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Ontario Business Hotels: Travelling Light, Staying Efficient

My old habit of travelling light, applied to Ontario's business hotels - small-town inns to city stops, each judged by how little it asks you to carry.

Ontario Business Hotels: Travelling Light, Staying Efficient
Years on patrol taught me that the lighter the pack, the longer the legs last - a rule that travels just as well from backcountry trail to Ontario boardroom. I still carry too little rather than too much, one good jacket over three bad ones, and I've come to feel the same way about a hotel room: give me a proper desk, honest WiFi and nothing I have to think about twice. These are the stops across the province I'd actually choose, grouped loosely by where the road takes you, each one judged by how little it asks you to carry.

Along the Niagara Corridor

Niagara pulls plenty of business travellers down for a day of meetings and back up for the falls at the weekend, and these two keep the gear simple.
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    Americana Waterpark Resort & Spa

    3 stars
    8.0 Very Good1539 reviews
    Americana Waterpark Resort & Spa - not the leanest address on this list, but handy if a meeting gets bundled with family time; free WiFi runs throughout and the nearby outlet mall covers any capsule-wardrobe gap, one of the better hotels in Niagara for that mix of trip.
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    2

    Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites St.Catharines-Niagara By Ihg

    4 stars
    8.2 Very Good215 reviews
    Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites St.Catharines-Niagara - a flat-screen, a fridge and free WiFi are all the room asks you to use, with free parking so there's nothing extra to budget for; check rates on Booking.com ↗.

Through the Greater Toronto Belt

North of the city the hotels get smaller and the desks get better, which suits a traveller carrying one bag and one agenda.
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    3

    Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Aurora

    3 stars
    8.3 Very Good254 reviews
    Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Aurora - a business area and an electric vehicle charging point tell you who this hotel is built for, and free parking keeps the budget as light as the luggage; see the official listing ↗.
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    4

    Monte Carlo Inn & Suites Downtown Markham

    3 stars
    7.7 Good1684 reviews
    Monte Carlo Inn & Suites Downtown Markham - every room comes with a work desk and ironing facilities, which does more for a capsule wardrobe than any packing cube, and it's an easy run off Highway 404 for one of the tidier business hotels in Markham.

Across the Southwest

Windsor, Leamington and Hamilton all sit on routes I'd choose for getting in and out quickly, which matters more than decor when you're travelling light.
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    5

    Best Western Plus Leamington Hotel & Conference Centre

    3 stars
    Best Western Plus Leamington Hotel & Conference Centre - a work desk and fridge in every room, a fitness centre for working off the flight, and free parking so the only thing to track is time; read reviews on Tripadvisor ↗.
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    6

    Sandman Hotel Hamilton

    3 stars
    8.3 Very Good883 reviews
    Sandman Hotel Hamilton - a flat-screen and microwave in every room keep things simple, and free parking means one less line on the expense sheet; check it on Google Travel ↗.
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    7

    Four Points By Sheraton Windsor Downtown

    3 stars
    8.2 Very Good229 reviews
    Four Points By Sheraton Windsor Downtown - a block from the Detroit-Windsor tunnel with laundry and dry cleaning on site, about as efficient a reset as a travelling wardrobe gets; see it on Tripadvisor ↗.

Up the Ottawa Valley

Perth, Cornwall, Renfrew, Merrickville and Carleton Place are the small-town stops I'd pick on a loop through eastern Ontario, each built for someone who packs light and leaves early.
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    Perth Parkside Hotel And Spa, BW Premier Collection

    4 stars
    8.9 Fabulous325 reviews
    Perth Parkside Hotel And Spa, BW Premier Collection - a work desk and fridge in every room plus free WiFi, and the saltwater pool is a fair trade for carrying one less thing to do in the evening; check rates on Booking.com ↗.
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    9

    Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre

    3 stars
    8.7 Fabulous419 reviews
    Best Western Parkway Inn & Conference Centre - same-day dry cleaning Monday to Friday does the capsule wardrobe's work for it, a short drive from downtown Cornwall and the highway alike; one of the steadier Best Western stops on this loop.
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    10

    Days Inn By Wyndham Renfrew Conference Centre

    3 stars
    Days Inn By Wyndham Renfrew Conference Centre - bicycle parking, luggage storage and a business area cover the essentials without fuss ->.
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    Baldachin Inn

    3 stars
    7.3 Good168 reviews
    Baldachin Inn - a historic inn with free WiFi and a restaurant on site, the kind of single stop that saves you hunting for dinner after a long day; see it on Booking.com ↗.
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    Comfort Inn & Suites

    4 stars
    8.4 Very Good326 reviews
    Comfort Inn & Suites - a business area, bicycle parking and an electric vehicle charging point make this inn an easy, no-fuss choice off the Ottawa road.

By Lake Huron's Shore

Kincardine sits well off the usual business circuit, but both these stops are built for a traveller who'd rather not unpack much.
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    Comfort Inn & Suites

    3 stars
    7.1 Good221 reviews
    Comfort Inn & Suites - a business area and express check-in and check-out shave minutes off a short trip, with free parking and a fitness centre besides; check it on Google Travel ↗.
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    Towneplace Suites By Marriott Kincardine

    3 stars
    8.2 Very Good85 reviews
    Towneplace Suites By Marriott Kincardine - a work desk and sofa bed in every room plus a business area and concierge service, built for a longer working stay rather than one night; see the Marriott listing ↗.

In the Bay of Quinte

Belleville is an easy stop between Toronto and Ottawa, and this one keeps the essentials in reach.
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    Hampton Inn & Suites Belleville

    3 stars
    8.6 Fabulous529 reviews
    Hampton Inn & Suites Belleville - a business centre and free WiFi throughout, with free parking so there's nothing extra to track on the expense ledger; worth booking this hotel directly.

A Last Word From the Road

I've learned more from what I left behind than what I packed, and Ontario rewards that kind of travel - one good bag, one good desk, nothing else to think about. Wander this list at your own pace and you'll likely land on a favourite of your own; mine shifts with the season, but I always come back to the ones that ask the least of me.

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