The Royal Connaught Hotel is a 13-storey building in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. It was built by Harry Frost of Buffalo, New York in 1914, who also started up and owned the Frost Fence Company in Hamilton. It is located at the corner of King Street East and John Street South. From 2014-2018, it was converted to condominiums.[2]
This photo is from a 1917 advertisement which described the Royal Connaught as "Hamilton's New Fireproof Hotel"[1]
1911 - Businessman Harry Louis Frost approaches the city about building a grand hotel.
1914 - A building permit is issued for construction on the site of the Waldorf Hotel.
1916 - The hotel opens with a lavish banquet and dance on 5 June.
1922 - Prior to the 1922-23 season, the National Hockey League (NHL) would hold its Governors meeting at the Royal Connaught Hotel on King Street, where the visiting NHL teams who came to town to play against the Hamilton Tigers stayed as well.[3]
1927- In 1927, CKOC radio station was finding the Lister Building accommodations unsatisfactory and the radio station was moved to the 11th floor of the Royal Connaught Hotel. The transmitter power was raised from 50 to 100 watts. For a brief time, CKOC and CHML shared the same frequency... 880 on the radio dial. In 1931, CKOC changed to the 630 on the dial and boosted power to a full 1,000 watts. The radio business was beginning to boom![4]
1929- The hotel expands into a neighbouring building.
1930- United Hotels Company, which owned the Connaught, announces it has been sold. The new owner adds 200 rooms and turns the bottom floors into offices and shops.
1952- The hotel is sold to the Sheraton chain, which renames it The Sheraton-Connaught Hotel and later completes a million-dollar renovation.
1973- The hotel is again sold, this time to Toronto-based Citicom. Another renovation worth $4 million is completed.
1988- The hotel is sold to Joymarmon Properties Ltd.
1992- Joymarmon loses the hotel when its mortgage holder forecloses.
1993- The hotel becomes a franchise under the Howard Johnson chain.
2002- Canmac Hotels Corporation, a master at reviving struggling hotels, buys the hotel, assumes its $6-million debt and promises full-scale renovations.
2004- Hotel closes after going into receivership.
2005- Local businessmen buy the hotel for $4.5 million.
2008- Real Estate developer Harry Stinson makes a deposit with plans to reopen it for Christmas 2009.
2008- June 2, 2008, Harry Stinson makes a public presentation of his proposed 100-storey Connaught Towers at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce building. Once complete, it will become the tallest building in Canada.[6][7][8] Three months later, on Thursday September 4, Harry Stinson closes up the Connaught Towers sales office in downtown Hamilton and the project is officially cancelled.
2014- June 2014, Two of the largest builders in the Hamilton area, Spallacci Group and Valery Homes, teamed up to renovate the hotel, and after months of renovation, the front lobby was given a complete restoration, and sample units for The Residences of Royal Connaught were made available to the public to purchase.
Harry Stinson & The Connaught Towersedit
Ongoing renovations of The Royal Connaught
On 29 February 2008 Harry Stinson inked a $9.5-million contract to purchase the Royal Connaught Hotel at Hamilton, Ontario. The agreement was secured with a $100,000 deposit and provided a 30-day conditional period for Stinson to secure financing. But financing was not secured. The concept included restoration and a substantial addition to the existing Connaught building to include a 100-room boutique luxury hotel and approximately 200 compact one- and two-bedroom multi-use condominium units. Stinson's original grand vision included a 70- to 80-storey Sapphire Tower and has now turned into a new 100-storey condominium tower, with a commercial gallery designed to be an architectural signature piece for downtown Hamilton. The price tag for the entire project was an estimated $300-million, but the project was never initiated and Stinson soon set his sights on other projects IJNR took over.[6]
