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Presenting A Behind The Scenes Look At The Historic Royal York Hotel One Of Toronto s Crown Jewels part I
he more time I spend three generations of Britain’s
discovering Toronto the Royal Family.
more I realize it is a
fascinating city with interesting The name-dropping does not stop
people and places, historic and there: famous, even legendary
current, famous and not so guests have graced this Toronto
famous. Sometimes our most landmark: Sir Winston Churchill,
interesting discoveries are local Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Gina
ones - broadening our minds and Lollobrigida, Ella Fitzgerald,
expanding our horizons doesn’t Tony Bennet, Jerry Lewis, Jane
always require a plane ticket and Fonda and Tony Curtis. Other
thousands of kilometers visitors include Annie Lennox,
travelled. Wayne Gretzky, George Lucas,
Queen Latifah, N’Sync and many
So in the spirit of local more. Just last week when I
explorations I singled out attended a special function at
Toronto’s historic Royal York the Fairmont Royal York to
Hotel as the next destination for celebrate the 196th Anniversary
my inquiries about Toronto. The of Mexico’s Independence I
Royal York (now officially called spotted Sandra Bullock, who was
the "Fairmont Royal York") has in town for Toronto’s renowned
been a distinguished feature on International Film Festival.
Toronto’s skyline since 1929 and Sandra very graciously responded
as one of the most prestigious to all the requests for
hotels in the city, it has held autorgraphs before she retreated
allure for international to her table in the Library Bar.
travelers and locals alike for The Royal York no doubt has been
almost 80 years. More than 40 a favourite hangout of the rich
million guests have stayed here and famous for a long time.
since the opening, including
Built by famous Montreal Deco era.
architects Ross and Macdonald,
assisted by the Toronto office of For a personal discovery of this
Sproatt and Rolph, the hotel celebrated institution I met
opened its doors in 1929. In the Melanie Coates and Alka Patel who
Age of the Metropolis, it was both work in media relations for
entirely appropriate to have a the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
stepped back skyscraper-style These two experts were going to
hotel anchor the downtown give me a first-hand
skyline. Every room was equipped behind-the-scenes look at some of
with a private phone, a tub bath the interesting features of this
and a radio, a sensational Toronto landmark.
achievement at the time.
While I was waiting for Melanie
28 storeys rise up to almost 400 in the ground floor reception
feet above street level. area I just sat down in one of
Originally the building had five the big armchairs to take in the
storeys rising from a rectangular atmosphere. International
basement, then featuring sixteen travelers, here on business and
stepped-back bedroom storeys, a holidays, were streaming in and
two-storey roof garden out of the two-level Beaux-Arts
restaurant, and finally a inspired lobby, many of them were
four-storey steeply pitched, waiting for someone beside the
copper-covered roof. The railway clock located centrally
architectural style can be in the lobby, a popular meeting
labeled as “modern classicism” place for hotel guests.
and its geometric forms, stylized
ornamentation and stepped-back After we connected, Melanie
layout qualify it as one of pointed out that the lobby was
Toronto’s jewels from the Art completely renovated in 2001.
Prior to then it had had a very receptions.
dark carpet while now a new
gorgeous light-coloured mosaic Walking eastwards on the main
tiled floor is gracing this floor we passed by Epic, the
expansive space. The Imperial hotel’s signature restaurant
Foyer adjacent to the Lobby was whose cuisine combines fresh
also recently renovated and a local ingredients with classic
stunning vaulted ceiling was French touches in a contemporary
uncovered. The Library Bar on the environment. We took an escalator
south side opened in 1971 and upstairs and Melanie pointed out
provides an intimate and cozy Toronto’s smallest bar: “York
atmosphere with its dark Station” only holds 16 guests,
paneling. has been referred to by its
patrons as “the best bar in
The Imperial Ballroom on the west Canada” and is the perfect spot
side of the building is a grand for waiting on a commuter train.
