The Royal York Hotel (Hotels in Toronto in general)

Member Name: sarajackson

Product:	Hotels in Toronto in general
Date:	04/09/02 (238 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Location close to attractions, Landmark Building, Great service

Disadvantages: Some rooms at rear have limited views, Nothing else, Nothing else!

When I first stayed at the Royal York seven years ago, I didn't know what to expect from a Canadian Pacific Hotel, as it was then, and imagined it would be like any other 4 to 5 star hotel. It becomes apparent the moment you step through the door past the ever jovial doormen, that it is anything but ordinary. The vast lobby, now restored to its original splendour, albeit with a few alterations, is breath taking. Sparkling chandeliers and side lights set the tone, enormous columns and intricate carved ceiling attract your attention and the plush, brightly coloured carpets and reassuringly squashed sofas invite you to relax a while and just watch the comings and goings in this hotel where the great and the good have chosen to stay. Down the spiral staircase (which some say spoil the whole lobby) leads you to a shopping arcade, where there are loads of shopping and dining options - you can grab a can of coke, have a haircut or manicure, buy your muffin for your quick breakfast, have a lunchtime meal or peruse the Canadian Pacific Store for another Art Deco style CP poster reproduction (my particular favourite!). You also gain access to Union Station and the PATH system, opening up loads of transportation options.

The check in staff, on every occasion I have stayed there have been helpful and courteous, and the efficiency means before long you can be exploring one of the 1365 rooms is this mammoth hotel. The rooms I have had have all been of a regular size, the ones with a king size bed appearing less cramped than the ones with two doubles. They are furnished plushly in rich thick floral materials, and in the case of the Entree Gold room, was recently refurbished with plain bedspreads with striped valance and striped regency style wallpaper and the nice touch of armchair and footrest, magazine rack with magazines and even plants. They all have the amenities you need, mini bars, hairdryer, iron, and a CD player in the Entree Gold room (albeit not of a great
quality, but great for sampling your Canadian artists before you get home). You can never be sure of the view - the first time I had a room right in the centre at the front of the hotel, more by luck than anything else. The next time I was less lucky and had a view of various Toronto skyscrapers at the back of the hotel. The Entree Gold room was on one of the wings of the old hotel and looked towards the CN Tower (if you pressed your head against the window) and also the lakefront. Now it appears that the lake view rooms are classified as the Fairmont Deluxe category, but I would say it's always worthwhile requesting a lake view anyway. I have asked for this over New Year although I've only booked a standard Fairmont Room, so we'll see what happens!

The Entree Gold room is definitely recommended, as in addition to the extra touches in the room, you have the use of a private lounge for complimentary breakfast and hors d'oeuvres as well as non alcoholic drinks anytime of the day - great for refreshments after a hard days work/sightseeing. There's also an honour bar in the evening, which is a good way to start.

When I stayed there last, the Lobby Bar and the Acadian Room restaurant were still in operation. Now Epic has had rave reviews, but I'll have to wait until New Year to try it out for myself. Lobby Bar was my favourite place, bar none. To sit in one of the huge squeaky leather chairs, looking through the windows into the lobby and enjoying one of the cocktails or the VQA wines, was my favourite pastime. It was in the Lobby Bar that I first realised what a great place this was, and I've not looked back since! I'm really sorry it's not there anymore. The bar menu was reasonably priced with pizzas, chicken wings, sandwiches and the like. This is the place where the bar tender remembers you from the year before - he even remembers which table you sat at! The restaurants downstairs are more casual, York's Ki
tchen is OK for breakfast or meals with kids with brightly coloured paintings of zoo animals all over the walls and diner style couches. York's deli next door is ideal for (large) takeout or eat in sandwiches, salads and soups. There is also Muffin on the Run, selling, you guessed it, take out muffins for breakfast. Pipers Bar and Eatz is also downstairs, offering similar bar fare to the Lobby Bar, but with singing waitresses(!!) - no idea what it's like, the idea frightens me! The Acadian Room was the main hotel restaurant, and specialised in Canadian cuisine, with plenty of Niagara wines to choose from. We enjoyed our meal the first time we stayed there, but did not return on any of our subsequent visits - no reflection on the restaurant, but there are great restaurants outside (Jump, Canoe etc). Maybe Epic will be so good that people won't venture outside as much?

