Stand on the Front Street steps of Union Station, look straight across the road, and the first hotel you see is the Fairmont Royal York — a limestone château with a copper roof and its name spelled out in lights on top, built by a railway company in the 1920s for exactly the people who now walk out of the station dragging a suitcase. A century on, the logic still holds. For anyone catching an early VIA train, a GO train to Niagara, the UP Express to Pearson or a ferry to the Islands, the hotels near Union Station Toronto offers are the most convenient beds in the city, and a handful of them let you reach the platforms without ever stepping outside.
This guide lists the hotels that genuinely are close — measured in minutes on foot with a suitcase, not in a booking site’s straight-line distance — explains which are connected indoors, and is honest about who should stay down here and who would be happier elsewhere. Hotel details were checked in September 2026. Nightly rates around Union swing by hundreds of dollars depending on whether there is a Leafs game, a convention or a quiet Sunday in February, so compare dates on the hotel’s own site before you commit.
Hotels Near Union Station at a Glance
| Hotel | Walk to Union (approx.) | Indoor route? | Price level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont Royal York | Across the street | Yes, PATH tunnel | Upper | Classic grand hotel, rail travellers |
| Delta Hotels Toronto | 5 minutes | Yes, via the SkyWalk | Upper-mid | Modern rooms, lake views, games at the arena |
| Le Germain Maple Leaf Square | 5 minutes | Yes, via the arena and PATH | Upper | Leafs and Raptors fans, boutique style |
| InterContinental Toronto Centre | 8–10 minutes | Partly | Upper-mid | Conventions, CN Tower |
| Union Hotel (former Strathcona) | About 6 minutes | No | Value | Budget-conscious travellers who want the location |
| Hotel Victoria | 8–10 minutes | No | Value to mid | Small, historic, St Lawrence Market side |
| Toronto Marriott City Centre | 10–12 minutes | Largely, via the SkyWalk | Upper-mid | Blue Jays fans — some rooms look into the stadium |
| Westin Harbour Castle | 10–12 minutes | No | Upper-mid | Island ferry, waterfront |
Should You Stay Near Union Station?
Union Station is the busiest transport hub in Canada — around 300,000 people pass through on a typical day — and it is where GO Transit, VIA Rail, UP Express and the TTC subway all meet. Staying within a few minutes’ walk makes a lot of sense in some situations and much less in others.
It is the right base if you are…
- Catching an early or late train. VIA Rail to Montréal or Ottawa, the GO train to Niagara Falls at weekends, or a GO line out to the suburbs. Rolling out of bed ten minutes before departure is a real luxury on a 6am train.
- Flying from Pearson and hate traffic. The UP Express runs from Union to Pearson Terminal 1 every 15 minutes in about 25 minutes, and costs $12.35 one way at the machines or $9.25 tapping PRESTO or a card. Our UP Express guide has the details.
- Going to a game or concert. Scotiabank Arena is right beside the station and Rogers Centre is a short SkyWalk stroll away.
- Visiting the big-ticket sights. The CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the harbourfront are all within a 10–15 minute walk.
- Heading to the Toronto Islands. The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is about a 10-minute walk south.
- Visiting in winter. Several hotels here connect to the PATH, the underground walkway network, so you can reach the station, the arena, restaurants and shops without a coat.
It is the wrong base if you want…
- Neighbourhood character. The blocks around Union are the Financial District and South Core: office towers, condos, the arena, the convention centre. Handsome, efficient, and not where Toronto actually lives. Kensington Market, Queen West, the Annex and Leslieville are all a subway or streetcar ride away.
- A lively evening on your doorstep. After office hours on a weekend, parts of the Financial District go very quiet. King West and the Entertainment District, ten to fifteen minutes’ walk away, are where the bars are.
- Value above all. Hotels here charge a location premium and parking is expensive. The honest cheaper alternative is a hotel further up Line 1 or near a UP Express stop.
