Gladstone Hotel

Gladstone Hotel Review

The Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail called the Gladstone the "anti-chain-hotel Toronto experience" in 2006, and that's still an apt description for this bohemian beacon. A run-down Victorian hostelry, the Gladstone was transformed into a community event space, with artist-designed guest rooms and an emphasis on everything that is one-of-a-kind—even the soaps are handmade and locally produced. The hand-operated 1904 elevator is one of three still working in Toronto. (Ask for assistance to take a ride in it.) Each room is a distinct artist's vision. In the Racine Room, maroon-velvet furnishings complement a stack of vintage steamer trunks that hide the TV and DVD player. The Model Citizen room plays with a peacock theme, complete with a lucite bird light-fixture and a purple tail-feather headboard; the two-story Tower suite, ready for Rapunzel, contains not only a wraparound view of the city, but also a bedroom in the tower of the hotel. Some rooms have bidets.