We recently stayed at Hotel X Toronto for a combined celebration – Brendan’s birthday and a preliminary Father’s Day family staycation – and quickly discovered that this property is perfect for any occasion, no matter the time of the year. There was so much to do, and our two-day schedule quickly filled up with fun and relaxing activities.

The first thing that impressed us upon arrival was the size and décor of the reception area. Its colourful and grandiose light fixtures were truly striking. We were a bit nervous, as this was the first hotel stay with our 14-month-old daughter, so we wanted to make sure the room will be spacious enough for her to crawl and walk in.

The lobby at Hotel X Toronto.

Once we opened the door to our One Bedroom Suite – we were in love. This corner unit, which was larger than most two-bedroom condos in Toronto (approximately 770 sq. ft.), featured a large bedroom with a king-size bed, a huge living room with a sofa bed, and two bathrooms (with a gorgeous bathtub and a glass-encased rain shower).

One of the two bathrooms at our One Bedroom Corner Suite.

The nine-foot floor-to-ceiling windows made the lake and city views even more magnificent. The sunset view from the suite was absolutely gorgeous.

Stunning city views from our room.

The hotel team arranged a wonderful crib for our daughter, and to say that she loved the little yellow rubber duck that they also left for her would be a huge understatement. The view from her crib was also gorgeous and entertained her extensively while she sat in the crib upon our arrival.

City and lake views that our daughter Esther enjoyed.

The suite featured a large TV in each room, with in-room dining menus available for viewing on the screen. The TVs were also perfect when we decided to watch a Toronto Raptors game later that night.

Once we checked-in and dropped off our bags in the suite, we went for a walk around the property and explored a little. The hotel is located on Exhibition Place grounds, which is a very green and quiet area, perfect for walks with a little one in the stroller. It’s a great way to escape the hustle-and-bustle of Toronto, without actually leaving the city.

The first stop on our walk around the hotel was The Pond rooftop pool on the 28^th floor. The views from every spot of the hotel seemed to be breathtaking, and this was true once we arrived at the pool as well. We caught the most picturesque sunset and discovered that the pool was huge (55 ft) and was mostly outdoors. However, it was still a chilly spring weekend, so we were pleased to see that a part of the pool was under a roof, which meant we could still go for a quick dip the following morning (again, our daughter’s first pool experience!). The pool is open to registered hotel guests only and is available year-round.

Catching the sunset on the rooftop.

Our next stop was on the 4th floor. We walked to the Play Centre, which is the on-site 3,000 sq. ft. daycare service for hotel guests. We thought this was truly a brilliant service for guests who came to stay with their children. The daycare was large, filled with toys and books, and had a very friendly receptionist. We were told that hotel guests can drop off their kids for up to three hours (hourly rates apply).

Onto our next stop, on the same floor, and we had arrived at 10XTO, the property’s humongous gym. We’ve stayed at many, many hotels around the world, and none had a gym this size. The views from the gym were – you guessed it – stunning.

Gorgeous views from 10XTO, while you work out.

Group fitness classes were available to registered hotel guests for a small fee, as were personal training sessions. The amount of equipment here was impressive, and the hotel also offered tennis courts, squash courts and even a golf simulator for additional fees. Cool trivia note: Hotel X Toronto’s golf simulator is the same model as the one that Tiger Woods has at his home.

Tennis court at the hotel.

We went back to our room that night, to relax with some in-room dining and watch NBA finals after a long day. It took a while to get our daughter to sleep, but she adjusted so quickly to the hotel that we were all able to enjoy it together for the rest of our stay. Note to parents who plan to come to Hotel X Toronto: this is the place for you. All amenities here are perfectly suitable for family stays, but we could also totally see ourselves having a great time here with a group of friends, work colleagues or our extended family. In fact, Hannah was back here the following week for a VIP Veuve Clicquot party, and it was a stunning and very fun evening once again, which she extended by having dinner at Maxx’s Kitchen (more on that below, as she also took Brendan there for his birthday celebration). But back to our stay: we enjoyed delicious burgers and watched the basketball game, while our daughter peacefully slept all night.

Onto the next morning, and the hotel team arranged a breakfast-in-bed experience for us. The timing was wonderful, as this was the morning of Brendan’s actual birthday. We enjoyed a delicious meal before he headed off to work and Hannah stayed at the hotel with our daughter.

Our breakfast spread that morning.

Hannah spent the afternoon enjoying the property: she had coffee and pastries with her own Mom who came for a visit, and they had a great time at the sleek Nespresso Café located on-site at the hotel. They also went to the Kandy Gallery to enjoy some art, and checked out the Gift Shop on the same floor.

Esther made many new friends at Hotel X Toronto.

Once Brendan was back from work, we left our daughter with her grandma in our room and ordered more in-room dining for them, while we headed down to Maxx’s Kitchen for dinner and drinks!

Dinner at Maxx’s Kitchen.

We had a delicious meal, and followed it up with wine and cocktails on the rooftop, by the pool. The sunset views were, once again, incredible.

Lovely drinks by the pool.

The next day, Brendan headed off to 10XTO for a full and intense workout at the break of dawn. Later that morning, all three of us got ready for a relaxing continental breakfast at the Library Club Lounge. We loved the serene atmosphere there, and the large book selection, including children’s books that were placed neatly on lower shelves. What a great idea!

Library Club Lounge.

Our final stop during the stay was the rooftop: for our daughter’s first pool experience. It was chilly, but since the pool was partially indoors, we were all able to go for a quick dip, and it was a wonderful way to wrap up our stay. We left the hotel later that morning feeling happy, relaxed and fully rejuvenated. We had discovered a true gem in Toronto, and you can bet that we will be back again soon!

Photography by Hannah Yakobi, Brendan Ross and courtesy of Hotel X Toronto.