Sandman Signature Hotel Toronto Airport, Toronto

I went to Toronto Sandman Signature because a training was organized there. (Otherwise I would have never thought of selecting it.) It is a decent hotel, offering the basics that you would expect in a civilized country for this price. It is close to the airport, with free shuttle from and to the airport. It is all right for one night between flights, but I had to stay there five days, which was definitely too much for me. The staff is professional and friendly, I had no problems at check-in, check-out or any other time. The decoration is modern. It is of course a matter of taste whether you like it or not. I didn’t. The design around the reception area is laughable; the brown-black-white decor of the rooms is too dark and a little depressing to me. There is absolutely nothing friendly, beautiful or comforting in the internal design anywhere in the hotel. The rooms are kept spotlessly clean. The beds are very soft, which was not a problem for me, but if you have back problems, better stay away from the place. There is a tea and coffee maker in each room, but due to the shape of the pot, the coffee often ended up beside the mug, which practically never happens to me at home. After two days I gave up, tired of making a mess. The sound insulation of the windows is excellent, nothing comes in from noise of the airplanes. This was, however, compensated by the humming of the ice machine and the Pepsi automat right in front of my door. I woke up several times believing that somebody is vacuuming the carpet on the corridor at night, but it was just the two machines. (The machines are needed because there is no refrigerator in the rooms.) The view from the rooms varies, the lucky guests see a golf course, others may admire the ruins of an abandoned hotel, or the weeds on an empty site. There is a restaurant in the hotel, offering decent food. There you can have breakfast from six – if the cook happens to arrive on time. I was unlucky in the first morning, and had to wait quite a bit. (After that I did not try, rather saved some sandwiches or cookies for breakfast each evening.) A decent breakfast costs about 20 CAD (breakfast is not included in the room price), but it is not the usual buffet breakfast meaning you have to wait for your meal. The fitness room is OK for a hotel. There is an over-sized bathtub in the building, open to the public which they call ‘pool’. The hotel has three rather large and fast elevators, so you never have to wait long. If you are into sports and prefer to take the stairs – no, you definitely don’t want to see those stairs… Entertainment? Don't expect any of it - except if you take your (girl)friend with you. Other than golf courses and a fitness center, there is nothing to do or see around the hotel. It is surrounded by other hotels, office buildings and a few restaurants. There is not even a convenience store within walking distance. So make sure you don’t leave anything at home, because once you are at Sandman Signature, it won’t be easy to get whatever you need, be it medication, shaving foam or a pair of socks.