The Rex Hotel

Great location. Room small but clean. Good price. Space heater a little too warm but I turned it down. Mattress a tad on the too firm side. Just happy to have affordable place near the hospital. Staff are great! Club downstairs is very cool, with great music in the evening.

Hotel Review: The Rex Hotel, Toronto – October 2025 Stay (Toronto Waterfront Marathon)
I stayed at The Rex Hotel in October 2025 while in town for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The location is absolutely perfect — right on Queen Street West, surrounded by cafes, restaurants, shops, and all the downtown attractions. It’s also right on the streetcar line, so getting around the city is super easy. Even better, it was a perfect walking distance to both the marathon start and finish lines, which made race day incredibly convenient.
This is a small, charming gem of a hotel with some of the best prices in Toronto for accommodations. Check-in was quick and friendly. The rooms are simple but well cared for, and the entire building was spotlessly clean. I had hot water every time I needed it, the TV worked perfectly, the bed was comfortable, and the air conditioning kept the room cool even during warm afternoons.
It’s true that there’s no elevator, just stairs, but since the building is only a few floors high, it’s not an issue at all — much easier than navigating a massive high-rise.
Here are a few extra things I loved:
Live music every night in the downstairs jazz bar – fantastic atmosphere without being too noisy upstairs.
Friendly, welcoming staff who genuinely seemed to enjoy their work and offered great local recommendations.
Excellent breakfast options at the connected café – perfect pre-race fuel.
Secure entry and a cozy, safe vibe even late at night, which made the stay feel comfortable and relaxed.
Overall, The Rex Hotel exceeded expectations for a boutique, budget-friendly stay in the heart of Toronto. I would definitely stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city — especially runners coming for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon!

The room was terrible. The air conditioning unit was right next to your face when in bed and it was noisy. We only stayed one night, but if we had to stay another night I would have checked out. We were told there was no lift and had to carry our bags up and down two floors it needs to be highlighted there are no lifts. We were in our mid 60’s.

Hotel was great. Wasn't able to check out the jazz bar but could hear the music and loved it. Rooms were clean and shared bathrooms were also spotless. Check in was an easy process and accessing the hotel and room with the key card was also simple. My only complaint was that the wifi, while it did connect, rarely provided internet. But my stay was so short that I didn’t inquire about fixing it so no point deduction.

Cozy, simple rooms. Perfect if you just need a place to rest your head. Never had to wait for a shared washroom/shower. Never heard any noise from other rooms. Old building, but everything in great shape. Place has character. Don’t expect the Ritz.

The stay was good. Room clean and good for one night stay, Walking distance to many attractions & restaurant. Wasn't expected a nice, basics complemental breakfast. Staff was very helpful and friendly. I subtracted 1 star due to no elevator :( We had to lug our heavy suitcases up the stairs :(

Staff are incredibly positive and helpful. The room, for nearly $300/night, all-in, was tiny- double bed pushed against the wall - ancient window AC. Unpainted patched hole in wall. Restaurant and entertainment was fabulous. But the hostel-like rooms are definitely not worth the price.

Room was very clean, A/C worked well, staff were very polite and curtious. We would not change a thing.Have been staying at the Rex for many years when we visit Toronto.

No complaints was exactly as expected. good area

My room was clean and even the shared bathroom was nice. My only gripes are not having a view out the window, that the “mild” chicken wings were more like mid BBQ flavour, the electronic band that was performing, and no chocolate milk and French toast during breakfast. I still had a good stay though. It’s an 8-minute walk from the Princess of Wales Theatre.

This is not your normal modern chain hotel but this is not a bad thing. It has character especially with the Jazz and Blues Bar. Although not in the middle of Downtown it is still in a good location with a 15 minute walk to the CN Tower/Rogers Centre or the subway is very close @ Osgoode. There are a number of good pubs and restaurants close by if you want to venture out.

Good

We stayed at the Rex hotel for 4 nights. It was quite a good experience. The room was clean. The staff were helpful and friendly. Checking in and out was seemless. Walkable to the shopping malls and public transportation. The shared bathroom was okay, but could have been better.

it has it unique little concept

This is my second year coming to Toronto for a concert, and The Rex was a very convenient and affordable hotel in the middle of everything. Only a 10-15 minute walk from Union. I took a single bed room with private shower. Everything was clean as one would expect. Would recommend for a single person coming for a short stay

This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of staying at the Rex. The music, staff, food and accommodations, were lovely. Thanks once again for making my stay a memorable one. :)

Loved it. Very affordable. The staff is great and my room was good too. Even though I had a shared bathroom, I never ran into anyone at all. Very quiet. I actually look forward to staying here again.

Great and affordable place to stay! You can feel how this hotel and bar is a labour of love. The rooms aren’t fancy, but if you’re looking for a good location and enjoy the jazz, I highly recommend Rex.

Room smelled. Cud barely sit on the toilet. Sheets dingy. No value for money there.

We stayed in a (compact) basic room with private bathroom. It was good value for the great location. We walked to most things, though the hotel is also very handy for the streetcar which stops right outside and also a few mins to the subway. We could hear the jazz as we were above the club, which was fine for us but may bother early or light sleepers.