Royal York Toronto
(The Fairmont Hotel Toronto)

The Fairmont Royal York Toronto is more than just a hotel. It's an historic Toronto landmark with a colourful social history that may surprise you.

The Royal York Toronto is one of those rare institutions that actually suit the term “swish”. You only have to look at it from across the street to see that this Grand Old Dame has class. Its style belongs to a storied Canadian architectural tradition called “The Castles of the North”.

Like the Chateau Laurier Ottawa, the Royal York is one of a chain of luxurious “castle-hotels” that the Canadian Pacific Railway built in the early years of the 20th century, when rail travel was the way to get around the country. This explains its convenient location right across the street from Union Station Toronto.

In those days the railway company thought the "castle" look was the way to impress their status-hungry clients. This luxury property certainly resembles a “faux chateau”, at least at the roofline level, which is best viewed from a distance…down the street a block or two, or better yet, from the prow of the Toronto Island ferry. From there the Royal York Toronto with her copper tower, though dwarfed by dull skyscrapers, is still the Queen of them all.

But don’t be satisfied with just a quick glance at the imposing exterior of this Art Deco darling. Go inside. See the lobby. Even if you’re not staying here, if you’re interested in beauty at all, it’s worth your while to explore this historic Toronto attraction.

Inside the Fairmont Hotel Toronto

One thing you’ll notice even from the outside is that the building is quite massive by hotel standards. It features more than 1000 rooms spread over 28 floors in two wings (the east wing was added in 1959). One of these floors even has a Royal Suite for the Queen or her family members when they visit Toronto.

Does this huge two-storied lobby look familiar? Think hard. You may have seen it in a movie. The hotel often stands in for posh New York hotels when a film crew is shooting in Toronto and pretending it’s the Big Apple.

The centerpiece of the lobby is that famous four-faced clock, a thing of brassy beauty.

And what about those exquisite Art Deco elevators? These aren’t elevators; these are works of art. Here's just some of the detail on their brass doors:

Photo above by colros on flickr

The walls of some of the conference rooms are decorated with Canadian themes and if their doors happen to be open, have a peek. They're amazing.

And check out The Imperial Room (is a name like that even permissable these days?). It's normally used for business conferences and private functions. This is where the power brokers of the nation like to make their earth-shattering “pronouncements”.

NEXT PAGE: Royal York Toronto: History


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