The hotel is perfectly located, both for transportation links, and also close enough for a summer stroll down to the waterfront or to Queen Street with its various theatres and restaurants. I am paying Can$159 for a room next June, and at that price I think you're paying only a fraction more than a tourist class hotel, which would have little charm and certainly less facilities. In short my stay here was a life changing experience - I've never seen hotels in the same light again. I can't promise that it will do the same for everyone, but I think you'd have to be pretty jaded not to be impressed by at least one aspect of this great hotel.

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Now for the update, following our most recent stay at the Royal York. We were struck straight away by the changes that have been made in the lobby of the hotel. Gone are the brightly coloured carpets and masses of sofas and armchairs. Instead the floor has been laid with light coloured shiny marble effect flooring, with intricate mosaic designs, covered
in places with long rugs. This flooring continues into the Epic restaurant entrance, and the effect is very pleasing. The new decorations are in very subtle light colours of light green and natural hues, very much in favour at the moment. There are less places to sit in the lobby, but there are a few sofas dotted about, giving a much more uncluttered image. I know the old style of the lobby could be seen as getting a little old fashioned, and certainly the style is much more up to date now whilst still being classically elegant, and in keeping with the style of a lot of good quality new hotels. It reminded me somewhat of the decor of the new Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel. I would say that the first impressions of the hotel do not have the same 'wow factor' as previously, as it used to look very plush and inviting, but the overall effect is much more light and airy, and the intricate details of the space including the ceiling and columns are able to be shown off more. The impression grows on you, as you start to notice all the little details, and definitely the hotel is just right for this moment in time, when it has to compete with other luxury hotels. Time will tell whether the new style dates quite as well, or whether in a short time, it appears much more dated that the old style ever did. The symbol of the Royal York, the clock, has been moved, to good effect to the centre of the spiral staircase down to the arcade level. Not only does this make the clock much more visible and prominently placed, but also gives some purpose to the much criticised staircase, which always looked quite out of place. Unfortunately the arcade level has not been refurbished at all, and it appears rather dated in comparison to the lobby.

Our check in was event free, and although the agent was not particularly talkative, she obviously took notice of our request for a lake view room (see comments above!). Our room, on the fourth floor, just slightly right of the centr
e of the hotel, was in the same style as two other rooms we have had other years at the hotel, although the layout of furniture varied slightly. The carpets were a plain crushed pink colour, wallpaper cream coloured with a pink floral design, and bedspread and curtains were in a deep floral design of burgundy, green and yellow. The decor of these rooms are so familiar to me now, I am almost seeing them in my sleep!! The lighting left a bit to be desired and no light seemed to be particularly bright, apart from in the bathroom. I don't remember having quite this problem before. All the usual amenities were there, including mini bar (surprisingly devoid of any type of sparkling wine, which considering this was New Year was a bit disappointing), iron and board and hairdryer, (although this only worked for about two minutes at a time, before cutting out and then you had to wait about five minutes before you could use it again - slightly irritating). From our window we had a view of the lake shore, and although the development going on in the harbour front area takes up most of your view, I still think it is much better to have a room at the front, and although a 'Lake View' is not literally that accurate, this view still symbolises Toronto to me, and is still impressive.

On our first evening we had a cocktail in the Epic Lounge, which is furnished with light green armchairs and feels much more like an integral part of the lobby than the lobby bar did. It is a very pleasant place to relax, and the decor is elegant, but I still think the Lobby Bar had more atmosphere and was a lot cosier and romantic. If only the Library Bar was non-smoking, and then at least there would be somewhere of a similar style to take over from the Lobby Bar. Although we did not eat in the lounge, the menu was sufficient, if not particularly comprehensive. The lounge is very much in keeping with the Epic Restaurant, which means the food is more restaurant style than bar food
usually is.

For the first time, we visited the health club for a swim. The pool is not that large, but just about right for non-athletic swimmers like my husband and myself! The pool is pretty shallow at both ends, and does not have a member of staff present, which suited us fine, as we could flounder about without fear of embarrassment. There is also a whirlpool, which made the already rather cold pool even more of a shock, but all in all, the experience was good, and it's awe inspiring to look up through the clear roof of the pool and see the skyscrapers towering above you.

