Days Inn Carlton renovation to Holiday Inn

[College Park]

The Days Inn sign is gone, and the building is dark.

The upper signage came down last week, and this weekend the flags and front signage were removed. I spoke to a man in the front lobby: the hotel is indeed closed. It appears there is new ownership, that the guest rooms are being gutted and rebuilt, and that they are pushing for a May 2010 opening to catch the G20 meeting here in Toronto. The gentleman did not reveal any other specifics.

The place needs the reno: the old girl was showing her age.

 

[adma]

Let's pray that it doesn't get totally EIFS-i-fied (i.e. de-Brutalized)

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

And pray they can solve the bed bug problem that plagues the building which Days Inn was unable to get a handle on (got that from a friend who works in the hotel biz.).

 

[CML]

Don't think any of the leaders of the G20 will be staying here! Some lowly scribes - maybe.

 

[yin_yang]

that place is sketchy...i live across the street (looking at the empty rooms now) and have seen way too many pornos filmed in there.

 

[adma]

Yeah, to me, the Days Inn and its adjoining condo has really got this Ashley Dupré thing going. Somehow, I can picture it having been a "love hotel" for NHLers back in the day...

 

[Towered]

Such an ugly building.

 

[adma]

I find it more neutral than ugly per se. And as stated, if you think it's ugly now, imagine it "improved" through an EIFS overlay...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Yeah, to me, the Days Inn and its adjoining condo has really got this Ashley Dupré thing going. Somehow, I can picture it having been a "love hotel" for NHLers back in the day...

The adjoining property at 33 Wood St. is actually a rental apartment complex that has shared recreational facilities with the hotel. Some units are furnished and available by the month (often Days Inn overflows used the apartments by the night) or unfurnished on a yearly lease.

 

[maestro]

I find the two side by side complexes quite interesting. I would have expected the taller towers to face Carlton but perhaps the sun being south of Toronto had something to do with it.

 

[adma]

The "back door" focus of the apartments upon Wood St (and next door at The Maples) also helps the "secretive MLG love hotel" feel to it all...

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I find the two side by side complexes quite interesting. I would have expected the taller towers to face Carlton but perhaps the sun being south of Toronto had something to do with it.

Prominent access on Carlton Street makes a little more sense for hotel access as opposed to Wood Street. Before The Met/Encore were built you were gold if you could get a south facing apartment in the top 9 floors at 33 Wood, the views were spectacular. Below that the hotel began to block views the further down the suites went. I had to find a quick place to live after the divorce & 33 Wood was clean, well maintained, had good facilities and had units available immediately so I lived there for a year. It's a good building but I hated living in a unit facing north, so little sun it was bad for my head plus Wood Street is way too noisy so I went on a waiting list for a south facing unit but decided to move when my lease is up. It's also a very transient building, much like the tiny apartments next door at the two Maples apartment towers.

 

[SP!RE]

That's just the greatest urban canyon in the city though... Argh, I love Carlton between Yonge and Church.

 

[adma]

I'm surprisingly fond of the "Brutalist cliff dweller" effect of the 33 Wood/Maples pairing along Wood, too--a street of this would be like the fantasy of some 70s beton-brut Haussmann...

 

[SP!RE]

that place is sketchy...i live across the street (looking at the empty rooms now) and have seen way too many pornos filmed in there.

Are you serious???