Hotel Review: The Anndore House, JdV by Hyatt
The Joie de Vivre by Hyatt (JdV) brand consists of boutique hotels targeting trendy individuals. As the name suggests, the JdV brand aims to celebrate the joy of life, and each property is inspired by its neighborhood and offers upscale environments accompanied by modern art and design. As of writing this review, there are 18 JdV hotels around the globe. I recently visited Toronto, Canada, and discovered a JdV property in the city—The Anndore House. I immediately booked it since I hadn’t experienced the brand before. The Anndore House used to be The Anndore House & Apartments in the 1950s, and it was renovated and converted into a hotel in 2018. I hoped for refreshing and interesting encounters during my lodging experience, but I was left confused about the connection between the brand and the hotel. Here is my review of The Anndore House:
The Anndore House is located at 15 Charles St E, Toronto, ON M4Y 1S1, Canada.
Location
The Anndore House is located in the Church and Wellesley neighborhood of Toronto, Canada. The neighborhood is an LGBTQIA+-friendly area and is booming with galleries, live music venues, and nightlife. The University of Toronto is right next to the hotel, so expect to see young college students. Popular tourist destinations are easily accessible thanks to multiple subway stations close to the hotel.
Lobby & Check-In Review
I was initially scheduled to check in at 3 PM, but I could check in early at 11 AM because my room was ready. The front desk was located straight in from the main entrance and was tiny.
The Anndore House is in an LGBTQIA+-friendly neighborhood—Church and Wellesley.
The check-in desk had a transparent barrier for COVID, and it looked chaotic with so many pamphlets and signage on it. I inquired if any rooms were available for an upgrade with my Hyatt Discoverist status, and the receptionist informed me that the hotel was sold out.
I was excited to experience my first JdV by Hyatt property in Toronto, Canada.
The receptionist explained restaurant hours and gym benefits, and I went up to the eighth floor, where my room was located.
Bedroom Review
My room was L-shaped, and the bed was at the deeper end of the room. My queen bed was springy but comfortable.
I wasn’t sure what design language the hotel was pursuing.
The low headboard was made of navy fabric, and the accent wall behind it featured printed art pieces representing the hotel’s LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhood.
The bedroom was a mixed bag of various design elements, and the hotel fell short of establishing a meaningful connection among them.
Each side of the bed came with a basic nightstand—something I would see at IKEA. I thought the hotel was going for a Scandinavian aesthetic until I saw exposed electrical conduits for wall lights and charging ports. Those were definitely adding an industrial look to the room. I didn’t mind the look until I turned the lights on. Because the wall lights lacked shades, the brightness from the lightbulb was too abrasive for me. On the other hand, it was nice to see a master light switch on either side of the bed, so it was accessible for all parties if you were sharing the mattress with someone. Across from the bed, an elongated shelf functioned as a minibar as well as a work desk. The work desk was decent in size, but the chair was really uncomfortable. The chair was a black metal chair with grid patterns and had the thinnest seat cushion.
The chair could’ve been more comfortable if it came with a thicker cushion.
The more frustrating part was the AC, which was right next to the work desk. The AC didn’t allow me to change the direction of the air, and as a result, it would directly blow cold air on me as I used the work desk.
I soon realized the AC was too disruptive to remain on while I worked in the room.
After a while, I had to turn it off entirely because it was making me too cold and too loud for me to have Zoom calls simultaneously. As a boutique property that costs around 250 CAD a night, the hotel should have a central AC system, and I was evidently disappointed with the AC. The minibar offered a SMEG electric kettle, half bottles of wine, complimentary bottled water from Just Water, and a mini-fridge was hidden under the counter.
Just Water uses plant-based cartons, and the water is sustainably sourced.
A SMEG electric kettle was available so guests could make Tazo teas or Nescafé instant coffee. I was hoping for at least a K-cup machine, given the hotel’s brand, but oddly, all it offered were Tazo teas and Nescafé instant coffee. After the letdown, I spotted a record player by Crosley. There were only three records for me to choose from, such as Neil Diamond‘s You Don’t Bring Me Flowers or Chris De Burgh’s Into the Light.
Although the record player didn’t deliver my initial excitement, I think there is a lot of potential here.
I was thrilled to try the record player, but the excitement didn’t last long; the sound quality was absolutely horrible, and even at maximum volume, it failed to amplify the sound. I wasn’t entirely sure whether the problem was the record player or the records. If the hotel could resolve the sound quality issue, I think they have a real chance of expanding the amenity. For instance, the hotel could implement a record renting system at the front desk, and if guests could rent different records based on the genres and artists of their choice, it would be a terrific way to supplement this unique amenity.
Phaidon makes outstanding books, so it was such a treat to find this art book in my room.
Above the record player, a semi-smart TV was wall mounted against a white, exposed brick wall. While the TV could mirror my phone or other devices, it didn’t have any subscription programs installed, such as Netflix, so it significantly limited entertainment options. Lastly, the bedroom had a row of windows with French shutters.
In order to open windows, you would have to unlatch the French shutters first.
I wasn’t on board with the look; in my opinion, they made the room appear outdated. With French shutters, I couldn’t get a clear view of the neighborhood without fully opening up the shutters.
Even though my room was on the eighth floor, the view was quite residential.
However, they would hang on the side, so I eventually closed them. The annoying part was when I needed to shut them off before going to sleep. Because there were 12 shutters in total, which meant I needed to shut every single one individually before going to bed.
Do you think it was charming to have French shutters in the room?
