The Mulberry Tree is a gorgeous B&B with a gracious and eclectic interior. Art, photography, and world treasures adorn the front desk, kitchen, and winding staircase.
Although our room was on the small side, the B&B offered an upstairs common sitting area with coffee/tea service and mini-fridge.
The building is found in a great part of town. I reached Cabbagetown, Yonge St., Church/Wellesley, Bloor St., and the subway all by foot. The area seemed fine for solo travelers to walk around in the evening (using big city travel sense, of course.)
A couple of must-know bits of information. First, the innkeepers accept only cash (in Canadian funds). Second, Internet access is limited to one troublesome dial-up connection in the hallway next to the upstairs sitting area. Luckily, there are relatively inexpensive Internet cafes within a few blocks with easier access to the Information Superhighway.
I found the head innkeeper to be rather unfriendly. When I called ahead to say that we'd be late arriving the first night due to misjudgment of the map, she scolded us by saying, "You shouldn't have used Internet directions." Sadly, the B&B Website had no directions beyond Canada, so Internet directions seemed to be the most appropriate choice coming from the USA. Another instance of the offputting service occurred when our room had not been cleaned for two days. When I asked the Carol (the innkeeper) about housekeeping, she said, "well, you were in your rooms both days." This was clearly not the case, as we were actively sightseeing the days in mention (with receipts to prove our time away from the room). No apology was made for the inattention to the room, although the housekeeper came by to clean within 30 mins of my query.
We've always had great relations with innkeepers throughout our many years of traveling, so I'm rather saddened to have this sour taste. Looking past this, the Mulberry Tree is a distinctive, yet affordable lodging choice in the heart of Toronto.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC