The Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Toronto: Elegant, Not Warm

We arrived at the Shangri-La in Toronto on a snowy December night, and the entrance alone sets high expectations. Rising, a huge stainless steel tree branch covered in a flock of birds, curls up from the plaza on University Avenue. It is by the Chinese artist Zhang Huan, and it was unveiled in 2012, the same year the hotel opened in the first 17 floors of a 66-storey tower.

We stayed in a suite over the holidays, and spent a fair amount of time in the Lobby Lounge. It is stunningly beautiful. The question I kept asking myself was a different one: is it inviting, the way the Fairmont Royal York’s lounge is? For me, the answer was no.

The Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Toronto at a Glance
📍 Where · Lobby level, Shangri-La Toronto, 188 University Avenue, downtown Toronto
🎹 The setting · Two-storey windows, a crystal chandelier, a golden Fazioli piano and gowns in glass cases — part lounge, part gallery
🍔 The food · Modern Canadian from Bosk next door: the Shangri-La burger, mini burgers, a classic Caesar
🎶 Best time · Evening, when the live music plays — the lounge is quiet and often near-empty by day
⚠️ Our verdict · Beautiful and the food is very good, but the service lacked warmth, and a booking perk took a fight to honour

Elegance Everywhere

The Lobby Lounge is very classy, and a little posh. Two-storey windows let in the daylight, a crystal chandelier hangs over a golden grand piano on a curved stage, and dove-grey chairs are arranged around marble tables. At Christmas, a tall tree covered in red and gold ornaments stood beside the windows.

In the middle of the room, a long fireplace burns under a black stone surround, topped at the holidays by a giant red cabinet labelled “Wonders”, spilling ornaments. Look up and some of the birds from Rising continue inside, hanging from the ceiling.

The lounge doubles as a gallery. Beautiful gowns stand in tall glass cases around the room, including one labelled Alexander McQueen, and large ink paintings hang on the walls. It even smells nice.

Another case, by the entrance to Bosk, the hotel’s restaurant, held a bright patchwork outfit in every colour.

The holiday decorations were lovely too, with silver nutcrackers, paper trees and a reindeer on a black lacquered cabinet painted with blossoms.

Beautiful, But Not Inviting

Here is the problem. For all its beauty, the lounge is not a place to sink into a chair and relax. During the day it was quiet, and on most days it was almost empty, even in the middle of the holiday season.

On some days there was a chocolate fondue station, and a coffee stand was open with pastries and biscotti. That was fine.

An Evening in the Lounge

The evening is better. The band was quite good. On our last night, we were seated and ordered drinks and food: a Caesar and a gin and tonic, a trio of mini burgers, the Shangri-La burger with fries, olives, nuts and calamari.

The drinks came out first, with a bowl of mixed nuts, and the gin and tonic was served with a bottle of Fever-Tree tonic on the side.

The Shangri-La burger arrived stacked high, with two patties, melted cheese, lettuce and tomato, and a bowl of fries on the side. It lives up to its reputation.

The mini burgers were just as good, perfectly cooked under their glossy brioche buns. The food was very tasty all round, which made what happened next all the more frustrating.

The Perk

Then the evening took a turn. My booking through Expedia, where I am a Platinum member, came with a VIP Access perk: one drink per guest, per stay. When I asked about it, the lounge said they would not honour it.

I went to the front desk. There, I was told they could send half a bottle of wine up to our suite, but that we could not drink it in the lounge.

I politely pointed out what that meant: we would have to get up, cancel our orders, leave the lounge and wait alone in our suite for a half bottle of wine that would not even come to one drink per guest, and that would still not be what the hotel had agreed to with Expedia. I asked to speak with the manager. After that, they agreed to honour the perk.

To be clear, I do not need a free drink. But perks like this are often the reason I choose one hotel over another. What bothered me was how it was handled. The attitude came across as condescending, and disrespectful to guests who were already seated and ordering. Anyone who knows hospitality knows that honouring a promise costs little, and guests who are happy tend to stay longer and order more.

Not the Royal York

The contrast with the Fairmont Royal York could not be sharper. There, we were treated like royalty, with warmth, kindness and humility. At the Shangri-La, where we stayed in a suite and spent a lot of money, we were not treated like VIPs at all.

To be fair, it was not everyone. The bell staff and housekeeping were lovely, every time. The problem was the lounge and Bosk service, which was hit and miss and lacked warmth. I do not believe this reflects the Shangri-La standard, which makes it all the more disappointing.

Bubbly Tips

• Screenshot your perks before you arrive. VIP Access perks vary by hotel, so save the exact wording from your booking.
• Ask at check-in how your perk works. Confirm where and when it can be redeemed before you sit down to order.
• Go in the evening. The lounge is quiet during the day, but the live music in the evening is good.
• Look up in the lobby. Some of the birds from Rising fly indoors above the lounge.
• See Rising at night. The sculpture is lit after dark and is free to view from University Avenue.
• Take in the art. Look for the Peking Opera ink paintings and the gowns in glass cases around the lounge.
• If something goes wrong, ask for the manager. Stay polite and specific. It was the manager who resolved our issue.

Final Thoughts

The Shangri-La Toronto is a beautiful hotel, and the Lobby Lounge is elegant in every detail. But beauty is not the same as hospitality. A great lounge should make guests want to stay. This one, for me, never did.

I will not book a suite there again. For warmth, I will go back to the Royal York.

Until next time!

xoxo,
Bubbly 🎈