Airbnb of the Week: $193 per night for a former dance studio at Queen and Parliament

Airbnb of the Week: $193 per night for a former dance studio at Queen and Parliament

Address: 90 Ontario Street
Neighbourhood: Moss Park
Price: $193 per night

The place

A roomy loft inside a historic building slated for demolition.

The history

The building, over a century old, once belonged to the J.D. Carrier Shoe Factory. It was converted into lofts soon after the factory closed down, and this particular unit used to be a dance studio. The host, a freelance media producer who travels frequently, has been renting his ground floor unit for the past two years. The building may not be around for much longer: a developer has applied to rezone the entire block to permit the construction of a multi-tower residential community.

A wall of mirrors remains from the unit’s dance studio days:

There’s no defined bedroom. The brick is original to the building:

The queen-sized bed gets some serious natural light:

The host describes his decorating style as “eclectic”:

Here’s the kitchen:

Guests love all the greenery and antique touches, like this ladder:

Major perks

Since the unit is directly above the building’s boiler room, the floors feel like they’re heated. And if, for some reason, you’ve always dreamed about sleeping where they used to craft leather boots for World War Two, this may be your last chance to do so in Toronto.

Possible deal breaker

Said boiler room occasionally “clangs” at night when it’s pumping water through the pipes.

By the numbers

• 900 square feet
• $193 per night
• 1 decorative ladder
• 1 queen-sized bed
• 1 couch
• 1-night minimum stay
• 0 bedrooms

The Hunt