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| - I want to give Planet Traveller a bad review, because I had a particularly bad experience with them. The root of the problem is that Planet Traveler's front desk and front door closes at Midnight - and this isn't advertised anywhere that we could find. So when a bad string of traffic on I-79 and the QEW left us about 4 hours behind on our travel schedule we arrived to find the locked door, the phone number went straight to voicemail, and no 24-hour emergency contact. The worst part about this was since our phones didn't operate in Canada, we couldn't have even told them we were coming late if we wanted to - and since they only cater to non-toronto residents, I'm sure this is a common occurrence.
We wound up entertaining ourselves the whole night, but it definitely wasn't our plan, and worst of all when we arrived utterly exhausted from our 10 hour drive and 6 hour tour-de-Toronto(After going to work at 5am), they still made us pay for the night that we couldn't utilize because they closed. No one was energized enough to fight them on it, and we already knew all of the other hostels were booked, so we gave in.
How could this place recover from a story like that? It's clean, comfortable, modern, and friendly. At no point was the staff ever rude to us, the computers had free internet, and you could get free wifi in the bottom area. There was a full kitchen, with breakfast(bagels, jams, etc) served every morning until 1 and checkout isn't until noon. The bathroom was tastefully decorated, the shower was warm and well-pressurized. The rooms were modern, full of natural light, with comfortable beds and above all spotless. The doors were all controlled by RFID cards, so no awkward keys to carry around, and the parking was $5/day. To top it all off, the night we were actually there, they had a free BBQ on the roof and all guests were invited to attend - most stopping by after going to the liquor store around the corner.
Beyond the rough experience, this place was a treat to stay at, and I would come back in a heartbeat, with better travel arrangements in place, or some email communication of a plan-b before booking. The area it is in is nice, very vibrant during the day and there is a streetcar right outside. Be sure to check out the roof, the views are stunning.
To recap: Get there before midnight or you're screwed
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