Hilton Toronto

Airport Express

by Dabs

Of the options listed in Frommer's for how to get to downtown from the airport, the Airport Express appealed to me most. It seemed like it would be quicker than taking the public bus, then transferring to the subway and much cheaper than catching a cab. If you are traveling with several people, a cab may be cheaper but for one person, the Airport Express was a better deal and really not much slower than a cab.

The Airport Express has 8 stops in downtown Toronto, since I was staying at the Hilton Toronto, it was very convenient as the stop was right across the street at the Sheraton. Our driver actually stopped at the Hilton since no one was going to the Sheraton.

If you buy online, it's 10% cheaper and buying a roundtrip saves you $3.75. Without the 10% discount, it cost me $26.75 Canadian for a round trip and I thought it was worth the convenience.

Buses leave every 20-30 minutes, you can see a schedule on the attached website as well as where to pick the bus up at the airport.

A good cleaning would help!

by A TripAdvisor Member

When visiting Toronto I usually stay at the Toronto Hilton. Yes, the lobby, bars and restaurants have all been remodeled and look "newer". The hallways and the rooms have also been remodeled.

HOWEVER, there is an overview "dullness" attributed to dirty carpeting both in the hallways and rooms. I enjoy the location for its proximity to the subway, shopping and restaurants. Though my room was clean it just lacked that fresh inviting look you would expect at a Hilton hotel. A good carpeting cleaning would bring things back to life!

When I went to get ice on my first day here, late Friday afternoon, I noticed a "room service" tray next to the ice machine. There was remenants of onions left on the tray. The tray was still there Sunday morning! This matter was brought to the attention of the front desk, who immediately got on the phone to call "someone" to remove the tray. When returning to the hotel late Sunday evening the tray was.....you guessed it.....still there! The strong, pungnent smell of onions was not what anyone would expect to find at a Hilton hotel. Three days (and counting) for a room service tray to be left out in the open? I think not!

potential disaster turned around

by TripAdvisor Member 4myinfo

My family (of four, incl 3 and 7 yr olds) stayed here for a long wkend around October 23rd - 26th. We booked our room through Hotwire (1st time using) and paid only $85/night. Prior to arriving, I sent a fax to the concierge telling them it was a special occasion wkend for my husband's 40th birthday, asking for a nice room and view if possible.

Our initial room was more like a motel room. It did have 2 double beds, which we requested, but the decor was outdated and ugly incl thin, worn beige bed spreads and lovely black mold in the caulk around the tub. Very depressing little room. I called the front desk and ask to speak to a manager - she was in a meeting and wd call back- 20 minutes later I finally called again and learned "MJ" the manager had gone off duty w/o calling us back.

FORTUNATELY, Walter (another manager) was now on duty and said he wd change our room immediately. We ended up being upgraded (free) to a nice junior suite with king bed, down comforter, small cot for daughter, marble bath, etc. AND Walter sent up freshly baked cookies, champagne and juice that night!

We wanted to show our appreciation to Walter and tried to give him a tip discreetly, but he refused to take it. He is the reason our wkend turned out to be fabulous all around.

(also note: concierge Jessica recommended a breakfast place and gave us the wrong address and wrong directions, so we ended up walking over a mile with two hungry, small children through many homeless people sleeping on the street- my daughter was in tears when we arrived at the restaurant- by taxi)

Another day we had breakfast at the Hilton, and it was surprisingly quite nice.

Pretty Average

by A TripAdvisor Member

We stayed at the Hilton for 4 nights with a 3 year old. The decor is pretty cool, but doesn't hide the fact that an old hotel has been renovated - seemingly on the cheap. The bathroom in particular was ugly and below average for the price. Breakfast was included in our room rate - thank goodness - I would have had difficulty paying CD 19 per head for a basic breafast with an especially poor selection of fresh fruit - my husband thought the melon tasted of kippers, I thought it was more sweaty feet. The pool was bizarre - half outdoor half indoor, separated by car wash like plastic dividers. Cool to swim outdoors in the snow - but far too cold for our 3 year old daughter. The Vacation Station - games/toys available for kids' use - seemed like a good idea - but they didn't have any toys for a 3-5 year old at the time of our visit.

Highlight was the concierge/bell staff who were extremely helpful and great with our daughter - bellman even gave our daughter a teddy bear to remember him by.

Overall an OK experience - but my husband's company was paying for the trip. Had I been paying I would have been less forgiving.

Hilton...A real class act !

by TripAdvisor Member Khumbu

My wife and I recently stayed at the Hilton in Toronto for our anniversary. We can usually find fault with most hotels, but not here. The room was fantastic, the staff were very helpful and friendly, the pool ( indoor/outdoor ) was great. These people have been properly trained in the art of pleasing visitors. We'll go again in a heartbeat. Thankyou Hilton!!!

Great Location ,No complaints

by A TripAdvisor Member

Since this was my first time in Toronto, I wanted to make sure I stayed somewhere clean and safe. My boyfriend and I checked into the Hilton around 12pm on a Friday. When the cab pulled up to the entrance, I sighed in relief because if the interior was anything like the exterior then we were in great shape. We were greeted by a friendly door staff. It was a little bit of a wait to check in as there was only one person who was working the front desk.

The room itself was huge. It was a king size room which we got for a great deal. There was a nice large window (seemed almost floor to ceiling) that gave you a great view of the city. It was very clean.

I was disappointed that there was no fridge in the room nor a microwave which I found odd, especially given the room size.

We did have high speed internet access in the room (for a nominal daily charge) which was perfect because then we could search the net for things to do.

Most of all I liked the location. You could access the PATH directly from the hotel. The PATH is an underground connection for the business community that also links the malls and hotels etc in case the weather outside is freezing. The Eaton Centre mall was a nice 5-10 minute walk in the PATH. As opposed to a 15 minute walk outside - due to traffic lights rather than distance.

Also it was a 20 minute walk to the CN Tower and the neighboring esplanade which has tons of restaurants lined up.

Heading in the other direction it was a nice walk to Yonge St - about 5-10 minutes. And about a 20 minute walk to Chinatown (in case you like dim-sum).

All in all it was great. I could not complain at all. It made my stay in Toronto all the more enjoyable.

Definitely would stay there again. Recommend this place.

CN Tower ROCKS!

by alise007

"The Proposal"

My dear hubby (DH) proposed in the CN Tower June 2001! Stayed at the Hilton Toronto downtown, visited the Hockey Hall of Fame --something for DH to enjoy! I was just happy to stare at my engagement ring with this HUGE grin on my face. It was a quick trip but definitely memorable! Would love to go back and explore Toronto more. We came back briefly to get chairs from IKEA!

"Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake"

I have visited Niagara 3x now. It is always fun and we find something new to do!

I have dined atop the Minolta Tower and watched the colors changing on the falls. Did the touristy stops along the river- Journey Behind the Falls, Maid of the Mist, Spanish Aero Car, Butterflies, casino (old one-new one wasn't finished last time we were there), and probably a few others I have forgotten.

MY favorite spot is Prince of Wales Inn for HIGH TEA! My aunt came for a visit and we explored Niagara on the Lake and being treated like royalty for a few hours of treats and tea!