Kids in a Hotel: Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel

Having explored many cities and towns in North America, my husband and I (and kids) have actually never stayed in a hotel or played tourist in our hometown -Toronto.

The Renaissance Hotel is attached to the Rogers Centre and is the world’s only hotel located in a major league sports and entertainment venue.

Located in the heart of the Entertainment District, the Renaissance Hotel is close to public transportation and many family friendly attractions – CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum and Ripley’s Aquarium (coming in 2013).

A View Into The Stadium

Being attached to the Rogers Centre, there are several stadium view rooms at the Renaissance. This is great for anyone who wants to catch a game, concert or show without having to leave their room. These rooms do cost a bit more though as you save on show and game tickets.

The Arriba Restaurant on the ground floor also has a view into the stadium so hotel guests would also be able to watch a game while eating at the restaurant.

THE PROS:

Our Room

Having originally booked a King City View room, we were upgraded to a King City View Room on the 6^th floor (Club Level).

When I stepped into the room I was amazed. It was HUGE.

Probably one of the largest hotel rooms our family has ever stayed in. With a king bed, a pull out sofa bed and desk area and still room for a roll away crib, our kids had a lot of space to roam without bumping into each other.

The staff left some treats for us on the desk – candy and balloons for the kids, cheese and crackers plate for my husband and I.  Our kids ended up eating everything including the stuff that was meant for us! It was totally unexpected and was one of the things that made our “staycation” weekend memorable.

The room was extremely spacious and included a 37 inch LCD TV, mini refrigerator (great to keep bottles of milk in for our 1 year old and food to snack on during the day), and a Keurig coffee machine.

The room was exceptionally clean and the beds were very comfortable including the pull out sofa bed which our 4 year old and I shared on the second night.

Always one to check out the bathroom first (yes, a clean bathroom and updated bathroom is a MUST for this mom), I was pleasantly surprised by the marble vanity as well as the AVEDA brand soaps.

Unfortunately I was too busy attending the conference I didn’t take many photos of our room 🙁

The Staff

One week before our arrival, I enquired about the possibility of an early check in since my conference was starting at8:30am. The room was still occupied when I got there, but the staff kept my luggage and left me a voicemail on my phone to let me know when the room was ready.

I also requested for a crib for our 1 year old and it was already set up and in the room by the time I checked in.

Because we experienced no problems during our stay, we didn’t need to interact with the staff often but when we did they were always quick to greet us and very polite.

THE CONS:

I’m not sure if it was where our room was located (near the elevators) or if the hotel was busy because of the conference, but we could hear people talking and walking down the halls until about 2 AM.

This might be a challenge for light sleepers as the hotel is also located near the train station and trains are running early in the morning and sometimes at night.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

I would not hesitate to stay at this hotel again or recommend it to my friends (or readers!). This location is especially ideal for families visiting Downtown Toronto who want to be close to attractions and public transit.

There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel as well as some convenience stores for those trying to travel on a budget and want to keep some food and drinks in the fridge.

Contact Information

Website: Renaissance Toronto Downtown Hotel

Address: 1 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, ON M5V 1J4

Phone: (416) 341-7100