I suspect that it is temporary. The Royal York has been doing extensive renovations over the past few years. At the moment, the entire lobby is being renovated, and they've moved reception to the lower level. They are also renovating the Fairmont Gold rooms at this time. So, my guess is that while they are not able to sell a Fairmont Gold room (or have several of them out of commission at any one time), they may be offering lounge access to rooms on other floors.
Edit to add... Rather than just tossing out my earlier guess above, I checked the RYH website.
As part of our commitment to improve our guest experience, we are currently undergoing a multi-million dollar revitalization of our Fairmont Gold guest rooms and lounge. Scheduled to debut in the Fall of 2018, the reinvented experience will offer a sophisticated sanctuary high above the city with expansive new suites, an unforgettable lounge, and thoughtfully designed spaces. Our new Fairmont Gold will be a rare experience of personalized big-city luxury.
Please note Fairmont Gold will close May 8 as we undergo our final phase of guest room renovations.
Our Gold Team looks forward to welcoming you back when our new Fairmont Gold is unveiled.
I guess it could also be a temporary way of getting more people to try out the brand new product. I notice this new promotion is only good to the end of the year.