool for me to visit the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Raptors NBA team.

At night, there are a number of popular night clubs for you to party the night away.

Why Stay in Entertainment District

The Entertainment District is the perfect place to stay if you want to be near the main Toronto attractions. The only downside is that room prices are quite expensive because the accommodations here are mostly big chain hotels.

What to Do in Entertainment District

CN Tower – I was in awe of this huge communications tower, which is the most famous attraction in Toronto. Visitors can get amazing views from the tower’s observation decks, dine at the tower restaurant, or try out the exciting Edgewalk, which the wife did!

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – This public aquarium is famous for its underwater tunnel where visitors can see sharks, stingrays, and turtles swimming around them.

Roundhouse Park – We had fun at this small public park, home to a local brewery with delicious beer, a restaurant/ entertainment complex, and the Toronto Railway Museum with many historic steam locomotives.

Hockey Hall of Fame – We did a quick stop at this ice hockey museum and hall of fame. For an admission fee of $20 (adults), you get to view famous ice hockey trophies, memorabilia and equipment.

Where to Stay in Entertainment District

B&B – If you happen to like jazz music, you can consider staying at The Rex Hotel. This budget hotel is known for its jazz bar on the main floor, and offers basic rooms at very affordable rates. There is free WiFi too. It is situated in a good location within walking distance of many attractions. However, do take note that it can get a little noisy till late because of music from the bar.

MidRange – A good midrange hotel is the Radisson Admiral Toronto Harbourfront, a riverside hotel that offers clean comfy rooms with hardwood floors, good service, and awesome views of Lake Ontario. There is free WiFi, an outdoor pool/ lounge, and a small gym too. A more affordable option would be the InterContinental Toronto Centre, located in the heart of the Entertainment District just next to the CN Tower. The hotel offers elegant modern rooms, free WiFi, a swimming pool and gym.

Luxury – The best luxury hotel here is The Ritz-Carlton Toronto. The rooms are elegant and luxurious, and the marble bathrooms even have heated flooring. There is a great spa and indoor pool in the hotel too. The hotel provides complimentary WiFi. This is the perfect hotel to pamper yourself while being in the heart of the Entertainment District.

2. Downtown Yonge

Downtown Yonge is a teeming district centred around Yonge-Dundas Square, a vibrant public square that is colloquially termed as “mini Times Square”.

When I saw the bright towering electronic billboards, colourful buildings and historic theatres, I could understand the comparison.

Adjacent to the square is Toronto Eaton Centre, a huge shopping mall with plenty of high end boutiques and well-known retail chains.

Downtown Yonge is also known for its arts and culture scene. The venerable performing arts theatre, Massey Hall, is located here.

We also saw the famed historic theatres: Ed Mirvish Theatre and Elgin/Winter Garden Theatres.

There are many popular restaurants and shops here too.

Why Stay in Downtown Yonge

Downtown Yonge is a good area to stay because you can find slightly more affordable accommodations here as compared to the Entertainment District. At the same time, it also has many attractions and restaurants, and is just a short bus/train ride away from the Entertainment District.

What to Do in Downtown Yonge

Yonge-Dundas Square – Even though this vibrant and colourful public square is known as a “touristy” attraction, we still decided to check it out since we were visiting Toronto for the first time.

Toronto Eaton Centre – This large indoor mall is a good place to do some shopping, though we didn’t stay here for very long.

Eggspectation – We had a very good breakfast at this restaurant chain that serves a variety of comfort food such as poutines, pancakes, egg benedicts, burgers, salads, desserts, etc.

Nathan Philips Square – This public square is best known for its iconic 3D Toronto sign. It also has a pretty fountain and is flanked by the New and Old Toronto City Halls. We visited this popular tourist attraction mainly to take a photo of the Toronto sign.

Where to Stay in Downtown Yonge

B&B – You can consider this Downtown Yonge airbnb that is a room in a private condominium. You get to use the kitchen too, and the condominium has a pool. Free WiFi is available. Do take note that the bathroom is shared. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – The Courtyard by Marriott Toronto Downtown is a value-for-money hotel that offers clean and spacious rooms at affordable prices. It is a ten-minute walk from Yonge-Dundas Square. There is free WiFi, a decent gym and a small indoor pool.

3. Chinatown

The beginnings of Toronto’s Chinatown can be traced back to 1878, when the first Chinese hand laundry shop opened.

Today, it is a bustling district with many Chinese residences and shops, mostly located along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue.

Walking around this colourful neighbourhood, we saw many TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) shops, restaurants, and fresh produce stalls.

Why Stay in Chinatown

Chinatown is a good place to stay at if you are looking for affordable accommodations but still want to be within the Downtown area. It is near to both the popular areas of Downtown Yonge and Entertainment District.

