The Gladstone Hotel

Internationally recognized as Canada’s favourite Boutique Art Hotel, the Gladstone uniquely blends historical Victorian architecture with contemporary luxury, downtown culture and whole lot of art, making it an iconic Toronto hub for locals and international travelers alike.

Supporting 37 artist designed hotel rooms,  over 70 art exhibitions a year, 4 diverse event venue spaces and 2 restaurants, all on a strong values-based mandate, the Gladstone strives to foster an authentic experience for its guests and the local community.

More than just a place to stay overnight, the Gladstone is an ongoing experiment in cultural entrepreneurship and urban development. Gladstone Hotel President Christina Zeidler leads the entrepreneurial vision and business philosophy of the hotel to embrace creativity and invites collaboration and innovation.  The Gladstone’s business renewal and building renovation that was completed in 2008 is largely inspired by urban planning visionary Jane Jacobs.  Preserving both the essence of the building’s architectural and community history while opening access to an important Toronto landmark, Christina Zeidler was beyond successful in this restoration.  Successfully facilitating new ideas, creative expression, collaboration, and new ways of experiencing art, culture and community, Christina’s management philosophy and the Gladstone reflect a new wave of positive urban and social development in Toronto.

There’s an inherent sense of community and consideration in the renovation.

 

 

Fiona Harkin, WGSN —world global style network 27.04.06

The idea is to create a model of stewardship in development. The building itself is an architectural backdrop for creative passions to play out. The project is constantly pushing the boundaries of commerce, culture, and community. The Gladstone is engaged in an on-going push/pull between promoting Toronto’s creative community and protecting and preserving the creative community’s place in a neighborhood that is becoming increasingly gentrified.

Christina’s mandate for the Gladstone is to facilitate other people’s ideas. Her business model values all who participate in events at the Gladstone as important contributors to shaping and creating the future of the hotel. The building itself is an architectural backdrop for creative passions to play out.

Christina runs the Gladstone not as a hotel but as a social and cultural incubator, and in a very short time has turned (it) into a treasured institution.

 

 

 

Lloyd Alter, Treehugger.com 12.08.06

 

The Gladstone is committed to environmental leadership in its community. As such the business is striving to be an environmentally conscious —citizen— and to promote —green— practices such as recycling and incorporating environmental considerations into purchasing. The Gladstone Hotel is a member of the Green Tourism Association and purchases shares in a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) farm.