Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA large Sheraton hotel and convention property in downtown Toronto, Ontario, overlooking Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
Last updated August 22, 2026
Overview
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel is a large urban hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The property opened on October 16, 1972, originally under the name Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel. Its name reflected a joint venture between Sheraton Hotels and the Four Seasons chain founded by Toronto businessman Isadore “Issy” Sharp. The partnership did not last: Sharp sold the Four Seasons side’s 49 percent interest in 1976, after which the property was renamed The Sheraton Centre of Toronto and later adopted its present name, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. The hotel was developed as part of the major urban-redevelopment program associated with Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. Before redevelopment, the site was regarded as a deteriorated commercial area containing burlesque theatres, pawn shops, and a cinema. The City of Toronto expropriated the site in 1964 and cleared it in 1965 before selling it for hotel development. The resulting building became an important component of the civic-centre complex and helped establish the surrounding area as a major business, tourism, and convention district. The property contains approximately 1,300 rooms in three connected structures: a low entrance building, an eleven-storey Richmond Street section, and a principal 43-storey tower facing Queen Street. The tower looks directly toward Toronto City Hall and is one of the city’s tallest all-hotel buildings. Its concrete exterior was designed to complement the colour and texture of City Hall. The architectural work involved John B. Parkin Associates, Seppo Valjus, and Searle, Wilbee and Rowland, with the overall design developed in relation to the civic complex. A landscaped interior courtyard includes a waterfall designed by Canadian architect J. Austin Floyd. A central part of the hotel’s business is meetings and events. The property has extensive convention facilities, reported at more than 130,000 square feet in some descriptions and 171,716 square feet in the broader property description. Its ballroom can accommodate approximately 3,500 people, making the hotel one of Toronto’s principal large-scale hotel venues. The lobby also connects with the PATH underground pedestrian network, giving guests access to offices, retail, transit connections, and other downtown facilities without relying exclusively on street-level routes. The hotel serves business, leisure, family, and mixed-purpose travellers. Its central location places guests close to Toronto City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square, the financial district, the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, theatres, restaurants, and the broader entertainment district. Amenities described for the property include a year-round heated indoor-outdoor swimming pool, family-oriented spaces and programming during selected periods, connecting rooms, in-room dining, meeting facilities, business services, and flexible work areas. The indoor-outdoor pool allows swimmers to move between the interior and exterior sections through a glass partition and is designed for year-round use. The property has also hosted major gatherings, including the 2010 World Hockey Summit. In 2017, Marriott International sold the hotel to Brookfield Asset Management for CA$335 million. Marriott remained the parent company of the Sheraton brand, while the property’s ownership changed to Brookfield. The hotel continues to operate as a Sheraton-branded downtown Toronto property, with its scale, convention capacity, civic-centre location, and PATH connection defining its market role.
History
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel emerged from Toronto’s postwar civic-centre redevelopment. The site stood near the future Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square, but before redevelopment it was described as a deteriorated commercial area containing two burlesque theatres, pawn shops, and a cinema. The City of Toronto expropriated the site in 1964 and cleared it in 1965. It was subsequently sold for hotel development as part of the broader urban-renewal scheme surrounding the new civic complex. The hotel opened on October 16, 1972, as the Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel. It was formed through a joint venture between Sheraton Hotels and Four Seasons, the Toronto hotel company associated with businessman Issy Sharp. At opening, it was the second-largest hotel in Toronto, behind the Royal York Hotel. The partnership was later dissolved when Sharp sold his 49 percent interest in 1976 for CA$18.5 million. Following the transaction, the property was renamed The Sheraton Centre of Toronto and eventually became Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. The building was designed as a group of three connected structures between Queen, York, and Richmond streets. The complex includes a three-storey entrance section, an eleven-storey Richmond Street building, and a 43-storey main tower facing Queen Street. The architectural work was developed by John B. Parkin Associates in collaboration with Seppo Valjus and Searle, Wilbee and Rowland, with the design coordinated with Toronto City Hall. The tower’s concrete exterior was intended to echo City Hall’s colour and texture. A landscaped internal courtyard, including a waterfall designed by J. Austin Floyd, added a garden-like feature to the large urban complex. The hotel’s scale made it significant not only as accommodation but also as a convention facility. Its event space has been described as exceeding 130,000 square feet and, in the property’s broader description, as totaling 171,716 square feet. The ballroom can hold approximately 3,500 people. The hotel lobby forms one of the nodes of Toronto’s PATH pedestrian network, linking the property with the downtown office, retail, and transit environment. A two-screen cinema operated on the lower level until the 1990s. A pedestrian bridge connects the complex with Nathan Phillips Square across Queen Street West. A transmitter for CIRR-FM is located on top of the hotel. During its operating history, the property has served corporate travellers, convention delegates, tourists, families, and guests combining work and leisure. Its central position provides access to Toronto City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square, the financial district, the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, theatres, restaurants, and the entertainment district. The hotel’s facilities include guest accommodation, food and beverage operations, extensive meeting space, business services, and an indoor-outdoor heated swimming pool that operates throughout the year. Family-oriented services and spaces have also been described, including connecting rooms, child-focused activities during selected periods, and a playroom known as The Clubhouse. In 2010, the hotel hosted the World Hockey Summit, adding a nationally significant sports-industry event to its conference history. In 2017, Marriott International sold the property to Brookfield Asset Management for CA$335 million. The sale transferred ownership of the real estate and hotel property but did not end the Sheraton affiliation: Sheraton remained a Marriott International brand, and the property continued to operate as Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. Its present identity is therefore shaped by the combination of Sheraton branding, Brookfield ownership, a large convention platform, and a location integrated into Toronto’s civic and underground pedestrian infrastructure.
