Check In: The Drake
Toronto, Canada
When we originally came up with the concept of this site, there was a moment we tinkered with excluding all hotels, focusing instead on everything else: all the interesting places you can stay that fall outside the parameters of a standard hotel room (no matter how high the thread count!). But because of hotels like The Drake, we changed our minds.
Owned by a local, Jeff Stober, The Drake is every bit a café, design incubator, gallery and general neighborhood hangout as it is a place to sleep. It took about two years to restore this 120-year old hotel to its current design-star glory, and Toronto design firm 3rd Uncle is behind the rehab as well as designing way-cool custom details like the 50-foot-sculptural light fixture made from recycled bicycle frames hanging in the café, the custom damask wallpaper in the restaurant, and sourcing the one-of-a-kind objects throughout (a pommel horse in the lobby, a ceramic bust in the ladies’ room). There’s an art curator on staff, who’s responsible for filling the hotel with work by local, national and international artists (down to the soft sculpture on the beds, handmade by Adrienne Gibb of Fabricawakuwaku) and curating the rotating installations, like the provocative mixed media piece currently on view in the entryway vestibule.
The design, art and food are great (the café is regularly filled with as many neighbors as hotel guests), but the best part of the The Drake is how visitors feel totally immersed in the energy, culture and everyday life in the surrounding Parkdale neighborhood. It’s been said often—in the press, by the residents—that The Drake (along with the other independent hotel down the street, The Gladstone)—has been instrumental in helping the once dodgy West Queen West neighborhood develop such an edgy, dynamic and fiercely independent character.
02 September 2010 | Myra Mazzei Said:
I’ve stayed at The Drake a couple of times and would set up permanent residence there if they let me. I could spend an entire vacation inside this hotel if Toronto wasn’t such a fun place to explore.
07 February 2012 | Lyne Said:
Photos magnifiques!
Un vrai plaisir de visiter votre site!
Lyne
08 September 2013 | ugg boots us Said:
good articles
05 October 2013 | nike Said:
Try THIS Out
[url=http://www.tingtinggopai.com/member/dfpice.php?/nike-air-max-elite-ii-tb-mensnikereally-cheap.html]nike[/url]
nike
27 June 2017 | http://notioncoiffure.xyz Said:
F*ckin’ remarkable things here. I am very happy to see your post. Thanks so much and i’m taking a look ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?
27 June 2017 | http://muzichitz.xyz Said:
I like this site very much, Its a really nice post to read and get information. “Anyone can stop a man’s life, but no one his death a thousand doors open on to it. – Phoenissae” by Lucius Annaeus Seneca.
27 June 2017 | http://pkraw.xyz Said:
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my site thus i came to “return the favor”.I’m trying to find things to enhance my website!I suppose its ok to use a few of your ideas!!
28 June 2017 | hair growth products uk Said:
It is actually a great and helpful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
29 June 2017 | haren sneller laten groeien Said:
Hello, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boring… I miss your great writings. Past few posts are just a little out of track! come on!
29 June 2017 | anti chute cheveux efficace Said:
I precisely desired to thank you so much once again. I do not know what I would’ve sorted out without those opinions provided by you on this problem. Completely was an absolute frustrating case in my position, but being able to see a new well-written mode you handled it took me to jump for fulfillment. Extremely grateful for this support and thus trust you are aware of an amazing job you happen to be providing instructing the others via your blog. Probably you haven’t got to know any of us.
30 June 2017 | wachstum der haare Said:
I gotta favorite this site it seems very useful very helpful
30 June 2017 | productos de pérdida de cabello Said:
My husband and i felt now joyful when Raymond could carry out his research from your ideas he was given from your own web site. It’s not at all simplistic to just possibly be handing out instructions that many the others may have been trying to sell. We really remember we’ve got you to appreciate because of that. All of the illustrations you have made, the easy website navigation, the friendships your site help to create – it’s got many remarkable, and it’s really leading our son in addition to us reason why that matter is exciting, which is wonderfully mandatory. Thanks for everything!
30 June 2017 | korjaustoimenpide vastaan hiustenlähtö Said:
I really like your writing style, fantastic information, regards for putting up :D. “I hate mankind, for I think myself one of the best of them, and I know how bad I am.” by Joseph Baretti.
03 May 2021 | Nippon Said:
This is amazing. Thank you so much.