If you are still deciding on a neighbourhood, our where to stay in Toronto guide compares every area, and where to stay on a first visit narrows it down for newcomers.
Hotels Connected to Union Station Indoors
These are the hotels where you can get from the lobby to the station concourse under cover. That matters more than it sounds in January, or when it is pouring, or when you are wrangling two children and a car seat.
Fairmont Royal York
The Royal York is the obvious answer and, for a lot of travellers, the right one. It sits directly across Front Street from Union Station and is linked to it by a tunnel in the PATH network, so you can walk from your room to the train concourse without going outside. The Canadian Pacific Railway built it for rail passengers, and it opened in 1929 as one of the largest hotels in the British Empire; when it was finished it was the tallest building in the Commonwealth. It still has the grand public rooms, the long corridors and the sense of occasion that go with that history, although the guest rooms, as in most century-old hotels, vary in size and outlook.
Why stay: the location is unbeatable for rail travel, the building is a destination in itself, and the hotel’s bars and restaurants mean you do not need to go far for a drink or dinner after a long travel day. Why not: it is a large, busy hotel that hosts a great many conferences and events, so it can feel more like a small town than a hideaway, and rates are firmly in the upper bracket. For more luxury options, see our luxury hotels in Toronto guide.
Delta Hotels Toronto
A modern tower on Lower Simcoe Street in South Core, the Delta is the choice if you want a contemporary room with a big window rather than period charm. It connects to the SkyWalk, the covered walkway that links Union Station to the CN Tower and Rogers Centre, so the walk to the station is indoors and takes about five minutes. Higher rooms have views over the lake or the city, and the location puts you equally close to the station, the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre.
It is a practical, well-run business-and-leisure hotel rather than a characterful one, and that is exactly its appeal for a short stay built around trains and attractions.
Le Germain Hotel Toronto Maple Leaf Square
A boutique-style hotel built into the Maple Leaf Square development beside Scotiabank Arena, and connected to both the arena and the PATH walkways. That gives you an indoor walk to Union Station of around five minutes. It is the first choice for anyone in town for a Leafs or Raptors game — some rooms look out over the square outside the arena, which becomes a sea of fans with big screens on playoff nights — and the style is sleek and design-led rather than grand. The square below has sports bars and restaurants, including Real Sports, one of the biggest sports bars in the country. Our hotels near Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre guide has more choices for game nights.
InterContinental Toronto Centre
On Front Street West beside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the InterContinental is the natural choice for convention delegates and a comfortable, quieter upper-mid hotel for everyone else. The walk to Union is around eight to ten minutes along Front Street, and the CN Tower is almost next door. It suits travellers who want to be close to the station without being in the thick of the arena and game-night crowds.
Walkable Hotels Within About Ten Minutes
These hotels involve a short walk outside, but they widen the choice considerably — including the only genuinely good-value options in the area.
Union Hotel (formerly the Strathcona)
For years the Strathcona, at 60 York Street, was the open secret of this part of town: a no-frills hotel dating from 1933, across the road from the Royal York, at a fraction of its price. It closed for a substantial renovation from 2023 and reopened in 2025 as the Union Hotel, keeping the same address and the same selling point — a walk of about six minutes to the station, at rates well below the big names around it. Rooms are compact, as you would expect from a building of that age, and recent guest reviews are consistently positive about the location and staff.
For a traveller who needs to be near the station and will spend very little time in the room, this is the best value near Union. It books up, particularly on weekends with events, so reserve early. Our budget hotels in Toronto guide lists more options further afield.
Hotel Victoria
At 56 Yonge Street, a short walk east of the station, Hotel Victoria has been a hotel for more than 110 years and has just 56 rooms. It is small, historic and good value for the location, with the St Lawrence Market, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Old Town restaurants of Front Street a few minutes away. Rooms are on the small side and the building is old-fashioned in places, but for many travellers the combination of character, price and position is exactly right. Pair it with our St Lawrence Market guide for breakfast plans.
Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel
The hotel with the most unusual rooms in the country. The Marriott City Centre is built into Rogers Centre, the home of the Blue Jays, and bills itself as the only hotel in North America built inside a baseball stadium. It has 348 rooms, of which 55 rooms and suites look directly into the stadium, and in March 2026 it launched a baseball-themed stadium-view suite. Watching a Jays game from your window is a genuinely memorable experience; the walk to Union is about ten to twelve minutes, mostly along the SkyWalk. Note that stadium-view rooms carry a big premium on game days and are booked early, and that a stadium-view room outside baseball season is a view of an empty field.
Westin Harbour Castle
A large conference hotel on the waterfront at the foot of Bay Street, right beside the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. The walk to Union is about ten to twelve minutes, crossing under the Gardiner Expressway. It makes most sense if the Toronto Islands or the harbourfront are a major part of your trip, and higher lakeside rooms have wide views across to the Islands and Billy Bishop Airport.
Novotel Toronto Centre
On The Esplanade, just behind the St Lawrence Market and a ten-minute walk east of the station, the Novotel is a reliable mid-range chain hotel in the Old Town, with the restaurants of Front Street and the Distillery District within easy reach. It is a good compromise between the price of the business hotels next to the station and the charm of a real neighbourhood.
Further up: King and Yonge
A little further north, around ten to fifteen minutes on foot, the choice opens out to include the Omni King Edward, a grand Edwardian hotel on King Street East that opened in 1903; One King West, an all-suite hotel in a historic bank tower at King and Yonge; and the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington Street. They are all walkable with light luggage but feel like a stretch with heavy cases. For the full picture, our best hotels in downtown Toronto guide covers the whole core.
Getting Between Your Hotel and the Station
The PATH and the SkyWalk
Union Station is the southern anchor of the PATH, around thirty kilometres of underground walkways and shopping concourses that run north through the Financial District. From the station you can reach the Royal York, Brookfield Place, the bank towers and, further north, the Eaton Centre without surfacing. The SkyWalk is a separate covered, above-ground walkway heading west from the station towards the CN Tower and Rogers Centre, with the Delta connecting along the way.
Two warnings. First, parts of the PATH close outside business hours and at weekends, so an indoor route that worked on Tuesday lunchtime may be locked at 11pm on a Sunday. Second, signage has improved but is still confusing in places. Our PATH guide explains how to navigate it, and our Union Station guide explains where in the building each service leaves from.
How long to allow
- VIA Rail: give yourself at least 30 minutes before departure to get from your hotel to the VIA concourse, find your gate and board. Longer for a busy Friday departure.
- GO Transit: 15 minutes is usually enough if you know which platform; add more for your first trip.
- UP Express: the platform is at the western end of the station, reached along the SkyWalk. Allow 10 minutes from the Great Hall alone.
- Station hours: Union is open daily from around 5:30am to 12:45am, so a very early or very late departure still has access.
Luggage
There are no station-run lockers or left-luggage office at Union. If your train leaves in the evening but you check out in the morning, ask your hotel to hold your bags — almost all of those listed here will. Otherwise, third-party luggage networks operate from shops and hotels nearby for a few dollars an hour or around $8–$10 per bag per day.
Budget: What to Expect
Rates around Union swing enormously, and it pays to understand why before you book.
- Events move prices more than seasons. A Leafs or Raptors home game, a Blue Jays series, a concert at Scotiabank Arena or a big convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre can push rates at every hotel in this list far above a normal night.
- Weekends can be cheaper than weekdays. Business hotels in the Financial District often drop their prices on Friday and Saturday nights, unless there is an event.
- Parking is extra. Downtown hotels charge a nightly fee for parking, often a significant one. If you are arriving by train, this is one more reason not to bring a car. See our guide to parking in Toronto.
- Taxes and fees. Quoted room rates in Ontario usually exclude HST, and some hotels add a destination or municipal accommodation tax on top. Compare total prices.
