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Omni King Edward Hotel, The
Toronto, Ontario, Canada · Omni Hotels & Resorts · Core Luxury
E.J. Lennox opened the King Edward on 10 May 1903 as Toronto's first grand hotel for George Gooderham. Henry Ives Cobb's 18-storey tower arrived in 1921. The Beatles packed King Street in 1964. After a 1979-81 restoration, the Crystal Ballroom woke in 2017 after 38 dark years. Omni holds the door at 37 King Street East.
- Opened 1903
- Neighborhood: King Street East
- Architect: E.J. Lennox; Henry Ives Cobb (1921 tower)
About Omni King Edward Hotel, The
- Valentino, Armstrong, Hemingway, Elvis, and Lennon and Ono are on the guest lore; an Ontario Heritage Trust plaque marked the 2003 centenary.
- The 1921 Cobb tower replaced the Sullivan Hotel on the east side of the site.
- Entertainment District, at the eastern edge of the Financial District, 37 King Street East.
History
Opened on 10 May 1903 as Toronto’s first grand upscale hotel, the King Edward was conceived for developer George Gooderham’s Toronto Hotel Company and designed by E. J. Lennox, the architect behind several of Toronto’s landmark buildings. The original eight-storey hotel quickly became a social center for the city, and in 1921 an 18-storey tower by Henry Ives Cobb was added to the east side, bringing a new vertical profile to the property and replacing the former Sullivan Hotel on the site.) The building’s guest list became part of Toronto lore: Rudolph Valentino, Louis Armstrong, Ernest Hemingway, Elvis Presley, Margaret Thatcher, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono are all associated with stays there, while The Beatles’ 1964 visit drew thousands of fans into the streets and lobby.)
The hotel’s next major chapter came in 1979, when it closed for a $30 million restoration designed by Stanford Downey Architects Inc; it reopened in 1981, modernized but still anchored by its historic fabric.) A later ownership plan announced in 2009 called for another major restoration, including condominium conversions on unused upper floors, and Omni later restored the long-closed Crystal Ballroom, which reopened in April 2017 after a 38-year closure.) The hotel’s centenary in 2003 was marked by an Ontario Heritage Trust plaque, underscoring its place in Toronto’s built heritage.)
The setting
37 King Street East, Toronto, eastern edge of the Financial District.
Restaurants and bars
- Consort Bar — Bar · Bar
Amenities
- Spa
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- AAA Four Diamond (2026)
Open Omni King Edward Hotel, The in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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