The Anndore House, a JDV by Hyatt branded property, is a boutique hotel in Toronto. The property has 115 rooms and suites across 10 foors. The property went under a remodel in 2017 and converted from a Comfort Hotel to The Anndore House.
Here you can see the property in 2016 in Google Street View:
I was skeptical of a boutique Hyatt property from an old Choice Hotels property, but the reviews were pretty positive.
I booked the hotel directly and reserved a Master Suite as it was only slightly more than a standard room. In fact, for many dates I checked the Suite is less than $10 more than the standard room; so if you are booking, make sure to check the rates of all room types.
Furthermore, I was able to find the same room type for quite a bit cheaper on Expedia than on Hyatt’s own website. So I did a Best Rate Guarantee by calling in to Hyatt and was able to match the Expedia rate and get an additional 20% off.
I also applied a Guest of Honor certificate to my booking so that I would get breakfast included for my two nights.
I paid $284 CAD plus $64 in taxes for a total of $349 CAD per night (or $255 USD total per night). I saved over $100 per night by doing the Best Rate Guarantee, so it is worth checking rates on other sites!
Location
The Anndore House is located on the periphery of Yorkville. There is a homeless shelter next door and you are bound to see people using drugs in the park directly next door. However, just a block or two away are some of the nicer parts of Toronto, so don’t be scared off.
The closest subway station is the 1 Line at Bloor-Yonge; which is extremely convenient for getting to Union Station or downtown.
Check In
I arrived in Toronto by VIA Rail from Ottawa. Union Station is a 10 minute subway ride south of The Anndore House.
The lobby is small with no seating — just the check in desk. However there is a bar around the corner if you need a spot to sit.
I had checked in online and had been assigned Room 1001, the Master Suite on the top floor. I was told that since it was the weekend, brunch would be served at Constantine between 9:30am-2:00pm.
Key cards are required to access guest floors through the stairs and elevator.
Room
Room 1001 (and all the X01 rooms) are located at the end of the building that face out to Charles Street.
You enter into the living room area. Along one wall is a large window.
There is a table with two chairs in one corner. A couch and arm chair are against the windows.
A large built in storage unit is against the wall under the TV.
Much of the furniture is meant to look industrial; with shelving made out of plywood. There are also exposed pipes, conduits, and bulbs throughout the room.
A record player and selection of records is available. Two glass water bottles, a SMEG coffee maker and kettle, microwave, and mini fridge are in this area. While wine glasses and mugs are provided, there are no standard water glasses.
There is no door to separate the living room from the bedroom.
The bedroom has an open closet with drawers and plenty of hanging space. The bed faces a second TV.
The room has two separate AC units, each controlled by a wall mounted thermometer. The thermometer is motion activated and mine kept going off during the night and the room would get hot. It may by possible to deactivate the motion sensor; if you do some googling you might find instructions.
The views are of other buildings and a parking garage. The Anndore House is not a tall building so you won’t have great views in any room. It wasn’t until the morning of my check out that I realized in addition to shutter type blinds, there are also roller shades to block out more of the light.
I had a gift in my room; most likely due to being a Guest of Honor. It included a note, tote bag, candies, shower bomb, and bottle of club soda.
Bathroom
The bathroom is down a short hall. The hall is wasted space that could have been used to make the bathroom larger, but it may have been limitation due to the original build. They have added a mirror to the space to make it slightly more useful.
The bathroom has a single sink with a nice size of counter space. There is additional storage in cubbies under the sink.
The toilet and shower are located past the sink.
The shower has an overhead rain shower as well as a handheld wand. Two robes are provided.
The bath products are Skoah brand and smelled delicious and felt luxurious.
Gym
I don’t believe there is a gym at the hotel, but looking at their website, there may be a neighborhood gym that guests can access.
Breakfast
Breakfast for Globalists et al is served in Constantine on the ground floor.
If breakfast is included, you are able to order one entree (either Sweet or Savory), plus one hot drink and one cold drink.
I tried the French Toast one morning and the Breakfast Sandwich the other morning. Both were very good. The pancakes were huge if you want a lot of carbs to start your day.
In addition to the restaurant, there is a bar, coffee shop, and barber on the ground floor.
Overall
While rates can be high for The Anndore House, I found a way to get a great value at this boutique property. Not everyone will love the style (plywood furniture) or the gritty neighborhood. But the location is wonderful for exploring the city and I found the room, the service, and the food to all be very good. There are a number of choices of Hyatt properties in Toronto now. I’d like to try some of the others but I would recommend The Anndore House to anyone visiting the city.
