Accommodation in Toronto: One King West Hotel & Residence

Last updated: 09/07/2023

Discover the elegant One King West Hotel & Residence, an excellent lodging option in downtown Toronto, close to many attractions and restaurants.

ONE KING WEST HOTEL & RESIDENCE

Housed in a beautiful 12-story Beaux Arts building built in 1914, the One King West Hotel & Residence is located in downtown Toronto offering elegant and charming suites. It is close to many famous Toronto attractions, such as the Hockey Hall of Fame and St. Lawrence Market, as well as Union Station, the city's main subway and train station, and has easy access to the PATH tunnels, the city's Toronto Underground.

One King West Hotel and Residence is a 4 star hotel which features a 24-hour front desk, free Wi-Fi throughout the property, a rooftop fitness center with outdoor hot tub and saunas. Breakfast is not included in the rate, but there are two gastronomic spaces in the hotel: a Café (Daily Ritual Cafe) serving international cuisine and a bar (Teller's Bar & Lounge) offering snacks and showing sports.

The hotel is made up of two interconnected towers: a historic one where the headquarters of the Dominion Bank operated (more on that later) and a newer one, built in the process of renovation and transformation into a hotel. Rooms are elegantly decorated and equipped with a variety of thoughtful amenities, including air conditioning, flat-screen cable TV, hairdryer, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, coffee maker, and kitchenware. Higher-category suites have a spa bath, and some have lake and city views.

THE VAULT: THE HUGE SAFE AT THE KING WEST HOTEL

In the past, the building where the hotel is now housed the Dominion Bank, a bank that featured incredible Renaissance architecture. Because of this, it houses an immense two-story steel vault, with an area of 3,000 m², more than 7.5 meters high, and with a circular door about 1.36 meters thick that weighs 40 tons. ! At the time it was installed, the door needed to be transported by 19 horses and 8 men! At the time, it was considered the most secure bank vault in Canada.

In 1955, a merger with the Bank of Toronto resulted in the formation of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. From that date, many headquarters functions were transferred to the current Toronto-Dominion Bank building, while a branch continued to operate at this address until the 1990s.

Beginning in 2005, the building set the trend for preservation and restoration in Toronto's modern urban real estate development, undergoing a major transformation. A 51-story tower dubbed “The Silver” was built, making it one of the tallest residential buildings in Canada. Although many changes have taken place, to this day it is still possible to see the immense vault in the basement (B1) of the building, accessible from the main lobby of the hotel through a magnificent marble staircase. A curiosity is that it is so beautiful and grand that it has already served as the setting for some films, such as “Red-Aposentados” (2010) and “Jumper” (2008).

OUR EXPERIENCE AT ONE KING WEST HOTEL & RESIDENCE

First of all, it is worth mentioning that Toronto is an expensive city and the area where the hotel is located is one of the most interesting in the city, which means that prices are high. We did a lot of research to be able to choose a hotel that was well located, well evaluated, and that the prices, although high, were not exorbitant compared to others in the surroundings. We stayed at One King West Hotel & Residence for 4 excellent nights in Toronto. The hotel is extremely well located, with easy access on foot to several attractions, and close to the subway and street car lines, making it much easier to move around the city. In addition, it had direct access to the PATH, the underground city of Toronto, which also helped a lot with access to the subway.

Our room was a great size, with a mini kitchen complete with fridge, stove, coffee maker, toaster and cooking utensils. Also, it was very comfortable, clean, and with a view of Lake Ontario in the distance. Our only complaint was that the bathroom was quite cramped and the door was very close to the bed and didn't close properly. The hotel also does not serve breakfast, which for us was not a problem because we had the opportunity to know great places to eat in the surroundings. In summary, we had an excellent experience at this hotel and would recommend it.