Contrasting Hotel

 

As a complete contrast to yesterday's large hotel, the vast majority of hotels in old Quebec City are small like this one which looks like it is in what had been an old house. Cute isn't it?

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

A Grand Hotel

 

This is the Chateau Frontenac hotel, one of the grand railway hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railways in the late 1800s. It was built in 1893 and sits at the edge of the upper old Quebec City and looks down across this wide boardwalk to the St Lawrence River. There are over 600 rooms in the hotel which is a designated historic site.

Literary Connections

This is the last pic from my perch in front of the ROM as I waited for the red bus to arrive for a "Red" picture. This is what was the Park Plaza hotel until recently renamed the Park Hyatt Hotel and it is under total renovation while being converted into condo apartments and hence the scaffolding around the bottom. The hotel has heritage protection and so the exterior will be exactly the same as when built in 1936. There was a famous roof top lounge and patio until 1990 that was mentioned in Margaret Atwood books including "The Edible Woman" (my favourite),  and "Cat's Eye". It had a fabulous view over the museum, Queens Park, U of T, and all of downtown. The lounge and patio are being renewed and will be well worth a visit when they open again.

Rear View

This is a pic taken from the walking trail along the Humber River ravine showing the rear of the Old Mill. The Old Mill opened in 1914 on the site of an old grist mill and has had many additions over the years as you can see. It is now a hotel, spa and event venue specializing in weddings with its own on-site chapel and wedding garden for pictures. It is also know for the afternoon tea that has been served since its opening in 1914. These back rooms would have a lovely view of the ravine and river!

Owl On Bloor St

While walking along Bloor St during the Open Streets event I spotted this new mural on the side of the Kimpton Saint George Hotel which is located at St George St and used to be a Holiday Inn until an extensive renovation and a new launch in June of this year. The artist is Birdo whose work I have shown you before (click on the Birdo label below). Apparently there is a lot of art in the hotel so I will have to go back to check the interior out.  
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Down By The River

This is the Old Mill Inn which is a restaurant, conference centre, hotel and spa located on the Humber River just down a bit from the guy fishing in the river that I showed you a week ago. It has been the site of various mills over the years but the last one burned in 1881 and the Old Mill Tea Garden opened here in 1914. There have been various additions since and the structure was given heritage protection a few years ago. I've never been inside but it is said to be quite nice.

Tiers

I found this piece in the entrance courtyard of the new Four Seasons Hotel in the Yorkville neighbourhood and at first glance I thought it was a fountain but it isn't. Then I thought it might be a type of planter but it isn't that either. It must be art. But it reminds me of a tiered pastry serving dish and I can't get that out of my mind. It is really tall as you can see from the pic - would hold a lot of pastry!

A Grand Old Hotel

This is the Windsor Arms Hotel, a 5 star hotel located diagonally from yesterday's Victorian facades. This Neo-Gothic hotel was built in 1927 and is historically designated but was totally rebuilt in the 1990s when 25 very high end condos were built on the top of it. The hotel is a favourite of many celebrities and famous people and I must say that I had one of the best meals in my life in one of their restaurants! 
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Creature

This is a close-up of the details found below the bay windows on the main floor of the Gladstone Hotel.  The fierce creature is super but once again it is the wonderful carving in the stone that I love!

Over The Arch

This is a detail shot of one of the arches found on the upper floor of the Gladstone Hotel.  The lion's head is wonderful but it is the carving over the arch that I really like. You can also see the meticulous restoration that was put into the building and its brickwork. This area of Queen St is now arguably the centre of hipsterism downtown.

Another Renewal

Just a block west on Queen St from the Drake Hotel which I showed a few days ago, is the Gladstone Hotel that was built in 1889 and designed by architect G. M. Miller in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. When built it was a prime destination due to its proximity to the Parkdale train station, but like the Drake it deteriorated with the neighbourhood through the years and had become a real dive before being purchased by the Zeidler family in 2002. It was then restored and renovated and has become a major arts & music hub with lots of events taking place there all year. A competition for local artists to design 37 of the hotel rooms was held and these rooms remain quite a draw for overnight guests. A couple of detail shots coming for the next 2 days.

"Why Not Now"

This billboard is part of an outdoor art exhibit that was going on at The Drake Hotel this summer. The billboard was done by U.K. artist Mark Titchner with the words "Why Not Now" surrounded by Titchner's signature Rococo patterns.

Sunday Brunch At The Drake

The Drake Hotel on Queen St W opened in 1890 as "Small's Hotel" when the nearby Parkdale railway station was a major train hub and Parkdale itself was a very affluent area in the city. It was sold in 1949 and renamed the "Drake" hotel and as the neighbourhood went downhill so did the hotel and it became a flophouse in the 70s. A new owner took over in 2001 and after extensive restoration & renovation, it reopened in 2004 and has become a major centre for the arts and culture, and the neighbourhood has bounced back to become a very desirable place to live. With a dining room, cafe, rooftop patio, and side terrace it is a prime Sunday brunch spot as you can see by the lineup to get onto the terrace. Weekend brunch is a major activity in Toronto!

Staying In Heritage Charlottetown

These homes are actually part of a unique hotel in the historic centre of Charlottetown, the provincial capital of PEI. In the 1990s a heritage hotel (circa 1846) was purchased and then the owners proceeded to buy up all the adjacent historic buildings in the entire square city block. All the buildings were restored to their former glory and now visitors check in at the original hotel and have the choice of staying there or in one of these gorgeous clapboard homes. I would have liked to have shown you a whole row of these homes but this was the only break in the line of trees!

Chihuly At Night

I posted pics of the Chihuly pieces in the canopy of the Metropolitan Soho Hotel last October 2010. I finally got down there to take a pic at night when the pieces were lit from above and they are spectacular! Click on my hotel label below to see the day shots.

Chihuly Canopy Close-up

This is a hard piece to shoot because there is a plexi (or glass?) cover over the bottom of the canopy and it creates a lot of reflection. If I owned any 1 of these 80 pieces in this sculpture I would be over the moon. It is lit at night but downtown Toronto is a busy place in the evenings - hard for parking, lots of crowds. I'll be in the area at night in a few weeks and will try for an illuminated pic!

Chihuly Canopy

One of the most interesting entrances to a hotel has to be at the Soho Metropolitan in the theatre district. Its entrance is topped by a canopy which includes a Dale Chihuly sculpture consisting of 80 incredible glass pieces. The canopy by the American glass master was installed in 2003 and is rumoured to have cost $500,000!. I'll post a detail shot tomorrow.