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Toronto · Hotel shortlist

3 star hotels on the beach in Toronto

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Updated 1 September 2026 · 5 Toronto hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Toronto, out of the 5 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.2 down to 3.6.

Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown is the one I would book myself.

Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown

Highest rated of the five

Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown

★★★★★4.2 from 2,489 reviews

Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.2 from 2,489 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 3 star property, found under downtown and around $192 a night on the dates we checked.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown1

    Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown

    ★★★★★4.2 from 2,489 reviews

    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  2. Sunrise Tree Guest House2

    Sunrise Tree Guest House

    ★★★★★3.9 from 61 reviews

    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  3. Dream Catcher Travel House3

    Dream Catcher Travel House

    ★★★★★3.7 from 73 reviews

    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  4. Toronto Furnished Living4

    Toronto Furnished Living

    ★★★★★3.6 from 174 reviews

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  5. Pembroke Inn5

    Pembroke Inn

    ★★★★★3.7 from 1,339 reviews

    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

5 Toronto hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Gerald Whitfield

Gerald Whitfield The American northeast and Canada

Volunteers three days a week and travels the rest. Maritime museums and working boatyards in 19 countries, mostly by ferry and train, talking to the shipwrights in every one.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.