The Gladstone and the The Broadview - Toronto

I’ve started staying at The Broadview Hotel when I visit Toronto because it’s within walking distance of my sister and her family and sometimes convenience wins.

Sometimes convenience wins.

I’m not suggesting the Broadview is a bad hotel. The rooms are comfortable and quiet (minus the occasional guest who does not understand the importance of using a hotel corridor “indoor voice”) and there is a Toronto Star at your door every morning, a perk this diehard print newspaper reader still values. I also appreciate the French press and coffee in the room because, as I’m sure I’ve said before, I don’t want to get dressed before my first cup of coffee (although it would be great if the press was slightly larger and could generate more than a single cup). The turntable, records, and Bluetooth speaker in each room are also a nice touch.

The hotel formerly housed a strip club — Jilly’s — on the first floor and, according to my sister, at least one of the rooms includes a strip pole. I’ve yet to encounter it during any of my stays, but the tassled pasties in the mini-bar are another notable nod to the past. Now the first floor is home to a welcoming bar and a decent restaurant that’s popular with locals for brunch.

(The hotel also acknowledges its location — the intersection of Queen & Broadway — as the former home of the Toronto Baseball Grounds, aka Sunlight Park, with a mural of Ned “Cannnonball” Crane in the stairwell.)

About 20 minutes away from the Broadview, however, is a hotel that truly brings me joy, The Gladstone Hotel. It’s undoubtedly less swank than the Broadview, which itself is certainly less swank than either the Four Seasons or the Hotel Le Germain Mercer, two other hotels in which I have stayed in Toronto. (My bathroom at the Gladstone was more non-refurbished first apartment than refurbished boutique hotel.**) But “swank” isn’t the point.

The Gladstone spells out its values, social impact, cultural impact, and environmental and accessibility policies emphatically on its website. More than a hotel, the Gladstone clearly sees itself as a welcoming gathering space for the local artist and queer community, with a full events calendar and regular art exhibits lining the hotel hallways and common spaces. It’s the kind of hotel that feels like the founders wanted to create a space for themselves and their friends to hang out and then decided to invite the rest of us to join the party.

With that said, The Gladstone is also a really great hotel. Its 37 rooms are each uniquely designed by local artists and guests are able to select the room of their choice (presuming it is available) at the time of booking. I opted to stay in the Teen Queen room because of its resemblance to my bedroom circa 1983. I gasped with excitement when I saw it in person, blown away by how committed the artist (Cecilia Berkovic) was to recreating the look and feel they had set out to achieve. Like a teenager should, I swooned.

** Gladstone recently posted to their blog that they have been updating their bathrooms — and even have tips for how you can do so too. (03/09/19)

My Stays: June 8-11, 2018 and November 20-23, 2018 (Broadview) and November 22-25, 2017, November 24-29, 2019 (Gladstone)