Hotel dining, checked in: OpenTable reveals how hotel restaurants are shaping Canadian dining and travel plans

• 90 per cent of Canadians have visited a hotel restaurant even when they weren’t staying at the property.¹
• OpenTable launches its second annual Top 50 Hotel Restaurants in Canada for 2026.
• Canadians spend nearly an hour researching and booking restaurants for a trip¹ – OpenTable also unveils an evolution to Concierge to help give that time back

TORONTO, July 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hotel restaurants are playing an increasingly central role in how Canadians dine and travel. New OpenTable data shows hotel dining is on the rise across Canada, with dining at hotel restaurants in 2026 up seven per cent, year-over-year.² To help diners discover standout spots near and far, OpenTable launches its second annual Top 50 Hotel Restaurants in Canada for 2026.³

Alongside the list, OpenTable is spotlighting new insights into how Canadians are embracing hotel restaurants across travel, staycations or everyday dining experiences that feel like a getaway.

The destination is dinner: Nearly half (49%) of Canadians have dined at a restaurant located in a hotel within the last six months and 90 per cent have said they visited a hotel restaurant even when they weren’t staying at the property.¹ Much of that momentum is being driven by locals, not just out-of-town guests, with dining in Canada seeing a 13% increase from locals, year-over-year.²

“Don’t sleep on the hotel restaurant. Some of the best tables are just past the lobby, and you don’t need a room key,” says Matt Davis, Head of North America Hotels at OpenTable. “These venues have become dining destinations in their own right, pulling in locals just as much as travellers. With 44 per cent of Canadians booking a hotel in their own city or nearby area for a staycation,¹ a great hotel restaurant turns a regular night out into something that feels like a trip, no check-in required.”

“A great hotel restaurant feels intrinsically connected to its city, brought to life through excellent food, quality cocktails and thoughtful service,” says William Kresky, Executive Chef at Café Boulud Toronto. “By balancing consistency with innovation and letting the seasons shape the menu, we continue to welcome a diverse mix of loyal locals, international travellers and business guests.”

Holiday planning, food-first: For many Canadians, restaurants are becoming a reason to book the trip, not just part of the plan. Forty-three per cent say they have chosen a travel destination because of its food or restaurant scene and over a quarter (28%) have booked a hotel specifically because of its restaurant.¹ Food also plays a key role in pre-travel planning, with 39 per cent saying they research restaurants and bars the most before a trip.¹

Beyond where they eat, travellers are also exploring what they eat. Contemporary Asian cuisine is one of the trending cuisines for travellers, up 71 per cent year-to-date, year-over-year, ³ with hotel restaurants like Masaki Sushi & Sake Bar in Niagara-on-the-Lake on the top list offering a bold, globally inspired menu.

Experience is on the menu: OpenTable data shows experiential dining is up 76 per cent year-over-year among travellers.² Spots on the list that offer unique experiences include Marcus in Montreal with Sommelier Soirées, Langdon Hall in Cambridge with its grand tasting experience and Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar in Whistler with a Mountaintop dinner.

Less scrolling, more savouring: For almost half of Canadians (47%), finding restaurants near their hotel or activity is the hardest part of planning where to eat while travelling, with travellers spending an average of 55 minutes researching and booking a restaurant for a trip.¹ Nearly a third of Canadians (31%) plan to use AI tools to discover and book reservations while travelling this year, rising to 53 per cent among Gen Z.¹

Introducing Concierge: With summer travel season in full swing, OpenTable is launching a new evolution of Concierge, its AI-powered dining assistant, now available directly on the OpenTable homepage. Diners can describe exactly what they are looking for using natural language, from a spot locals love to the perfect date night nearby, and Concierge will surface options across OpenTable’s global network of more than 65,000 restaurants, powered by verified reviews, menus and real-time availability.

Explore OpenTable’s full Top 50 Hotel Restaurants in Canada for 2026³ for your next dining adventure. The list, organized in alphabetical order per province, features 24 restaurants in Ontario, 12 in British Columbia, eight in Alberta, five in Quebec and one in Atlantic Canada.

