Windsor Arms Hotel

Do not do Business with these people …Bad management.
I did work for them and they never paid me !!
I am a small contractor and they never paid me my money that i work’d for
But the owner have no problem running after young girls and buying them new expensive shoes. I guess he feels good about shafting me !

I came here for high tea with my mom (courtesy of a wagjag deal). We arrived late by accident — believing our reservation was 30 mins later than it actually was. Thankfully they had exactly one table left that we were able to take. I had called ahead requesting a gluten free menu for myself, which was ready and waiting when we arrived. They had no issues with presenting me with much of the same items my mom was getting, just gluten free versions. The scones (!!) were soooo soft, warm and delicious. They gave me 2 and I ate them both. There was no resistance there.
The sandwiches were on gfree bread so obv they were a bit dry. No one has yet perfected the gfree loaf of bread so I don’t blame them. They worked with what they had. The dessert was the only place where I could complain. Other high teas I have been to have a plethora of desserts on the tier tray and this just had one each, neither of which were very good. Regardless, the tea was fantastic — as many varieties as you could think of, all presented in lovely China pots to pour into your tea cup. The seats were comfortable and the ambience of the room in general was great. I will definitely return.

Worst Valentine’s day ever! Thanks to this stupid hotel, its old creepy owner and its staff. I just don’t have the words to describe how bad our experience was here. I really have no idea how this place is still in business. The place is old and dark, it definitely could use some renovations, painting, flooring, cleaning and most important, some customer service! I just don’t know how people can pay so much for a place that’s not worth it; where their all inclusive became a «sorry that’s not included» where you are paying for the room and when you ask for your change they make you sign a receipt for your own change! How stupid can that be? And beware if you want to call and ask for water because they will deny it to you! I mean what hotel in the whole world does that? Specially here in Canada, where water is free!
And to top the whole experience, their «luxurious pool» faded our swimming suits paint away and they’re ruined. Do you think they would pay for them? …
So guys, spread the word! If you have the money to spend in a luxury hotel, go to a real one! Save yourselves and whomever comes with you such a disgusting time coming to this crappy hotel!

Save your time and money. DO NOT GO!
What a horrible experience! The brunch was not worth $ 65/​person. Although the waiting staff were friendly and attentive, the person who can only be described as the «owner» was a bit of a jerk… a cheap jerk!
I purchased Groupon coupons for $ 25/​person (standard price is $ 65) for the brunch buffet. About a month before I wanted to go, I went to the hotel and made reservations. I wanted to make sure that they would honour the Groupon coupon before going so I spoke to the manager (let’s call him «Manager D») and he told me that they would. Sensing my apprehension about the Groupon, Manager D even signed and added a note directly on the Groupon coupon for his staff.
When the time came for brunch, I presented the signed copy of the Groupon to the hostess. She read it and said that everything would be fine. We were seated and the first thing I noticed was that the place was empty. Initially, I didn’t think anything of it (maybe we were the first to arrive). At the end of experience, about 30% off the tables were occupied (including one occupied by the owner… more on this later).
I was completely disappointed by the food. It was absolutely not worth the $ 25 I paid for the Groupon (and definitely NOT worth the regular price of $ 65). I would compare this food to bad diner food.
When the bill arrived, we were charged the $ 65/​person rate. We explained to the waitress that this was a mistake and presented the Groupon to her and mentioned that we had spoken to the hostess before coming in. The waitress was really nice and said that she will speak to the hostess.
When she came back to the table she informed us that she was not able to find the hostess that we spoke to. I suggested that she speak to Manager D. After a few minutes, she returned and said that he was not working that day. So I said that there must be another manager that she can speak to… and that’s when I saw the fear in her eyes. At this point, I was more confused by her reaction to what I thought was a simple request. In any case, she agreed and proceeded to speak to a man sitting at another table.
At first, I was not sure who this man was. I just thought she was going to take care of another customer first before she settled things with us. After she spoke to the man, he got up and proceeded to our table. He was a fat and curly grey-​haired man. I’m not sure how to describe him, but he looked sloppy and gross. His hair was mess, he was unshaven, and he had food crumbs on his face and clothes when he came over… let’s call him Sloppy.
Sloppy introduced himself as the manager. As we proceeded to explain everything from the beginning, he immediately cut me off and said «I don’t know what you want me to do.» I was little shocked by that response so I told him that I haven’t even finished speaking. After hearing that, he allowed me to finish but during the whole time he seemed disinterested and annoyed… he didn’t even look at us when I was speaking! After I was done, he responded, «I’m not sure what you want to get out of this.» I told him that I checked with Manager D and the hostess (before being seated) to make sure that they would honour the Groupon. Sloppy’s response was that all he could do was take $ 25 off the $ 65 price… this meant I had to pay $ 40/person…in other words, full price. This went on for a few minutes. At the end, Sloppy said that we have to pay $ 40/​person now and then settle this with Manger D later. So we ended up paying the full price of $ 65 for the brunch. I felt that Sloppy had cheated us.
When we were paying the waitress, we asked her for Sloppy’s name so that when we talk to Manger D we could tell him what happened. Here’s where things turn weird… the waitress said that she was not allowed to tell us Sloppy’s name (WTF!). In fact, she said that Manager Sloppy is actually the owner. To confirm, I asked «you’re not allowed to tell me the name of the owner, the same person I just spoke to a second ago?» Her response «we’re not allowed.»
So this mysterious owner (who cannot be named) will continue to be referred to as Sloppy. After hearing that Sloppy was the owner, we knew that our chance of getting some money back was virtually gone.
On our way out, we asked the hostess (not the same as the first one) «what’s the owner’s name?» Her response «I can’t say.»
Why are people so terrified to say his name? Is something bad going to happen if people utter his name? Are we in the f-​ing twilight zone?!
The whole experience with Sloppy ruined it for me. I am never going back to the Windsor Arms again… not for their afternoon tea and certainly not for their brunch. I have to say that the service was good, but the food does not make up for it (I now know why the place was almost empty). If the owner had been less of a cheap jerk, I would not have hated the entire experience as much.
To date, Manager D has not returned any of my calls.

