Architecture and design firms: Stephen B. Jacobs Group Architects and Andi Pepper Interior Design, New York; and Norr, Toronto

The details: Designed to LEED Silver standards, the 27-story Hotel X Toronto by Library Hotel Collection set next to the Exhibition Place convention center is redefining Toronto’s skyline as a chic urban resort with its extensive amenities, including the dramatic three-story Falcon SkyBar, a 243-seat cinema, a 90,000-square-foot health and wellness complex (complete with indoor tennis courts), and the Stanley Barracks event space (formerly a military fort used during World War I and II). “It has all the aspects that a guest would expect from a resort in a tropical area,” says longtime Library collaborator architect Stephen B. Jacobs, “but it’s located within a modern and upbeat metropolitan space that is the heart of the action.” Andi Pepper’s interiors are an eclectic mix of old and new. In the lobby, for instance, polished concrete flooring done in a granite mosaic-style pattern complements a lush green wall that rises behind the reception desk and nods to the hotel’s garden setting. Meanwhile, the 406 serene guestrooms don a soothing gray palette that is brought to life with Pepper’s signature touch of color, Moroccan-inspired light fixtures, and modern furnishings. A highlight, however, are the two presidential suites, which offer striking panoramic views of Lake Ontario.