What to Do in Chinatown

Explore – It was interesting to walk around and explore the TCM shops, Chinese restaurants and food stalls.

AGO – The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is one of the largest art galleries in North America. It has a huge art collection spanning from the medieval to modern periods, with famous art works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and more.

Kensington Market – Walking around this colourful neighbourhood adjacent to Chinatown, we saw a tidy sprawl of shops, meat stores, cheese shops, restaurants, pubs, fresh produce stores, and more.

Food – Being in Chinatown, we knew we had to check out the Chinese food. We enjoyed classic dim sum dishes at Rol San, a Chinese restaurant that serves all day dim sum till late. We also liked the delicious fried dumplings at the Dumpling House, a dumpling specialty restaurant.

Where to Stay in Chinatown

B&B – This very affordable airbnb in Toronto’s Chinatown is a good place to stay if you are on a tight budget. Free WiFi is available. Do take note the household is quite noisy because the host’s family has young children. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – If you do not mind staying at a budget hotel, the Super 8 by Wyndham (Downtown Toronto) would be a good choice. The hotel offers very affordable rooms and free WiFi. However, do not have overly high expectations of this two-star hotel.

4. Yorkville

Four Seasons Toronto Lobby

Yorkville is famous for being a high end shopping district. During the 1960s, this area was a centre for the hippie movement, even producing many musical legends such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot.

Today, it has evolved to become a upscale neighbourhood with many luxury boutiques such as Chanel, Prada, Hermès, Gucci, etc. We also saw Holt Renfrew, the famous Canadian high end departmental store.

Other than its shopping scene, Yorkville is also known for its boutique art galleries such as the Canadian Fine Arts Gallery and Mira Godard Gallery. There are many trendy cafes here too.

Why Stay in Yorkville

This is a good place to stay at if you enjoy high end shopping! It is quite literally a mecca for luxury retail therapy. Yorkville is also quite near to Downtown Yonge.

The downside is that it is not very near the Entertainment District. However, public transport is readily available, with two metro stations located here: Bay Station and Bloor-Yonge Station.

We stayed in this area during our four-day holiday in Toronto, and had no issues with transportation at all. All the tourist attractions were just a short train or bus ride away.

Note that accommodations are expensive here because there are many luxury hotels in the area.

What to Do in Yorkville

Shopping – Yorkville is the perfect place to buy a Hermès bag and pair of Gucci sneakers to reward yourself for all your hard work and long hours in the office.

Royal Ontario Museum – This is a museum of art, world culture and natural history. It is the largest museum in Canada.

Art Galleries – You can explore the numerous boutique art galleries, such as Canadian Fine Arts Gallery, Mira Godard Gallery, Loch Gallery, Mayberry Fine Art, Miriam Shiell Fine Art, etc.

Where to Stay in Yorkville

B&B – Caroline’s airbnb in Yorkville has many good reviews. The place is clean and accessible, and guests even get to enjoy Caroline’s delicious breakfast. There is WiFi in the house too. You can click here to get a $45 Airbnb discount coupon.

MidRange – A relatively affordable hotel is the Windsor Arms Hotel, a charming boutique hotel housed in a heritage building. It offers Victorian-style rooms, free WiFi, a salt water pool and gym.

Luxury – We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, a superb luxury hotel. We loved our beautiful room, which was modern and luxurious without being ostentatious. The spa and gym were top-notch, and we enjoyed exceptional service throughout our stay. The hotel provides complimentary WiFi. You can check out our full review of the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.

Conclusion

All four areas listed above are located in Downtown Toronto. The Entertainment District is the best area to stay because it is home to the main Toronto attractions. Downtown Yonge is a good area too, with many attractions, shops and restaurants. The accommodations are slightly more affordable compared to the Entertainment District. And it is quite near the Entertainment District too. Chinatown has very affordable accommodations and is quite near the popular areas of Downtown Yonge and Entertainment District. Finally, Yorkville is the ideal place to stay if you want to indulge in high end retail therapy.

A helpful way to navigate Toronto is to use Yonge Street as a middle reference. This is because most streets in Toronto are numbered outward from Yonge Street – for example, Dundas Street West starts immediately from the west side of Yonge Street, while Dundas Street East starts immediately from the east of Yonge Street.

I would like to reiterate that these are the best places to stay in Toronto if you are a tourist visiting for the first time. There are definitely many other areas which are more affordable such as Scarborough or Parkdale, but they may not be entirely safe at night especially for a tourist. Some charming neighbourhoods such as Cabbagetown are good to stay in, but are a little far from the Downtown tourist attractions. You can check out this article to get an in-depth understanding of all the Toronto neighbourhoods. And that’s it! We hope you have a wonderful holiday in Toronto. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments section below.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Toronto Travel Guide for First Timers. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?