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Luxury can be measured in different ways for different people. Regarding accommodation, is it service, amenities, location, comfort, reputation, or space that is most important to guests? What about the accumulation of points, free parking, and pet friendliness? One thing is sure for all guests seeking luxury in their hotel stays: they should leave wishing they could stay longer.

Rooms and suites at Pan Pacific Toronto are very generous in size.

For those unfamiliar with the Pan Pacific Hotel Group, this Singaporean-owned company has long been a leader in luxury hotels and serviced suites. Pan Pacific is the highest category of the Group’s three brands, the other being ParkRoyal Collection and ParkRoyal. With its portfolio of properties stretching across the globe from Melbourne to London via Nairobi and Vancouver and many hotels in Asia, Pan Pacific is no stranger to luxurious accommodation and the highest level of service. These aspects, though, are not currently found in the Toronto property to the heights reached in other locations. Is this a criticism? Not at all. Set amid an abundance of trees on 17 acres of parkland, Pan Pacific Toronto is a solid choice for reliable accommodation; rooms and suites are pretty generous in size, the staff are amicable and helpful, and the quiet location makes for a peaceful night’s sleep, as do the very comfortable beds.

A quirky touch of art in Pan Pacific Toronto’s Seasons restaurant.

A highly experienced general manager who has worked in the luxury hotel sector for decades, New Zealander Charles Otter has recently taken the reins at Pan Pacific Toronto to optimise the fullest potential of this unique property, celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. He intends to reinvent Pan Pacific’s Toronto property as a must-stay destination hotel for travellers seeking stylish accommodation and polished service away from the city’s busy downtown area. It can be fascinating for a general manager to be tasked with such a transformation; Mr Otter’s enthusiasm for his work and expectation of the best from himself and his staff have already seen changes coming to fruition that improve the hotel ethos for employees and guests alike.

Pan Pacific Toronto’s 405 rooms and suites are located outside the city centre in one of the wealthiest areas of Canada’s largest city. Although its location in North York is removed from downtown Toronto, Pan Pacific remains convenient for many dining options and Lesser-known sights.

Breakfast with a rural view at Pan Pacific Toronto.

The beautiful Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre, and the Toronto Botanic Garden are all found in North York, a short ride from the hotel. Right across the street from Pan Pacific is a set of restaurants with various dining options, from pub fare and pizza to the nuanced flavours of Greek and Persian cuisines. In the same complex is an enormous Korean supermarket stocked with local Canadian products that are exotic to visitors and Asian products that are exotic to Toronto’s highly multicultural population. Within the hotel, Seasons serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the lobby-level venue, where quirky artworks crop up rather unexpectedly to bring smiles to those who notice them.

It will be interesting to see Pan Pacific Toronto in 12-18 months when the Charles touch reaches the more visible aspects of the guest experience and behind the scenes, where infrastructure improvements are similarly significant. In the meantime, the hotel is excellent for staying in the Toronto area; indeed, it has maintained its CAA/AAA Four-Diamond rating for over forty years. The outdoor walking path amid the 17 acres of trees is unmatched by any other hotel in the city. Pan Pacific is an especially ideal option for comfortable accommodation in tranquil surroundings for guests with a car and perhaps a hound in the back seat.