The hotel rumour mill is going crazy with much speculation about hotel redevelopment around the city. Here are the top four intriguing hotel rumours on the Curbed radar. Have the inside scoop? Send it to the tipline at toronto@curbed.com or share it in the comments below.
1. Drake Hotel owner, Jeff Stober, recently let it slip "there could be an announcement concerning a second Drake Hotel in the coming weeks." The sly announcement comes following the recent purchase of the Broadview Hotel that also houses Jilly's Strip Bar. The new owner, Streetcar Developments, confirmed the historic building won't be replaced by condos, citing a boutique hotel as a possibility. "It's not a redevelopment site. There's no plans to do anything major to it...Rather it will be fixed and restored. We'll talk to potential partners or organizations that have concepts that might work and see where it goes," the developer tells the Globe and Mail. Could an east end Drake open up at the Broadview and Queen Street site? Where's the best location for a second Drake?
2. Is Toronto getting a W Hotel? According to a Curbed tipster a Starwood W Hotel is in the works and might be coming soon to the Entertainment District. According to the rumour, Freed Developments is getting ready to launch a new hotel and condo project sometime in the future.
3. Is Toronto getting another Thompson Hotel? The Howard Johnson's in Yorkville might just be turning into a Thompson, according to a tipster. A development proposal has been outside the outdated HoJo at 89 Avenue Rd. for years but nothing has come of it. The proposal by Freed Developments calls for a 28-storey building with 41 residential units and 80 hotel suites. The other Thompson Hotel is located at Bathurst and Wellington and might fit in nicely to the Yorkville neighbourhood.
4. Ever heard of the Templar Hotel on Adelaide Street? One of the city's best kept secrets might be up for sale. Seems like the boutique accommodations may have defaulted on their mortgage and could now be owned by the bank. Sources are saying the hotel was "initially listed at $13 million, but was reduced to $1 to potentially speed the time in which they get bids." Reservations on the website are still available.
· Is Toronto Getting Another Thompson Hotel? [Curbed Toronto]
· Is there a W Hotel Coming to Toronto? [Curbed Toronto]