To explore the full list, city-specific guides, and understand flight and hotel pricing with the help of KAYAK, visit OpenTable’s top hotel restaurant hub at https://www.opentable.ca/c/en/top-restaurants/top-50-hotel/ 

Alberta

1888 Chop House, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff

Castello Italiana, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff

Fairview Bar & Restaurant, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise

Lakeview Lounge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise

Post Hotel Dining Room, Post Hotel & Spa, Lake Louise

Rundle Bar, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar – Calgary 4th Ave, The Westin Calgary, Calgary

Waldhaus, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff

British Columbia

ATLAS steak + fish, Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre, Burnaby

Botanist, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar, The Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver

Gordon Ramsay Steak, River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond

Hawksworth Restaurant, Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

Hy’s Steakhouse Whistler, Delta Hotels by Marriott Whistler Village Suites, Whistler

Mott 32, Paradox Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver

Prophecy, Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

Reflections The Garden Terrace, Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver

Tableau Bar Bistro, The Loden Hotel, Vancouver

The Victor – Parq Vancouver, JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, Vancouver

Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar, Aava Whistler Hotel, Whistler

Atlantic

The Little Sparo, DoubleTree by Hilton St. John’s Harbourview, St. John’s

Ontario

21 Club, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls

Abrielle, The Sutton Place Hotel Toronto, Toronto

Akira Back, Bisha Hotel, Toronto

Alder, Ace Hotel Toronto, Toronto

Café Boulud, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, Toronto

Cannery Restaurant, Pillar and Post Inn & Spa, Niagara-on-the-Lake

CLOCKWORK, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

Don Alfonso 1890, The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto

Isabelle Restaurant + Lounge, The Pearle Hotel, Burlington

KŌST, BISHA, Toronto

Langdon Hall Dining Room, Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa, Cambridge

Library Bar, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

LOUIX LOUIS, The St. Regis Toronto, Toronto

Masaki Sushi & Sake Bar, Moffat Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Morton’s The Steakhouse, Park Hyatt Toronto, Toronto

Neros Steakhouse, Caesars Windsor, Windsor

Ponte Vecchio, Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls

REIGN, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto

Rooftop Bar at the Broadview Hotel, The Rooftop, Toronto

Sportsnet Grill at Toronto Marriott City Centre, Marriott Hotel, Toronto

The Drawing Room, Prince of Wales Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Tea Room, Windsor Arms Hotel, Toronto

TOCA – The Ritz-Carlton, The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto

TONO by Akira Back, W Toronto hotel, Toronto

Quebec

Bar George, Le Mount Stephen, Montreal

Le Champlain, Hotel Le Champlain, Quebec City

Maison Boulud, The Ritz-Carlton, Montreal, Montreal

Marcus, Four Seasons Hotel Montréal, Montreal

Terrasse William Gray, Hôtel William Gray, Montreal

Notes to Editors

1. Consumer Research Methodology: An online survey was conducted by Ripple Research amongst 1500 CA residents who have dined in a restaurant located in a hotel within the last 5 years or less, and major cities weighted to 200. Fieldwork was carried out between May 28, 2026 and June 2, 2026. All data was collected in accordance with MRS (Market Research Society) and ESOMAR guidelines, ensuring ethical standards and robust data quality.
2. OpenTable Dining Data: OpenTable looked at seated diners from online reservations for all active hotel restaurants, and by traveller type and Experiences, on the OpenTable platform in CA from January 1, 2026 – April 19, 2026, and compared it to the same time period the year prior.
3. The Top 50 Hotel Restaurants in Canada: The Top 50 Hotel Restaurants in Canada for 2026 list is generated from over 1,100,000 reviews from verified OpenTable diners and dining metrics from May 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings and the percentage of five star reviews. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score. The resulting list appears A-Z, not in ranked order.