I really wanted to love high tea here. It’s a beautiful hotel. The sandwiches were awful (extra tiny and bland) and the tea was cold. For the desserts we only got one of each so we had to discuss who was getting what or try and cut the already tiny desserts into smaller pieces for all to get a taste (everywhere else gives everyone the same dessert so there’s no arguing). Not happy I spent $ 50 of my hard earned money on blah. Definitely won’t go back for high tea.

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR THE ***SUNDAY BRUNCH***
After reading countless disappointing reviews about this brunch, and against my better judgement my boyfriend and I brought his mother to the Windsor Arms brunch on a Sunday. With a steep price tag per person you expect primo service and food. Service was good — my coffee, water and orange juice never went dry, though the buffet food is just that — standard buffet quality fare — lukewarm, picked over, and lacking in flavour.
The upside was that you are able to order your eggs any style and eggs florentine, benedict or with smoked salmon directly from your server. These options were delicious. I noticed that you are able to get an omelette made to order at one of the buffet stations but we never got that far.
Avoid the seafood at all costs — disgusting. Looks, and tastes like its been sitting out all day long.
The vegetables and salads were decent.
The soups were literally, lukewarm. I couldn’t bear a shower in liquid that cold.
The desserts were all for show, nothing tasted very good — the best of the worst was a crème brûlée cup — relatively the worst I’ve ever had.
The french toast was very tasty, but again — lukewarm!
I don’t understand why or how everything was so cold — I’ve had on set catered food out in the woods that was 1000% better than this brunch.
Save your money. Don’t do it.

NOTE: This review is based solely on the CHRISTMAS DINNER BUFFET 2013
Every year for the holiday season several downtown hotels offer a special holiday menu for those who opt to forego cooking at home for a refined evening out where the focus can be on enjoying a good meal in the company of family and/​or friends.
Having heard good things about the Windsor Arms Hotel I was quick to make my reservation for this years Christmas Dinner buffet.
My parents, my partner and I were happy with the Hotel itself: the interior of the hotel is beautiful and the holiday décor very festive. We were seated in an intimate side room just off the main dining room where the buffet was situated.
The waitstaff were very friendly and greeted and seated us to our table however it was difficult to find our waitress after that for wine, water, etc. We were told they were short staffed.
The buffet itself was standard size but not impressive. Because it was Christmas my family and I were most looking forward to turkey, stuffing, vegetables and nice desserts however it was very disappointing. In fact we heard comments from other guests confirming how we felt. The turkey appeared like pressed turkey and was sitting in a serving tray filled with watery «gravy» which we had to sift through to find a suitable piece. The stuffing was very disappointing (mostly large bread pieces with minimal seasoning), and there were overcooked brussel sprouts and very bloody prime roast. Desserts were disappointing (bread pudding, mini tiramisu, moose cake and mini meringues).
We left feeling disappointed. I personally had expected much higher quality from the Windsor Arms but after this experience I would not return for another holiday meal nor would I recommend it to others.

