After months of being closed for renovation, the Gladstone House (previously known as the Gladstone Hotel), will soon be reopening their indoor spaces to the public, including the newly made over Melody Bar and Bistro Café.
Located on West Queen West, the re-imagined heritage hotel will once again maintain its presence as one of the cities cultural hotspots. The new name refers to the original “Gladstone House” engravings on the stone exterior of the building, and will foster a sense of history within a modernized space.
The teams spearheading this makeover project (Streetcar Developments and Dream Unlimited Corporation) are also responsible for the successful revamp of the Broadview Hotel in Riverside, which has seen an influx of guests due to the colourful dining and vibrant social environment, that the Gladstone House will too possess.
“As one of the oldest operating hotels in Toronto, we are dedicated to paying homage to the Gladstone’s rich history in the city, and maintaining its status as a celebration of diversity in the West Queen West neighbourhood,” says Les Mallins, the founder and president of Streetcar Developments.
Though final renderings of the hotel rooms have yet to be released, the depictions of the updated café, bar and dining spaces were included in the companies recent press release, and the images are breathtaking.
The spaces were designed by Elastic Interiors who have said, "The celebrated hotel, steeped in history, features restored exposed brick walls and innovative lighting applications that transition throughout the day, bringing the building to life. Guests will be delighted by the unexpected and modern elements, contrasted with colourful contemporary artwork to provide a unique, and elevated experience.”
The Bistro café and bar will be decked out with chic LED lighting and hot pink neon, accompanied by word art and graffiti. By early fall, they will resume their daily service for espresso-based beverages, pastries, casual dining and cocktails throughout the day.
The Melody Bar, a destination for wild karaoke nights and sickening Drag Brunches, will also be reopening its doors later this Fall, with a new line up of additional programming targeted to entice the neighbourhood as well as the rest of the city and beyond. The space will retain its two historic pillars––restored using a European fresco technique––and will have much darker features, to contrast with the adjacent café.
The walls of the private rooms and public spaces will be lined with artwork by local artists, all of whom submitted their work to be selected by a panel of judges back in November 2020, after an open call for artists was released.
The Gladstone House is located at 1214 Queen Street West and will officially reopen to the public in the Fall. In the meantime, for those looking ahead, the hotel has now opened its online system for room reservations and event bookings for September 2021 and onward.
