Tucked away amongst the lowrise buildings of the Annex neighbourhood, lies a matte black jewel. The hotel that bears the name of its home community, dons an easily passable dark facade. However, the unassuming exterior houses a beautiful interior looking to become one of Toronto’s hotspots, drawing crowds from local and abroad. The hotel does not have a front desk, check-ins are done digitally. Instead, the lobby is used for events at night and as a workspace during the day.

With 124 rooms, the upcoming Ace hotel will pay homage to the neighborhood’s vernacular of industrial structures through materials such as redbrick and exposed board-formed concrete. Further architectural details like exposed joints, knuckles, and bricks will function as key focal points, while the insertion of douglas fir over steel as a decorative element will aim to emphasize the multi-layered personality of the city.

In a former “shady” area, which is now a great location near upscale Yorkville, the Bloor Street museums, the Yonge Street shops, arts venues, and more, the Anndore House started life as an upscale apartment building. The sexy residential style has a dimly lit lobby with moody greens and purples, dark woods, and glam gold-framed art. Past the kitchen island–style reception desk lies a sexy bar in velvet and wood paneling. Rooms comes with cushy beds and rainfall showers.

The Drake Hotel is a hip boutique hotel offering guests a memorable lodging experience with art, nightlife, delicious cuisine and comfortable guestrooms. It is located in Toronto’s Art District, just minutes from the excitement of downtown. Funky, individually designed rooms feature modern artwork by local artists, hardwood floors, high ceilings and windows that open.

The Gladstone is a boutique art hotel uniquely blending historical Victorian architecture with contemporary luxury. It is located in Toronto’s downtown art and design district. Local artists turned the rooms into works of art, ensuring no two rooms are the same. Highlights include Cecilia Berkovic’s room, Teen Queen, a homage to the cool chicks that rule the school; Simone Moir and Corwyn Lund’s ethereal The Parlour of Twilight; and Bob Blumer’s Surreal Gourmet, a den of food-inspired…

The Kimpton Saint George looks more like a residence than a hotel, full of fun quirks, clever details, and arched doorways, hallways and mirrors uniting the design of the public spaces. There is a sense of place with an artsy, lived-in look brightened by craftsmanship and pieces by top Canadian talent. Expect lots of wood, patterned rugs and many other earthy colours and textures, including loads of natural light. A fireplace warms up a cosy and comfortable living room-like lounge off the…

This stylish, 167-room boutique property is run by the Quebec-based, family-owned Le Germain chain. With strong word-of-mouth support and unstuffy service, the hotel is a four-star with a five-star feel, big with both the corporate crowd and the tourists.

Located on Toronto's trendy Queen Street West, The Beverly is a small design hotel with 18 contemporary rooms offering an iPod docking station, a flat-screen TV, air conditioning, wood flooring and a bathroom with a shower. The hotel's restaurant serves contemporary Canadian food mad with seasonal produce and is open for lunch and dinner daily. Seasonal roof-top bar.

With 96 rooms over five storeys – including an entire floor designed by rocker Lenny Kravitz – this stylish property from Canadian hospitality impresario Charles Khabouth marries laid-back glamour with razor-sharp design, offering boutique-hotel intimacy alongside luxury-chain comfort.

A historic Toronto East End neighbourhood landmark dating to 1891,the redbrick Romanesque Revival-style building has been transformed into the hip Broadview Hotel. Each of guestrooms is refreshingly unique, and fully outfitted with luxury linens, a vinyl record player and a mini-bar offering locally sourced goods. There is a popular Rooftop bar serving small plates and a ground floor Café+Bar.

- established in 1893. Keeping up with the region’s burgeoning tech industry, the hotel target market has morphed to a younger, tech savvy clientele. The hotel’s renewal transforms the Walper into a modern boutique hotel while celebrating its historic details and pairing them with bold contemporary design. Design by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design and Jill Greaves Design.

