tcook052
Aug 19, 04, 10:37 am
TORONTO, Aug. 19 /CNW/ - From humble beginnings as the very first hotel
on the airport strip to proudly serving thousands of guests as one of Canada's
five largest hotels and conference centres, the Doubletree International Plaza
Hotel is pleased to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary. Friends
and employees of the hotel will mark the special occasion with an invitation-
only reception to be held in early October.
The hotel, which many remember as the Skyline Hotel, opened its doors on
October 10, 1954, five days before Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto with a fury,
and has been demonstrating its ability to adapt and prosper ever since.
Innovative from the start, the property was the very first hotel on the
airport strip, opening with 23 guest rooms and a men's beverage room. It was
also the first hotel to acquire a liquor license in Etobicoke. The men's
beverage parlour reportedly sold more beer than the gas station located across
the road sold gas.
For the past 50 years, the hotel has provided a haven for both business
and leisure travelers, and has catered to the special needs of a number of
celebrity guests and dignitaries. It has hosted such famous names such as Tom
Jones, Pierre Trudeau and Elton John, and was the site of several Miss Canada
Pageants. With a reputation for fine food and great entertainment that
continues today, the hotel also featured a number of regular entertainers.
During the 1960's and 70's many visitors to the hotel stopped in at "Diamond
Lil's" to see singer Kitty Meredith perform nightly in period costume as
"Klondike Kate."
As part of the anniversary celebration, former guests and employees are
invited to bring back items of historical significance for a chance to enter a
contest to win prizes including hotel stays or vouchers for the hotel's dining
areas. Members of the public are urged to stop by with items such as old menus
from one of the hotel's many restaurants, old receipts, photographs, postcards
and other memorabilia related to the hotel's storied past. Anyone who brings a
piece of historical memorabilia to the hotel reception desk will be entered
into a draw to win. Please visit www.internationalplaza.com or call Anne at
416-246-7900 for more details.
"Celebrating 50 years of achievement in the hotel business is quite an
undertaking and we at Doubletree are proud to share such a long, successful
and storied history with our long-time patrons and employees. We have hundreds
of interesting stories and experiences to tell and each one paints a colourful
picture about the many memories that this hotel holds," said Herb Whiteway,
General Manager, Doubletree International Plaza Hotel. "By contacting our past
guests and employees and asking them to send us items of historical
significance, we are tapping into people's nostalgia and bringing to life the
hotel's past."
Today, under the Doubletree name, the hotel is well known for its warm
hospitality as well as its warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The
delicious cookies, presented to each guest upon check-in, are only one of the
many things that separate the Doubletree from the competition. With more than
$15 million in renovations and upgrades during the past four years, the
Doubletree International Plaza Hotel features more than 60,000 square feet of
convention and meeting facilities; five fine dining and entertainment outlets,
including one of the finest Italian/continental cuisine restaurants in
Toronto; extensive recreational facilities, including an indoor water park;
and a host of additional amenities for both the leisure and business traveler.
Located directly across from the Toronto Congress Centre, the 433-room,
full-service hotel is centrally located near the major metropolitan crossroads
of Highways 401 and 427. For more information about the Doubletree
International Plaza Hotel, visit our website at
www.internationalplazatoronto.doubletree.com.
on the airport strip to proudly serving thousands of guests as one of Canada's
five largest hotels and conference centres, the Doubletree International Plaza
Hotel is pleased to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary. Friends
and employees of the hotel will mark the special occasion with an invitation-
only reception to be held in early October.
The hotel, which many remember as the Skyline Hotel, opened its doors on
October 10, 1954, five days before Hurricane Hazel hit Toronto with a fury,
and has been demonstrating its ability to adapt and prosper ever since.
Innovative from the start, the property was the very first hotel on the
airport strip, opening with 23 guest rooms and a men's beverage room. It was
also the first hotel to acquire a liquor license in Etobicoke. The men's
beverage parlour reportedly sold more beer than the gas station located across
the road sold gas.
For the past 50 years, the hotel has provided a haven for both business
and leisure travelers, and has catered to the special needs of a number of
celebrity guests and dignitaries. It has hosted such famous names such as Tom
Jones, Pierre Trudeau and Elton John, and was the site of several Miss Canada
Pageants. With a reputation for fine food and great entertainment that
continues today, the hotel also featured a number of regular entertainers.
During the 1960's and 70's many visitors to the hotel stopped in at "Diamond
Lil's" to see singer Kitty Meredith perform nightly in period costume as
"Klondike Kate."
As part of the anniversary celebration, former guests and employees are
invited to bring back items of historical significance for a chance to enter a
contest to win prizes including hotel stays or vouchers for the hotel's dining
areas. Members of the public are urged to stop by with items such as old menus
from one of the hotel's many restaurants, old receipts, photographs, postcards
and other memorabilia related to the hotel's storied past. Anyone who brings a
piece of historical memorabilia to the hotel reception desk will be entered
into a draw to win. Please visit www.internationalplaza.com or call Anne at
416-246-7900 for more details.
"Celebrating 50 years of achievement in the hotel business is quite an
undertaking and we at Doubletree are proud to share such a long, successful
and storied history with our long-time patrons and employees. We have hundreds
of interesting stories and experiences to tell and each one paints a colourful
picture about the many memories that this hotel holds," said Herb Whiteway,
General Manager, Doubletree International Plaza Hotel. "By contacting our past
guests and employees and asking them to send us items of historical
significance, we are tapping into people's nostalgia and bringing to life the
hotel's past."
Today, under the Doubletree name, the hotel is well known for its warm
hospitality as well as its warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The
delicious cookies, presented to each guest upon check-in, are only one of the
many things that separate the Doubletree from the competition. With more than
$15 million in renovations and upgrades during the past four years, the
Doubletree International Plaza Hotel features more than 60,000 square feet of
convention and meeting facilities; five fine dining and entertainment outlets,
including one of the finest Italian/continental cuisine restaurants in
Toronto; extensive recreational facilities, including an indoor water park;
and a host of additional amenities for both the leisure and business traveler.
Located directly across from the Toronto Congress Centre, the 433-room,
full-service hotel is centrally located near the major metropolitan crossroads
of Highways 401 and 427. For more information about the Doubletree
International Plaza Hotel, visit our website at
www.internationalplazatoronto.doubletree.com.