For a full breakdown of costs, see our Toronto travel budget guide.
Cheaper alternatives with a fast link to Union
If the hotels next to the station are out of budget, remember that Union is on Line 1 of the subway and is the terminus for UP Express. A hotel near a Line 1 station — around St Andrew, Osgoode, Queen or King — is still a few minutes from the train. For a very early flight, a hotel near the Bloor or Weston UP Express stops can be significantly cheaper than downtown and gets you to Pearson in less time than it takes to cross the city by car.
Our Picks by Traveller Type
- First-time visitor wanting a memorable stay: Fairmont Royal York.
- Family with lots of luggage: Delta Hotels Toronto, for the indoor route and larger modern rooms. Our family hotels guide has more.
- Hockey or basketball fans: Le Germain Maple Leaf Square.
- Baseball fans: a stadium-view room at the Toronto Marriott City Centre.
- Budget traveller catching an early train: Union Hotel.
- Couple wanting character on a budget: Hotel Victoria.
- Convention delegate: InterContinental Toronto Centre.
- Island day-trippers: Westin Harbour Castle.
Day Trips by Rail From Your Doorstep
One real bonus of staying near Union is how easily you can leave the city. The GO train to Niagara Falls runs year-round at weekends, and a GO weekend day pass costs $10, making it the cheapest way to reach the falls; our Niagara Falls day trip guide covers the timetable. VIA Rail runs frequent trains to Montréal and Ottawa, and a weekend in Montréal by train is an easy add-on from here. With a hotel five minutes from the platform, even an early departure is painless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hotels are connected to Union Station?
The Fairmont Royal York is linked by a PATH tunnel directly across Front Street. Delta Hotels Toronto connects via the SkyWalk, and Le Germain Maple Leaf Square connects via Scotiabank Arena and the PATH. Parts of the PATH close outside business hours, so check the route at the time you will need it.
What is the closest hotel to Union Station Toronto?
The Fairmont Royal York, directly across Front Street and connected underground. The Union Hotel (formerly the Strathcona) on York Street is the closest budget option, about six minutes’ walk.
Is there a cheap hotel near Union Station?
Nothing right beside the station is truly cheap, but the Union Hotel on York Street and Hotel Victoria on Yonge Street are the best-value choices within about ten minutes’ walk. For lower rates, look at hotels further along subway Line 1 or near a UP Express stop.
Is the area around Union Station safe at night?
The area is busy, well lit and generally safe, particularly along Front Street and around the arena. Like any big-city downtown, it has quieter stretches late at night and at weekends when the offices empty. Use normal city precautions; our Toronto safety guide covers the details.
Can I store luggage at Union Station?
There are no station-run lockers or left-luggage office. Ask your hotel to hold bags after check-out, or use one of the third-party luggage storage networks that operate from nearby shops and hotels.
How far is Union Station from the CN Tower?
About a 10-minute walk west along the covered SkyWalk, making every hotel on this list convenient for the tower. See our hotels near the CN Tower guide for options closer to it.
Related Toronto Guides
- Union Station Toronto Guide — how the station works and where each service leaves from.
- Where to Stay in Toronto — every neighbourhood compared.
- Best Hotels in Downtown Toronto — the wider downtown shortlist.
- Luxury Hotels in Toronto — the five-star choices.
- Budget Hotels in Toronto — where to save.
- UP Express Guide — the train from Union to Pearson.
- PATH Underground Guide — the indoor city beneath the Financial District.
Photo Credits
The Fairmont Royal York beside Union Station: Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, Southwest view 20170417 1 by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Royal York on the waterfront around 1930: Fairmont-royal-york-hotel-1930, photographer unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Delta Hotels Toronto: Delta Hotels Toronto 2025-04-17 by JK Liu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Hotel Victoria lobby: Hotel Victoria Lobby (2011) by RajeevRuparell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