A sister of Toronto’s hip Drake Hotel, the Drake Devonshire is located among the wineries and organic farmlands of rustic Prince Edward County, Ontario. The hotel has a rotating art exhibition. Rooms come with air conditioning, a seating area, a desk, a safety deposit box and a laptop safe. Private bathrooms have a hairdryer and bathrobes. The hotel offers a restaurant and a private beach on Lake Ontario.

On the narrow cobblestone streets of the Old Port district, near the banks of the St. Lawrence River, Hotel 71 nods to Quebec City’s historic past. From its neoclassical façade and setting in a 19th-century bank building to its state-of-the-art amenities, the 60-room property combines Old World charm with modern comfort. Inside, the decor is unexpectedly sleek, and that feeling extends throughout the lobby (clad in limestone and walnut).

Set partly within a 1926, neoclassical landmark mansion, the luxury Le Mount Stephen ( a member of The Leading Hotels of the World) first impressions are of old world grandeur with rich wood panelling, stained glass details and ornate cornicing. A sleek modern tower houses the guestrooms and suites where shiny surfaces, modern furnishings and bold lighting are linked to the historic section with small details such as a large glossy photo of the original building’s stained glass windows.

The no-frills Hôtel Le Dauphin Montréal Centre-Ville is a three generation, family owned hotel which offers four other locations in the Québec Province. This outlet, next to the Convention Center, offers contemporary decor with exposed concrete walls and wooden floors. Each room has an iMac computer. Breakfast included in the rate.

Renaissance Montreal Downtown is a new hotel set in a former office building from 1951 featuring an eclectic mix of art deco architecture, unconventional interior styling and a location right in de heart of Montréal. The lobby has street art by local artist Alexandre Veilleux, live DJs and a cocktail bar by master mixologist Lawrence Piccard.

Located in Old Montreal , the Hôtel Uville Montréal pays hommage to the city with its 1960s and 70s photos and films from the National Film Board of Canada showing people and events like the Expo 67 and 1976 Olympics that shaped Montreal and left their mark on the city’s culture. Rooms come outfitted with vinyl players (and records by favourites like Leonard Cohen) and there is a (wine) bar. Breakfast, included in the rate, is delivered to the room.

More (11) Fine Places To Stay Montréal: art, boutique and design hotels.

Clusters of hanging globe lighting fixtures accentuate the impressive double-height lobby of the W Montreal. Plush seating and low lighting in the lobby’s living room create a comfortable and welcoming space. The hotel’s design is bold, contemporary and full of winks to its historic past as a bank – for example, the reception and concierge desks at opposite sides of the lobby area are located in the exact spots where the bank teller desks used to sit.

Located in Old Montreal, Hôtel William Gray is set in two historic buildings adjoined by a glass atrium and an eight-floor tower with rooftop terrace. Glass walls and roofs provide bags of light; bold artworks add colour. The Living Room has a trendy high, communal table, but also low chairs for traditionalists. The small bar serves drinks and cocktails. A successful marriage of old and new, the hotel feels smaller than it really is. Large spa and swimming pool.

Part of Montréal’s Épik Group, who renovate emblematic properties into boutique hotels. Not the way you expect, fusing the old with contemporary. The Épik Montréal is no exception, set in a 200 year old warehouse with its rustic beams, bare stone walls contrasting with designer furniture and stainless steal. The hotel offers 10 rooms, a bar and an Italian restaurant.

Set in a restored landmark Beaux-Arts building from 1900, Hotel St. Paul is a design hotel located in the heart of Montreal. The ‘heavy’ exterior conceals the ethereal, airy, and light interiors with a perfect blend of old and new. Surrounding the hotel is Vieux Montréal (or Old Town) and the historic Port of Montreal, the World Trade Center and the charming shops of St. Catherine Street.

