The Broadview Hotel

Heritage boutique style near the Distillery District

★★★★★📍 Riverside (near Distillery District)$$$

The Broadview Hotel occupies a landmark building from 1891 — a handsome Romanesque Revival structure at the corner of Broadview and Queen East, on the east side of downtown — that was painstakingly restored and reborn as a boutique hotel. The result beautifully blends the building's heritage character (exposed brick, restored details) with sharp contemporary design, giving it a distinctive sense of place that the glass towers downtown can't match.

Its rooms are stylish and individually designed, comfortable and characterful. The social heart of the hotel is its rooftop: a glass-enclosed lounge and an open-air terrace that offer some of the best skyline views in the city, making it a buzzy destination for drinks (popular with locals as well as guests). A ground-floor café and a restaurant round out the food-and-drink offering, and the overall vibe is hip, warm, and neighborhood-rooted rather than corporate.

The location is on the east side, in the Riverside/Leslieville-adjacent area — a short walk or ride from the historic Distillery District, with the trendy, low-key dining and shopping of Riverside and Leslieville at hand, and downtown and the streetcar a quick trip away. It's a little removed from the central tourist core, which is part of its appeal for those wanting a more local, authentic Toronto experience. The Broadview suits design-minded travelers and couples who want character, a great rooftop, and a hip, neighborhood base near the Distillery District over a conventional downtown hotel.