The RIU Hotels and Resorts group has expanded its global presence, opening its first Canadian hotel in the heart of downtown Toronto.

The new 352-room, 4-star Riu Plaza Toronto recently opened its doors, sharing one of two newly constructed 49-floor skyscrapers at the corner of Widmer Street and Adelaide Street West.

“This opening represents a significant achievement for Riu as Canada is one of the most significant markets for the hotel chain.

“Canadian travellers know Riu and truly appreciate the brand. Now, for the first time, they can enjoy a Riu experience without leaving their home country.”

The Riu Plaza Toronto’s rooms are split over 23 floors, while the remaining 26 will be sold separately as private residences. Both buildings feature a brick base at the lower levels, reminiscent of the surrounding 18th century housing design style. The upper sections on the other hand feature a more modern and minimalist glass design.

The lobby area and bar and located on the ground floor, and feature a contrasting mix of white, black, gold and brown colors. There’s also a restaurant on the second floor, and as always with all Riu Plaza hotels, guests are entitled to free buffet breakfast.  

All rooms offer a good view of different parts of the city, with most variations coming down to bed and suite size. The larger rooms offer sofa beds if you want to accommodate extra guests, with the “Senior Suite” offering 387 square feet of space and some of the best views of all the rooms.

Unlike the lobby, the rooms feature more earthy colors, with a combination of browns, creams, whites and blues. Like any other business hotel, there are the regular amenities such as a mini fridge, coffee maker, safe and so on. Guests also have access to a 24-hour gym with capacity for up to 40 people.

Even though this basically another business hotel, it is conveniently located close to public transportation, with a number of business and leisure sights just a stone’s throw away. Some of the nearby attractions include the Princess of Wales Theatre, David Pecaut Square, Rogers Centre Stadium and the CN Tower.

The Toronto location is their 12th urban hotel opening, joining properties in Panama, Guadalajara, Madrid, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Berlin, London, and Dublin.