Checking into T.O.’s proud hotel history

Newly built luxury hotels such as the Ritz, Trump and Four Seasons to join city’s inn crowd

From top, the Eaton dinner at the King Edward Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom & the centre of it all, the Royal York Hotel circa 1930

Toronto has had a rich history of fine hotels, but none able to advertise five stars’ worth of luxury living. But that is changing in a big way with not one or even two, but five new hotels that have already opened or are on the way to achieving the highest level of luxury for the inn crowd including the Ritz-Carlton, Trump Toronto, Hazelton, Shangri-La and the new Four Seasons.

For decades, we got along just fine with our historic gems, named the Royal York Hotel and the King Edward Hotel, both world-class in their day.

The Royal York, now owned by Fairmont, was opened in 1929, on the site of two previous hotels, at the beginning of the Great Depression, proving that timing is not everything.

It, like many of the country’s finest historic hotels, was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

And get this: the state-of-the-art facilities in the hotel included a beautiful concert hall, 10 elevators, a private shower or bath and a radio in each and every room. Take that, Trump.

At 28 floors, it was the tallest building in the British Empire at the time and has hosted all manner of royalty, world leaders and celebrities until this day. But, when Elvis Presley and the Beatles used to come to town, it was the King Edward Hotel for them.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono even stayed in the King Eddie’s royal suite the night before their famous “bed-in.” Take that, Ritz-Carlton.

The hotel was opened in 1903 by George Gooderham as part of his Toronto Hotel Company.

The top floor of the hotel housed the ultra-glamorous Crystal Ballroom — once the most fashionable place to be in the entire city.

The hotel was previously owned by Lehman Brothers Bank — yes, that Lehman Brothers — but has since been purchased by Toronto developer Gil for a reported $53 million with the aim of fully renovating this stunning gem.

These places are special to Torontonians and travellers alike and they offer a sense of history and elegance that new whizbang facilities can never match — whether they have five stars or not. Long may they reign.

This article appears in the March 2012 issue of Post City Magazines