Ontario is the kind of province that makes you rewrite your itinerary halfway through the trip. One day you're standing close enough to Niagara Falls to feel the spray on your face, the next you're looking out over Toronto's skyline from 350 metres up, and a couple of hours after that you're on a dock somewhere in Muskoka listening to loons call across a still lake. It's a big place, and it packs in a proper mix of big-city energy and genuine wilderness.

A short CN Tower-and-Falls dash and a slower loop through cottage country need different bases, and Ontario has a stay to match either one. Here's where to base yourself, what it'll cost you, and a few real places worth booking.

Where to stay in Ontario

• Toronto: the big-city base, all glass towers, rooftop patios and a food scene that runs from Kensington Market snack stalls to fine dining with harbour views. Good pick if you want nightlife and museums within walking distance. See hotels in Toronto.
• Niagara Falls: book a Fallsview room and you'll wake up to one of the loudest, most spectacular views on the continent. Also the easy choice for families, with waterparks and arcades built right into the hotel towers. See hotels in Niagara Falls.
• Ottawa: a quieter, greener base on the Ottawa River, with the Rideau Canal running straight through town (a skating rink in winter, a paddling route in summer) and a solid run of museums and galleries. See hotels in Ottawa.
• Muskoka: Ontario's cottage country, a couple of hours north of Toronto and dotted with lakes, pine forest and old-school resort towns. Best in autumn, when the maple trees turn the whole region red and gold. See hotels in Muskoka.

How much is Ontario accommodation?

Expect to pay somewhere around AU$220 a night on average across Ontario, though it swings hard depending on whether you're bunking in a Toronto hostel or booking a Fallsview suite with the curtain of water right outside your window.

• Backpackers/Hostels: From AU$45 per night. A dorm bed in Toronto or Niagara Falls, fine for solo travellers keeping the budget tight.
• Budget hotels/Guesthouses: From AU$110 per night. Clean, simple motels and small inns, usually a short drive from the main sights.
• Mid-range/Apartments: From AU$190 per night. A proper hotel room or a serviced apartment with a kitchen, handy if you're staying more than a couple of nights.
• Boutique: From AU$260 per night. Design-led hotels with actual character, often in a converted heritage building downtown.
• Luxury/Resorts: From AU$390 per night. Fallsview suites, grand railway-era hotels and lakeside resorts with their own spa and dock.

Top-rated hotels in Ontario

• Fairmont Royal York (Toronto): a grand 1929 railway hotel right by Union Station, with a rooftop apiary that's home to half a million bees and supplies honey straight to the hotel's own restaurant.
• Marriott Niagara Falls Fallsview Hotel & Spa (Niagara Falls): rooms with a straight-on view of the Falls and a spa where you can properly unwind after a day of getting misted by the spray.
• Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel and Suites (Niagara Falls): the family pick, with a 10,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and two-room suites that give the kids their own space.
• Fairmont Château Laurier (Ottawa): locals call it "Ottawa's castle," and the copper roof and stone turrets make it one of the most photographed buildings in the city, right on the edge of the canal.
• JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa (Muskoka): a lakeside resort on Lake Rosseau with its own dock and marina access, perfect for a proper unplug in cottage country.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Ontario

• Book Fallsview rooms well ahead for summer and long weekends. It's a small strip of hotels chasing the same view, and prices climb fast once availability tightens.
• If you're chasing autumn foliage in Muskoka, aim for late September to mid-October and book early. Leaf-peeping season fills up cottage-country resorts months out.
• Staying in Toronto without a car? Look for a hotel near the subway (the TTC) rather than one that just looks close to downtown on a map. It'll save you a lot of walking in winter.
• Ottawa's Rideau Canal Skateway only runs in winter, so if that's the drawcard for your trip, check it's actually open before you book anything nearby.
• Ontario summers run hot and humid, especially in Toronto and Niagara. A pool or air conditioning is worth checking for, not assuming, especially at budget guesthouses.

Combine it with a flight to Canada and you've got everything from waterfalls to lakeside sunsets sorted in one trip.