Retro Suites Hotel, Chatham, ON

I'm in Chatham (three hours from Toronto) for a couple days visiting a client.  Rather than staying at a bland Holiday Inn, the Retro Suites Hotel caught my eye when I was looking online.

The Retro Suites Hotel combines historic elements of the King William Block with modern amenities, providing an unparalleled experience for guests to the region.

The buildings that encompass the Retro Suites Hotel have undergone a series of renovations, with an emphasis placed on preserving their original character and architecture.The Block has some of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the city. T.J. Rutley designed the George Stephens hardware store in the 1888. The store featured a glass façade — the largest windowpane in Chatham at the time. The Chatham Tri-Weekly noted in its newspaper that “…Mr. Stephens is to be congratulated upon the enterprise and success.”

Later, the building housed Zink Hardware. The entrance faced the market square, where Chatham-area residents purchased their fruit, vegetables and meat products from local vendors. Today, the Stephens’ building has been painstakingly restored and now features the hotel’s hospitality suites.

The staircase, in the hotel’s lobby, dates back to 1895, when it was a part of the Merrill Hotel. The terrazzo floors and tin ceilings, along with the contemporary art and furnishings, give the Retro Suites Hotel its unique appeal. 

 Here's the lobby area ... so much to see!

George checked me in and was very friendly and knowledgeable about the property.

The complimentary amenities were amazing ... local and long distance phone calls, parking, WIFI (sometimes it was hard to connect to but when I did, it was fast), breakfast, popcorn, bottled water, and more!

Each room has a theme ... I chose "The Blast".

It was really groovy and had real pink shag carpet!

The rooms have satellite TV ... I had hundreds of channels to choose from all over Canada and the U.S.

As cool as the room was, it's not conducive for the business traveler ... the only place I had to put my laptop so I could work was on the high top table and the accompanying chairs were too high for the table.

The journey to the lobby was fun from my room on the second floor.

All in all, I would stay here the next time I come to Chatham.