This Minimalist Hotel In Toronto Celebrates Everything Canadian-Made

By: Sara Romano

Photography courtesy of Neil Anthony Watson

Travel in Style

Jul 11, 2025

This Minimalist Hotel In Toronto Celebrates Everything Canadian-Made

By: Sara Romano

Just down the street from Union Station—Toronto’s recently renovated, vibrant transit hub—a new boutique hotel invites its guests to unwind in style.

In the heart of downtown Toronto, the Union Hotel is an ultra-cool, minimalist dream. Minutes away from Rogers Stadium, Scotiabank Arena, the city’s top restaurants and bars, the lively harbourfront, and on the cusp of the theatre district, the central location truly can’t be beat. But that isn’t even what captured our hearts about this special place.

Behind the Union Hotel’s urban-chic aura is an unassumingly rich history. The building—designated as a heritage site—originally opened its doors in 1933 as the Strathcona Hotel (you can still see the name on the south side of the building). After transitioning into a temporary housing shelter during the pandemic, the 189-room property underwent a dramatic revamp and entered its second life as the Union Hotel in March 2025.

Now, it’s a chic spot set on celebrating locally-made food, goods, and art—so much art. When you step inside the lobby, the first thing you’ll notice is a Scandi-inspired wood fireplace, velvety pastel loungers, and mod-style decor. The walls are adorned with paintings, murals, and embroidery from Canadian artists, and funky on-air booths invite you to take your calls in privacy.

Photography courtesy of Neil Anthony Watson

The Canadian-fueled tour continues by the lobby desk, where you can pick up treats from local businesses, including wine from Cave Spring Vineyard in Jordan Station, Ont., and coffee from Toronto’s Sam James Coffee Bar.

The Union extends its love for creativity with a strong literary enthusiasm. The hotel hosts monthly book talks with Canadian authors, and houses the lobby with a collection of celebrated Giller Prize-awarded books. Plus, each room comes stocked with one of the award-winning books.

Photography courtesy of Neil Anthony Watson

On the second floor, you’ll find a swanky athletic centre decked out with everything a fitness-lover needs. After breaking a sweat, relax on the secluded next-door patio. Nestled in an urban courtyard—surrounded by Toronto-centric raccoon-themed murals from local artist Emily May Rose—you’d never guess that bustling York Street is just below.

Photography courtesy of Neil Anthony Watson

From luxurious king suites to compact single rooms, there’s a tailor-made space for every kind of city traveller. The bedrooms are minimalist and chic with a cheery pop of playful (see: stuffed raccoons in every room). Clever hacks like a foldaway desk and an understated ottoman ensure that every room feels spacious, no matter its size.

The hotel carries its Canadiana throughline into the bedrooms—there are local sips from Ontario-based Detour Coffee and Genuine Tea and natural bath products from Routine Natural Beauty in the Rockies (complete with a Union-themed poem etched onto the bottles). The rooms even feature 3D-printed garbage cans, tissue boxes, and coffee trays handcrafted in Montreal.

Photography courtesy of Neil Anthony Watson

Be sure to indulge in the hotel’s in-house dining experience at The Humble Donkey. Open from breakfast till late, this artsy cafe-style lounge offers fresh pastries from Toronto’s Circles & Squares Bakery, delicious apps and handhelds, and inventive cocktails. Whether you’re passing through the city for work or play, or you’re a local looking for a new go-to staycation, the Union Hotel is not to be missed.