Our Story Lives Here
A century of stories, elegance, and memories
A century of stories, elegance, and memories
Back in 1923, Marcus Lorquinthar had this wild idea - turn a tobacco warehouse into something nobody'd seen before.
The guy was a bit of a dreamer, honestly. Fresh off the boat from Scotland with nothing but architectural drawings and stubborn determination. Everyone told him he was crazy trying to build a luxury hotel during those uncertain times. But Marcus saw something in that old brick building on King Street that others just couldn't.
He spent three years restoring every corner, hunting down craftsmen who still knew how to work with limestone and iron the old way. His wife Eleanor designed the interiors - she had this knack for making grand spaces feel somehow intimate. Together they created something that felt both impossibly elegant and genuinely welcoming.
That original vision? It's still here. We've just added hot water and WiFi.
Marcus breaks ground on what locals are calling 'Lorquinthar's Folly'. The original warehouse walls stay up - he insisted on keeping that industrial charm mixed with Beaux-Arts details.
The doors finally open. Toronto's elite show up in their finest, jazz plays until dawn. The Toronto Star calls it "an unexpected jewel" which Marcus frames and hangs in his office.
After the war, Marcus's daughter Catherine takes over. She adds the restaurant and completely reimagines the bar - it becomes THE spot for Toronto's cultural scene throughout the 50s and 60s.
A massive restoration project brings back original details that'd been covered up over the years. The building gets designated as a heritage site - Marcus would've been proud.
We add the spa and wellness center, plus updated conference facilities. All done in a way that honors the original architecture - nothing that makes you forget you're in a piece of living history.
It's all in the details - and we've got plenty
Original limestone from an Ontario quarry that's been closed since the 30s. Those hand-carved corbels? Each one's slightly different - that's how you know they're the real deal.
Wrought iron brought over from a Scottish foundry. Marcus's personal connection got us these railings - apparently his uncle worked there.
Eleanor designed these herself. Twenty-foot ceilings with hand-painted medallions. During the '85 restoration, they found her original sketches tucked behind a panel.
Original stained glass in the main hall. We've only had to replace three panels in a hundred years - that's Victorian craftsmanship for you.
Look, we could've gutted this place decades ago and put up something shiny and modern. Would've been easier, honestly. But that's not what Marcus built this for.
Every time we restore something - whether it's refinishing the original oak floors or updating the plumbing behind those heritage walls - we're thinking about the next hundred years. About keeping this building alive and relevant without losing what makes it special.
Our concierge team knows every story, every hidden detail. They'll tell you about the speakeasy that operated in the basement during Prohibition (yeah, we've got those stories too) or point out where Hemingway supposedly got into a bar fight in 1928.
This isn't just a hotel - it's a piece of Toronto that's been here through everything. And we're pretty committed to keeping it that way.
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Every guest adds their own story to this place. What'll yours be?
Call us at (416) 555-0187 or email reservations@onyxlorquinthar.info