| Park Hyatt Toronto | |
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| The original south tower of the Park Plaza | |
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| Location in Toronto | |
| Location | Yorkville, Toronto, Canada. |
| Hotel chain | Hyatt |
| Coordinates | |
| Opening date | 1936 |
| Owner | Hyatt |
The Park Hyatt Toronto is a Hyatt hotel in the Yorkville area of Toronto, Canada. Long the independent Park Plaza Hotel it is one of the most venerable hotels in the city.
The hotel is located at the northwestern corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road. The first known building on the site was a small wayside inn built in 1820 and named Tecumseh Wigwag. Then a considerable distance from the city it served travellers on their way north out of town. The inn was demolished around 1875.[1]
Originally planned to be called the Queen's Park Plaza it was designed by Hugh G. Holman. Construction began in 1928 and was due to be completed in 1929; however, stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression caused its builder to go out of business. The steel framed structure was left partially completed for several years as various attempts to restart it failed. It was finally completed and opened for business in 1936, with rooms costing $3 per night and up. It was expanded with a second tower added to the north, the new building being a modernist structure designed by Peter Dickinson.
Located across the street from the University of Toronto the hotel became especially known as one of the centres for Canadian literature and authors, especially the rooftop patio that has existed since it opened. As a result the hotel has appeared in works by a number of Canadian writers including Margaret Atwood, Morley Callaghan, Mordecai Richler, and Hugh Garner. Also near Queen's Park it was also a popular site for many provincial government officials. With the Big Blue Machine holding frequent meetings there.[2]
In the 1971 the Four Seasons opened across the street and the Park Plaza lost its title as the most prestigious of the Yorkville hotels. In 1995 the hotel was put into receivership, but was purchased by new owners who began a complete overhaul. Added were such features as an almost 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) penthouse, to woo back the wealthiest guests.[3]
In 1999 it was purchased by the Hyatt chain, at what was then calculated to be the highest cost per room ever paid in Canada.[4]