The Hotel Waverly was a four-storey

low-rise A low-rise is a building that is only a few stories tall or any building that is shorter than a high-rise, though others include the classification of mid-rise. Definition Emporis defines a low-rise as "an enclosed structure below 35 metres 15 ...

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

in downtown

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. Opened in 1900, the hotel was built for J.J. Powell. It was one of the oldest Toronto hotels in continuous operation.

Location

Hotel Waverly was at 484 Spadina Avenue on the northwest corner of

Spadina Avenue Spadina Avenue (, less commonly ) is one of the most prominent streets in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Running through the western section of downtown, the road has a very different character in different neighbourhoods. Spadina Avenue runs south ...

and College Street, adjacent to Toronto's Chinatown. It was adjacent to The Silver Dollar Room, which was added to the hotel in 1958. The Scott Mission was next door. The hotel's central location was close to major attractions such as the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Bev ...

, Queen's Park, The Royal Ontario Museum and

Kensington Market Kensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canad ...

, making it a prime target for redevelopment.

Accommodations

The Waverly's interior rooms were modest but comfortable. This accommodation provides low-cost housing benefiting Toronto's transient community as well as monthly residents. Its proximity to the mission has kept rental rates low, attracting customers who are looking for a deal in downtown. The hotel offers 24-hour laundry facilities, free parking and snack counter.

Notability

Though he denied it, evidence points towards

James Earl Ray James Earl Ray (March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998) was an American fugitive convicted for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. After this Ray was on the run and was cap ...

staying at the Waverly while hiding out in Toronto after shooting

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

It was also the longtime home of poet

Milton Acorn Milton James Rhode Acorn (March 30, 1923 – August 20, 1986), nicknamed ''The People's Poet'' by his peers, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright. Early life He was born in Prince Edward Island, and grew up in Charlottetown. He joined th ...

; several of his most acclaimed works depict the life in the neighbourhood. In popular culture the hotel was the setting for the opening scene of the Elmore Leonard novel '' Killshot'' and was also featured in the film version. The hotel is also briefly pictured in the music video for "Games for Days" by Julian Plenti (a.k.a. Paul Banks), and the music video for "Man I Used to Be," by Canadian musician k-os. Also used in the Canadian movie "Code 8" written by Jeff Chan and starring Robbie and Stephen Amell. It was also featured in the song "Devil's Eyes" by Buck 65.

Closure and Demolition

The Wynn Group, a Toronto-based rental group and building developer, have proposed to construct a 20-storey building with 202 rental units aimed at Toronto's university students. The Silver Dollar Room would be reopened on the first floor. The hotel permanently closed in 2017. In March 2018, Fitzrovia Real Estate acquired the approved plans and site, confirming that the new purpose-built rental tower would be called "The Waverley" The hotel was demolished that summer.

References

External links

Waverly Hotel
{{coord, 43.658275, N, 79.400543, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Hotels in Toronto Demolished hotels Demolished buildings and structures in Toronto Buildings and structures demolished in 2018 2017 disestablishments in Ontario Buildings and structures completed in 1900 Defunct hotels in Canada