Romantic Staycation at One King West

A few weeks ago, Alex and I celebrated our 3-month wedding anniversary (how time flies!). We got to spend it at one of our favourite hotels in Toronto: One King West. We have such a special connection to this hotel because it’s actually where I spent the night before our wedding and where Alex and I spent our first night as a married couple!

We were invited back for a romantic staycation for 2 nights, and the timing of our return couldn’t have been more perfect. Can you believe, we were even put up in the exact same room that we stayed in for our wedding – room 4607!

In terms of an overview, One King West is the perfect mix of old and new. It’s great for business or pleasure, for couples or singles. You really get the best of all worlds here! It has an ideal location in the heart of the financial district. It’s within walking distance of the subway, restaurants, shops, and the Toronto Eaton Centre. It offers full concierge services, valet parking, a business centre, and rooftop fitness centre. There’s also so much history to this building, much of which has been preserved, since it’s such an integral part of the story here.

The Buildings at One King West

One King West has two towers: the Historic Dominion Bank Building and the “Sliver” Condo Tower, which has 51 storeys. Between the 2 towers, there are 500 newly renovated, luxury suites. Some of the suites are also used as residences.

Fun Fact: the historic section of One King West was the head office for The Dominion Bank (which later became the Toronto-Dominion Bank) for 126 years, dating back to 1879! The original bank vault is still in the basement and is now used as an event venue (pretty neat!). The historic section is designated as an Ontario Heritage Building.

Grand Banking Hall ceiling. The recessed panels in the ceiling have gold leaf and feature the emblems of Canada’s nine early Confederation provinces. The ballroom space has Corinthian columns and a 100-foot long bar modelled after the original Dominion Bank tellers counter. Photo by Sean Pollock.

There are actually 7 different venues within One King West that can be used as either wedding, party or corporate event venues. You can find more info on all the venues here, but I want to talk about a couple of them in particular.

On the rooftop terrace of Fifteen Hundred, one of the event venues at One King West. Last 3 photos by Sean Pollock.

Want to have a casual drink, an intimate wedding, or maybe stage a photo shoot with the most beautiful backdrop behind you? Fifteen Hundred is One King West’s newest and most modern venue on the 15^th floor of the historic building. It has floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a beautiful outdoor terrace that wraps around it.

My FAVOURITE location within the hotel, without a doubt, was the Grand Staircase! I mean, just look at the chandeliers! It’s so majestic and beautiful. I first fell in love with the Grand Staircase when I saw photos online and on Instagram; and I was so happy to be able to share romantic moments with my husband here!

Photos of Alex and me in the Grand Staircase by Sean Pollock.

 The Suites and Views

Photo from One King West website

We stayed in one of the Tower Prestige Suites. As mentioned, it’s the exact same suite we stayed in for our wedding, and I have some of my fondest memories in here. I stayed up late in it on the night before our wedding writing a personal letter to Alex that he read before we got married, and also my wedding vows (yes, I am super last minute!). On the morning of our wedding, I got ready in this room with all my bridesmaids. It was very special to return because it brought back all of those emotions!

Here are some of the memories we shared in this exact same room:

Getting ready with my bridesmaids on my wedding day in one of the Tower Prestige Suites (Room 4607)

We hung my wedding dress in the window. The photos had a beautiful backdrop of downtown Toronto, and you could see more of the view from the side window on the right.

Sharing candid moments in the Tower Prestige Suite with my bridesmaids on my wedding day. Last 3 photos by Shlomi Amiga.

Apart from the memories already created here, we love the layout of this suite. You first walk into a loooong hallway that leads straight into a spacious and modern living room. Because these suites are located along the edge of the “Sliver” tower, you actually get a wrap-around, 270 degree view of all of downtown Toronto!

Last 2 photos by Shlomi Amiga.

Each morning when I woke up, I literally stared out the window for a good 10 minutes taking it all in. The views were accessible from the bedroom, the living room, and even the bathroom!

To the right of the hallway, there is a separate bedroom with a large, king-sized bed. We had the comfiest sleep on this bed on both our wedding night and when we returned this time!

To the left, you’ll find the bathroom. Okay, let’s just take a minute to talk about this bathroom with JACUZZI TUB! There are Jacuzzi tubs, and then there are JACUZZI TUBS! This one was not only huge, but you could also stare directly at a gorgeous, east-facing view of Toronto from inside of it! Needless to say, Alex and I spent a good portion of our Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning before checking out in this tub!

The Food

Can we say “breakfast goals”?! This breakfast spread was just beyond! Wanna know the way to our hearts? Give us access to a breakfast buffet with sausage, bacon, and eggs cooked in a variety of ways (Continental is too boring) AND allow us bring the food back up to our suite, so we can stuff ourselves in privacy! LOL!

Should you choose to eat downstairs, Teller’s Bar is in the lobby. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as a late night menu. We had dinner here on our second night and could barely move after eating, we were so full! We also had a couple of their cocktails to go along with our meal, which were very good!

The Service

The last thing I want to share about our experience at One King West was the amazing service we received from the moment we checked in, to the moment we checked out. Not even 5 minutes after we got into our room, I already had a text on my phone asking if everything was okay. The front desk had us covered for anything we needed throughout the weekend, and we especially loved being greeted with a giant charcuterie board and a bottle of Lamarca Prosecco!

Thank you to One King West for inviting us back for another amazing stay! We can’t wait to return again!

*This post was done in partnership with One King West Hotel & Residence, but as always, all opinions are thoroughly my own!