The Gladstone Hotel was first opened in 1889 and is the oldest hotel in Toronto. Starting out life as a luxury accommodation for the privileged classes, it was then owned and operated by a lively widow and her 13 children. The hotel eventually fell into disrepair until it became known as ‘skid-row heights’. It rented rooms by the hour to prostitutes and junkies.

In 2002 a vast renovation occurred and now it is a chic art hotel with each one of its rooms decorated in a unique style by local artists. You can stay in any number of themed rooms each with a special flavor, from 70s pop art to forest-pained walls. For food, the downstairs café serves a delicious organic fare and, at night, the bar resounds with the nightly sounds of trendy DJs and beautiful people.

The hotel also hosts all kinds of arts events, exhibitions, music nights, and poetry readings. They are still running competitions for local artists to design their rooms in an unusual way. Here, you do not just get to look at art - you get to experience the vibrant culture that created it.