Every season passes, and now its Four Seasons Toronto’s turn. The 35-year-old hotel at 21 Avenue Road closed its doors in anticipation of the opening of a new location on Yorkville Avenue, expected to be completed later this summer.
It’s an end of an era for many who made the Four Seasons their temporary home while visiting Toronto, or for those who dined at their celebrated restaurants such as Studio Cafe. Many Torontonians also frequented the hotel during the Toronto International Film Festival to catch a glimpse of movie stars coming in and out of the popular tourist destination.
Celebrities who have frequented the hotel include The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Rowan Atkinson, Christopher Plummer, Sharon Stone, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and many more. Canada’s political stars also stopped in, such as former Prime Ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney.
“Four Seasons was born in Toronto so it’s a bittersweet time in our history books,” said Dimitrios Zarikos, Regional Vice President and General Manager, in a press release. But fans of Four Seasons Toronto don’t need to pine wistfully all by their lonesome; they can share their Four Seasons Toronto memories via a Facebook Page application the hotel calls Memory Book.
Guests can “like” the Page and then post their thoughts and photos of their Four Seasons Toronto experiences. Recollections include Terry Fox’s visit to the property during his Marathon of Hope and memorable wedding receptions.
The existing building was bought by Comrost-Felcorp Inc and they plan to rebuild it, add a glass base with restaurants and shops and convert the 380 former hotel rooms into 490 condo units.
This coming summer should see the completion of Four Seasons Toronto’s new property on 60 Yorkville Avenue close to its original home. Digital Journal covered the groundbreaking ceremony for the new hotel in 2008. The refurbished building will include 55 stories and a 30,000-square-foot luxury spa. The property will be a mix of hotel rooms and some of the most expensive condos in the country, with a starting price of $1.9 million and the penthouse setting back a millionaire around $28 million.
Management is looking for employees to help staff this new hotel, having released a recruitment video last month on YouTube.
Got a favourite Four Seasons Toronto moment? Will you check out the new hotel later this year? Let us know in the comments section.
