My family and I just returned from a 3-night stay at the Delta Chelsea. After reading the mixed reviews, I have to admit I was a little nervous about my choice. However, I found it to be a nice hotel in a great location. Check-in was a breeze, although I have to say I think we beat the rush. We arrived around 1:00 on a Thursday and they had rooms ready for us (even gave us a choice of floors!). We checked in quickly and were out exploring Toronto by 2:00. However, as we got closer to the weekend, the lobby got busier and busier and there always seemed to be a line at check-in.

Our room was fine—I booked a “deluxe” with two double beds. The décor had definitely been updated and I didn’t find this room to be dark like some other reviews had mentioned. We were on the 17th floor and had a balcony that you could actually step out on and have a little bit of a view. The room and bathroom were clean and housekeeping did a great job. My only complaint was that I had requested a refrigerator with my reservation which I forgot to mention at check-in, so there wasn’t one in the room. I called down and requested one and then we stepped out. When we returned at 10:30 that night, there still was no fridge. I called again and they promised one within half an hour. When it didn’t arrive at bedtime, I called and cancelled it. They apologized, but I basically gave up on getting a fridge.

As for the hotel itself, the kids loved the family pool—my 10-year-old daughter went down the waterslide at least 50 times on the first day. It is also supervised and if your child is under 5’ tall, they have to take a quick swimming test to go down the slide. It is quite busy and loud (so loud I had a hard time concentrating on my book), but it’s great for the kids. There is a nicer adult pool area on the 26th floor which I checked out but didn’t get to use (sadly). We ate twice in the Marketplace Restaurant (cafeteria style) just for convenience, but it’s a bit overpriced and the food is mediocre.

I do want to emphasize that this is a very big, busy hotel. There are lots of families and people there for weddings, business events, etc. The lobby is always bustling. They have an information desk where you can book tours or simply ask directions or for a restaurant recommendation. (Which we did one night and had dinner at the Pickle Barrel on Yonge Street-good food with something for everyone). Parking was not a problem—we left and came back once and had no trouble getting a spot, although the parking garage is a little tricky to maneuver (especially with an SUV), but I believe this is typical of city hotels. There are four separate entrances that take you onto four different streets. A word of warning: if you use the Yonge Street exit, be prepared to pass by some not so family-friendly establishments. While the street itself is fine, (it’s actually a very busy street with lots of shopping and restaurants—it just has a few older questionable movie houses, etc., that have managed to survive), young children might be asking questions you might not be ready to answer. Your closest subway is Dundas, which is in the Eaton Centre shopping center (about a 10-minute walk).

I paid a rate of $175/night (through the hotel website using my AAA membership) and self-parking was $23 with in-and-out privileges. Overall, I think this was a nice hotel that’s centrally located and great for families.