Nestled among the high-rises of Downtown Toronto, it’s quaint to imagine The Royal York as the tallest building in the Commonwealth when it opened in 1929. As one of Canadian Pacific’s illustrious railway hotels that were peppered across this vast country (the glorious Union station opposite – the work of the same architects – is the biggest in Canada), this magnificent edifice, in the faux beaux chateau style, remains caught in time.

Her grand lobby, all plush and polished, is an oft-used movie backdrop and something of a thoroughfare for gawpers. Film stars sleep as well as work here, in rooms that are classic and tastefully opulent and just the right side of chi-chi. Five restaurants cater to the 1,365 rooms, the most prestigious being Epic, which uses fresh herbs and honey from the rooftop garden and apiary.