Doors Open: Gladstone Hotel

The second place we checked out on Doors Open was the Gladstone Hotel, which is also in our 'hood.

Some history about the Gladstone:

* The Gladstone Hotel is the oldest continuously operating hotel in Toronto.
* The Gladstone was originally built in 1889 as a stylish hostelry across from the then existing Parkdale railroad station which serviced the Grand Trunk, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), and the Canadian National Railway (CNR) companies.
* The original owner, Susanna Robinson, was a widow who operated and lived at the hotel with her 13 children. In fact, the hotel as always been operated as a family enterprise and continues to do so today under current ownership of the Zeidler family.
* The Gladstone was one of the first ten hotels in Ontario to receive permission to allow patrons to drink and play shuffleboard in a licensed alcoholic area.
* At one time the Gladstone Hotel was the last place to obtain hard liquor before reaching The City of Hamilton.

Gord on the balcony on the second floor (overlooking Queen Street W)


There are 37 artist designed themed rooms ... here are the ones that we could get into:

Faux Naturelle


Skygazer


The Billio Room


Even our guide, Gladstone Cowboy Hank, has a room ... that's him on the pillowcases and wallpaper!



Here's the view from the Tower Suite ...

East


South


West


Gord and our guide, Gladstone Cowboy Hank, in the Tower Suite


Excellent tour! We did it four years ago before they started their renovation and so much has changed!

We had a couple Steam Whistle in the Melody Bar after the tour.


Hank stopped by and chatted with us for a while. He gave us his CD of old-time country songs.

Here's the Gladstone Hotel ... and there's Gord standing in the window of the Melody Bar!