space that used to be the venue
for legendary entertainers such The Mezzanine level also holds a
as Marlene Dietrich, Sammy Davis range of other meeting rooms of
Jr., Bob Hope and Tony Bennett. the hotel. We walked eastwards
In addition to big band concerts, into the addition to the hotel,
this grand space was later turned constructed between October 1956
into a dinner theatre and with and February 1959. This addition
the increasing demand for expanded the hotel’s capacity by
corporate meetings and special 400 hotel rooms to reach today’s
events, it became a site for total of about 1400 hotel rooms
conventions in the 1980s. Today and suites. The meeting rooms in
it has partly returned to its this new section are named after
roots as a ballroom and is a different Canadian provinces and
sought after venue for galas and territories and are decorated
with immense murals depicting significant locations throughout
scenes from Canadian history. The Canada. Among others, these
public areas hold photos and included the Banff Springs Hotel,
captions explaining the history the Chateau Lake Louise, the
of the hotel, and shed some light Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and the
on the interesting personalities Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City.
behind this fascinating During the 1920s it was decided
structure. that Toronto also needed a grand
railway hotel, so the idea for
Prior to the Royal York Hotel the Royal York Hotel was born.
there had already been two Construction took about a year
earlier hotels on this very site: and a half and on June 11, 1929,
the Ontario Terrace Hotel opened the Royal York Hotel opened to
in 1843 and was renamed the grand fanfare. Incidentally at
Sword’s Hotel in 1853. In 1860 it the time it was the tallest
was renamed again as the Revere building in Toronto and even
House and finally as the Queen’s throughout the entire British
Hotel in 1862. The Queen’s had Empire until the construction of
been one of Toronto’s most the Canadian Bank of Commerce’s
prestigious hotels prior to its tower one year later.
demolition in 1927 to make way
for the Royal York Hotel. At the During the ensuing depression the
time many people were outraged Royal York Hotel managed to stay
that this venerable institution open and it is said that
was going to be torn down to make management scoured the street for
way for a new hotel. guests and staff had to live off
tips. A radio station opened at
Starting in the mid 1880s, the the hotel in 1930 which remained
Canadian Pacific Railway had open until 1936. Its call letters
built imposing luxury hotels at were CPRY (for “Canadian Pacific
Royal York”). Even more opened on the east side of the
surprisingly, the hotel had a hotel, including extensive
fully operational hospital conference and meeting
complete with an operating facilities. This 17-story
theatre, two wards, a nurses’ addition made the Royal York
room, a dispensary, a consulting Hotel the biggest hotel in the
room and waiting rooms. British Commonwealth.
A key event happened in 1934 when But you would be off the mark if
John Labatt, famous entrepreneur you assume that the hotel only
and beer industry magnate, was hosts human guests: the 1975
kidnapped and dropped off three Shriner’s convention not only
days later, tired yet unharmed, brought 65,000 human guests to
at the Royal York Hotel. King the hotel, but the hotel was also
George VI and Queen Elizabeth I required to take care of all the
(the Queen Mother) came to stay parade horses as well as a
in the hotel in 1939. Naturally, life-sized papier maché camel.
royalty has been part of the
Royal York Hotel ever since its Extensive renovations were
inception. carried out in the late 1980s and
early 1990s. More than $100
Tragedy unfolded in 1949: fire million was invested in order to
broke out on the cruise ship restore the hotel’s 1920’s glory.
Noronic which was moored at In 1976 a celebration was held to
Harbourfront, just steps away commemorate the 90th anniversary
from the hotel. 118 people were of the Canadian Pacific Railway
killed in this disaster. The Corporation. Meals were sold at
Royal York became a field 1886 prices, at 89 Cents for a
hospital for the survivors. In four-course meal this was even
1959 the new 400-room addition cheaper than when the hotel
opened in 1929!
About the Author:
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our FREE ebooks about travel.
Published At: www.Isnare.com
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