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90 years ago today, the Royal York Hotel—now the Fairmont Royal York—opened across from the then-new Union Station in Downtown Toronto. At the time the tallest building in Toronto and the entire British Empire, the 28-storey hotel was the showpiece of the Depression-era skyline for years after its 1929 opening. To mark the 90th anniversary of one of Toronto's most influential skyscrapers, the hotel hosted a celebration earlier today, nine decades to the day that the iconic landmark opened its doors. This celebration also offered a first look at a newly-completed part of the final phase in a multi-year renovation of the property.
Guests and media arrived to a festival atmosphere, with a live band greeting attendees at the Front Street entrance. Once guests were settled in, the festivities kicked off with remarks, starting with Edwin Frizzell, Regional Vice President and General Manager at Fairmont Royal York, who started by greeting guests and thanking investment partners KingSett Capital. Other speakers included Paul Campbell of KingSett Capital and Mayor John Tory, who opened by wishing the Royal York a happy birthday, before continuing with an amusing story about a former Mayor, Allan Lamport, who had a secret VIP suite in the hotel for "hosting cocktail parties."
After these brief remarks, the new renovations were officially unveiled with a plaque presentation followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony.
The latest renovations have refreshed the lobby in a style that pays homage to the hotel's roots as one of the original Canadian railway hotels, including new lighting and furniture to match the new style. Two new food and beverage venues have been added during the renovations, including "CLOCKWORK Champagne & Cocktails" housed in the lobby area.
The lobby and bar are centred around a large clock designed by the Rockwell Group, replacing the popular smaller 2002-installed clock and original spiral staircase that previously stood nearby. The other new food and beverage space (not pictured in this article) is REIGN Restaurant + Bar + Bakery. This second space is opening in phases, with the bar currently open as of today, and both the restaurant and bakery to follow within the next week.
While the loss of the aforementioned clock and spiral staircase will surely be lamented, the former is being preserved in the interim until a future home can be found for it. The former location of the staircase is currently home to a tiered floral centrepiece, just west of the new clock.
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