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The Best City Hotels in Canada in 2016

The Best City Hotels in Canada in 2016

By Ellie Nan Storck

July 06, 2016

Courtesy of Wedgewood Hotel

The Wedgewood Hotel & Spa has become a haunt for T+L readers who return to Vancouver time and time again. Described as a place of “total luxury,” it’s no shock that the inn, done up in toile de Jouy and brocade fabrics, secured first prize. If the handpicked antiques and beautiful balconies didn’t win over guests, the attentive staff members sure did.

Every year, T+L asks readers to rank travel experiences across the planet — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated Canada’s best city hotels in our World’s Best Awards survey for value, service, location, amenities, attention to detail, and more.

Every Canadian city hotel on this list — from the Ritz-Carlton Montreal to the Magnolia Hotel & Spa in Victoria — boasted, according to survey respondents, an exceptional team that went "above and beyond." Or so says one reader, who recalled a visit to Vancouver's Loden Hotel. Employees stored her husband’s flash-frozen halibut in their freezer.

In addition to service, Canada’s top city hotels racked up points for convenient locations and luxurious designs. The Ritz-Carltons in Toronto and Montreal remained on the top 10 list, as did the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Auberge Saint-Antoine, and the Wedgewood.

This year’s list of winners saw new properties rise to the top, including the Rosewood Hotel Georgia (an Art Deco-inspired gem with a ballroom, a saltwater lap pool, and complimentary Bentley drives around the city). Perhaps their commitment to over-the-top grandeur was noticed by T+L readers this year when the property debuted its $11,650 per night Royal Suite (complete with 180-degree views of Vancouver).

Travelers seeking splendor in the True North won’t have any trouble finding outstanding digs with service that could spoil you for all other hotels. But even with this curated list, it may be tough to choose.

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No. 10: Loden Hotel, Vancouver

Courtesy of Loden Hotel

Score: 88.50

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No. 9: Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

Courtesy of Fairmont Pacific Rim

Score: 88.68

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No. 8: The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

Score: 88.77

4 of 10

No. 7: Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Victoria, British Columbia

Courtesy of Magnolia Hotel and Spa

Score: 89.25

5 of 10

No. 6: Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

Courtesy of Auberge Saint-Antoine

Score: 89.53

6 of 10

No. 5: Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver

Korena Bolding Sinnett

Score: 89.70

7 of 10

No. 4: The Ritz-Carlton Montreal

Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Montreal

Score: 90.09

8 of 10

No. 3: Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto

Courtesy of Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto

Score: 90.80

9 of 10

No. 2: Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

Grant Harder

Score: 92.20

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No. 1: Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, Vancouver

Courtesy of Wedgewood Hotel

Score: 93.8

One voter compared the Wedgewood to Downton Abbey, and it’s easy to see why. The Relais & Châteaux hotel snagged first place with help from its clubby restaurant, Bacchus, and spa (where guests enjoy seasonal treatments featuring sea-salt and wild-lavender scrubs). Whatever magic the family-owned hotel conjured to ascend from last year’s fifth-place spot, it’s clearly more of a “home away from home” than a place to sleep. Some have spent decades enjoying the pleasures and diversions of this Canadian classic.

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