Whether it's slow or not, it's desperately needed. I stayed here a year ago around this time and I felt like I was living in grandpa's shoebox. The room was tired, dated, and scruffy. No thanks.
 
Photos not included in today's front page story:

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr


The Sovereign Ballroom, one of three grand ballrooms currently in operation:

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr


The Vanity Fair Ballroom:

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr

King Edward Hotel by Marcus Mitanis, on Flickr
 
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Lovely photos, Marcus.

It appears that the lost murals in the King Eddy lobby were not uncovered and restored. I seem to recall a few years ago that the owners were mentioning the possibility of restoring the murals if they were in decent shape under the wood paneling (although I can't seem to find any such discussion or coverage in Google). I'm assuming that either the murals were not found, they were not in good shape, the cost was prohibitive, or I'm simply mis-remembering and the restoration of the murals was just my wishful thinking. Any mention at all of the murals at the official opening?
 
Here's hoping they are still under the wooden panels and may some day be uncovered!

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Skeezix said:
Lovely photos, Marcus.

It appears that the lost murals in the King Eddy lobby were not uncovered and restored. I seem to recall a few years ago that the owners were mentioning the possibility of restoring the murals if they were in decent shape under the wood paneling (although I can't seem to find any such discussion or coverage in Google). I'm assuming that either the murals were not found, they were not in good shape, the cost was prohibitive, or I'm simply mis-remembering and the restoration of the murals was just my wishful thinking. Any mention at all of the murals at the official opening?
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No mention of them during the event. Maybe they'll do it when they get around to the Crystal Ballroom, but seeing as how they've updated the lobby already, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
 
Marcanadian said:
I don't see that happening anytime soon.
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Nope. When I saw the photos of the lobby, I was pretty sure that those murals would not be seeing the light of day. I agree with you - they are not going to start ripping off wood panels now. We'll probably have to wait 20-40 years for the next major upgrade/revitalization.

I was mostly curious as to why the murals did not reappear. My guess is that cash was the issue (although heavy damage or missing are contenders). If anyone comes across any recent discussion, please let me know. Thanks.
 
Miscreant said:
Whether it's slow or not, it's desperately needed. I stayed here a year ago around this time and I felt like I was living in grandpa's shoebox. The room was tired, dated, and scruffy. No thanks.
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The bar needed a lot of work too.

I used to drink there a lot. I sat by the window and watched Brad Lamb cause traffic jams out front. He would drop by the King Eddie for a drink, and illegally park his gigantic Rolls on King St. I guess if you can afford the Rolls, you can afford the parking tickets. :D
 
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Skeezix said:
Nope. When I saw the photos of the lobby, I was pretty sure that those murals would not be seeing the light of day. I agree with you - they are not going to start ripping off wood panels now. We'll probably have to wait 20-40 years for the next major upgrade/revitalization.

I was mostly curious as to why the murals did not reappear. My guess is that cash was the issue (although heavy damage or missing are contenders). If anyone comes across any recent discussion, please let me know. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I contacted the hotel, here's what they said about the murals:

Pieces of the murals are with the Omni King Edward Hotel engineering department – they are now boxed to preserve them. Renovations had taken place back in the 80s and prior to that and that’s when the murals were most likely taken down. We are uncertain as to what happened to all of the pieces. It is somewhat of a mystery!
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So it doesn't seem like there's any immediate plans to display them.
 
Thanks, Marcus. It's good to know that parts of the murals survived, and someday they may even be displayed.
 
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