Lord Simcoe Hotel

The Lord Simcoe Hotel was a 20-story modern tower of concrete and glass located at the corner of King Street and University Avenue in downtown Toronto. The structure featured spacious guest rooms and public areas that made it a notable presence in the city's landscape.

The hotel opened in 1956 and was named after John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada who lived in York. After nearly two decades in operation, the building closed in 1979 and was demolished the following year.

The Pump Room restaurant featured waiters dressed in ostrich feather turbans while presenting exotic meats and fish prepared on flaming swords and serving wagons.

The building was known for its unusual acoustic properties that guests would notice when moving through its spaces. The 1980 demolition required special precautions and protective measures due to the building's particular construction methods.

Guests could hear conversations from five rooms away, an unexpected feature of the building's construction. This acoustic quality was both a drawback for privacy and a mark of the tower's distinctive building approach.

Location: Ontario

Inception: 1956

Architects: Peter Dickinson

Architectural style: modern architecture

GPS coordinates: 43.64770,-79.38470

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:43