In general, the bedroom left me confused, as I couldn’t grasp the design language the hotel was pursuing. The exposed brick wall and exterior electric conduits portrayed industrial design elements, whereas the retro rotary dial phone, Crosley record player, and SMEG electric kettle pointed to a retro-vintage look. However, some portions of the room—nightstands and work desk—felt Scandinavian. I set aside my perplexion and moved to the bathroom.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom featured glossy white piano tiles all around the walls and tiny hexagonal tiles on the floor. It was apparent that industrialism was the design language of the bathroom; exposed water pipes on the ceiling and the sink faucet were clear indicators.
The unique faucet design grabbed my attention as soon as I walked into the bathroom.
However, when I looked at the sink, it seemed as if it wasn’t finished. There was no vanity, but a gray PVC pipe was fully uncovered, which was certainly unattractive.
I was okay with industrial finishes in the bathroom, but some components felt incomplete.
The walk-in shower featured the same aesthetics as the exposed gold faucet look from the sink. Even though the shower head was a rainfall-style shower head, the water pressure was weak, failing to deliver the refreshing experience I’d associate with rain shower heads.
Despite the gorgeous design of the shower, the water pressure was substandard.
The communal toiletries were by Gilchrist & Soames, but only a conditioner bottle was available.
It was disappointing to see missing shampoo and body wash bottles.
However, the hotel supplied travel-sized conditioner and body wash bottles by Aveda and a shampoo bottle from Earth Tempo.
The hotel utilized three different brands for its toiletries, and I hope this was temporary.
It appeared that the hotel had to pivot to a temporary solution at the moment, but I hope the management can replenish the missing toiletries to standardize the experience for future guests.
Bar Review
The Anndore House hosted a Mediterranean restaurant, Constantine, on the first floor, which only operated during dinner hours.
Constantine is the hotel’s in-house restaurant and serves Mediterranean cuisine.
My brother and I had a dinner plan at Le Swan, but Constantine offered happy hour between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM on weekdays, so we stopped for a drink.
The restaurant offered various seating arrangements with ornate settings.
The bar provided both indoor and outdoor seating options, and the outdoor space was decorated with lively plants and string lights.
The outdoor space became romantic at night, thanks to vibrant plants and string lights.
We sat inside because the weather was a little chilly outside, and the inside presented an entirely different vibe. With oaky finishes and selective lighting, the space was mature and refined.
The woodwork of the bar table was absolutely stunning.
I ordered Bamboo, and my brother got So Cuke Tho, and we topped it off with Marinated Olives to munch on.
The happy hour menu is only available on weekdays, so stop by for a drink and bites after work!
My drink was on the sweeter side, and my brother’s drink had strong herby and cucumber notes.
There were only three cocktails on the happy hour menu, but they were all affordable.
The olives were delicious, and for 5 CAD, I thought it was a great bargain.
We couldn’t finish the olives, and for 5 CAD, it was an amazing deal.
I wish the bar featured more cocktails on its happy hour menu, but if you were to stay at The Anndore House, it is worth stopping by for the food and drinks.
Gym & Breakfast Review
Unfortunately, The Anndore House did not have a gym onsite. However, the hotel had a partnership with Hone Fitness around the corner, and as long as you signed a liability form at the front desk, you could receive a day pass. I couldn’t visit the gym, but it seemed to be a typical one for any type of guest.
If it’s rainy or snowy outside, it would be inconvenient to walk from the hotel to the gym.
Since Constantine was only open for dinner, guests staying at The Anndore House could purchase coffee and pastries from the adjacent Hot Black Coffee. There were multiple locations of the franchise in Toronto. I didn’t have a chance to visit the cafe because my flight was early in the morning, but it appears to be a popular destination among tourists and residents. If you visit after reading this review, please leave me a comment below to share your experience with the PointsMiler community!
Positives & Negatives
Positives
I admire the hotel’s approach to hip design and retro amenities. For instance, I thought it was bold for a three-star hotel to include a record player and a SMEG water kettle. I don’t think I have ever seen them at budget hotels, and I respect the design and operations team at The Anndore House for trying something new and adventurous.
The surrounding neighborhood feels residential yet metropolitan. Thanks to a lively LGBTQA+ community and college students, Toronto's Church and Wellesley neighborhood is full of dynamic energy.
Negatives
The Anndore House didn’t have an onsite gym. For some, it may actually be a positive factor because the hotel has a partnership with a local gym, and commercial gyms are typically better than hotel gyms. However, I prefer hotel gyms because I can generally access them 24/7 and save time.
I couldn’t establish a connection between the hotel’s design language and brand. Some elements were Scandinavian, while others were retro-chic or industrial. Seeing the different directions the hotel could take was great, but it failed to deliver an engaging and cohesive story for its brand.
Would you stay at The Anndore House, JdV by Hyatt?
Summary
The Anndore House was one of the JdV by Hyatt destinations located in Toronto, Canada. Since it was my first time experiencing the JdV brand, I anticipated encountering new and clearly defined design language associated with boutique hotels. However, my lodging experience was far from my original expectation. The room was a hodgepodge of Scandinavian, industrial, and retro-chic components that failed to establish an apparent atmosphere in the bedroom. I valued having unique amenities like a record player in the room, but basic amenities like the AC and window shutters weren’t carefully implemented, leading to frustrations during my stay. The bathroom was not maintained well, and the lack of an onsite gym could be an issue for some guests. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend The Anndore House to those looking for a boutique hotel in Toronto. I am open to trying other JdV hotels around the globe, and I hope my next JdV hotel will be more engaging and noteworthy.