Le Petit Hotel is a stylish modern boutique hotel located in a quiet location in the historic downtown Montreal. Rooms come with air conditioning, hard wood floors, original stone walls and oversized windows. Some rooms have cathedral ceilings, loft layouts and/or separate living rooms with futons. A complimentary continental breakfast consisting of freshly made fruit salad, yogurt, cereal and croissants is delivered daily from local bakery L’Amour Du Pain and served in a 24/7 lobby café.

This sleek design hotel is set on the lower floors of a high rise residential building and boasts a large indoor swimming pool on the 12th floor with impressive views of Montreal.

The Four Seasons Hotel Montreal is located in the city’s downtown Golden Square Mile. Its home, in a slick black glass building, is distinctive amongst corporate concrete towers and 19th-century architecture. Paris-based studio Gilles & Boissier, together with Montreal’s Philip Hazan, are behind the interiors, dressing the warm, neutral palette of the 169 rooms with ethereal backlighting mooth velvet textures, mirrored surfaces, swathes of marble and bronze, gold and dark wood accents.

Following its complete renovation, the arrival experience at Le Méridien Versailles has been transformed with an engaging and expanded lobby environment. The hotel now features the signature Le Méridien Hub™, with innovative coffee and cocktail programming, transitioning from day to night, and stunning arrival art installations, turning the hotel’s lobby into the newest gathering spot for locals and visitors alike.

Sophistication abounds at this Le Germain, set in a gorgeous 1920s bank building. The grandeur of this property begins outside where planted window boxes spruce up the beautiful old stone structure. Much of the original detailing remains in the neutral coloured interiors. Soaring ceilings, chunky columns, architectural mouldings, and a massive fireplace – the room’s focal point – mingle with linen drapes and shabby chic furnishings.

The hotel is located in Québec’s renowned Charlevoix region, declared a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, nestled between the mountains and the river. On the site once stood Canada’s largest wooded farm, which burnt down in 1997. In keeping with its history, the hotel features barn-inspired wood features throughout the build (think pillars and exposed wood beams) and art and materials used locally sourced like cabinets, curtains, bedding and carpets, promoting Québec firms and artists.

Though billed as a four-star hotel, the 269-room property in Montréal’s Quartier International neighbourhood is a savvy mix of DIY services including smart car charging docks, electronic check-in kiosks and, literally, robotic room service; and bespoke touches by way of all natural bathroom toiletries by Oneka, lobby artwork by the photographer Valérie Jodoin Keaton, and Frank and Oak-designed staff uniforms.

A converted motor hotel from 1956, The Burrard is a hip hotel located in Vancouver’s downtown. It is 3 blocks from the Robson Street shopping area and the beach can be reached in a 10-minute walk. There is a seasonal outdoor lounge in the palm tree filled courtyard, an on-site coffee shop and Brodie cruiser bikes are available.

Skwachàys Lodge is a unique boutique hotel featuring decor inspired by Aboriginal arts and culture. 100 per cent of profits from the 18 hotel support indigenous artists who live in adjacent Vancouver Native Housing Society. The artists are given studio space at the lodge where they can produce carvings and other artwork that are sold in the Urban Aboriginal Fair Trade Gallery and shop in the hotel.

From its perch on the waterfront, Seaside is surrounded by spectacular views of the downtown Vancouver skyline to the south, the snowcapped North Shore Mountains to the north, and the Pacific Ocean everywhere in between. Nature plays a big part in the design, too, with award-winning, sustainably-focused architecture firm ZGF working with Executive’s in-house designers to bring the outside elements indoors.

Bricault Design’s innovative renovation of a drab 1970s time-share apartment block has created eighty-eight sleeping pods for Whistler’s visitors and a vibrant new public bar and eatery.

Boutique might be pushing it, but The Douglas certainly brings a dash of personality to the sprawling new Parq Vancouver entertainment complex. The hip Autograph Collection property is a place of bold design, urban swagger and jovial service in the city’s busy downtown.