Kimpton Saint George

For the first Kimpton hotel in Canada the brand chose not Toronto’s downtown core but a rather less obvious location just to the north — Bloor Street, a setting that’s still convenient to downtown, but which is just to the west of Yorktown, and even closer to the University of Toronto. It’s a neighborhood that’s both upscale and bohemian, the perfect setting for a hotel to which the same adjectives apply. Here a former Holiday Inn has been transformed into one of the IHG sub-brand’s most unusual hotels: the Kimpton Saint George.

Given its heritage it’s perhaps no surprise that the Saint George is a substantial hotel: nearly 200 rooms and suites across 14 floors. Each unit, however, feels carefully considered, and with all the warmth and personality of a much smaller boutique operation — and the personable service, always a top Kimpton priority, lends an extra touch of intimacy. Frette linens and Atelier Bloem bath products nudge the rooms and suites ever closer to luxury territory. And the hotel’s single food and beverage outlet is a versatile one: the Fortunate Fox gastropub can handle everything from fish and chips to creative craft cocktails.