This time was our first visit to Epic, and we were expecting great things. We had read the toronto.com review which stated "at most places, you're lucky to get the attention of one waiter; here you'd be considered unlucky to have only five catering to your every whim. And while at times you feel somewhat over-serviced, it's comforting to know that at these prices you are being tended to. Just try to pour your own Evian from the ice bucket and watch the staff run to your rescue". Although we are always impressed by the service in Canadian restaurants, we had high hopes that Epic would surpass these. The style of the restaurant is quite striking with large white columns from floor to ceiling dotted throughout with lighting at the top, and curved banquettes around the edges of the space in green tones. I did wonder whether this style would date terribly, but it seemed right at the moment. The tableware and glassware is stylish and modern, and set the tone for what should have been a great dining experience.

We were taken to our table and we were left to peruse the wine list and menus. We ordered some wine and were asked if we wanted normal or bottled water. It was nice when we dined at the Edith Cavell Restaurant in Jasper to just be given a choice of bottled water, and from Mia's review, I thought it would be the same at Epic. We ordere
d our food, and I was a little puzzled as other diners had been given some bread but we sat there for a long time wondering if we had been forgotten. After a while we were brought some hors d'oeuvres and then a few seconds later some bread. There seemed to have been a delay at the start and then everything was coming at once. Then while we were eating our first piece of bread, the starters arrived. The timing seemed all wrong. The it appeared my starter wasn't even right; I had been brought the Quail Risotto instead of Baked Goats Cheese. The waiter (I think actually he was the restaurant Manager/Supervisor) asked my husband if he should take his House Cured Smoked Salmon away and bring it back with my correct starter. Neither of us gave him an answer straight away, and I think he realised it was a bit of a silly question, and took both meals away. Ironically this mistake had given us a bit of breathing space to have our bread. Shortly afterwards our meals arrived. Mine was good, the goats cheese not being particularly strong, but sufficient for the starter, and my husband said his Smoked Salmon was excellent. At this time it had struck me that the candle on our table had never been lit, and although this is only a minor irritation, it was just another little thing that had been overlooked. We didn't wait very long before our main courses arrived, my husband ordering the venison and myself the Corn Fed Chicken with Pumpkin and Pancetta Risotto. Both meals were accompanied by various exotic looking vegetables, which rather complicated my meal unnecessarily. The chicken was moist, but not noticeably Corn Fed, either in appearance or flavour. The pumpkin and pancetta risotto was particularly disappointing, being the driest risotto I have ever had, and the pancetta overpowering all other flavours resulting in a rather unpleasant saltiness. I enjoyed a similar dish of corn fed chicken, with much more pleasing flavours at Far Niente the evening before. We orde
red our desserts, a trio of sorbets for myself and a lemon tart for my husband. I would have preferred it if the waiter had told me what the trio was, as the pink grapefruit sorbet overpowered the rest, and was unpleasant to eat after you had tried the two other sweeter sorbets. Again the evening before, my husband had ordered a trio of Creme Brulee at Far Niente, and had been told what each one was, and advised which one to leave to the last - it's a pity I was not given the same attention at Epic. We were brought a plate of petit fours to finish the evening, the macaroons being a trial to eat at all, being rock hard. When we settled the bill, I had been charged for the wrong starter. All the little signs of fine dining are there at Epic, from the Hors d'Oeuvres to the Petit Fours, but somehow the overall impression is disjointed and lacking in substance.

I had hoped that Epic would be good competition for Canoe, Jump etc, but found this not to be the case at all. Even the staff were rather grumpy and didn't seem to be enjoying their work. I would still rather dine out in Toronto than visit Epic, which is a shame as I find it hard to find fault with much about the Royal York. We dined at Biff's, just down the street, and as it had marketed itself as a 'Bistro' we were not expecting a great deal, but I would rather dine there than at Epic any time. The service was faultless and friendly, the food excellent and it had the appearance of any top notch restaurant - far removed from what I imagined. The compliments about Epic were more deserved by Biff's, and Epic just didn't come up to expectations.

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