Royal Connaught Hotel
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The Royal Connaught Hotel is a 13-storey building, (50.0-metres), at the corner of King Street East & John Street North in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Built by Harry Frost of Buffalo, New York in 1914, who also started up and owned the Frost Fence Company in Hamilton.
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[edit] Harry Stinson & The Connaught Towers
On February 29, 2008 Harry Stinson inked a $9.5-million contract to purchase the Royal Connaught Hotel at Hamilton, Ontario. The agreement was secured with a $100,000 deposit and provides a 30 day conditional period for Stinson to secure financing. The concept includes restoration and a substantial addition to the existing Connaught building to include a 100-room boutique luxury hotel and approximately 200 compact one and two bedroom multi-use condominiums. Stinson's original grand vision included a 70 to 80-storey Sapphire Tower and has now turned into a new 100-storey condominium tower, with a commercial gallery designed to be an architectural signature piece for downtown Hamilton. Price tag for the entire project is $300-million.[1]
[edit] Timeline
- 1911- Businessman Harry Louis Frost approaches the city about building a grand hotel.
- 1914- A building permit is issued for construction on the site of the Waldorf Hotel.
- 1916- The hotel opened with a lavish banquet and dance on June 5.
- 1922- Prior to the 1922-23 season, the NHL would hold it's governors meeting at the Royal Connaught Hotel on King Street, where the visiting NHL teams who came to town to play against the Hamilton Tigers stayed as well.[2]
- 1929- The hotel expands into a neighbouring building.
- 1930- United Hotels Company, which owned the Connaught, announces it has been sold. The new owner adds 200 rooms and turns the bottom floors into offices and shops.
- 1952- The hotel is sold to the Sheraton chain, which later completes a million-dollar renovation.
- 1973- The hotel is again sold, this time to Toronto-based Citicom. Another renovation woerth $4-million is completed.
- 1988- The hotel is sold to Joymarmon Properties Ltd.
- 1992- Joymarmon loses the hotelwhen its mortgage holder forecloses.
- 1993- The hotel becomes a franchise under the Howard Johnson chain.
- 2002- Canmac Hotels Corporation, a master at reviving struggling hotels, buys the hotel, assumes its $6-million debt and promises full-scale renovations.
- 2004- Hotel closesafter going into receivership.
- 2005- Five local businessmen buy the hotel for $4.5-million.
- 2008- Real Estate developer Harry Stinson makes a deposit with plans to reopen it for Christmas 2009.
- 2008- June 2nd 2008, Harry Stinson makes a public presentation of his proposed 100-storey Connaught Towers at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce building. Once complete will become the tallest building in Canada.[3][4][5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ De Lazzer , Rachel. "Condo king buys Royal Connaught for $9.5m." Hamilton Spectator. 29 February 2008: A1.
- ^ Wesley, Sam & David (2005). Hamilton's Hockey Tigers. James Lorimer & Company Ltd.. ISBN 1550288873.
- ^ De Lazzer , Rachel. "Condo king buys Royal Connaught for $9.5m." Hamilton Spectator. 29 February 2008: A1.
- ^ "Every city needs an icon."- Harry Stinson, Hamilton Spectator. 24 May 2008: WR7.
- ^ The Connaught Towers (Official Web Site). Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
