Toronto's Forgotten Landmarks: The Guild Inn

guild innSitting high atop the Scarborough Bluffs on Toronto's eastern side, sits one of our oldest and most beautiful hotels, the Guild Inn. Boarded-off and sealed to potential guests, this magnificent structure is also famed as being one of the most haunted buildings in Canada. It consists of two large buildings, the stouter of which was built in 1914, with a large addition being added in the mid-60s.

I've visited this place many times, as well as its beautiful surrounding gardens (still frequented for wedding photos and the like). In and of themselves, these gardens are quite interesting - in days past, whenever an important building in downtown Toronto was demolished, a small portion of the structure would be transplanted to the Guildwood gardens (behind the Inn). On my most recent sojourn, I decided to do something a little different than my usual photographic escapades - I decided to sleep over.

guild innThere is nothing more disturbing than waking up from uneasy sleep to a series of loud crashes which shake the entire building you are in; more so when you gain a hazy recollection that you are in a condemned, abandoned, haunted hotel room (I use the term 'sleep' here loosely). As I hurriedly awoke my companions, we rushed to our balcony to realize that the noise was from a drunken teenager from BC (as we later found out), who was trying to gain access by force to a lower floor of the building. Through our panic of terror-induced laughter, we realized it was 6:30 am - the sun was coming up, and we headed to the roof to bear it witness.

guild innThere are so many downright creepy elements to our stay that will elude these short words, but let me share a few that will perhaps give you a clue as to why it was so disturbing. The room we 'stayed' in was not only one of the few which actually had electricity, but the beds were completely intact - and made (tucked-in and all). I was scouting the place not a week earlier, and this was not the case. There was a distant electrical hum throughout the corridors which wavered in tone, and added to the chemical-rot smell, gave a generally uneasy feeling. On top of this was the fact that, between individual rooms there was a noticeable temperature change, which, of course, we nervously attributed to (made up, on-the-spot) 'facts' about contained environments, and the like.

guild innThis building was used at various times as a makeshift hospital, a shelter, but mainly as a hotel - so why shouldn't I meet it where it was at; in trying to legitimately understand a structure in its own footing, I ended up discovering one of the most terrifying places I have ever visited. I have been to abandoned skyscrapers, aircraft graveyards, psychiatric hospitals, churches, train stations, you name it - but this will remain one of the most disturbing abandoned places I have ever visited. My one night stand with the Guild Inn solidifies in my mind precisely why these places are so intriguing and mysterious. The boarded windows and darkened rooms are open stories to me... and open questions. So often in life we have the answers ready-made, and it is the questions which so perturb us.

Here are some more snaps I took during my surreal visit:

Reader Reviews and Comments

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fascinating

Posted by: gl smb at September 30, 2008 10:38 AM

AWESOME.

All that unused furniture should go to Goodwill.

Posted by: yikes at September 30, 2008 11:34 AM
Posted by: yikes at September 30, 2008 11:42 AM

I didn't even know about it. Very cool!

Posted by: Teena in Toronto at September 30, 2008 12:23 PM

My family used to go here for brunches and whatnot when I was a kid. They had an amazing hedge maze and some miniature kid-sized houses you could play in. I always thought it was a magical place. Someone should fix it up. It only looks creepy now because it is in disrepair.

Posted by: Shaun Smith [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 30, 2008 12:30 PM

How did you get past the security guards there? or are they only there in the day time?

Posted by: Brad at September 30, 2008 1:29 PM

Not everyday that i get to read about my part of Toronto on here! More of this is needed!!!

Posted by: Eric at September 30, 2008 4:40 PM

I live not too far from there. The hotel and central building are pretty far gone and really should be bulldozed. The gardens are beautiful and unique but tend to be overrun with wedding photography (which defines creepy more than an old building for me).

The Guild Inn is a pretty sad example of city incompetence:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild_Inn

Posted by: James at September 30, 2008 5:42 PM

I live out in Scarborough and still haven't been to see it. Always wanted to though.

Interestingly enough, Centennial College has made a proposal to renew and use the site. Here are the links:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/article/55745
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/gm/bgrd/backgroundfile-15404.pdf

Posted by: J at September 30, 2008 10:32 PM

Forgot to add that the plans include the city paying for demolition in 2009: "$1 million for the demolition of the existing five storey hotel tower and the connecting corridor to the old inn, as well as removal of the outdoor swimming pool and restoration of the site to parkland."

Posted by: J at September 30, 2008 10:37 PM

One of my favorite places in the Toronto area. Absolutely gorgeous...

Posted by: interro at September 30, 2008 11:15 PM

that was wicked, thanks for the great post and pictures

Posted by: steph at October 1, 2008 1:41 PM

Thanks, guy : )

J->

Posted by: Jonathan Castellino at October 1, 2008 6:01 PM

My wife and I stayed at the Guild with our two young daughters in the 1980's in our first trip to Canada.
It was a most interesting stay--but reminds me of the old boo--yea jokes. Great view of the lake--but the lake was polluted. Lovely art work was on premises with artisans actually working there--but the rooms were really dour.
There was a great bar and the food was delicious--but the hotel itself was rundown and almost seedy.
Of course, I loved it and now almost weep at whats happened to this unique place.
I was told it was an artists colony in the 1920's.
While the ambiance was lousy, I truly believe with the right management, money and imagination, the hotel could have been very successful as a getaway for couples and families that wanted a little time away and chance to relax and perhaps visit downtown Toronto.
It's sad that so many will never have seen it when it was thriving.

Posted by: Martin Budner at October 4, 2008 1:59 AM

You're definitely braver than me - the idea of staying in that place all night is terrifying - the ultimate creepy experience. We went into the adjoining "cottage" last May. (a shutter had been removed from one of the windows).. got some amazing pictures - hydro was on - lots of furniture - but stay there all night? NO WAY! When we were leaving from out of nowhere, a hydro line came flying down and hit the side of the house - no explanation - but .... who knows !

Posted by: Meg at October 17, 2008 8:56 PM

I was at the guild inn the other night but was unable to get inside as it's all locked/boarded up... how did you get inside the building? thanks

Posted by: Jay at October 18, 2008 1:54 PM

Hi,
I have been there done it and I will say it is pretty scary If you go down stairs you can find tunnels and rooms which are alot more scary than that room you stayed in and I Would never go back..... and its just way to dirty to stay there for a night.

Posted by: kevin at November 12, 2008 5:59 PM

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