avid hotel Toronto - Vaughan Southwest by IHG

The location worked well for getting around the GTA, though there aren’t nice places nearby to go out at night. This was my first stay at the Avid Hotel, and my partner and I had a nice time. Staff were very nice and did their best to make the visit comfortable. The first room was tiny, but reception moved us to a bigger one after I asked. Breakfast was included and okay. I also used the business center, two computers and a printer, and it worked well for what I needed.

Our room was clean and the bed was comfortable, and the housekeeping and front desk staff were nice. The room itself was very nice, which makes how the stay ended all the more disappointing. The hotel was very noisy at night, and the thin, see-through curtain let in city lights, so sleeping was hard. Breakfast was available, with a good free hot spread of egg omelette, sausage, bagels, English muffins, cereal, and juice, plus coffee and water around the clock. I also appreciated the elevator security feature. The hotel houses refugees and people needing government assistance. I believe international hotel groups such as Holiday Inn and this hotel, and Crowne Plaza, work with funded programs. I’d seen it mentioned in a CBC news article, but wasn’t told about it before my stay. I only learned at checkout that 80% of the hotel was housing asylum seekers, shelter seekers, and refugees. Most didn’t bother me. Near the end of my stay, after I’d given some of them muffins and yoghurt and used my key to open the elevator for them, I was harassed at the end of the day and at night to use my key to open the door. I didn’t realize they were part of the program until checkout, when my key stopped working and I was treated rudely and poorly. I probably won’t stay here again. It’s too bad, because the room was nice and clean, the bed was comfortable, and the room and front desk staff were nice. It’s disappointing to see how this luxury hotel has gone downhill.

We enjoyed our stay, and so did our two dogs. The room was a little small with both of them there, but it worked for us. Staff were very friendly. Breakfast choices were limited, and having just one coffee maker working made it a bit challenging, but it was a great place to stay.

The elevator situation was dreadful, with one of the two elevators out of service. The hotel looks newer and updated, but the room amenities were sparse: no cups, bars of soap, or microwave, though there was a fridge. Check the breakfast hours carefully. We were told it ran until 10 am, but shortly before 9:30 am staff said it was closing at 9:30 that day, leaving a lot of people without breakfast. The location was okay, a good drive from things, and right beside a very busy highway.