- 2017
Property sold to Brookfield Asset Management
[1]Marriott International sold the hotel to Brookfield Asset Management for CA$335 million.
- 2010
World Hockey Summit venue
[1]The hotel hosted the World Hockey Summit.
- 1990
Lower-level cinema no longer operates
[1]The property description records that its two-screen cinema remained in operation until the 1990s; an exact closure year is not specified.
- 1976
Four Seasons interest is sold
[1]Issy Sharp sold Four Seasons’ 49 percent share, and the property adopted the name The Sheraton Centre of Toronto.
- 1972
Hotel opens as Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel
[1]The 43-storey downtown property opened on October 16 as a joint venture between Sheraton Hotels and Four Seasons.
- 1965
Site cleared
[1]The former commercial area was cleared before the site was later sold for hotel construction.
- 1964
Site expropriated for civic-centre redevelopment
[1]The City of Toronto expropriated the future hotel site as part of the redevelopment associated with City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
Products and positioning
An upscale, full-service urban convention hotel positioned for business travel, large meetings, leisure tourism, family stays, and work-leisure trips in central Toronto.
Hotel accommodation · 1972
Guest rooms and suites
The property provides approximately 1,300 rooms in a large downtown complex. Its accommodation offer is designed for business travellers, convention guests, leisure visitors, families, and guests combining work with tourism. Connecting rooms and in-room dining are among the family-oriented services described for the hotel.
Events and hospitality services · 1972
Meetings and conventions
Meetings and conventions are a defining part of the property’s business model. The hotel has more than 130,000 square feet of event facilities in descriptions of its meeting operation, while the broader property description gives a total event-space figure of 171,716 square feet. Its ballroom can accommodate approximately 3,500 people.
Hotel dining · 1972
Food and beverage services
The full-service hotel provides food and beverage operations as part of its accommodation and event offering. Dining support includes in-room service, with options described as adaptable for families and children, as well as catering associated with meetings and conventions.
Leisure amenity
Indoor-outdoor swimming pool
The hotel features a heated pool that connects indoor and outdoor sections through a glass partition. It is described as operating year-round and as one of the notable downtown Toronto indoor-outdoor pool facilities, serving both leisure guests and families.
Location and business services
PATH-connected business and event location
The lobby connects with Toronto’s PATH pedestrian network, giving hotel guests and event attendees sheltered access to parts of the downtown office, retail, and transit environment. This connection reinforces the property’s positioning as a business and convention hotel in the civic and financial centre.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale of the hotel property to BrookfieldM&ABackground
The Sheraton brand’s ownership structure and the ownership of individual branded properties are distinct. Marriott International owned the Sheraton brand and sold the Toronto hotel property.
Action taken
Marriott International sold Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel to Brookfield Asset Management.
Aftermath
Brookfield became the property owner, while the hotel continued operating under the Sheraton brand associated with Marriott International.
Property sale price. CA$335,000,000 (2017)
1976
Dissolution of the Four Seasons partnershipM&ABackground
The hotel opened as a joint venture between Sheraton Hotels and Four Seasons. Issy Sharp was dissatisfied with the partnership and sold Four Seasons’ 49 percent interest.
Action taken
Sharp sold the stake for CA$18.5 million, after which the hotel was renamed The Sheraton Centre of Toronto.
Aftermath
The property continued as a Sheraton hotel under a modified name, ultimately becoming Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
Purchase price for Four Seasons’ 49 percent interest. CA$18,500,000 (1976)
Recent events
- 2017
Marriott sells Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel to Brookfield[1]
M&A
Marriott International sold the hotel property to Brookfield Asset Management for CA$335 million. The transaction changed the property owner while the hotel continued under the Sheraton brand.
- 2010
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel hosts World Hockey Summit[1]
Other
The hotel served as a host venue for the World Hockey Summit.
- 1976
Four Seasons sells its interest and the hotel is renamed[1]
M&A · Leadership change
Issy Sharp sold Four Seasons’ 49 percent interest in the property for CA$18.5 million. The hotel subsequently became known as The Sheraton Centre of Toronto.
- 1972
Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel opens as Four Seasons Sheraton Hotel[1]
Product launch
The downtown Toronto property opened on October 16, 1972, as a joint venture involving Sheraton Hotels and the Four Seasons chain.
Sources1 sources
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