Hotel Review: The Westin Harbour Castle
Welcome to The Westin Harbour Castle.
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, elegantly situated in the revitalised waterfront district, The Westin Harbour Castle is one of Toronto’s most recognisable hotels.
The Westin Harbour Castle is in walking distance to attractions such as the iconic CN Tower.
In walking distance to world-class attractions such as CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena and of course, the Toronto harbour front itself, The Westin Harbour Castle seems to present the perfect mix of premium comfort, convenience and scenic views for its guests. But did it live up to my expectations? Read my hotel review to find out.
About The Westin Harbour Castle
Visit Ward’s Island, just a short direct ferry ride away from the harbour area.
The first thing that you’ll probably notice as you check into The Westin Harbour Castle is its beautiful harbour location. Located along Toronto’s coastline, The Westin Harbour Castle truly is the perfect place to stay when thinking about visiting any of the Toronto Islands. A special location along the waterfront and picturesque vistas of Lake Ontario are just the start of what The Westin has to offer, though.
In line with the premium comfort standard of other Westin hotels, Harbour Castle is no different when it comes to impressing guests. Featuring a comprehensive fitness centre, wellness studio, tennis and squash courts, beautiful pool and jacuzzi area, huge conference and ballroom spaces – there’s plenty to be excited about when staying here.
Getting to The Westin Harbour Castle
The Westin Harbour Castle is easily reached from the airport.
As The Westin Harbour Castle is located closely to Downtown Toronto, getting here is easy. From Toronto Pearson International Airport, the hotel is a short 24-minute car ride, or a 34-minute train ride. You can easily find a taxi from the airport, or use rideshare options like Uber.
To get to the hotel via train, simply board a UP Express train at Pearson Station and get off at Union Station. From Union Station, the hotel is only a few minutes’ walk away. There’s no need to buy a ticket in advance, as there are plenty of ticket machines at the airport. This is how we arrived at the hotel, and we found the train to be really quick and convenient.
Just a tip: although you can easily find the lobby area - if you’re walking from the train station with your bags - you should follow signs to the accessible entry as this entry will allow you to use an elevator to get to the lobby. The entrance is slightly elevated from street level so if you are bringing heavy bags, you may struggle to get up without the accessible elevator.
If you’re already in the downtown area, getting to The Westin is even easier. For example, from CN Tower, The Westin is only a 15-minute walk away.
My room at The Westin Harbour Castle
My own conference room within my Lake View Algonquin Suite at The Westin Harbour Castle.
We stayed at a Lake View Algonquin Suite on the 21st floor and upon checking in, I literally gasped! It’s not every day that we get to stay in such a huge space like this, and I was prepared to soak up every single second of the experience.
Look at this colourful living room!
Opening the door to the suite, I was not only greeted by a stylishly decorated conference room, but also stunning views of Lake Ontario. Walking through my suite, the wide living room featured a long sofa with chic ornaments decorated around the room.
What’s not to smile about? Loving my Suite at The Westin Harbour Castle.
My Premier Suite featured two restrooms and one shower area – perfect for our needs, as well as a large bedroom. I keep using words like ‘large’, ‘wide,’ and ‘spacious’, because there truly was so much space in our room. Sometimes, we struggle to find a good place at to set our bags down at other hotels, but we had no such problems here at all!
Enjoying these wide windows in the room.
The king bed was extremely comfortable, and I enjoyed waking up to the gorgeous lake views each morning. Overall, this was truly one of the most impressive hotel rooms I’ve ever stayed at.
Food and Beverage at The Westin Harbour Castle
Pastry selections at The Mizzen Restaurant.
The Westin Harbour Castle’s breakfast each morning was always a treat to wake up to. Not only are the staff there super friendly and organised, but the buffet selection was great. At The Mizzen Restaurant where you’ll have your breakfast, you’ll find delicious treats such as Danish pastries, a selection of American breakfast items, pancakes, fresh fruit and vegetables.
I especially loved the tasty granola they served, which – when mixed in with the blueberry and strawberries the hotel provided, made for a refreshing breakfast experience.
Enjoying breakfast at The Mizzen Restaurant.
At the hotel, there are also a plethora of other food and beverage options (at times the hotel felt like a mall with the amount on offer). These include the Harbour Coffee Bar and Marketplace, The Chartroom Bar and Lounge, Savoury and Don Alfonso 1980. From evening drinks, coffee stops and sophisticated outings – The Westin Harbour Castle had every kind of dining experience covered.
Facilities, Hotel Grounds & Other Activities
Swimming pool area at The Westin Harbour Castle.
The first thing I wanted to highlight about the hotel grounds is that The Westin Harbour is massive. Truly massive. There were a few times we got lost because of how big the property is!
The jacuzzi – so relaxing.
The Westin Harbour Castle is not short of facilities, whatsoever. During our time here, especially enjoyed using the pool and jacuzzi area. The pool is super wide and even features gorgeous views of Lake Ontario. When you’re done swimming in the cool water, head on over a few steps to the warm jacuzzi to unwind.
Just outside the pool area, you’ll find the property’s tennis court and basketball area nestled among Toronto’s skyscrapers. In the vicinity, check out the butterfly and bee mural too.
Tennis court amongst the skyscrapers.
Are you a fitness fan? Then you’ll be pleased to know that the property features a Wellness Yoga Studio and two fitness centres – one primarily for cardio, and the other for weightlifting. The hotel also features a kid’s zone/cinema where nightly movies are played, and even a squash court.
Meditating at the Wellness Yoga Studio.
Making use of the comprehensive gym at The Westin Harbour Castle.
Asher at the property’s squash courts.
With the sheer number of facilities, I couldn’t see myself getting bored at The Westin Harbour Castle for a long time, to be honest!
Staff
How were the staff at the hotel?
I’ve stayed at a few Westin properties before, and have always been impressed with how friendly and helpful the staff were. I found the case to be the same at Harbour Castle.
Enjoying the area around The Westin Harbour Castle.
The staff at the hotel went above and beyond to help me with my luggage, questions about getting around and recommendations dining around the Downtown Toronto area. The staff were also diverse and multicultural, as I had many conversations with people from different backgrounds ranging from all around the world. A big thank you to all the kind and helpful staff!
Final Verdict – Should I stay at The Westin Harbour Castle?
Would I stay at The Westin Harbour Castle again?
This was my first visit to Canada in 15 years and I didn’t know what to expect. My stay at The Westin Harbour Castle was one of the most memorable aspects of my trip, thanks to the amazing suite, comprehensive facilities, delicious food and staff who went above and beyond to help me.
Yes, my stay at The Westin Harbour Castle was completely worth it and I would come back in a heartbeat.
You can take a closer look at The Westin Harbour Castle by clicking here.
For more information about the resort or to make a booking, check out The Westin Harbour Castle’s Official Website.
You can contact the hotel directly here. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to find contact details.