20 Canadian Hotels with the Best Food Perks

Seasonal meals in a double-vaulted restaurant with views to the North Atlantic make eating here special. But our fave feature isn’t in the dining room. It’s the Daybreak Tray delivered to rooms first thing in the morning. Open your door to discover a wooden box of delights: a thermos of piping hot coffee or tea, house-made yogurt and berry preserves, oat bran cookies crafted with house-made buttermilk and wild honey from the Avalon Peninsula. There may even be a traditional “Lassy Bun” of molasses-spiced dough spiked with raisins steeped in tea.

Here’s more evidence Why Fogo Island Belongs on Your Bucket List This Year

Locals and tourists alike flock to this seaside hotel for Chef Ryan Janssens’ divine dishes, which focus on impossibly fresh shellfish – don’t miss his Lobster Pappardelle with Brown Butter Crumbs. We keep coming back for dessert, namely their famous Sticky Toffee Date Pudding. Take note: the hotel is open from May to mid-October only, so reserve for next year now!

The Walper takes breakfast in its Barrister’s Lounge very seriously – think local, free-range eggs feed-finished with marigolds for a sunny-bright yellow yolk. And while there’s a menu of yummy options, from vegan chia pudding to BLT bagels, we’re crushing on the doughnuts. Take note: these house-made sweet treats are served on Friday mornings only until they run out, so get there early!

The food alone is a draw at this meticulously restored 200-year-old former grist mill where the kitchen expertly prepares everything from casual country paté to formal meals with foraged ingredients. But the biggest food perk isn’t on the menu: it’s the dining room itself. Encased in floor-to-ceiling glass and positioned above the Grand River and the town’s famous gorge, it offers a waterfall view that’s as delicious as the perfectly plated dishes.

One look at the minibar – organic chili chocolate bars made with crickets; non-GMO, vegan coconut chips – and you know The Annex isn’t about the usual. Options in the cool lobby bar range from a grilled cheese with champagne cheddar to avocado toast with egg and pickled carrots. Plus, there’s The Commons, the onsite food hall that curates items from the city’s best food-makers and puts them under one roof – think tacos from Kensington Market’s Seven Lives and slices from Chinatown’s Big Trouble Pizza (pictured).

The swish St. Regis doesn’t do anything by half measures. There’s 24-hour room service; champagne sabering in the Astor Lounge, which also puts a multicultural twist on the hotel’s signature Bloody Mary with the Rouge 140 (a nod to the number of languages spoken in the city); and then there’s Louix Louis. The elegant 31st-floor dining room that serves up The King’s Cake, 13 decadent chocolate layers iced with praline and 64% Guayaquil ganache, and sprinkled with gold flakes. All for the princely sum of $29 a slice.

It’s not often that a hotel rich in tradition is also up-to-the-minute with food trends, but this landmark destination most certainly is. Committed to local and Canadian ingredients, the hotel has partnered with 100km Foods (which purveys food from farms within a 100km radius of the hotel), has Oceanwise status and sources Fogo Island fish. What’s really cool though is that they apply this locality to drinks too: martinis are made with Toronto-distilled gin or vodka, and beer fans can try the Apiary Ale, brewed nearby at Mill St. Brewery with honey from the bees that inhabit the Fairmont’s rooftop garden.

You’ll be spoiled for choice at this luxuriously iconic hotel. Afternoon tea at the Ritz Bar? Al fresco lunch on the DEQ Terrace? Or join the exclusive Club Lounge (wait till you see its wow views of Lake Ontario and the CN Tower) to enjoy five complimentary meal presentations that run the gamut from 6:30am breakfast to 10pm desserts and cordials. Plus, there’s TOCA, our favourite for earthy yet elegant Italian food – the Ravioli Caprese, the resto’s signature dish, is a game-changer.

This chic boutique hotel in the city’s Annex neighbourhood knows how to pamper guests with perks like complimentary wine every evening from 5-6 pm in the lobby, which features a smart edit of local art. The focus on locality continues in-room where special guests are treated to CXBO artisanal chocolates. Handmade in Toronto and hand-painted with vegan, pigmented cocoa butter, they’re almost too pretty to eat.

Given its location in the nation’s capital, it’s no surprise that The Andaz channels patriotism on its plates. There are poutine croquettes, house-made ketchup chips (which incidentally rim their famous National Capital Caesar), Ontario cured meats and Quebec cheeses. Executive Chef Stephen La Salle describes it as “New Frontier Cuisine.” Don’t miss his sublime Cod Ceviche – the cod is hand-line caught from Fogo Island and sings with ginger, lime, chili and garlic.

