During a recent overnight flight connection through Toronto, I was able to stay and experience the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at the Toronto International Airport. This hotel is located conveniently right beside Terminal 3 of the airport making it an ideal location to stay overnight before an early morning flight.
The Sheraton Gateway Hotel is part of the Marriott group of hotels and so, you can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for a stay. The number of points required for a stay depends on the hotel category. This hotel is a category 5 hotel which requires between 30,000 and 40,000 Bonvoy points per night depending if it’s off-peak or peak season.
Although I didn’t use points nor pay cash for my stay, I used my annual free night certificate courtesy of my Amex Mariott Bonvoy card. This credit card offers a yearly free night award at any Marriott hotel with a rate up to 35,000 points (category 5). Even though I still had to pay the annual fee of $120 for the card, I definitely saved money on this stay as prices for this hotel vary between $180 and $359 per night.
Arrival and lobby
After disembarking from my flight, I made my way to the departures area of Terminal 3. The Sheraton hotel is connected by a pedestrian bridge to Terminal 3 so I didn’t even need to walk outside in the cold January weather (bonus)! It’s also possible to take the air train from Terminal 1, get off at Terminal 3 station and take the escalators down to reach the passageway to the hotel.
Upon walking inside the lobby of the hotel, there was a big brass clock in the centre area, the restaurant to the left and the check in counters to the right. There was no lineup at this time of the night, so I was able to check in quite quickly! The clerk handed me my keycard and thanked me for being a Bonvoy member. Plus, he said that I had received a 1 time access to the club lounge (for breakfast) and also a complimentary drink from the in-house restaurant! A very nice bonus I wasn’t expecting but very much welcome! 🙂
There were also lots of comfortable chairs to sit in the lobby. On the far side of the lobby, there was a gift shop (in case you wanted to buy some Canadian souvenirs). That’s where I found this guy representing the True, North, Strong and Free 😉
Hotel room
Afterwards, I proceeded to my room on the 7th floor. I was assigned a corner room and so, it was definitely quite spacious! Plus, there was a nice king size bed awaiting me!
There was also in the room a large TV, desk, lounge chair, safe (in the closet) and some complimentary water bottles.
Plus, there was a Keurig coffee maker with Starbucks coffee pods near the TV. A good way to start the day for those that drink coffee 😉
The bathroom was alright and decently sized. Although, there was some stains on the ceiling in the shower so after my stay I reported them to management. They informed they would fix the issue and that also the hotel would be undergoing a refurbish starting in May 2020.
The bathroom also came with some amenities from le grand bain including shampoo, conditioner, mouth wash, body lotion and body wash. There was even a small sewing kit with a button and different colour threads in case you had to do some minor clothing repairs.
Hotel restaurant & facilities
After dropping off my bags in my room, I then went downstairs to the restaurant to enjoy my complimentary drink 😉 There was a good amount of people in the restaurant and most were watching the hockey game on TV.
I wasn’t hungry at that point but I did manage to look at their menu. Seems like they have a good choice of burgers but they’re a little on the pricey side at $22 for a burger!
After enjoying my beer, I then went to look at the other hotel facilities. There’s a large rectangular swimming pool with a small heated pool right beside it. Plus, in the change room, there was even a small sauna area to heat up after your swim.
Down the hall from the pool, there was the fitness room with a good selection of exercise machines including treadmills and stationery bikes. Other equipment present in the gym included exercise balls, dumbbells and yoga mats. And if you broke into a sweat, the gym also provided some towels to dry off and water to drink.
After my tour of the hotel, I then returned to my room and went to bed. I was afraid that staying at an airport hotel, I would hear the noise of airplanes all night. But, I was pleasantly surprised as the room was fairly quiet and I could barely hear the planes taking off and landing.
Breakfast in the club lounge
So I had a good sleep and waking up the next morning, I made my way to the Sheraton Club lounge on the 8th floor to eat breakfast. The lounge is open 24 hours per day and breakfast is served between 5:30AM until 9:30AM weekdays and 6AM until 10AM on weekends. You can enter the lounge for free if you’re a Marriott Platinum elite member or higher.
For my complimentary access, I simply had to tap my keycard on the outside of the lounge to enter. The lounge was decently sized with lots of seats and tables. Even with some other guests already present, it didn’t feel crowded.
In the main part of the lounge, there was a TV displaying the morning news. Plus, there were some newspapers in the lounge if you wanted to read the news in a more tangible way.
In a small corner of the lounge, there was a small workstation with a computer and printer.
The lounge had a good selection of items for breakfast including bacon, scrambled eggs, various pastries, muffins, toast, cereals and berries.
To drink, there was water, coffee, tea and various types of juices (orange, grapefruit & apple) available.
After polishing off my delicious breakfast, I returned to my room to grab my bags and then I took the elevators downstairs to the lobby. I handed in my keycard to check out without any problems (also there was an option to drop off keycard in small mailbox for speedy check out) and headed back to the terminal to grab my next flight.
Summary
Overall, I had a very pleasant stay at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at the Toronto International airport. It’s location right beside Terminal 3 is really ideal and I especially enjoyed not having to walk outside in the cold to get there, lol!
My room was quite spacious and I slept well in the king size bed. The complimentary access to the club lounge was a nice added bonus and I very much enjoyed the breakfast. But, there is room for improvement with cleaning the bathroom ceiling in my room. Nonetheless, it was a excellent overnight stay.
I wouldn’t hesitate to return and I can definitely recommend it to others flying through Toronto.
A reminder that if you also want to stay at this hotel for FREE, consider getting the Mariott Bonvoy Amex card.
This card provides automatic Marriott Silver Elite status and a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points every year for an annual fee of $120. Also, it allows you to earn 5 points per dollar spent at Marriott properties. Plus, by clicking through this application link, you’ll be able to earn a generous 50,000 Bonvoy points after spending $1,500 in the first three months.
Thank you for your support 🙂
Affiliate disclaimer: This review is based on my own personal experience with the Sheraton Gateway Hotel and is not sponsored by them. My blog contains referral or affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continued support.