Okay, I’ve been here several times for high tea and it’s great. But it’s not *that* great. None of the food is something I’d ever crave, though the strawberries and cream at the end make a nice finishing touch (how could you go wrong). Just a heads up, the scones are lemony, not plain.
Lovely atmosphere with a different feel in every room. yet somehow I’ve always been seated in the same room!

Such a cool ambiance at the lounge/​bar. Felt like I was back in London! Great drinks and excellent food, especially the dessert options!

THE MOST HORRIBLE DINING EXPERIENCE. Fast food joints have 100x way better service than the restaurant at the Windsor arms. To start, the hotel concierge interrupted me while I was trying to talk to the maitre’d for no important reason. Then we were seated and it took about 10 mins to get anyone’s attention to get some water and answer our questions about the menu! The beet salad was blasé, tasted like something you could get at any salad bar. The cucumber soup was either too large or too rich, like eating a large bowl of yogurt. The steak was horrible. Not sure how a high end hotel could serve such a bad tasting and bad looking dish and its not easy to ruin steak as badly as it was — hint Windsor Arms, serve a smaller better cut cooked the right way for the cut. Throughout the evening, the service was extremely slow, servers were no where to be seen and the staff was not to the level of professionalism that I would expect from this hotel. To top it all off, there were a couple fruit flies flying around and one landed in my wine! Save your money, don’t go here!

Went for high tea for mother’s day. Scones were to die for and so were the chocolates. Not a big fan of the rolled up sandwiches (squishing the bread makes it so dense). But the tea room atmosphere made up for it.

Used my groupon here and the waiter wasn’t very good. I He was monotone during the whole service, never checked back on us after the food had arrived. Hostess staff didn’t seem to want to be there either. Although my steak was cooked correctly, the chef had failed to season it, very bland and its never the same when you put salt on after the cooking process. I would understand if the place was busy, but they literally had 6 tables in this place? Would never return. I should’ve went to the keg, spent less money, had better service, and had a steak that was cooked with seasoning. I was in the hospitality business for over 10 years and this is not how you treat guests.

I stay at the Windsor Arms about once per month. The staff is always very friendly and attentive. My room is always clean and ready for me when I arrive.
I really like that the Windsor Arms offers a vegan menu with a variety of small and large plates along with desserts. My favorite items to order are the kale salad and mushroom risotto. I think anyone, vegan or not, would enjoy these dishes!
Windsor Arms offers a complimentary breakfast in the restaurant. The breakfast is always relaxing and they have a great variety of items. My favorite is the tofu scramble!
The location of the hotel is great for shopping, museums, and dinning. It’s not down by the CN Tower, but it’s just a quick ride away by cab.
Windsor Arms is an exceptional hotel and I recommend it to everyone I know who travels to Toronto.

Oh yes, the Windsor is Fancy Pants! Walking in you think you’d stepped into some private upscale residence, or country club but it’s this intimate old school moneyed type place of accommodation, and noooo I didn’t come here for afternoon delight with hubby… I actually came here for a wedding.
I’d heard great things about the vegan menu offered from Prime (which is located within the Windsor) so I was intrigued and wondered how well the vegan meals would be pulled off. Being that this was a Korean/​Wasp wedding, I had the dubious distinction of being the ONLY person that was going vegan with their entrée of choice. The entrée was Stir-​fried Tempeh and Vegetables in a teriyaki glaze with steamed quinoa and green baby seedlings. I’ve had better versions of tempeh elsewhere, but still I am still glad I was able to have a beefless/​porkless meal served up with finesse at a wedding without it becoming some big culinary kerfuffle.
The wedding service itself was tastefully beautiful and took place within the Courtyard Café. The seating we had was super plush and comfy. After the vows were exchanged all 200 or so, of us guests were herded into the narrow space of Prime to wait out the seating re-​arrangement and dining change-​over.
The waiters were very quick and accomodating and I have to commend their utmost patience considering one of my more curmudgeonly uncle’s petulence and persistence of bossing them around to no end! The best part imo was the macaron and croquembouche trees, I would have taken a picture, but they were ravished within seconds!
Good to know: The restrooms are upstairs, so take the elevator to the 2^nd floor cross the «Bridge» overlooking the hall, near the baby grand piano and you’ll be lead to these super swish bathrooms complete with large handsome wood-​doored, completely private cubicles, no need for mercy flushes here!
I can’t comment with regard to what the pricing for hosting a wedding or event would be here, only can assume it would be on the expensive side of well, expensive… just be happy the event is open bar and drink-​up!!!
In a nutshell I’ll say the Windsor Arms is grande, elegant style on a small scale.

