Huge hotel and event venue would forever change look of Toronto's Exhibition Place

Your annual summer trip to the CNE might be looking a bit different in the years to come, thanks to a planned hotel and event venue set to transform the vibe of Toronto's Exhibition Place.

Building on the success of the 2018-opened Hotel X, a 32-storey second-phase hotel tower and adjoining event venue is in the works for the popular destination — a plan that has seen many revisions since first proposed almost five years ago.

New planning documents filed with the City of Toronto earlier this year outline updated plans to expand Exhibition Place's hospitality and entertainment offerings, and reveal significant changes from previous visions for the site.

Initial plans for a hotel and venue, revealed in February 2021, boasted a futuristic design for a stadium to host a pair of local esports franchises, with an expected opening date in 2025. 

However, plans were drastically altered just a year later, with revised plans and a new scaled-back design.

By 2024, the design had shifted yet again, and later that year, it was revealed that the project faced a seven-year delay, raising doubts about the hotel and venue's future.

New revisions revealed in early 2026 include an increase in the hotel tower's height from the previous 30 storeys, and a reduction in the events venue's capacity from 7,000 to 5,000, along with major changes to both buildings' designs.

The hotel component now proposes 370 suites and a height of 32 storeys. Despite the departure of the Honda Toronto Indy in 2025, hotel developer Harlo Capital seems bullish on the future of major events at Exhibition Place, and the associated venue would surely help drive demand for hotel suites.

The proposed event venue's latest design moves away from the sweeping curves that defined previous plans, instead opting for an angular, faceted look. Architecture firm Populous, known for its work designing major stadiums around the globe, has overseen all iterations of the venue's design as the vision evolves through the years.

An esports venue at Exhibition Place would be just one of the many additions of new entertainment options in and around the landmark grounds. Along with a major expansion of BMO Field ahead of the FIFA World Cup this summer, the nearby Ontario Place redevelopment is adding a large private spa and a relocated Science Centre, as well as improvements coming to the RBC Amphitheatre (formerly Budweiser Stage).