Wilson Hall Residence is a student residence from September to April, and it looks like one. The brick-and-concrete interior, shiny flooring, and echoing stairwells perfectly fit the image of a typical school building. Six floors are a sprawling maze of guest rooms, classrooms, and quiet, open-concept study areas, with no real division between guest areas and spaces that summer students at the university might use.

With its basic services and guest rooms, the residence makes its target market of backpackers and budget travelers quite clear. Despite the many common areas, the residence doesn’t exude a social, hostel-like atmosphere, and instead appears to be more of an in-and-out place to crash for most guests.

Wilson Hall Residence is located on the large downtown campus of the University of Toronto, which stretches for 180 acres, bound by Bay Street, Bloor Street, Spadina Avenue, and College Street. The residence is on the periphery of the Annex neighborhood, an attractive, student-driven district filled with tree-lined paths and historic homes.

Dining and nightlife at the Bloor-Spadina intersection can be reached in 10 minutes on foot, and more bars, clubs, and restaurants are found down Bloor Street. The Art Gallery of Ontario, the Royal Ontario Museum, Chinatown, and Kensington Market are all located within a mile of the residence. Slightly farther away are the upscale shops and restaurants of Yorkville, which can be reached in a 20-minute walk. Two subway stations, Queen’s Park and Spadina, are also located within half a mile of the residence. Toronto Pearson International Airport is about 41 minutes away by public transportation or a 34-minute drive. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is even closer -- about 25 minutes by public transportation or a 17-minute drive.

Guest rooms at Wilson Hall Residence look like the student dorms that they are, with drab gray or brown flooring and walls. Room sizes vary significantly, but all include one or two single beds, a wooden desk and chair, as well as a dresser unit with a full-length mirror on the inside door. Small plastic cups and off-brand bars of soap are set on the desks, and thin white towels are draped over dated bedspreads. Most rooms include large windows with views of the pretty surrounding campus. None of the rooms have TVs, but they do have phones, and Wi-Fi is free. 

Shared bathrooms look similar to large public washrooms, arranged in long rows of sinks and stalls. Toilet and shower stalls are separate. Some include a bathtub and others have just a shower. The bathrooms are fairly clean overall, but there are noticeable signs of wear-and-tear, including spots of rust and chipped bits of porcelain. Guests should bring shower shoes. 

Common areas are found on every floor of Wilson Hall Residence and, like the guest rooms, they vary in size. All include couches and flat-screen TVs, as well as full kitchens with refrigerators, stovetops, ovens, and microwaves. Some have table-and-chair set-ups for dining. However, there are no cups, cutlery, or any cooking utensils provided for preparing meals. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the residence, and guests also have the option of using an ethernet cord for wired Internet access. Hot breakfasts are available in the enormous dining hall on weekdays (and some weekends) for an extra charge. Each floor offers guest laundry facilities with coin-operated washers and dryers.

The residence includes a number of meeting and event rooms, which range from a 250-seat auditorium and 300-person banquet hall, to small classrooms and boardrooms. Guests can pay a daily fee to use the facilities at the neighboring University of Toronto Athletic Centre.