I went for brunch on Sunday w/​my friend w/​a daily deal voucher. I’ve been there before for Winterlicious and once again the food & service was exceptional! The staff are sooooo nice!

Very luxurious and well… you pay for it! One of Toronto’s best.
My friend and I set up a girl afternoon tea date here on a gorgeous summer afternoon. We sat on their new patio, a cute little space enclosed within walls of ivy. The atmosphere was quaint and quiet– perfect place to catch up with a girlfriend or somewhere to bring your mom. Our server was fancy as ever, dressed in a tuxedo and even donning white gloves. I felt like a near royal with a personal butler service. Fabulous.
We had the traditional afternoon tea which included your choice of tea, sandwiches, fresh scones and petit fours. You can find the full description here:
Everything was delicious and fresh. We were definitely full by the end. I loved the whole thing!
The indoor room was elegant and traditional, I hope one day to come back and enjoy their tea room. The hotel has a luxury boutique feel and the prices definitely reflect that.
I recommend coming on a weekday for $ 35 per person as weekend prices jump to $ 42 per person. Definitely make a reservation!

This review is for the Sunday brunch offered at the Courtyard Café.
Ambience: beautiful ambience, and the pianist really does add to the atmosphere of the buffet along with the high ceilings. For a hotel and price though at $ 50 I thought they’d have more attention to cleanliness. I found our table okay but one of the settings was missing forks, and one of the napkins wasn’t folded properly like someone had used it and tried to fold it up again, and the little bowl of maple syrup was used already and they didn’t clean the bowl up or replace it with a new one. Also, one of the coffee cups was looking a bit dirty. Just some things you wouldn’t expect at a nice high-​end hotel.
Service: fantastic and very attentive.
Food: king crab and the prawns were delicious. I didn’t eat much of the hot food as it looked okay and the french toast was burnt or a bit overcooked. I also felt like there could have been more choice. The dessert was really decadent and delicious, so they get points for that!
I thought it was good that I got a Wag Jag deal on it, otherwise I wouldn’t have really tried it or considered it a brunch option. If you’re looking for a nice Sunday brunch buffet, I’d personally recommend the Boiler House in Distillery. More options at half the price (but obviously no king crab legs either!).

