The charm is undeniable at Gladstone House, Toronto’s longest operating hotel featured in the Michelin Toronto Hotel Guide, and that feels like a real home away from home.
Gladstone House greets you with a gallery-stairwell up to 4 levels of rooms, with each floor in the historic house-like building offering a change in momentum throughout the course of your stay.
And if an art gallery stairwell walk isn’t your thing, hop in one of Toronto’s oldest, manually-operated birdcage elevators, kept traditional inside and adorned with a mesmerizing coloured-mirror exterior.
Gladstone House Hotel, Julia Shelton
The multi-coloured mirror effect is created by dichroic film. Dichroic glass, made by applying micro layers of metal oxides to glass, was originally developed by NASA for aerospace applications. Artists and designers love the colour-changing effects and it’s now available as a film that can be applied to windows.
Placing this film on the elevator shaft and in the entrance windows is one of the many ways that we’ve combined historical and contemporary details throughout the hotel.
– Gladstone House
Inside Gladstone House
A recent extensive renovation revived the building originally built in 1889 and harnesses the heritage with special touches kept un-changed that compliment brand new finishes, giving new life to the Gladstone House look and feel. With strong and modern first impressions, the outside entryway showcases the same dichroic film seen with the elevator. No photo spoilers here, it’s best seen in-person for the first time.
Rotating artworks present in each room.
Beyond the stairwells and landings designed similarly to an up-scale art museum (even with artist statements beside each piece), one of my favourite artist touchpoints was found in my room. I stayed in the Corner King.
This ceiling tapestry is by Toronto artist Jen Arron. It measures 7×10 feet and is the largest work Arron has completed. Titled Sawyer Sunset, the reflective colours capture the mood of sunset on Sawyer Lake in Agonquin Park, one of Jen Arron’s favourite places.
The Artist Residence
The Art Studio at Gladstone House is a space for creativity and interaction. The Resident Artist Program provides free space for local artists for 3 month residencies. Since the program launched in 2021, we have hosted more than 50 artists in the studio. Artists work in a range of media. When they’re in the studio, the door is open – hotel guests and members of the public are welcome to visit and see what the artists are working on. Resident artists also give something back to hotel, by showing their work, giving a talk or workshop, or hosting an open house.
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Dinner at Cassette
Either side of the foyer at Gladstone presents itself with a sunny-lit cafe to your left, or a moody cocktail and community focused restaurant on the right wing of the main floor which has tucked away, an intimate private dinner room featuring a table long enough to hold over 20 guests. During the day, you can make your way to the Gladstone Café, open until 4 PM, with a special all-day menu until 10 PM on Sundays and Mondays. On the other side, highly-acclaimed Cassette has mastered the art of cozy classic booth-style restaurant with special attention to interior design, community programming, and a thoughtful cocktail menu.
Programming is steady and lively at Cassette. I snuck in to try 3-courses before trivia night began.
We started with an uplifting tuna tartare and the Nightcall cocktail.
Cassette Restaurant, Julia Shelton
For my cocktail lovers who love crisp and tart notes, this is it. Not to mention the genius ginger garnish as a perfect balance to offset a night with a few drinks.
The tuna tartare was light and balanced with a smooth crema.
Following the appetizer with a classic Nashville sandwich and fries. To note: the fries come out with garlic aioli. Big thumbs up. For dessert I went with the ‘Pie of the Day’. I lucked out on a unique stone fruit variation, which felt like a perfect diversion from a classic dessert menu go-to.
Cassette is set to have a rotating list of evening happenings to occupy a cozy mid-week outing or weekend soirée. Try Brunch Sessions for the perfect live music vibe every Sunday, or Trivia for a stimulating weekday evening.
To add to the overall ambience, I couldn’t help but to notice Cassette’s unmatched playlist spinning classic Childish Gambino or a heavy bass-guitar number reminiscent of a Khruangbin-like instrumental.
Don’t Miss The Underground:
More like a secret vault full of all the bonuses you hope for in a hotel, the lower level of Gladstone House comes equipped with a full gym, and the special artist studio open to the public.