Omni King Edward Hotel

37 King St. East; omnihotels.com/hotels/toronto-king-edward

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Rates

A “deluxe” room with — of course — queen or king bed and city view starts at 279 Canadian dollars, or about $222.

Basics

The King Edward is one of several unrelated though oft-confused Toronto hotels with regal names and corresponding promises of luxury: the Royal York, the Windsor Arms, Hotel Victoria and One King West. Of these “King Eddy,” as it is affectionately known, is both the oldest (having opened in 1903 with the then-modish claim that it was “Absolutely Fire Proof”) and, perhaps, the one with the greatest identity crisis (its current corporate parent, Omni, was preceded by Sheraton and Le Méredien). Though famous couples like Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon and Yoko Ono once canoodled in happy seclusion here, King Eddy is frequented now more by business masterminds. A $40 million makeover was completed in 2015, adding four enormous black chess-piece sculptures to the lobby. Halls that once swirled with cigar smoke and tulle frocks started welcoming PowerPoint potentates in plastic nametags. But $6.5 million was invested in the 4,600-square-foot Crystal Ballroom, which reopened last year, auguring grand events ahead.

Location

On the southeastern edge of downtown, the Eddy is close to both the Hockey Fall of Fame and the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, whose multicultural programming ranges from the Batsheva Dance Company to “Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions.” The Ed Mirvish Theatre is also nearby, as is Old City Hall, designed by the same architect, E.J. Lennox, who oversaw completion of the King Eddy. Entrance to the subway is a half block away, a portal to the city’s clean and civil public transportation system that includes buses and charming streetcars. And it is less than an hour’s walk to the small, scenic Billy Bishop municipal airport on Lake Ontario.

The Room

The gray decor seems intended to soothe and lull rather than stimulate; for that there are Keurig cups of French or Italian roasted coffee, plus black or green tea. My corner chamber with king bed, topped with a red crown-emblazoned pillow and padded headboard, was as quiet as Tutankhamen’s tomb, an effect enhanced by blackout shades. Guiltily, I eyed — then ignored — the generous desk allotted for work, choosing instead to lounge in a terry-lined robe and play thumb war with the baffling remote control to a 32-inch LCD TV.

The Bathroom

Toilet and bathing area were separated into two flatteringly lit rooms for extra privacy — even from oneself. There was no tub and the shampoo and lotion were nothing to write home about (though old-fashioned stationery was a charming touch), but the shower was large and glass-walled, with marble tile and two chrome rain-forest-style heads.

Dining

With restaurants of many far-flung nationalities within easy reach, the King Eddy sticks to comforting basics. Dinner is served in the narrow, clubby, wood-paneled Consort Bar. A waiter there blanched after I ordered a falafel platter ($20) from the Shareable section of the menu all for myself. “It’s too much for one,” he said. Hummus-iliation! When I persisted, at the urging of my companion who was only having drinks, he shrugged with seeming disapproval. Served on a bed of greens with eggplant “caviar” and tabbouleh, the dish was a fine size, if somewhat dry.

Breakfast is served in the brighter Victoria’s restaurant. The devil on one shoulder suggested the $29 buffet; the angel on the other the raw vegan oats and nutty cluster porridge with chia seeds and fresh berries ($7). But in the end I ordered black coffee and rye toast with peanut butter, which came in little packets (around $13 total) and with no attitude.

Amenities

Twenty-nine higher-priced rooms on the 11th and 12th floor include access to a private Royal Club Lounge with its own breakfast buffet, “light bites” in the afternoon, and a happy hour. The 24-hour gym, free to all guests, is spacious and deserted. There is a hair salon in the lobby, along with an art gallery selling oil paintings and goofy figurines, and a spa on the mezzanine level with treatments seemingly directed at the laptop brigade, from a two-hour “executive break” ($150) to a massage lasting a mere 25 minutes ($55).

Bottom Line

If you need lots of meeting space, and care more about modern conveniences over the faithful preservation of period details, King Eddy’s your guy.