Chelsea Hotel, Toronto: Massive changes worth checking into

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At Little Canada, the excellent attraction in downtown Toronto that displays Canadian landmarks in miniature form, Toronto’s Chelsea Hotel is tiny (surprise, surprise), joined by pint-sized replicas of the Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena and City Hall.

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Walk a few minutes north from the Yonge-Dundas Square-area attraction, however, and the actual hotel — including those other landmarks — gets a whole lot bigger.

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How big? We were shocked to learn that the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto is Canada’s largest hotel, with 1,590 rooms. The property, with an address on Gerrard St. W. but also accessible from Yonge, Bay and Elm Sts. and steps from the Eaton Centre, can at times feel somewhat hidden in plain view, its footprint disguised by the surrounding and connected infrastructure.

Although the hotel is massive, our recent two-night stay felt cozy, the main lobby area was easy to navigate and the general surroundings unrushed despite being in the beating heart of the downtown core.

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The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto measures up and should be viewed as a fine accommodation choice for everyone thanks to its location, approachable mid-scale pricing and noticeable service with a smile.

“Do they know you?” my wife asked me as the staff at the lobby-level Elm Street Bar & Lounge enthusiastically wished us a good night following our superb dinner. No, they do not, I replied. (If I was a celebrity, I’d be a Z-lister.) They were just being friendly, as was repeated by all staff throughout our stay.

“We’re known as the friendliest hotel in Toronto,” said Tracy Ford, the hotel’s director of public relations.

The Chelsea could soon be known as the most extensively renovated hotel in the city. Following a $25-million facelift completed in 2023 — upgrades to 600 guestrooms in the Executive Tower, hotel corridors, elevators, restaurants and wi-fi — greater transformation is on deck.

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The hotel, owned by the Langham Hospitality Group, will pump nearly $60 million into renovating 993 guestrooms in the Chelsea Tower, which translates to two-thirds of the rooms. The lobby, meeting and banquet areas will also get a glow-up and a new lobby bar is also in the works.

The coming improvements will inject some new life into the property ahead of its 50th anniversary, having first opened on Oct. 15, 1975, while complimenting the recently completed upgrades.

Before the latest announcement, the 2023 project was its most extensive since 2013, the year it shed the Delta Chelsea name. Executive Tower rooms now feature modern carpeting and wood and marble finishings along with amenities including Nespresso machines, 50-inch flatscreen TVs, in-room safe, electric kettle, mini-fridges and, in most cases, private balconies (a rarity among downtown Toronto hotels).

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The new-look Elm Street Bar & Lounge has doubled in size. We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating that the consistent quality and overall value at hotel restaurants, as evidenced once more at Elm Street, is worthy of anyone’s consideration before opting to leave the property to dine elsewhere. We enjoyed the chicken Caesar salad and tomahawk pork chop for dinner, and chicken and waffles, avocado toast and eggs benny for breakfast.

The neigbhouring Market Garden Restaurant offers buffet and on-the-go options.

Families will appreciate the Family Fun Zone, Kid Centre and 33 Teen Lounge as well as the heated indoor pool and waterslide — the only such slide offered downtown — while adults can access the top-floor heated indoor pool, hot tub and fitness facility.

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Every hotel has a highlight, and for me, Chelsea’s fast, reliable, complimentary wi-fi stole the show, allowing me to work without a single technological hiccup from our executive room on the 24th floor. The hotel invested $2.3 million in wi-fi upgrades as part of the 2023 improvements.

Even the rewards program has received a facelift. The Langham Hospitality Group announced in March the launch of Brilliant by Langham, available across 30 participating hotels, including Chelsea.

While it’s the biggest hotel in Canada, guests of this hotel should come away impressed by the attention to little details.

For more information, visit chelseatoronto.com.

ALL ABOUT CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO

— 1,590 rooms
— 3 restaurants and lounges
— Toronto’s only 130-foot indoor waterslide
— Complimentary wi-fi
— ‘Show Your Key & Save’ program, allowing guests to access exclusive discounts to various attractions
— EarthCheck Gold certified hotel property, recognizing commitment to environmental and social responsibility
— Longtime partner of SickKids, with more than $1 million raised for SickKids Foundation
— For past two years, has donated $1 per stay in December to Daily Bread Food Bank

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SIMPLY SPA-CTACULAR

Guests at the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto who are eager to relax can find the ultimate urban escape next door at the Elmwood Spa.

Located at 18 Elm St. in what was originally Toronto’s first YWCA, the spa has been operating for more than 40 years as a go-to place for city dwellers and visitors from elsewhere looking to leave their stress at the door.

My wife and I enjoyed the Exotic Escape package, which includes a 50-minute couples massage, water therapies and a three-course dinner at Bangkok Garden, which is said to be Toronto’s first Thai restaurant. Be sure to try the spring rolls and, of course, the pad Thai.

It’s one of two restaurants on the property, which also includes a juice bar, 34 treatment rooms (all named after shades of blue as part of the overall water theme), and a swimming pool, whirlpool and steam rooms.

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For more information on the spa, visit elmwoodspa.com. For restaurant details, visit bangkokgarden.ca.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

Visitors to Little Canada are in for a big surprise.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we checked out the attraction, located at 10 Dundas. St. E., just a few minutes by foot from the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, but we came away wowed.

Little Canada is an immersive journey that takes guests through Canada on a miniature scale. There’s a day-to-night cycle that displays each area in a new light, including the impressive tiny Rogers Centre and Canada Day mini fireworks show at Parliament Hill in Little Ottawa.

We found it interesting to keep an eye out for various landmarks we’ve visited across the country and take a stroll down memory lane as we located them.

Be sure to look for Maurice the Moose as you venture through Little Niagara, Little East Coast and beyond.

For more information, visit little-canada.ca.

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