Gladstone Hotel

Wonderful eclectic down to earth and reasonably priced hotel. On the trolley line. Good food in the café and music in the Melody room. Excellent service from the staff members. Fun art on each floor. Each room designed by a different artist.

In contrast to the Gladstone’s claims that their karaōke is ‘the best’ in the city, at most it’s now nothing more than a self-​important kj, with very little stage presence but LOTS of rudeness putting on some songs. This is a VERY different vibe from the days when Peter Styles presided over the stage with his flash, black tie-​ish attire and his famous applause sign that he would hold high behind a singer’s back to pump up the crowd. Why they got rid of him is a question that defies comprehension, but I will say that they’re right in calling this latest incarnation «shameless karaōke», as one would need to have some semblance of shame to continue on with this pale copy of the glory that once was karaōke at The Gladstone.

The Gladstone hotel is that place you can go to any time of day or night. The morning they serve a fantastic breakfast in a warm and cozy café, with an astonishing amount of tea to choose from, and a great coffee. For lunch you HAVE to get the tacos, as they are the best in toronto, period. For dinner, go in and try a wide selection of craft beers and carefully crafted cocktails. the night scene here is perfect. If you want to dance, you can, if you want to share a table with friends and chat, you can do that as well.
Simply put, the gladstone is my second home, and Im very happy its in my neighbourhood.

Great staff and really unique rooms. A truly artistic experience!

This place is giving me mixed signals. On one hand, it’s the most adorable little boutique hotel that you ever could imagine and the staff is wonderfully accommodating. On the other hand, the shower doesn’t operate too well, the rooms lack complimentary bottled water, the tvs are smaller than a standard ipad and the elevator is cool-​looking (original from the 1900s) but it is a total biatch to operate and most times if an attendant isn’t there, you’re stuck lugging your suitcase up at least one flight of stairs.
I was leaning between a 3 and 4 star review and decided to skew towards the positive for the additional following reasons: free, fast wifi; a lovely pub/​restaurant serving up yummy food right downstairs; the hotel serves a dual purpose, functioning as an art gallery during the day in addition to a hotel; live music & karaōke goes down in their cocktail bar; the surrounding neighborhood is super walkable, eclectic and there is a ton to do at your fingertips.
Each room is decked out in various décor in line with a specific theme. From the stargazer to the faux naturale, to the teen queen, biker, and puzzle room, there is no shortage of character here. I stayed in the billio room, which clean, beautiful and comfortable despite the above mentioned shortcomings. Verdict: I’d still probably stay here again if the rates were fair enough.

Was here last Sunday for brunch and have to say it the experience was rather disappointing.
When we arrived we waited a few minutes at the door for the hostess who didn’t seem busy enough to ignore us. We were then seated at a table right in front of the door, high traffic area, and there were clearly other seats in the back. When we asked to move she said once the table beside us was vacated we could move there. Rather rude to both parties.
Again on poor service, took awhile to take drink orders, took 10 minutes to receive said drinks. The caesar is small for the money, the Drake serves a better tasting caesar, in a taller glass, for less money.
I did really enjoy the huevos rancheros, the black beans and feta are sandwiched between 2 toasted tortillas and the eggs and salsa on top were delicious. My husband did not enjoy his eggs benny as much. He was also disappointed that they used to offer chorizo as a meat on the benny but today it was only bacon.
Finally when it came time to pay I showed my Live Green card which the site clearly indicates gets 10% off dine in. The staff not only didn’t recognize it but seemed put off by my request. The manager granted the discount and took a picture for future reference.
The Gladstone is a beautiful spot but there are much better brunch spots in the area.

I live just about 100 steps around the corner from this place, so you’d think I wouldn’t have anything to say about a hotel or think about needing it for anything. Just the opposite. It’s a fully accommodated guest bedroom for any friends or family visiting in town. It’s a coffee shop on the way to work. It’s a bar. It’s a restaurant for when I give up when I realize I’m out of mayo. Also, this morning, they have a printer at the front desk and I had to print two pesky pieces of paper for Jays tickets. He didn’t *bat* an eye. Promise not to abuse it, and promise not to swipe the mayo, either!

Coffee & drinks
Can’t say there is anything special in terms of food, or service. But the ambience is great.
Been here a few times, has a special place in my heart :)

Came to the melody bar for the Thursday colouring and $ 4.00 pints. This spot is my new favourite place! Great and incredibly friendly service. Chill atmosphere, and awesome live music. Spacious, comfortable, and a cool spot for groups or for couples. Definitely coming back with my friends!

I’ve never stayed any place like the Gladstone before! Each room is designed by a different local artist and/​or architect.
I stayed in the «offset» room where the concept was a «room within a room». You need to see it to truly experience it.
Overall the stay was good. Service was great — especially the prompt elevator attendant. Room was quiet (4^th floor, NOT on Queen). Bathroom was TINY. In room snacks were surprisingly reasonably priced, and tasty!
Staying at this hotel made me want to move to Toronto and live in the hip West Queen West neighborhood. It also made me curious about «adult coloring», one of their many weekly events.
Check out my full review with more details and photos:

I stayed here for 4 nights while exploring Toronto for the first time. The location is really great, it’s a hip neighborhood.
Our room was 70’s theme, it had the weirdest furry wall mural of all time. Most comfortable bed I’ve ever experienced, ever. Very friendly staff and service, including the bar. Had a wonderful stay.

