Doors Open Toronto – Part 1 – Le Meridien King Edward Hotel

Once a year the city of Toronto opens it’s doors to historic and new buildings across the city to the public for free. This often includes buildings that normally have so much security to enter that they destroy suspicious looking keys you might have, to buildings that haven’t had people in their rooms in 30 years.

I had the oppourtunity to explore a number of different buildings this year. Part 1 begins with the Historic Le Meridien King Edward Hotel located in the heart of the downtown core. Here is a brief description on the hotel from www.toronto.com:

The nearly century-old King Eddy’s guest books contain the names of some of the most famous figures: Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain and The Beatles. The hotel opened in 1903 as the King Edward, built by George Gooderham — at the time, the richest man in Toronto. The interior includes massive marble columns and a skylight in the lobby. The exterior was completed in French Renaissance style using terra-cotta trimmings. In 1928, a new wing was added, including a nine-storey tower rising above the original eight-storey structure. The hotel was designated as a historical site in 1975 and closed in 1979 for a $25 million restoration. It re-opened in 1981. And its old-world charm can still be found at Victoria’s Restaurant.

Today the hotel is getting ready for another renovation. It will be turned into a hotel / condo living space. With the old Crystal Ballroom on the top floor, which has been beautifully decaying for the last 30 years, restored to it’s original elegance. Here are a few of my photos of the King Eddy.