Yes, there’s a fabulous resto and wine list, and they tap and bottle their own maple syrup, but we’re all abuzz about the bees. The Millcroft houses 24 beehives on their grounds to promote bee health and a vibrant ecosystem. The sweet bonus for guests is fresh, fragrant honey on the menu and jars of it to take home or give as gifts. The honey varies in flavour and colour depending on the season – the latest Fall Blossom batch, fortified by the property’s asters and goldenrod, is dark and rich.

The Harbour House is in the heart of wine region, but you don’t have to leave the premises to experience it. Every day the hotel spoils guests with a complimentary Niagara VQA wine and cheese tasting from 4-5pm in the lobby. And the cheese – oh my! It’s house-made, potted and enhanced with horseradish, beer and chilis. Guests swoon and often take the recipe home with them. The hotel also partners with acclaimed local resto Chili Jiao, so you can order divine dim sum and spicy Sichuan dishes directly to your room (as pictured above).

Sometimes the best food perk is making your own. While this super-cool hotel is steps from the town’s best restaurants and food shopping, we love how all the rooms have a mini fridge and microwave, and that five suites also have a stovetop. In-room amenities include bottles of local olive oil and balsamic vinegar, house-brand coffee and local organic Blue Mountain tea. Translation: shop for charcuterie, wine and cheese and stay in for the evening.

The hotel’s super-cozy Chez Muffy dining room has provenance, including 19th-century stone walls and rustic wooden beams – a fitting backdrop for the menu’s farm-to-fork focus. The dishes here are comfort-food meets fancy as showcased in our favourite starter: the Smoked Egg with Roasted Salsify and Sumac Puree. It’s kind of like the best egg salad ever.

Forget your club sandwich. Boreal Forest herbs, native berries and Bannock (indigenous dense bread) are part of the usual nosh at this rustic-meets-cushy hotel inspired by First Nations’ culture. While gastronomy is paramount – the signature venison loin comes with truffled potatoes and Périgourdine sauce – it’s traditional dishes that set this spot apart. Try the Sagamite soup, a Huron-Wendat specialty made with corn, squash and beans.

A celebrity favourite (The Rolling Stones have booked the entire hotel), The Saint-James makes a good first impression with its welcome amenities. Forget a chocolate on the pillow! Instead, find an entire box of local, artisanal hand-dipped chocolates made with ingredients like small-batch, locally produced honey and raspberries from a nearby farm – even the coffee is roasted in the city’s St. Henri ‘hood. All that before you head to the dining room helmed by acclaimed Chef Eric Gonzalez.

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This tiny yet luxe lodge (it includes glamping tents and a yurt!) is the only hotel in Spray Valley Provincial Park, so guests feel like they’re staying at a private home rather than a hotel. That’s why communal dining is the norm for overnight guests. Food is served family style and guests share details of their day over meals made with local ingredients. All meals are included in the rates, and we like that there’s a packed lunch option, perfect for hiking, biking or whichever activity you choose.

The Inn is famous for its 240-degree ocean view dining room and its just-caught, Oceanwise-certified seafood, but its best-kept secret is served in a glass. The Feather George is a cocktail like no other. Named after the Inn’s resident wood carver, it is crafted with cedar-infused whisky and garnished with a fragrant cedar shaving. Some guests order it by chance, others are inspired to try it after meeting the carver in his shed on Chesterman Beach. Either way, when was the last time you had a cedar cocktail?

Inspired by nature and big on elegance, The Douglas is a swish contemporary hotel that is so stylish you may want to move in, especially after seeing its D/6 Bar and Lounge. Go here to take in the jaw-dropping views of Vancouver while sipping a hand-crafted cocktail – we love the Douglas Fir gin – or the house IPA. There’s also a hidden lounge, and while we don’t want to give too much away, the D/6 bookshelves are not just for storage.

Casual and crowd-pleasing is the best way to describe the menus at this bright and airy hotel overlooking the Salish Sea. The offerings are edited yet still serve up something for everyone, whether Smoked Tofu Burgers and Vegetarian Moussaka or Lamb Sirloin and Grilled Strip Steak. If weather permits, enjoy your meal by the fire on the elegantly furnished patio that feels more like an outdoor dining room.