Holiday Inn Express TORONTO DOWNTOWN by IHG

I can only say, if you have other options, try your best to avoid this hotel!!! First, the hotel's exterior is currently under renovation, completely covered in scaffolding, making it difficult to even push luggage through. But honestly, that's not the biggest issue. Second, this hotel offers absolutely no service. When checking in, I told the white male staff member that we preferred a quieter room, as quiet as possible. He assigned us a room on the second floor. The air conditioning vent was right next to the bed, so we had to turn it off to sleep. At midnight, there was constant traffic noise, and I had to wear headphones to fall asleep. The problem is, these white staff members always put Chinese guests on lower floors. I don't know about other guests, but the higher floors, around the 12th, are much better. The next day, I went to the front desk to store something. Another old white male staff member, while on the phone, told us to wait and then proceeded to serve other guests. We were holding two suitcases, and no other staff member offered any help. Third, the hotel is very much a 'quick-stay' type. They only offer cleaning services; nothing else. There are no toothbrushes, toothpaste, slippers, or even drinking water. Even the breakfast plates are disposable, thrown away after one use, and the spoons and forks are plastic, which is very environmentally unfriendly! For a room costing 2000+ a night, you could add a little more and choose a W, Hilton, or Hyatt hotel, or even ACE. I don't know why I chose this hotel at the time. They also charge a 60% fee for early check-out. Choose this hotel with extreme caution.

Flying from Calgary to Toronto, I arrived in the city in the morning, feeling tired and sleepy. The front desk staff was very helpful and checked if there was a room ready for an early check-in, even asking if I'd be okay with a room near the elevator. You can request toiletries from the front desk, and the breakfast was quite good too. The hotel's location is excellent – within walking distance to Union Station, King Station, the Hockey Hall of Fame, St. Lawrence Market, the Eaton Centre, a building that looks like Wukang Mansion, and a cinema. James Cathedral Park is right outside the door. It was a fantastic stay for a solo trip!

The environment is clean, the transportation is convenient, and the service is excellent. I had an early flight the next day and didn't have time for breakfast, but they even packed a bag of food for me! It was really great! The only slight downside was the noise outside the window and the loud air conditioner. Also, a deposit was required upon check-in (credit card only), and I only had my debit card. I forgot to get my deposit back when checking out, but the hotel proactively contacted me and offered to help me figure out a way to refund it.