Royal York Toronto
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| Royal York Hotel, Photo courtesy of Tourism Toronto |
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.
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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:
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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”.
History of the Royal York Toronto – official and unofficial
Up on the mezzanine overlooking the lobby you’ll find a somewhat selective history of the hotel told in photographs. This collection of black and white shots of the hotel at different stages of its life is fascinating. Ok, this company history and homage to itself is egocentric, but it’s also amusing. In addition to the architectural shots there are lots of photos of celebrities. The Rich and Famous reign here in a kind of Perpetual Shrine to Pomp & Power.
One part of its past you won’t find in most potted histories of this hotel is the infamous labour strike of the hotel workers in 1961-1962. The protest lasted 17 days short of a year! Back then, Local 299 of the Hotel & Club Employees Union fought a David & Goliath Battle where the workers took on the rich & powerful in their own castle. Talk about a revolt of the peasants. After nearly twelve months of walking the picket line, the employees – cooks, cleaners, servers etc – couldn’t hold out anymore. Hunger forced most workers back long before the year ended. The remaining ragtag crowd finally accepted a settlement that was little better than the one they’d rejected before the strike.
In a sense Goliath won. However, the Royal York Toronto workers did manage to hold onto their union status, which was a victory of sorts, as the hotel management had tried to kill off the union altogether. To this day many members of the hotel staff at the Royal York are unionized.
Amenities
The Royal York Toronto has five restaurants and four bars open to the general public and popular with locals. You'll find such reassuring ceremonies as the “Afternoon Tea and Roof Garden Tour” ... perhaps the perfect tool to wheedle your way back into someone's good graces?
You'll find some fine shopping here as well. Art-lovers shouldn't miss Balzac Fine Arts where you can buy Inuit sculpture and other contemporary Canadian pieces.
Animal-lovers will be pleased to learn that the hotel sets aside some dog-friendly rooms for you and your pal. (Although not completely friendly…the rules state that Fido must be "crated" at all times unless you're in the room with him.)
The Royal York has a long history of serving the wealthy, so prices aren’t cheap. Regular rates start around $250 per night, but in tough economic times you can sometimes find discounted rooms for as little as $119/night – a steal!
Location
The Royal York is located at 100 Front Street West, right across the street from Union Station Toronto. It's connected to Union Station Toronto by the Toronto PATH system.
The hotel is in easy walking distance to the Entertainment District, the Financial District, Harbourfront, the AirCanada Centre, and the Rogers Centre Stadium.
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