Inside the new and improved Park Hyatt, with decor inspired by the Group of Seven

Inside the new and improved Park Hyatt, with decor inspired by the Group of Seven

The Park Hyatt Toronto recently reopened after a four-year renovation—the largest facelift in the property’s 85-year lifespan. It includes major structural changes to the original towers, designed by architects Peter Dickinson and Hugh Gordon Holman, as well as refreshed guest rooms, restaurants and amenities. Here’s a look inside.

The ground-floor podium that connects the hotels two towers received a complete overhaul, as did the entrance, which is now adorned by an abstract bronze sculpture by An Te Liu:

Photo courtesy of Tatar Art Projects/Instagram

All the art in the Park Hyatt’s public spaces was commissioned by Tatar Art Projects. Inside is a 15-by-23 foot jacquard tapestry by Canadian artist Shannon Bool that depicts a scene from a museum fashion exhibition, with the clothing replaced by brutalist architecture:

Toronto’s Studio Munge designed the hotel’s new interiors. The colour palette flits between warm and cool, with limestone from Wiarton, Ontario, and carpets evoking autumnal foliage. “The decor was inspired by how the Group of Seven translated the Canadian landscape into art,” says general manager Bonnie Strome:

The hand-blown glass pendant lights and other interior lighting were designed by Mulvey and Banani Lighting. The oil-on-linen landscape paintings by Kristine Moran are based on hundreds of sketches the artist drew in 2017 while travelling across the U.S. in an RV with her husband and two children:

Instead of a conventional lobby, guests can relax in the Living Room, a lounge facing Avenue Road. A glass art display—which showcases a rotating collection of items from the Gardiner Museum—separates the lounge from Joni, the hotel’s swanky new restaurant. The vitrines currently showcase a 3D series called “Fable” by Nurielle Stern:

Joni is an open-concept, 90-seat restaurant serving globally inspired fare. The dining room is bookended by a sculptural staircase and a stunning ceramic creation featuring 12,000 beads by Algonquin artist Nadia Myre:

Photo courtesy of Tatar Art Projects/Instagram

The property’s famed rooftop cocktail bar—where the Writers Guild of Canada was purportedly born on the back of a napkingot a sleek makeover. Writer’s Room, the 17th-storey restaurant and lounge, features oxblood banquettes, dark-stained oak walls, a double-sided fireplace and black-stone tables. New floor-to-ceiling windows ensure everyone—not just the lucky few who land a seat on the expanded terrace—enjoys sweeping views of the city. The pastel stained-glass landscape behind the bar is by Toronto-based artist Madison van Rijn:

All 219 guest rooms—including 40 suites—have been entirely revamped. The Art Deco–inspired furniture was all designed by Studio Munge. The mattress is a 13-inch deep Sealy Posturepedic topped with butter-soft Beaumont and Brown linens:

Even the hotel’s towels, terrycloth robes and slippers have been upgraded. Storme personally tried out all the options, seeking only the plushest fabrics:

The hotel’s team worked with local perfumer Brennan Michael to create a custom scent. The smell, which lingers in the lobby and down the halls, has notes of rose balanced with cedarwood, creamy amber, worn leather and white musk:

Here’s the 1,800-square-foot presidential suite, the largest (and most opulent) of the Park Hyatt rooms. The sprawling one-bedroom space comes with its own An Te Liu sculpture on a plinth next to the stone-clad fireplace. There’s also a dining area outfitted with an eight-seat table, as well as a chef’s pantry for catered dinners:

The suite typically sells for about $2,750 a night:

Here’s the master bathroom, complete with a glass-enclosed, double-rain shower, and a free-standing soaker tub overlooking Yorkville:

The gym was refurbished with new equipment, and the Stillwater Spa will reopen later this fall: