March 13, 2021 – The main entrance and south façade of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 100 Front St W in Toronto
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is located at 100 Front St W, between Bay St and York St, in the Financial District of Downtown Toronto.
The Land Before the Royal York
In 1798, the land where the hotel now stands was granted to William Drummer Powell. He constructed a log cabin on the property in 1812. In 1844, Captain Thomas Dick purchased the site and built four brick homes, which later became known as Sword’s Hotel. In 1862, the hotel was renamed Queen’s Hotel. It underwent several expansions over the years, but Queen’s Hotel was demolished in 1927 to make way for the Royal York.
Architecture & Amenities of the Towering Gem
Circa 1930 – Looking northwest along Front St W towards the Royal York Hotel. The archive photo shows the streetcars that once travelled along Front St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 109 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
Completed in 1929, this opulent Château-style building was designed by the architectural firms Sproatt & Rolph from Toronto and Ross & Macdonald from Montreal. It opened as the Royal York Hotel and was the crown jewel of the Canadian Pacific Railway‘s hotel portfolio. The exterior features Indiana limestone and a copper chateau roof.
When it first opened, the grand hotel had over 1000 rooms, 28 floors, 10 elevators, a 50-ton pipe organ, hand-painted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, travertine pillars, a 12-bed hospital, a glass-enclosed rooftop garden, a 12,000-book library, a bank, a silversmith, a massive kitchen, a 35-operator switchboard and an underground tunnel connecting to Union Station. There was even a broadcasting suite on the top floor called the CPR Radio Room. According to a CNE program, rooms started at $4.00 per day.
In its early years, the Royal York Hotel was the tallest building in Canada and the largest hotel within the British Empire. The landmark was once a part of Toronto’s skyline. It stood like a beacon, welcoming those coming in from the harbour. Although it is now overshadowed by surrounding skyscrapers, the hotel remains a landmark in the city.
Restoration of the Storied Hotel
March 10, 2024 – Looking northwest along Front St W towards the Fairmont Royal York Hotel
In the late 1950s, an east wing with 400 rooms was added to the hotel. In the early 1970s, the luxury property underwent a significant renovation and received heritage status. Then, in 1988, a 5-year restoration began. In 2001, the property was renamed the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and has since undergone a few ownership changes. Most recently, in 2019, the hotel completed a major renovation.
Haunted Tales
There have been stories of the historic hotel being haunted. Guests have reported hearing children laughing and playing in the halls, only to find no one there when they open their doors. Others have mentioned seeing the ghost of a grey-haired man wearing a maroon smoking jacket wandering the hotel’s 8th-floor hallway. Click for more haunted tales.
Host to Notable Guests and Film Shoots
Over the years, this beautiful hotel has welcomed royalty, prime ministers from around the world, presidents, and celebrities. It has also been the setting for various movies and TV productions, including “RED,” “Warehouse 13,” “Miss Sloane,” and “Grey Gardens,” to name a few.
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Fairmont Royal York Hotel Photos
March 13, 2021 – The main entrance and south façade of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 100 Front St W in Toronto1929 – A view looking northwest towards the Royal York Hotel during construction (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-6743) March 10, 2024 – Looking northwest along Front St W towards the Fairmont Royal York Hotel July 7, 1981 – A view of the Royal York Hotel and the Toronto skyline from the harbour (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526, File 48, Item 9)January 18, 2025 – Looking northwest toward the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at the corner of Front St W and York St with the Union Station in the right foreground June 23, 1946 – Looking north towards the Royal York Hotel from Queens Quay (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 1, Item 2)Between 1980 and 1992 – Looking northwest from Front St W towards the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 417, Item 42 – Urban Design photographs)Circa 1936 – A band in front of the entrance of the Royal York Hotel during the Shriners’ International Convention. Notice the streetcar tracks that used to run along Front St W (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 2185) January 18, 2025 – Looking toward the front entrance to the Fairmont Royal York Hotel located at 100 Front St WCirca 1930 – Looking north towards the Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0113536F – Toronto Star Photograph Archive)April 9, 2023 – Looking northeast at the corner of Front St W and York St towards the majestic Fairmont Royal York Hotel1986 – Aerial view looking northwest towards Union Station and the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 417, Item 42 – Urban Design photographs)March 13, 2021 – Looking west from Bay St along Front St W towards the Fairmont Royal York Hotel with Union Station and CN Tower on the rightCirca 1950 – Looking north up York St from south of Front St W. Notice the Royal York Hotel on the right behind the buses (City of Toronto Archives, Strathy Smith fonds, Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 312)1972 – Looking northeast towards The Royal York Hotel at the corner of Front St W and York St (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Planning Board fonds, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 62, Item 9)April 6, 2025 – Looking northeast towards the York St entrance of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel from Front St W 1954 – The Princess Lounge at the Royal York Hotel (Archives of Ontario I0004020)Circa 1930 – Looking northwest along Front St W towards the Royal York Hotel. The archive photo shows the streetcars that once travelled along Front St (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 100, Item 109 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)March 16, 2024 – Looking west along Front St W toward the Fairmont Royal York Hotel Circa 1950 – Looking north up York St towards the Royal York Hotel on the left, notice the tallest building on the right is the Canadian Bank of Commerce Building (City of Toronto Archives, Strathy Smith fonds, Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 117)July 1, 1929 – Looking west along Front St W toward the Royal York Hotel on the right. Notice the city’s previous Union Station (with the tower) is also visible in the distance (City of Toronto Archives, Globe and Mail fonds, Fonds 1266, Item 17129)January 1, 2024 – Looking northwest towards the entrance of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Front St W near the clock in front of Union StationCirca 1960 – The Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto was completed in 1929. It was the crown jewel of hotels owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (TorontoJourney416.com postcard collection)May 23, 2020 – The main entrance and centre block of the Fairmont Royal York HotelOctober 5, 2024 – The front entrance of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Notice the crown and initals “RY” embedded in the sidewalkCirca 1950 – View of parking lot west of the Toronto Postal Delivery Building, looking northeast towards the Royal York Hotel. Also, notice the tallest building on the right is the Canadian Bank of Commerce Building (City of Toronto Archives, Strathy Smith fonds, Fonds 1128, Series 380, Item 400)December 9, 1949 – An aerial view looking east along Front St W from York St, with the Royal York Hotel on the left and Union Station on the right. The photo shows vehicle traffic in the moat in front of Union Station. In 2019, this area reopened as a glass-roofed underground pedestrian walkway (City of Toronto Archives, Eric Trussler fonds, Fonds 1567, Series 577, Item 19)May 22, 1939 – The Royal York Hotel decorated for the royal visit (City of Toronto Archives)March 16, 2024 – Looking northeast toward the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at the corner of Front St W and York St Between 1936 and 1937 – Advertising on a billboard for the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, E.L. Ruddy Company fonds, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 4745)Circa 1931 – SS Cayuga approaching the docks with the Royal York Hotel in the background (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 259b)Circa 1930 – Looking northeast towards the Royal York Hotel from Lake Ontario. Notice the clock tower of Old City Hall in the left background (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 1499)March 16, 2024 – Looking northeast along Front St W toward the entrance of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel June 4, 1930 – A room at the Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0113517F – Toronto Star Photograph Archive)June 4, 1930 – A guestroom at the Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0113515F – Toronto Star Photograph Archive)Circa 1930 – The Chinese Suite at the Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-6746)June 11, 1929 – Opening night party at the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Globe and Mail fonds, Fonds 1266, Item 16910)April 2, 2022 – A view of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel lobby from the mezzanineCirca 1929 – Billboard installed in the mezzanine of the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, E.L. Ruddy Company fonds, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 1817)Circa 1929 – Chefs showing gas appliances in the kitchen of the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 16)Circa 1929 – Staff in the kitchen of the Royal York Hotel showing electric dishwasher (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1034, Item 17)1929 – An ad for the Royal York Hotel in a CNE program (CNE Archives)September 17, 1928 – Looking north from York St towards the construction of the Royal York Hotel and York St bridge (City of Toronto Archives, Globe and Mail fonds, Fonds 1266, Item 14886)May 23, 2020 – The front entrance of the Fairmont Royal York HotelApril 2, 2022 – The clock in the lobby of the Fairmont Royal York HotelFebruary 18, 2024 – Heart-shaped Valentine’s Day flower display inside the Fairmont Royal York Hotel October 18, 2025 – Looking northeast towards the Royal York Hotel at the corner of Front St W and York StDecember 12, 2021 – The Royal York Hotel nameplateJune 5, 2021 – Beautiful stonework details on a window at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel October 18, 2025 – Looking northwest along Front St W towards the Royal York Hotel from Bay StJune 5, 2021 – The heritage plaque reads:
The Royal York Hotel
“Built on the site of the Queen’s Hotel by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1928-29, the Royal York Hotel was part of its coast-to-coast chain of grand hotels. The skyscraper hotel, designed by Montreal architects Ross and Macdonald in association with Sproatt and Rolph of Toronto, was the largest hotel in the British Commonwealth and dramatically altered the Toronto skyline. Inside, attractive rooms – from the classicism of the 1928-29 interior to the 1957-59 extension decorated in Canadian themes – have provided the setting for conventions, entertainers, cocktails, teas, debutante balls and royal visits. Together with Union Station to the south and the Dominion Public Building to the southeast, the Royal York Hotel has created one of the finest streetscapes in the provincial capital.”
Ontario Heritage Trust, an agency of the Government of Ontario
The plaque is located at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 100 Front St W between Bay St and York StDecember 24, 2023 – The heritage plaque reads:
Royal York Hotel 1929
“The Royal York Hotel is one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks. In 1862, this was the site of the Queen’s Hotel, an establishment that offered many modern conveniences such as passenger elevators and running water in the guest rooms. The Canadian Pacific Railway purchased the land in 1925 and the Queen’s Hotel was demolished to build the Royal York.
The Beaux-Arts style building was designed by architects Ross & Macdonald, with Sproatt & Rolph, and opened on June 11, 1929. The Royal York was the tallest building in the British Empire. It had 1,048 guest rooms, a library containing 12,000 books, a 12-bed hospital, and its own radio station.
The Royal York was one of many Canadian Pacific Hotels serving the railway across the country. The chain also included the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta and the Château Frontenac in Quebec. In 1959, a new east wing designed by Ross, Patterson, Townsend & Fish, with Charles B. Dolphin, added 400 guest rooms and meeting rooms themed for Canadian provinces and regions.
The Royal York dominated Toronto’s skyline and upper class cultural life for decades. Performers such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, and Ella Fitzgerald have played its Imperial Room concert venue. Celebrities and dignitaries including the Royal Family often stay at the Royal York. In 2019, the hotel underwent substantial renovations. Since it first opened, the hotel has served over 40 million guests.”
Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, 2006 Heritage Toronto 2021
The plaque is located at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 100 Front St WApril 2, 2022 – The heritage plaque reads:
The Royal York Hotel
“This hotel stands on town lots granted in 1798 to William Dummer Powell, who built a log house on the site in 1812. Brick houses built here in 1844 by Captain Thomas Dick later became Sword’s Hotel. Re-named the Queen’s Hotel in 1862, it was enlarged several times before being demolished in 1927. The lot at York and Front Streets was used by a travelling circus, and, in the 1880s was the site of Alderman Harry Piper’s zoo. The Royal York, opened on 11 June 1929, was the largest hotel in the British Empire and dominated the Toronto skyline for almost half a century, it was designed by the firm of Ross, Patterson, Townsend & Fish, who also added the east wing in 1959. The hotel provided Toronto’s first major convention centre and has played an important role in the social life of the city. During its fifty years the Royal York has upheld the finest traditions of a grand hotel and remains the largest in the Commonwealth.”
Toronto Historical Board 1979April 2, 2022 – Cornerstone at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel with the date A.D. 1928August 4, 1958 – A billboard advertising the new east addition to the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Harvey R. Naylor fonds, Fonds 1526 File 48, Item 2)April 2, 2022 – Cornerstone at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel with the date A.D. 1957. In the late 1950s, an east wing with 400 rooms was addedOctober 21, 1915 – Looking northeast toward the former Queen’s Hotel, the future site of the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1231, Item 1108a – James Victor Salmon photographer)1904 – Corridor of Queen’s Hotel, the future site of the Royal York Hotel (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1587, Series 409, Item 8 – Alexander W. Galbraith photographs)April 11, 1909 – Looking northeast toward the future site of the Royal York Hotel at Front St W and York St. The archive photo shows a cigar store and Toronto Railway waiting room (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 1172)Circa 1927 – Looking northeast along Front St W from west of York St. The block was torn down to make way for the Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library TSPA_0113121F – Toronto Star Photograph Archive)1867 – Queen’s Hotel on Front St, the future site of Fairmont Royal York Hotel (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-6691 – Octavius Thompson, Canadian photographer)1846 – Sketch of Swords Hotel, the future site of Royal York Hotel (Archives of Ontario I0021810)