Bunch at Windsor Arms Hotel was a disappointment. Previous reviews indicated that the hotel had severely degraded their buffet, and ultimately themselves. For a luxury 4 diamond hotel, Windsor Arms’ services were not up to caliber. Our table was ignored for a good 10 – 20 minutes. The server had failed to inform us of the made-​to-​order food items included in the buffet. We were not offered juice and had to request for coffee three times. I was dumbfounded by the lack of quality, lack of selections and lack of effort. It was almost demeaning as the tables around us had visibly better services.
Windsor Arms’ legendary scones were unavailable. It was filled with Dare multi-​grain crackers. My dad felt the bread was stalled. My mom, however; did enjoy the chocolate-​filled croissant.
The chef’s idea of a Waldorf salad is green apple with greens. Traditional Waldorf salad includes apples, walnuts, celery, grapes and chicken, yet the salad at Windsor Arms was missing many of the key ingredients. Please just name it mix greens with (non)seasonal fruits, as it was FAR from a Waldorf salad
The seafood from the cold food selections were awfully frozen. Rubbery king crab legs and tasteless prawns are definitely not food items one would expect from a $ 50 ‘luxury’ brunch.
Windsor Arms no longer offers waffles and pancakes in their made-​to-​order menu. Limited selections, coupled with serving possibility the worst Eggs Benedict in Toronto, Windsor Arms may just be the most overpriced brunch available in the GTA. Do not be deceived by my the images, the Eggs Benny was opposite of delectable. My brother’s girlfriend had left a whole piece of pre-​made French toast on her plate. It was a testament to how disappointing majority of the food was. The feedback for the lamb was regrettably fat and gamey.
While, my brother felt the curry chicken breast was moist and flavorful, I felt was missing a significant amount of spices found in traditional curry dishes.
The best item at the brunch was prime rib. It was moist, juicy and tender. Just the way it should be! Another notable item was the strawberries! HOLY GMO! They were the size of my palm! Devouring a plate of sweet and succulent strawberries with knives and forks was quite an experience.
The crème brulee had a grainy texture. The mousse was not airy. The cupcake resembled cake mix. The tiramisu lacked mascarpone and cognac. The hazelnut bombard had a strange paper aftertaste. It certainly may be an indication of its age.
Overall, I do not see myself returning to Windsor ArmsHotel. I was really hoping to fall in love with Windsor Arms; unfortunately, the brunch was appalling, the service was poor. Disgustingly dried back bacon and rock hard English muffin are things I would expect from a diner, not a hotel. It is short sighted to capitalize on small gains by downgrading offerings. Windsor Arms is sabotaging their brand equity. A hotel with such rich history had fallen from grace… to disgrace.

What can I say sitting in the Courtyard enjoying live piano play while eating my Sunday Brunch. The atmosphere is wonderful. The pianist sits on the 2^nd floor and the music traveling throughout the courtyard. The spacing of the tables is plenty. The waiter is polite. The food display is neat and tidy.
The first table to catch my eyes is the dessert table. There are dipped strawberry, strawberry, crème brûlée, chocolate cake, mousse, cup cakes and lots more. I try them at the end of the meal. The crème brûlée is disappointed. It is very thick and solidified.
For the entrée, there is large, I mean real large, King Crab which has lots of meat. King Crab lover will sure love it. Shrimp is big, tender but doesn’t have the shrimp taste. The smoked salmon is one of a kind. Don’t miss the Caesar salad. Only the sprout part of the lettuce is chosen and mixed with tiny dice of celery gives you a crunchy feeling. Another salad is also tasty. The a la King with mushroom is juicy. The lamb shank is average. The bean and asparagus are very fresh. The disadvantage of having them warming in closed trays makes them turn yellowish at the end of the meal. The roast lamb is a bit dry but the roast beef is good. I have a slice medium rare which is tender and juicy.
Given that the Courtyard may only have a seating of up to 100 people, there may not be too many choices for a buffet. But the raw material quality selection is above average.
We order egg Benedict. There is one that you can choose with salmon. The egg is boiled just right. The yolk flows out when you cut it. I like the one with salmon. You can also order omelettes. Unlimited supply of orange juice, tea, coffee is also included.
We like it so much till the end. We are reminded to leave after sitting there for 1.5 hours. We do not know that there is a time limit nor we are reminded at booking. The waiter comes twice or 3 times within 15 minutes to politely ask us to leave before 1 pm as there is another seating. I don’t think it is too comfortable to hear that especially you are having an expensive Sunday Brunch at $ 50 pp in such a high class hotel. This definitely needs to be improved. At least if we are informed at booking, there won’t be such a pushy feeling.
Overall with the atmosphere, food and service, I am still willing to give it 4 stars.

Sweet suites. Impeccable service and Great location! You want to be here.
A party every night in the ball room but no, you’re not invited. Keeps the lobby lively and the quiet, quaint bar rotating conversations.
My only complaint is the the Jacuzzi tub in my suite is only big enough for two. The glass shower fits 4 but tub, 2.
The rooms are amazingly large but some faults:
1. The music did not work as demonstrated
2. The light switches were confusing
3. I rarely used the giant living room
4. My room came with a guitar and not a piano
The hotel itself was great along with Natasha in the bar. The food however, at Prime, was borderline poor. More of that in my Prime review.
Stay here. Stay here. Stay here.
It will be well worth it and I’m looking forward to my next visit.