This is an excellent choice for people who don't mind staying a little bit out of town so long as their accommodation has loads of character. The transport info you need to know is that the Queen Street tram takes about 20 minutes from the Osgoode subway station through slow-moving traffic.

As for accommodation info, I think anyone would be delighted to stay in such a characterful house - the quirky decoration will surely put a smile on your face. We had a twin room that was part of a suite with one other bedroom, a bathroom and kitchen with balcony overlooking the garden. Bear in mind that you might have to share the bathroom/kitchen with occupants of the other bedroom. As such, the suite is of course ideal for a family.

In the neighbourhood you will find a large supermarket, a convenience
store and two hotels - the Drake and the Gladstone - for hipster wining and dining. The city end of Queen St. has great one-of-a-kind shops to explore.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Beaconsfield, not just because we were staying in a truly unique house, but also because we had an extremely welcoming and helpful hostess in Katya.

Beaconsfield B&B, a picturesque old mansard house surrounded by trees and other quaint houses, is full of beautiful antiques and whimsical decor. It is situated in Beaconsfield Avenue, just off Queen Street West, a crazy multi-cultural district where there is always something happening.

The photo shows an elegant and tastefully decorated establishment ... BUT ... it is much more than that.

Its greatest asset is its charming hostess, Katya, a motherly soul who cares for her guests as if they were her own family. Even though she had never met us before, she gave us all a hearty welcome when we arrived. Katya gave us maps of Toronto and lots of advice about interesting places to visit and how to get there. The B&B, a short walk from the bustle of Queens Street West, is a quiet family-friendly haven where you can relax.

My wife and I had a wonderful experience at Beaconsfield B&B. We stayed there 4 of the 5 nights of our Toronto holiday (the 5th night was sold-out, so we had to roll our suitcases one block to grab the reservation we had made for the last night at the nearby Drake Hotel.)

Katya, our innkeeper, is an excellent host: full of great ideas, guidebooks, maps and good cheer. Upon arival, she swept us upstairs to view a huge map of Toronto, to give us a feeling where the B&B is located compared to all the hotspots. Based on her advise, we did NOT rent a car, but relied on public transit. That turned out to be excellent advice. If we had a car we would have left it at Beaconsfield: parking is scarce and expensive downtown, and Toronto has an excellent public transit system. We purchased unlimited day passes and rode the trolly car on Queen Street (one block away) which connected us with all the other transit lines and the subways. Fast, cheap, easy.

Every morning we were treated to a very nice breakfast in the front room with the other guests, usually with some nice music playing quietly on the CD player. Always interesting conversation over Katya's great cooking. We compared notes with each other and told each other about our home towns.

Beaconsfield is in an older neighborhood of tall, narrow Victorian homes. Some are a bit run down, but most are well maintained and quite interesting. We had absolutely no concerns for personal safety walking the neighborhood at any hour. Beaconsfield itself dates from the 1880's and is fairly well maintained. The rooms are on the second or third floors, so there is some stair climbing. Katya keeps the place clean and neat; the towels are plentiful and replenished daily.

Every morning I took my laptop down the block to have a quick cup of coffee at the Drake's outdoor cafe and use their free wi-fi internet. Coffee there is only $1.80. Sitting there watching the world go by you see the locals who bring their dogs with them when they stop by for breakfast or a beer in the evening. Very folksy and nice.

We heartily reccomend Beaconsfield. Very family friendly, but also nice for couples and singles. It is a warm, inviting place that will be at the top of our list the next time we visit Toronto.

Amazingly relaxing and rejuvenating visit for myself and my two sons. The Beaconsfield Bed and Breakfast is a most unique experience. The host, Katya, is a terrific person who sees to her visitors' needs for a place to stay. Then there is the unique and wonderful art painted on the walls, such as open sky and pastoral views, along with complimenting adornments that make a person truly feel they are in a wide open space and at one with nature. The decor is very artsy, very tasteful. Before breakfast we played with fashionably old toys and games, read books in the library and spent time looking at all the artwork, and unique decor. A good example of Katya's taste is that all the dining room chairs have real baby shoes, slippers and sneakers, on the chair feet to protect the floor. Another is an oddly attractive winged woman sculpture hovering over the room as if watching over her guests with a kind heart.

The atmosphere is so peaceful and relaxing and quiet. We slept with the windows open each night and I do not recall hearing a single sound outside. Off the deck, we watched squirrels scamper and birds flutter around the garden. The place is perfect for the soul.

The location is superb, nestled deep within the Queen Street West art community. Lots of unique shops and art galleries. We walked all the way downtown from the Beaconsfield. There was a trolley stop at the end of the block for when we felt like riding, and a subway station just a short taxi cab ride away.

All in all, I would stay at the Beaconsfield B&B anytime I go to Toronto. Just cannot say enough good things about it. I hope that more travelers will take advantage of such a fine establishment and wonderful host.