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Not to be confused with Connaught Hotel The Royal Connaught Hotel is a 13 storey building in downtown Hamilton Ontario It was built by Harry Frost of Buffalo New York in 1914 who also started up and owned the Frost Fence Company in Hamilton It is located at the corner of King Street East and John Street South From 2014 2018 it was converted to condominiums 2 This photo is from a 1917 advertisement which described the Royal Connaught as Hamilton s New Fireproof Hotel 1 Contents 1 Timeline 2 Harry Stinson amp The Connaught Towers 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksTimeline edit1911 Businessman Harry Louis Frost approaches the city about building a grand hotel 1914 A building permit is issued for construction on the site of the Waldorf Hotel 1916 The hotel opens with a lavish banquet and dance on 5 June 1922 Prior to the 1922 23 season the National Hockey League NHL would hold its Governors meeting at the Royal Connaught Hotel on King Street where the visiting NHL teams who came to town to play against the Hamilton Tigers stayed as well 3 1927 In 1927 CKOC radio station was finding the Lister Building accommodations unsatisfactory and the radio station was moved to the 11th floor of the Royal Connaught Hotel The transmitter power was raised from 50 to 100 watts For a brief time CKOC and CHML shared the same frequency 880 on the radio dial In 1931 CKOC changed to the 630 on the dial and boosted power to a full 1 000 watts The radio business was beginning to boom 4 1929 The hotel expands into a neighbouring building 1930 The hotel serves as the site of female athlete accommodation for the 1930 British Empire Games 5 1930 United Hotels Company which owned the Connaught announces it has been sold The new owner adds 200 rooms and turns the bottom floors into offices and shops 1952 The hotel is sold to the Sheraton chain which renames it The Sheraton Connaught Hotel and later completes a million dollar renovation 1973 The hotel is again sold this time to Toronto based Citicom Another renovation worth 4 million is completed 1988 The hotel is sold to Joymarmon Properties Ltd 1992 Joymarmon loses the hotel when its mortgage holder forecloses 1993 The hotel becomes a franchise under the Howard Johnson chain 2002 Canmac Hotels Corporation a master at reviving struggling hotels buys the hotel assumes its 6 million debt and promises full scale renovations 2004 Hotel closes after going into receivership 2005 Local businessmen buy the hotel for 4 5 million 2008 Real Estate developer Harry Stinson makes a deposit with plans to reopen it for Christmas 2009 2008 June 2 2008 Harry Stinson makes a public presentation of his proposed 100 storey Connaught Towers at the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce building Once complete it will become the tallest building in Canada 6 7 8 Three months later on Thursday September 4 Harry Stinson closes up the Connaught Towers sales office in downtown Hamilton and the project is officially cancelled 2014 June 2014 Two of the largest builders in the Hamilton area Spallacci Group and Valery Homes teamed up to renovate the hotel and after months of renovation the front lobby was given a complete restoration and sample units for The Residences of Royal Connaught were made available to the public to purchase Harry Stinson amp The Connaught Towers edit nbsp Ongoing renovations of The Royal ConnaughtOn 29 February 2008 Harry Stinson inked a 9 5 million contract to purchase the Royal Connaught Hotel at Hamilton Ontario The agreement was secured with a 100 000 deposit and provided a 30 day conditional period for Stinson to secure financing But financing was not secured The concept included restoration and a substantial addition to the existing Connaught building to include a 100 room boutique luxury hotel and approximately 200 compact one and two bedroom multi use condominium units Stinson s original grand vision included a 70 to 80 storey Sapphire Tower and has now turned into a new 100 storey condominium tower with a commercial gallery designed to be an architectural signature piece for downtown Hamilton The price tag for the entire project was an estimated 300 million but the project was never initiated and Stinson soon set his sights on other projects IJNR took over 6 See also editList of tallest buildings in Hamilton Ontario Harry Stinson Sapphire TowerReferences edit The Official Hotel Red Book and Directory Official Hotel Red Book and Directory Company 1917 pp 810 Resurgent Royal Connaught proving downtown Hamilton s comeback is real CBC News www cbc ca Wesley Sam amp David 2005 Hamilton s Hockey Tigers James Lorimer amp Company Ltd ISBN 1 55028 887 3 OLDIES 1150 CKOC Official Web Site Archived from the original on July 21 2007 Retrieved 2008 08 20 Jamie Bradburn 21 July 2015 The British Empire Games of 1930 Torontoist com Retrieved 30 August 2017 a b De Lazzer Rachel Condo king buys Royal Connaught for 9 5m Hamilton Spectator 29 February 2008 A1 Every city needs an icon Harry Stinson Hamilton Spectator 24 May 2008 WR7 The Connaught Towers Official Web Site Retrieved 2008 06 03 External links editRoyal Connaught official website Hamilton Skyscraper page diagrams Harry Stinson talks about the 81 storey Sapphire Tower on YouTube43 15 19 N 79 51 59 W 43 25529 N 79 86636 W 43 25529 79 86636 Royal Connaught Hotel Haunted Hamilton Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Royal Connaught Hotel amp oldid 1135409219, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