It’s not everyday that you check into a hotel that seconds as an art gallery. The Gladstone is a boutique hotel nestled in the art district of Toronto. It has beautiful décor which includes art installations everywhere, a cool 100 yo elevator and a pleasant staff. The rooms all have different themes with different types of art installations in them. Listen, it’s not a 5 star hotel in the traditional sense, but it is very unique and you will appreciate that uniqueness.

… really dig the Gladstone. From the super friendly staff to the old-​timey elevator, the rotating art installations, the old school architecture and the unique room décor, this spot is charming, artsy, and certainly not your run-​of-​the-​mill Marriott type set-​up.
(So, for those looking for spacey/​plush accommodation, a really nice hotel gym, room service, etc., know this isn’t the place for you.)
That’s no dig on the Gladstone; this place is what it is and it’s great… it just certainly falls outside the «hotel norm.»
Free coffee and tea each morning, and the charm? It’s definitely part of the package.

Its a pitty that ive passed by this place numerous of times but have never gone in. Glsd i made that choice this past weekend. Queen street west of Drake Hotel, Gladstone is more of a chilled out environment where you can sit back and catch up with friends over drinks and if you’re lucky, on Saturdays they’ve got live music. My buddy and I were fortunate to watch Arlene Paculan band play in a chilled out and pretentious — free ambiance. We didn’t stay for food but rather just drinks…2 vodka sodas for $ 13 ain’t bad. Ill be back for sure!

My friend and I stopped in tonight to attend a chocolate tasting event. We were disappointed as the event was supposed to take place at another location a few days before and was unexpectedly cancelled, but in the end we were happy to have had the opportunity to attend at the Gladstone instead. What a neat place! I’d love to stay in one of the unique rooms some day and sample their food.

After our float, Gord and I were hungry (you are supposed to just eat a light meal 60 – 90 minutes before your float) so we had a late brunch across the street at the Gladstone Hotel Café. It’s been a while since we’ve been there.
Gord ordered the Good Morning Burger. He said it was delicious and cleaned his plate! I ordered The Classic with bacon. It too was delicious and I ate it all! I especially liked the toast.

This update is strictly for the restaurant inside the Gladstone Hotel, simple called Café as far as I can tell. I’ve eaten a few breakfasts here and I have to say I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed their lattes. The breakfasts I’ve had have all been standard, but that’s because I tend to order plain meals of eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. I’ve also had lunch here, a ploughman’s plate and a chickpea salad, which I enjoyed.
If you are staying in or near the hotel it’s definitely a nice option to have nearby!

Not only was this my second time visiting The Gladstone, it was also my second stay in the Teenage Dream room! This charming hotel is located at Gladstone and Queen, and was pretty easy to get to driving-​wise. Be warned — they only have a limited number of parking spots (at an extra cost of $ 25), so you may have to find street parking or paid parking in some of the green P lots nearby.
The hotel is beautiful — full of charm, history, and beauty. The lobby is a great intro to the style of the hotel, and the staff are cheerful, helpful, and kind. The elevator is very cool, yes, but I do wish we were able to operate it ourselves, or that someone was on standby for those moments when you have an early check-​out and a lot of luggage.
Each room is a different work of art ranging from the Biker Room to the Teenage Dream Room, and everything in between. Each floor has a common room that is open during the day (and serves lovely coffee and tea in the morning hours!) to the public.
As I mentioned, I’ve stayed in this room twice, and it’s very sweet. The furnishings are fun, but I think the room might need a bit of a refresh. The fixtures were a bit dusty. That being said, I loved the horse lamp, and the bed was AMAZINGLY comfortable — the sheets were so soft I never wanted to get out of them! The room is pretty small, but it’s fine for a few nights.
There’s a couple of things that could have been improved — the access to plugs for phone charging, a book about the hotel and services, and the room was a little bit damp. Maybe that’s to be expected in an old hotel though. The wifi can also be a bit sketchy, but they have so many different connections that is one isn’t great you can switch them up.
I’ve visited the Tower Room suite which was amazing — I’d love to stay there one day! It’s huge and would be awesome for a long term stay.
Convenient: there is a Fresh Co. grocery store directly behind the hotel, which is great for snacks!

If you are staying here, request the teenage dream room. You won’t be sorry, and young Rob Lowe will whisper sweet nothings in your ear as you fall asleep under a pastel blankie.

This review is for the Melody bar. It’s ok. a decent night out. The bar looks a little dated… and when we went there was an overall much older crowd. .nothing wrong with that. but not the vibe we wanted that night
Live bands play there so it’s a nice change from a DJ playing a Mac. Good for stopping by for a drink and a song or two… but not for the whole night.